Best Homemade Lemon Loaf

Name: Best Homemade Lemon Bread
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 95 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (approximately 1 lemon); 2¼ cups all purpose flour; 1½ teaspoons baking powder; ¾ teaspoon salt*; 1¼ cups granulated sugar; ¾ cup butter softened*; 3 large eggs; ¾ cup milk (whole or 2% milk); 4 ½ teaspoons lemon juice; 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Best Homemade Lemon Loaf, is a delicious moist sweet bread recipe. Made with fresh lemons and a simple lemon glaze. No beaters necessary, just a couple of bowls and utensils! The perfect snack, dessert or even Breakfast Bread.

I love lemons. I love the smell of lemons, I love the taste of lemons, anything lemon is fine by me. When I was a young woman there was a lemon cologne my friends and I would wear, I loved it. Just wish I could find it again!

Table of Contents

Recipe Ingredients

Flour
Baking powder
Salt
Sugar
Butter
Zest
Eggs
Milk

Glaze

Juice
Sugar

How to make the Lemon Loaf

Pre-heat the oven and grease a loaf pan.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and 1 1/4 cups of sugar, add the softened butter and with a pastry blender or fork blend together until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the lemon zest.

Whisking the dry ingredients in a bowl and adding the zest.

In a small bowl add the eggs and beat lightly with a fork, add the milk and beat until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until the flour is moistened. Do not over mix.

Adding the dry ingredients to the wet and stirred until just combined.

In prepared loaf pan add the batter and bake for approximately 60 minutes, (this all depends on the oven, could be a little more or a little less) or until tooth pick comes out clean. Cool 15 – 20 minutes then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

Bread before and after baked in a loaf pan.

In a small pot add the 4 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of sugar, over medium heat stirring constantly bring to a boil until thickened. With a pastry brush, brush syrup over the top of the cooled or even warmish bread.

It doesn’t even need a heavy icing because the light lemon syrup is the perfect finish. I can say I have been making this bread for over 20 years. Every time I make this recipe I get asked for it, Lemon Loaf is one of my sister-in-law’s favourites.

What does stir just until moistened mean?

Mix just until moistened means to combine the dry ingredients and the liquid ingredients just until the dry ingredients are thoroughly moistened but the mixture is still slightly lumpy. I stir 15-16 times only and it always turns out perfect.

Lemon Bread is perfect as a breakfast bread or even with afternoon tea. It is so easy to make, no need for beaters, it is very much like making muffins. All you need is a fork or pastry blender, (or your clean fingers will do to make the coarse crumbs, and a wooden spoon or spatula for mixing.

Substituting a Lemon Glaze for the Lemon Syrup

The delicious lemony syrup is the perfect addition to this loaf, but if you prefer you can substitute with a simple lemon glaze. Mix together 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1 – 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon or milk or cream.

You want the glaze to be on the thick rather than thin. So you should start with 1 tablespoon of juice and go from there.

FAQs

Can I substitute the lemons?

If you wish you could substitute with either limes, oranges or even mandarines. Do use fresh rather than bottled they make a big difference in taste.

Can I make muffins instead of a loaf?

Yes you can, I would probably bake for about 20-25 minutes, more or less, start to check after 20 minutes.

How to store it

Wrap the completely cooled bread well in plastic wrap, it will keep for up to 2-3 days at room temperature or up to 7 days in the fridge.

How to freeze lemon bread

Wrap the completely cooled bread in plastic wrap and place in a freezer safe bread. If you freeze it glazed, let the glaze harden before wrapping. It will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.

In my opinion this is one of the most delicious Lemon Loaves I have ever tried and I hope you think so too. Enjoy!

More Lemon Recipes you may like.

Best Homemade Lemon Bread

Rosemary Molloy

A delicious Lemony Sweet bread with a simple glaze.

4.36 from 340 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 15

Total Time 1 35

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings slices

Calories 291 kcal

Ingredients

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (approximately 1 lemon)
2¼ cups all purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt*
1¼ cups granulated sugar
¾ cup butter softened*
3 large eggs
¾ cup milk (whole or 2% milk)

*If you use salted butter then use a pinch of salt.

LEMON SYRUP

4 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350° (180° celsius), grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and 1 1/4 cups of sugar, add the softened butter and with a pastry blender or fork blend together until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the lemon zest.
In a small bowl add the eggs and beat lightly with a fork, add the milk and beat until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until the flour is moistened. Do not over mix.
In prepared loaf pan add the batter and bake for approximately 60 minutes, (this all depends on the oven, could be a little more or a little less) or until tooth pick comes out clean. Cool 15 – 20 minutes then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

LEMON SYRUP

In a small pot add the 4 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of sugar, over medium heat stirring constantly bring to a boil until thickened. With a pastry brush, brush syrup over the top of the cooled or even warmish bread. Enjoy!

Notes

If you prefer you can make muffins instead of a loaf. I would probably bake for about 20-25 minutes, more or less, start to check after 20 minutes.

To store the bread, wrap the completely cooled bread well in plastic wrap, it will keep for up to 2-3 days at room temperature or up to 7 days in the fridge.

To freeze it, wrap the completely cooled bread in plastic wrap and place in a freezer safe bread. If you freeze it glazed, let the glaze harden before wrapping. It will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.

Nutrition

Calories: 291kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 4gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 270mgPotassium: 114mgSugar: 21gVitamin A: 430IUVitamin C: 1.4mgCalcium: 52mgIron: 1.3mg

Keyword easy lemon bread, homemade lemon bread, lemon loaf, lemon loaf recipe

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Updated from December 13, 2014.

Best Homemade Lemon Loaf