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Home » Desserts » Muffins & Sweet Breads » Best Homemade Lemon Bread

Best Homemade Lemon Bread

Last Updated June 25, 2021. Published September 22, 2018 By Rosemary 300 Comments

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Best Homemade Lemon Bread, a delicious moist,  Lemon Loaf Recipe. Made with fresh lemons and a simple lemon glaze. The perfect snack, dessert or even Breakfast Bread.

A tangy delicious sweet Easy Lemon Bread Recipe. A moist sweet homemade loaf with a simple glaze, perfect for every occasion. A must try!Homemade Lemon Bread

Now that I cookie baked myself out, I thought there’s more to Christmas than just cookies and bars. So  I want to share one of the most delicious and requested quick breads I have ever eaten or made.

How to make the Lemon Bread

  • Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and a portion of the sugar.
  • Then add the softened butter and mix until you have a coarse crumb mixture.
  • Stir in the lemon zest.
  • In another bowl beat the eggs slightly then add the milk and mix until combined.
  • Pour into the flour mixture and stir just until combined (about 18 stirs)
  • Pour into loaf pan and bake for approximately 1 – 1 1/4 hours.
  • Let cool completely before drizzling with the lemon syrup.

Lemon Bread. I love lemons. I love the smell of lemons, I love the taste of lemons, anything lemon is fine by me.

lemon bread 2 slices and a loaf on a board

When I was a kid there was a lemon cologne we used to wear, I loved it, just wish I could find it again. This Easy Lemon Bread Recipe is a simple, easy and really good loaf that tastes so yummy.

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.

In my opinion it is the Best Lemon Bread Recipe Ever.

Every time I make this recipe I get asked for it, Lemon Loaf is one of my sister-in-law’s favourites.

A tangy delicious sweet Easy Lemon Bread Recipe. A moist sweet homemade loaf with a simple glaze, perfect for every occasion. A must try!

I usually make two and take one to her, she tells me it sure doesn’t last long in their house. I can assure you it doesn’t last long in mine either.

Best Homemade 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 pastry blender (I usually use a fork) and a fork or wooden spoon for mixing.

That delicious lemony glaze is the perfect addition to this loaf, no need for any kind of icing and the tangy sweet taste is just what you need. You know it and I know it. Just remember it’s Christmas, so eat now and worry about it later.

A tangy delicious sweet Easy Lemon Bread Recipe. A moist sweet homemade loaf with a simple glaze, perfect for every occasion. A must try!

I think that is why I always adored Scarlet O’Hara, she had the right attitude,  “Tomorrow is another day”. Enjoy!

More Lemon Recipes you may like.

Lemon Cheesecake Squares

close up of a lemon cheesecake square

Italian Lemon Crostata

Italian Lemon Crostata, a simple and easy Italian Dessert, a flaky pie pastry and delicious lemon filling. A perfect snack or dessert recipe.

Italian Fresh Cream Lemon Cake

Italian Fresh Cream Lemon Cake an easy made from scratch, anytime cake. An Italian sweet cake.  

Toasted Coconut Lemon Ice Cream

Easy No Churn Toasted Coconut Lemon Ice Cream, an easy homemade ice cream recipe, a refreshing fresh coconut and lemon flavor dessert.

Lemon Thumbprint Cookies

Lemon Thumbprint Cookies are an easy Christmas Cookie Recipe, a buttery lemon base rolled in chopped almonds makes these the best cookies.

Tablespoon Italian Lemon Cake

just baked lemon cake on a white plate

A tangy delicious sweet Easy Lemon Bread Recipe. A moist sweet homemade loaf with a simple glaze, perfect for every occasion. A must try!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
4.24 from 284 votes

Best Homemade Lemon Bread

A delicious Lemony Sweet bread with a simple glaze.
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Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings 12 slices
Calories 291kcal
Author Rosemary Molloy

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (zest from 1 lemon)
  • 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour (285 grams)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt*
  • 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (250 grams)
  • 3/4 cup butter softened* (155 grams)
  • 3 eggs (large)
  • 3/4 cup milk I used 2%) (180 grams)

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

    GLAZE

    • 4 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice (I used 1 medium lemon)
    • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Pre-heat oven to 350° (180° celsius), grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
    • In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and 1 1/4 cups sugar, add the softened butter and with a pastry blender blend until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the lemon zest.
    • In a small bowl add eggs and beat lightly with a fork add milk and mix until combined, then pour this mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until flour is moistened.
    • In prepared loaf pan add the batter and bake for 1 - 1 1/4 hours (or until tooth pick comes out clean). Cool then move to a wire rack.

    GLAZE

    • 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 bread. Enjoy!

    Notes

    Be sure to watch the Video at the top of the post!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 291kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 270mg | Potassium: 114mg | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 430IU | Vitamin C: 1.4mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1.3mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @anitalianinmykitchen or tag #anitalianinmykitchen!

    Updated from December 13, 2014.

    A tangy delicious sweet Easy Lemon Bread Recipe. A moist sweet homemade loaf with a simple glaze, perfect for every occasion. A must try!

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    A tangy delicious sweet Easy Lemon Bread Recipe. A moist sweet homemade loaf with a simple glaze, perfect for every occasion. A must try!

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      Filed Under: Breakfast, Breakfast / Brunch, Desserts, fruit, Most Posts, Muffins & Sweet Breads

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      1. Becky says

        February 24, 2021 at 5:10 pm

        5 stars
        I absolutely love this recipe! I always double it because wow does it go fast! I use a little less than half of the flour as a mix of almond and whole wheat flour, and the rest as all-purpose. I wanted to thank you for this and for your 2 hour bread recipe. As soon as I found it and that you wrote it I knew it would be a success!

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          February 24, 2021 at 7:18 pm

          Hi Becky thanks so much, and thank you for letting me know about the flour. Take care.

          Reply
      2. Tim says

        January 28, 2021 at 12:55 am

        5 stars
        I just made. Was out of eggs so used 3/4 cup of applesauce in place of 3 eggs. Turned out moist. Exactly what I was looking for. Great recipe. Easy. My 3 year old helped and also ate some.

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          January 28, 2021 at 10:00 am

          Hi Tim thank so much, great idea with the substitution, love when kids help baking, my youngest did too. Take care.

          Reply
      3. Michael says

        January 24, 2021 at 5:03 am

        Should the glaze be applied to the break right out of the oven, or after it’s cooled?

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          January 24, 2021 at 4:55 pm

          Hi Michael I usually let it cool about 5-10 minutes and then brush it one.

          Reply
      4. Linda says

        January 4, 2021 at 12:31 am

        5 stars
        This is delicious! I did get a bit heavy handed with the lemon rind because more is more.

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          January 4, 2021 at 12:30 pm

          Hi Linda, thanks so much, and yes more lemon rind doesn’t hurt. Happy New Year.

          Reply
      5. Bridget says

        January 3, 2021 at 4:50 am

        LOVE’S Fresh Lemon Cologne or Body Mist was my favorite….is that the one you liked too?

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          January 3, 2021 at 12:50 pm

          Hi Bridget, yes that’s the one! Happy New Year.

          Reply
      6. Rosslyn Picton says

        December 19, 2020 at 4:28 am

        The recipe calls for flour, all purpose, or pastry. I am unclear?

        Thanks so much!

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          December 19, 2020 at 9:37 am

          Hi Rosslyn, all purpose flour is what I use for this recipe. I hope you enjoy it.

          Reply
      7. Merryn says

        December 16, 2020 at 2:51 am

        5 stars
        The Lemon bread is just lovely ….I baked several loaves and am giving them to my neighbors for christmas gifts….
        When it was finished baking I took a skewer and poked a few larger holes in the top of the bread and poured the glaze into the holes and brushed the rest over the top
        It really is a lovely bread …wonderful with a cup of coffee or tea ….
        If anyone is reading this ….at least try this recipe, I would truly doubt you will be dissapointed
        Thank you Rosemary
        Merryn

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          December 16, 2020 at 6:47 pm

          Hi Merryn, thanks so much, good idea with poking the holes. Merry Christmas.

          Reply
      8. Helene Husenita says

        December 8, 2020 at 9:44 pm

        Can you use either buttermilk or coconut milk in place of regular milk? I haven’t made yet. Just came across this

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          December 9, 2020 at 8:26 pm

          Hi Helene, I have never made it with either but I think coconut milk would definitely work and probably buttermilk also. Let me know if you try it.

          Reply
      9. Cindy Artino says

        November 7, 2020 at 9:24 pm

        5 stars
        So easy and so delicious

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          November 9, 2020 at 7:53 pm

          Hi Cindy, thanks glad you enjoyed it. Take care.

          Reply
      10. Autumn L. says

        November 1, 2020 at 3:01 pm

        Pretty good, but didn’t carry the lemon flavor I wanted. May had some additional zest next time or a dash of lemon extract. I added blueberries to mine. Made two loaves. One loaf had quite a bit of blueberries and it was throughout the bread. Second loaf less blueberries and they sunk. I have a friend that is a chef and she recommended coating blueberries lightly in flour to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the bread. Will try again with the lemon zest/extract changes.

        Reply
      11. Dina says

        August 13, 2020 at 12:36 pm

        T tasted the batter before putting it in the oven and there was almost no taste of lemons. I added the juice of one lemon….. still not enough so I added another one. That made it a little more liquid. Now it’s in the oven and we’ll see what comes out. By the way, isn’t it a good idea to sift the flour and baking powder?

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          August 14, 2020 at 10:16 am

          Hi Dina, I guess you really like lemon flavour. Whisking the ingredients is sufficient, it’s a quick way of sifting. Hope you liked it.

          Reply
      12. Anne says

        July 31, 2020 at 4:31 am

        This looks delicious. Do you store it in the refrigerator?a

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          July 31, 2020 at 7:15 pm

          Hi Anne, thanks so much, if your home is warm then yes I would store it in the fridge, if not it is good at room temperature for a few days.

          Reply
      13. Cheryl says

        July 25, 2020 at 5:08 pm

        How to make the lemon bread more moist? 🙂

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          July 25, 2020 at 5:29 pm

          Hi Cheryl, it is definitely a moist bread, you are probably baking it too long.

          Reply
        • SuzP says

          January 4, 2021 at 2:45 am

          4 stars
          The bread has good flavor, but I too made mini loaves and baked for 25 min. It was very dense and dry?

          Reply
      14. dorothy greatrex says

        July 21, 2020 at 12:19 am

        this is the recipe I lost many years ago this will make very many people extremely happy,thank you

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          July 21, 2020 at 5:04 pm

          Your welcome Dorothy, glad you found it.

          Reply
      15. Xo says

        July 6, 2020 at 5:29 pm

        Can blueberries be added to this?

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          July 6, 2020 at 6:13 pm

          Hi Xo, I don’t see why not, although I would start with 1/2 cup to see how it goes. Let me know.

          Reply
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      Hi, I'm Rosemary.

      Living in Italy I learned to cook authentic Italian dishes using whole ingredients, fresh veggies and delicious spices. So take a seat and have a taste! Read More

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