Best Homemade Lemon Loaf
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!
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.
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.
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
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.
Yes you can, I would probably bake for about 20-25 minutes, more or less, start to check after 20 minutes.
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.
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.
- Lemon Cheesecake Squares
- Italian Lemon Crostata
- Italian Fresh Cream Lemon Cake
- Easy Lemon Squares
- Tablespoon Italian Lemon Cake
Best Homemade Lemon Bread
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
Nutrition
Updated from December 13, 2014.
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Do you think the sugar could be cut to one cup?
Hi Marian, yes I am sure 1 cup would be fine. I hope you like it.
I would love to make this beautiful lemon bread, wondering what is the best loaf pan for this recipe because of the baking time, glass or metal?
Would it make it too brown and thicker crust in the metal bread pan?
Thank you for all the lovely recipes, I’ve tried many of them already!❤️
Hi Faye, thanks so much, so glad you like the recipes. I rarely use glass, metal is better because it heats faster and gives a better rise. Take care and have a wonderful weekend.
These breads look amazing! I am not good at baking and i am in my 60’s but i am going to try again and make some of these breads! Thank you for all your recipes!
Hi Rosie, thanks so much, I hope you enjoy it. Let me know if you try it. Take care.
Delicious! We loved it… thanks for the great recipe!
Hi April, thanks so much, glad you all liked it. Take care.
We had our lemons drop at the same time so I’m cooking up a bunch of lemony recipes. This bread is delicious! I didn’t change a thing and it turned out perfect. Will be saving this one.
Hi Leslie, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it. Have a great weekend.
Hello Rosemary,
Can I make this in a muffin tin. If so, how long should I bake it.
Hi Louella, yes you can, I would probably bake for about 20-25 minutes, more or less, start to check at 20 minutes. I hope you enjoy them.
Could you use almond milk instead of 2% milk?
Hi Gail, yes you can, it’s a one for one substitution. Let me know how it goes. Have a great weekend.
Made this bread today but used mini loaf pans.
1 regular loaf pan recipe makes 3 mini loafs.
Also for the mini loaf pans 350 degrees and cook for 45 minutes.
Hi Margaret, thanks so much and thank you for letting me know about the baking time. Happy Holidays!
The bread is most delicious! It was a hit at our house and gave some to my sister’s family also. Needless to say, they loved it too. Have my second loaf in the oven. The glaze is, like the saying, like the icing on the cake! Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Della, thanks so much, so glad everyone enjoyed it. Have a great week.
Hello Rosemary, i would like to bake them in mini loaves. How long should i bake them for? Thank you.
Hi Het, I would say about 25 minutes, this is based on a jumbo muffin size, although start checking after 20 minutes, if it starts to brown too much, cover with foil until it’s baked. Hope that helps.
Lovely, light and fluffy loaf
Thanks so much Brandie, glad you enjoyed it. Have a great weekend.
I’m so sorry, I read the instructions again, like the 30th time. I saw where it said to add the lemon zest. Truthfully, by husband pointed it out to me because I still didn’t see it.
Hi Monica, nothing to worry about, happens to me too many times! Have a great weekend.
I followed the recipe, and I watched the video. But my bread came out dry, and not moist at all. I must have done something wrong. There are two things that I can think of that could have possibly affected my bread: I could not find my loaf pan so I used a bundt pan; and maybe I baked it too long. I baked it for an hour. Maybe I’ll try it again when I find my loaf pan.🤷🏻♀️
Hi Catalina, I am pretty sure you baked it too long, a bundt pan is not as deep as a loaf pan so it would need less time to bake. 🙂
This is a wonderful recipe!
For my family I veganized it, which was very simple. Instead of eggs I used aquafaba powder and water, and used miyoko’s plant based butter.
I also tried adding some toasted coconut, which excellent.
Whatever you do, don’t skip the glaze!
Thank you so much for posting, this is so great.
Hi Carla, thanks so much, and thank you for letting me know the vegan alternative. Have a great week.
Hi,
I love this recipe as a bread however i was wonderjng if i made this in a round pan would it be okay?
I have a 9 inch pan and 7 inch pan…which one would be suitable?
Hi Maryam I have made it with a round pan also, I would use the 7 inch pan, I think the 9 inch is too big and it would come out too thin. Let me know how it goes.
Can you add more lemon zest?
I made it and it turned out great.
Also is this something that can be freezed?
Hi Margaret, yes you can add more zest if you want. Glad you enjoyed it. Take care.