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    The Best Lemon Bread

    Breads and Muffins Snacks April 23, 2023 | By Kristen Chidsey | 18 Comments | *This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

    Jump to Recipe
    This is the BEST recipe for Lemon Bread Ever that comes straight from my great, great grandma's recipe box. This lemon bread is tender, moist, and full of bright lemon flavor and finished with a sweet glaze. 

    This is the BEST recipe for Lemon Bread! It comes straight from my great grandma's recipe box and produces a Lemon Loaf that is tender, moist, and full of bright lemon flavor.

    Lemon bread is a sweet treat that is perfect year-round, but especially delightful in the Spring. It makes a sweet addition to an Easter Brunch when served with an Asparagus Frittata and Oven Baked Bacon, or finishes a meal, like Honey Lemon Chicken, on a sweet note.

    Sliced Glazed Lemon Bread on Cutting Board.


    Great-Grandma's Recipe

    This easy lemon bread recipe comes straight from the hand-written recipe card from my great-grandma.

    My family has been making this lemon loaf for years, and after one bite, I think you will agree, my Great-Grandma's recipe is truly the best.

    This lemon bread is soft, tender, buttery, and bursting with lemon flavor. Finished with a sweet lemon glaze, that gives the soft bread a slightly crispy exterior, this is the lemon bread of your dreams!

    Note on Ingredients

    Ingredients for lemon bread labeled on white counter.
    • Flour: All-purpose flour is best for this recipe, but I have made with whole white flour with good results.
    • Butter: Be sure to use unsalted butter.
    • Milk: Use any fat percentage of milk or buttermilk.
    • Salt: Most of my recipes use kosher salt, but in this recipe, it is best to use iodized salt (table salt.)

    Pro-Tips for Making Lemon Bread

    Before we get to the recipe for Lemon Bread, let me give you some tips that will ensure you have perfect results.

    • Start with room temperature butter and eggs. This is key to a tender quick bread recipe!
    • Use ONLY fresh lemons. For the best lemon flavor, you need fresh lemons. Never use jarred lemon juice or lemon extract.
    • Zest the lemon BEFORE slicing it open! It is next to impossible to zest any fruit after it is has been sliced open.
    • Microwave your lemons. This may sound crazy but I find it extremely helpful to microwave my lemon for 30 seconds before juicing. This gets the juices flowing plus the warm lemon juice helps to dissolve the sugar when you prepare the glaze.

    Step-by-Step Directions

    • With a hand-held mixer or stand mixer, cream together butter, eggs, and sugar together until light in color and fluffy.
    Creamed Butter and Sugar in Clear Bowl next to fresh lemons.
    • Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt into a separate bowl. Mix to fully incorporate baking powder through the flour.
    • Add sifted flour, milk, and lemon zest into creamed ingredients and fold the batter until just combined.
    Lemon Bread Batter in Mixing Bowl.
    • Grease a 9-inch loaf pan with butter. Add a half tablespoon of flour to the pan and shake to coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Shake out excess flour over a trash can or sink. This will truly help your lemon bread not stick to your pan. 
    • Pour the lemon bread batter into the prepared pan. Tap on the counter to distribute the batter and remove air bubbles.
    • Bake for 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or until the bread is set. You can test this by inserting a toothpick into the center of the loaf. When it comes out dry your bread is done baking. Or you can gently touch the top of the bread, if it springs back, it is ready. 
    Baked Lemon Bread cooling on wire rack.
    • While the bread is baking, whisk together lemon juice and sugar unti the sugar is dissolved and a simple syrup is formed.
    • Once your lemon bread is done baking, place it on a cooling rack and immediately poke holes into the bread using a wooden or metal skewer, halfway down the loaf.
    Metal Skewer poking lemon bread for glaze.
    • Pour the lemon glaze over the bread, allowing the glaze to sink into the bread.
    Glaze being poured over lemon bread.
    • Let the bead sit in the loaf pan for 10 minutes to cool. Then loosen the sides with a butter knife and remove lemon bread from pan. Let cool completely before serving.
    Lemon Quick Bread on wooden cutting board.

    How to Store

    Lemon bread will keep in a sealed container for 3 days at room temperature and for 5 days if refrigerated. 

    If desired, you can freeze this loaf of lemon bread for up to 1 month. Allow the bread to cool completely after being baked and glazed. Wrap in several layers of plastic wrap and place into a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for one month. I have found if frozen any longer, the intensity of the lemon flavor begins to fade. Allow the bread to defrost in the refrigerator.

    Recipe FAQs

    Can you make this lemon bread gluten-free?

    Yes! I have made this bread several times and used an all-purpose 1:1 Gluten-Free flour with success.

    Can the butter be replaced with oil?

    Unfortunately, no. I have not had success replacing the butter with canola or coconut oil.

    Can this be made egg-free?

    Yes! I have found that the best egg replacement for this lemon bread is to use plain Greek yogurt. To replace the eggs, use ⅓ cup of plain Greek yogurt. Keep in mind the texture of the bread will be denser.

    Is the glaze necessary?

    My great-grandma and my entire family would say YES!!! But honestly, this bread is delicious without the lemon glaze, but the lemon flavor will be much more subtle.

    How can you tell the lemon bread is fully cooked?

    You can test if your bread is baked through by inserting a toothpick. When it comes out dry your bread is done baking. Or you can gently touch the top of the bread, if it springs back, it is ready.

    More Quick Bread Recipes

    • Banana Bread
    • Pineapple Zucchini Bread
    • Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread

    If you enjoyed this recipe straight from my great grandma's kitchen, I would love for you to leave a comment and review.

    Sliced Lemon Bread on Wooden Cutting Board

    The Best Lemon Bread

    An easy and delicious recipe for Lemon Bread that is even better than Starbuck's Lemon Loaf.  This lemon bread is tender, moist, and full of bright lemon flavor and finished with a sweet glaze. 
    4.84 from 24 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Bread
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 208kcal
    Author: Kristen Chidsey

    Ingredients

    Lemon Bread

    • ½ cup butter softened (this is one stick of butter)
    • 2 eggs room temperature
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ cup milk or buttermilk
    • 2 teaspoons lemon zest

    Lemon Glaze

    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
    • 2 tablespoons sugar
    Prevents your screen from going dark while preparing the recipe.

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a 9-inch loaf pan with butter on the bottom and sides of the loaf pan. Add 1 tablespoon of flour to the pan, shaking to coat. Be sure to shake out any excess flour.
    • In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, eggs, and sugar until light and fluffy. 
    • In a smaller bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder and whisk to evenly distribute salt and baking powder. 
    • Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, along with the milk and lemon zest. Fold to evenly incorporate batter. Be careful to not overmix, just mix until the flour is fully moistened.  
    • Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a lemon loaf comes out clean. 
    • While lemon bread is baking, whisk together lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Tip: it may help to warm up your lemon juice for20-30 seconds in the microwave before whisking with sugar.
    • After the bread is baked, leave your lemon bread in a loaf pan and poke holes halfway to the bottom of the pan evenly along the top of the bread. Pour the glaze over the lemon bread. 
    • Let the bread sit in the loaf pan for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, loosen the sides of the bread from the edges of the pan with a butter knife, then remove the bread from the pan and transfer it to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely. 

    Equipment Needed

    • Loaf Pan

    Notes

    Lemons: Be sure to use only FRESH lemon juice for this recipe. This recipe will require about 2 fresh lemons (their zest and juice).
    Room temperature eggs and butter are recommended for the best results. 
    Storage: Lemon bread will keep in a sealed container for 3 days at room temperature and for 5 days if refrigerated. 
    Salt: For this recipe, it is best to use iodized salt (table salt.)
    Freezing: If desired, you can freeze this loaf of lemon bread for up to 1 month. Allow to cool completely and then wrap in several layers of plastic wrap and place into a freezer-safe bag. Defrost in the refrigerator before enjoying. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 208kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 127mg | Potassium: 60mg | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 275IU | Vitamin C: 1.4mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 0.9mg
    Liked this Recipe? Tag me Today!Snap a picture and tag #amindfullmom on Instagram - I would love to see!
    « Sweet Potato Crust Quiche
    BBQ Chicken Salad »

    About Kristen Chidsey

    Hi, I am Kristen, creator of A Mind "Full" Mom. I believe that making a wholesome family meal does not need to be hard or expensive! I love nothing more than to share with you delicious solutions for your hungry family.

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    1. Lynda

      April 16, 2023 at 9:11 pm

      Oh wow - this was delicious and easy. Took a little longer to bake in my oven, but now I know I’ll write it on the recipe - all ovens are different!
      This won’t last long once my boys try it! Thanks Kristen!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        April 17, 2023 at 7:23 am

        I am so happy to hear you enjoyed and I hope your boys love it as much as my kids.

        Reply
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    This is the BEST recipe for Lemon Bread Ever that comes straight from my great, great grandma's recipe box. This lemon bread is tender, moist, and full of bright lemon flavor and finished with a sweet glaze. 

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    This is the BEST recipe for Lemon Bread Ever that comes straight from my great, great grandma's recipe box. This lemon bread is tender, moist, and full of bright lemon flavor and finished with a sweet glaze. 

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