Yogurt and Blueberry Breakfast Loaf with Lemon Zest
A tender, moist breakfast loaf brightened with fresh lemon zest and studded with juicy blueberries. Creamy yogurt keeps the crumb soft and tangy while honey adds subtle sweetness. Perfect for brunch or a grab-and-go breakfast, this loaf strikes a balance between wholesome and indulgent.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Wait
- 15 min
- Total
- 1 hr 20 min
- Makes
- 1 loaf (8 slices)
Steps
Before you start
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and position a rack in the center
- Grease and line a 9×5-inch (23×13 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper for easy removal
- Use fresh blueberries (frozen are fine, but don't thaw them first—they'll bleed less)
- Have all ingredients at room temperature for best results
Mix dry ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour (220 g), baking powder (7.5 g), baking soda (2.5 g), and fine sea salt (1.5 g).
- Set aside.
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Ready when: Ingredients are combined evenly with no lumps
Tip: Whisking the dry ingredients ensures the leavening agents are distributed evenly, preventing dense pockets in the loaf
Cream butter and honey
- In a large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter (115 g) with the honey (170 g) using a whisk or electric mixer for about 2 minutes until light and pale.
- The mixture should look slightly fluffy and creamy.
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Ready when: Mixture is pale and slightly increased in volume
Tip: Creaming the butter and honey together incorporates air, which helps the loaf rise evenly and develop a tender crumb
Add eggs and yogurt
- Add the 2 large eggs one at a time to the butter-honey mixture, whisking well after each addition.
- Then whisk in the plain Greek yogurt (240 ml) and vanilla extract (5 ml) until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Do not overmix.
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Ready when: Batter is smooth and the color is uniform
Tip: Add yogurt slowly and fold gently to avoid curdling; the batter should be creamy but not overworked
Add lemon zest
- Whisk the fresh lemon zest (6 g, finely grated) into the wet mixture until evenly distributed.
- You should see tiny flecks of yellow throughout the batter.
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Ready when: Lemon zest is visible throughout the batter
Tip: Adding zest to the wet mixture prevents it from clumping and ensures even distribution of flavor
Fold dry and wet together
- Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet mixture and fold together gently with a rubber spatula until just combined.
- The batter should have some small flour streaks but no pockets of dry flour.
- Avoid overmixing, which toughens the crumb.
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Ready when: Batter is just combined with minimal streaks of flour remaining
Tip: Stop folding as soon as you see no dry flour; overmixing develops gluten and creates a dense, tough loaf
Add blueberries
- Gently fold the fresh or frozen blueberries (215 g) into the batter, being careful not to crush them.
- If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them first—cold blueberries bleed less into the batter.
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Ready when: Blueberries are distributed throughout the batter with minimal color bleeding
Tip: Toss frozen blueberries in a tablespoon of flour before folding; this helps them stay suspended and prevents them from sinking to the bottom
Fill loaf pan
- Pour the batter into the prepared 9×5-inch (23×13 cm) loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
- Smooth the top with a spatula so it's roughly level.
- The pan should be about three-quarters full.
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Ready when: Batter is evenly distributed in the pan with a level top
Tip: Leave a little headroom at the top; the loaf will rise as it bakes and should not overflow
Bake the loafOven 350°F / 175°C
- Place the loaf pan in the preheated 350°F (175°C) oven.
- Bake for 48–52 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter, but not completely dry either).
- The top should be golden brown and spring back when gently pressed.
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Ready when: Toothpick comes out with moist crumbs; top is golden brown and springs back to the touch
Tip: If the top begins to brown too quickly (after 30 minutes), tent it loosely with foil to prevent overbaking the exterior while the interior finishes setting
Cool in pan
- Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes at room temperature.
- Then turn it out onto a wire rack (using the parchment paper to help lift it out) and let it cool completely, about 20–30 minutes, before slicing.
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Ready when: Loaf is cool to the touch and can be sliced without falling apart
Tip: Cooling the loaf completely ensures clean slices; warm loaf will crumble and fall apart
Good to know
Tips
- For extra moisture and flavor, brush the cooled loaf with a light lemon glaze (mix 1 cup powdered sugar with 2–3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice) and let it set before slicing.
- Measure flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling off the top with a knife; do not scoop directly from the bag, which can pack the flour and make the loaf dense.
- If you want a denser, more cake-like loaf, reduce the baking soda and baking powder slightly (to 1 tsp and ¼ tsp, respectively), but know the loaf will rise less.
- Slice the loaf with a serrated knife using a gentle sawing motion; this prevents the crumb from compressing and tearing.
Make ahead
The loaf can be baked up to 1 day ahead. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or foil after it cools completely, and store at room temperature. Reheat slices in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 3–4 minutes if desired, or enjoy at room temperature.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: up to 2 days, covered or in an airtight container. Refrigerator: up to 5 days, wrapped tightly. Freezer: up to 3 months, wrapped in plastic wrap and foil. To thaw, leave at room temperature for 1–2 hours, or warm individual slices in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5 minutes.
Substitutions
- plain Greek yogurt (or regular yogurt) → sour cream or regular (non-Greek) yogurt. Use the same volume; regular yogurt is thinner, so the batter will be slightly looser, but the loaf will bake similarly. Sour cream makes a tangier loaf.
- honey → unsalted butter and granulated sugar (¼ cup / 50 g butter + ¼ cup / 50 g sugar). Cream these together in step 2. The loaf will be less moist and have a different texture, but will still be tender and delicious.
- fresh blueberries → raspberries, blackberries, or fresh cranberries. Use the same weight. Tart berries will add more acidity, so you may want to reduce baking soda by a pinch.
- fresh lemon zest → orange zest or lime zest. Use the same amount. These will give a different but equally bright citrus flavor.
