slice of blueberry lemon muffin bread

If there is one thing I can be remembered for in this life, I hope it is this blueberry lemon muffin bread.

Just kidding. I hope to remembered for other, perhaps more important, things, but I do also intend to have this bread go down in history books as one of the greats.

That’s not to say this bread isn’t important in its own way. I mean, there are fresh blueberries and lemon zest speckled throughout the loaf that is then topped with the best crunch topping in all the land. To say you need this bread ASAP is an understatement. You, like, NEED this bread.

blueberry lemon muffin bread on cooling rack

Of course, being in the throes of Whole30 right now, this bread is completely off-limits to my salivating tastebuds, but you can bet your bottom dollar that come May 1, I am going to town on this loaf of blueberry lemon goodness. In fact, I have half of the loaf in my freezer for that very occasion. I cannot wait. I’m going to eat an avocado in anticipation.

So how do I know what this bread even tastes like if I can’t eat it, you ask? It’s called a spit cup, you guys. I learned this trick from working in the test kitchens at General Mills, where we often use them while taste-testing a bunch of recipes. So yes. I took a bite of this glorious bread, tasted all of its fresh, fruity, crunchy-topped goodness to make sure it passed the test, and then spit. it. out. You can be embarrassed for me, I understand (my friends are shaking their heads at me right now, I know it).

But to move along to more exciting and, um, palatable topics, if there is one quick bread you should bake to ring in spring, it’s this one. The fresh blueberries add sweetness and tang, the lemon zest adds a hint of brightness and zing, and the crunch topping — well, I keep talking about it because it’s just THE BEST. I’m thinking about just making big batches of it sometime to sprinkle on everything, from oatmeal to granola. It’s just the logical thing to do.

slices of blueberry lemon muffin bread on cooling rack

And hey, it’s almost the weekend, which is a great time to bake up a loaf or three for breakfasts, snacks and desserts! Let’s raise a slice of bread to that (or for me, a slice of avocado).

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blueberry lemon muffin bread

Blueberry Lemon Muffin Bread

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  • Author: Girl Versus Dough
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 15 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour 35 mins
  • Yield: 1 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf 1x
  • Category: Bread
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

For the bread:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (or frozen, thawed and drained)

For the crunch topping:

  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease bottom and sides of 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan with butter or spray with cooking spray.
  2. In medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt. In separate large bowl, beat butter and sugar 1 to 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Add lemon zest. Beat in dry ingredients alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
  3. To make crunch topping: In small bowl, combine sugars and flour. Using fingers or pastry blender, mix in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle mixture over top of batter in loaf pan.
  4. Bake loaf 1 hour 15 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely. Run knife along edges of pan before removing loaf.