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Pairing the tart flavor of lemon with the sweet flavor of blueberries, this lemon blueberry poppy seed loaf is so good. It’s the perfect recipe for berry season when you can enjoy all kinds of abundant berries from the farmers’ markets. In British Columbia where I live, we have the biggest highbush blueberry growing region on the planet! This quick bread is moist, tender, and just bursting with fresh blueberries!

Slices of a homemade lemon blueberry poppy seed loaf on a wood platter.

Making muffins, loaves and cakes is a great way to use juicy, fresh blueberries, but this loaf is in a league of its own. Lemon and blueberry contrast so well!

Also try raspberry hazelnut cookies, strawberry tartlets, blueberry cream cheese muffins, or lemon poppy seed loaf.

A stack of lemon blueberry poppy seed loaf slices on a wood board.

Why You’ll Love Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf with Blueberries

  • Delicious:  This loaf is literally bursting with fresh blueberries, poppy seeds and tangy lemon. Not only do you get a wonderful harmony of flavours but the crunch from the poppy seeds is also great. Nobody will refuse a second slice of this!
  • Nutritious:  Not every sweet treat offers vitamins and minerals, but this one does. Half a cup of blueberries gives you 10% of your daily Vitamin C intake and has just 44 calories. They’re also rich in antioxidants. And then you have calcium from the milk, sour cream and butter, along with iron, zinc, copper, manganese, magnesium, and phosphorus from the poppy seeds.
  • Easy:  Making a lemon blueberry loaf is so simple. It’s mainly a case of just combining ingredients together and then baking the loaf.
Slices of a lemon poppy seed loaf with fresh blueberries on a wood platter.

Lemon Blueberry Loaf Ingredients

This tasty loaf is made with fresh blueberries. You could use thawed but honestly, the results are so much better with fresh, so use those if possible!

Ingredients for a blueberry lemon poppy seed loaf on a wood board.
A blueberry lemon poppy seed loaf with one slice cut from it.

You will also need flour, poppy seeds, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, sour cream, and milk. You will also need fresh lemons for the lemon juice and lemon zest.

A homemade loaf of lemon blueberry poppy seed bread on a wire rack.

How to Make Lemon and Blueberry Loaf

For more detailed instructions, with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.

Combine the dry ingredients:  Mix the flour with the poppy seeds, baking soda and baking powder.
Beat the rest of the ingredients:  Mix the sugar, lemon zest and butter with the eggs and vanilla, and the milk with the sour cream.
Add the blueberries:  Gently stir in the fresh blueberries.
Bake the loaf:  Transfer the mixture into a loaf pan and bake until done, then cool on a wire rack.

Overhead view of a homemade loaf of lemon blueberry poppy seed bread on a wire rack.

Substitutions and Variations

Little changes you could make include swapping the lemon zest and juice for orange or lime zest and juice, or changing the vanilla for another flavour. You can boost the lemon flavour by adding a lemon glaze. Mini loaf pans could be used, with an adjustment in the bake time.

Slices of a homemade lemon blueberry poppy seed loaf on a wood platter.  There is a beverage in the background and a bowl of blueberries in the foreground.

If you don’t like or don’t have poppy seeds, feel free to leave them out. If you are a poppy seed fan though, try this Starbucks style lemon poppy seed loaf. I bet you’d also love these blueberry muffins.

Close up of slices of a homemade lemon blueberry poppyseed loaf on a wood platter.

What to Serve with Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

I like this with coffee in the morning or tea in the afternoon. I made an extra loaf once and took it to a bachelorette viewing night at a friend’s house and it disappeared so fast. It makes a great treat with wine if you really want to indulge.

A stack of lemon blueberry poppy seed loaf slices on a wood board.

Storage Instructions

Store:  Keep any leftovers in an airtight container or Ziploc bag for 2 or 3 days at room temperature.
Freeze:  You can freeze the loaf (cut it into slices first so you only have to thaw what you need) for a couple of months.

Close up of a slice of lemon poppy seed loaf with blueberries.

Lemon Blueberry Poppy Seed Loaf FAQs

How do you stop the blueberries from sinking to the bottom?

A handy trick for this is to dust your plump blueberries with some flour. This helps to suspend them in the batter so they end up evenly spread through the lemon blueberry poppy seed bread.

Do poppy seeds go bad?

Poppy seeds aren’t exactly an ingredient you will use every day, so you might be wondering whether they can go bad. The answer is yes they can. If there’s any mold or discoloration, then throw it out. Otherwise, just crush a few between your fingers. If they barely have any aroma or smell strange, you should buy some fresh ones.

What is a quick bread?

Quick bread is loaves and coffee cakes that use baking powder or baking soda for leavening agents. You don’t need to wait for it to rise and no kneading is required. Berries, fruits, nuts, vegetables, and spices can add flavor to a loaf.

A lemon blueberry poppy seed bread with a slice cut from it to show the berries inside.

Lemon Blueberry Poppy Seed Loaf Recipe

5 from 53 votes

Lemon Blueberry Poppy Seed Loaf

Indulge in the delightful combination of tangy lemon and sweet blueberries with this moist and tender lemon blueberry poppy seed loaf.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 10

Ingredients 

  • 1 2/3 Cups all purpose flour
  • 1 Cup blueberries, fresh
  • 2 Tablespoon poppy seeds
  • 1 Teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 Teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 Cup granulated sugar
  • 3 Tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1/2 Cup butter, unsalted, room temperature
  • 3 eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 Teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 Cup sour cream
  • 1/4 Cup milk
  • 4 Tablespoon lemon juice, fresh

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a loaf pan and set it aside.
  • In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
  • Add sugar and lemon juice and zest to the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle. Mix. Add butter to sugar mixture and mix on medium speed.
  • Mix in eggs one at a time, adding in vanilla and the last egg.
  • In a microwave safe bowl whisk together the milk with sour cream. Heat mixture in microwave just until room temperature.
  • Mix all ingredients (flour mixture and wet ingredients) adding gradually and not over-mixing. Add the blueberries and mix lightly so the berries don’t break.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool 5 minutes in the loaf pan before turning out onto a wire rack.

Nutrition

Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 93mg | Potassium: 107mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 146IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 1mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

Lemon blueberry poppy seed loaf is easy to make and truly tasty. It’s a memorable lemon poppy seed cake with blueberries boasting tangy lemon, sweet blueberries and the crunch of poppy seeds in every bite. This lemon blueberry poppy seed oaf cake is great for any occasion.

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Bella Bucchiotti

Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.

 

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Recipe Rating




5 from 53 votes (44 ratings without comment)

147 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Lemon and blueberry are two of my favorite things to eat. So I HAD to try this and it was everything I hoped it would be.

  2. 5 stars
    Wowwww this was SO GOOD. Perfectly lemony and moist. Currently eating a slice with my coffee this morning – LOVE it!!

  3. 5 stars
    I love how moist and tender this beautiful loaf is. Love the mixed flavor of lemon and blueberries…and the poppy seed is one of my favorite ingredients ever. It’s a shame how underrated it is. It was delicious. Big love!

  4. 5 stars
    This poppyseed loaf is the perfect blend of fresh and savory flavor! It’s also super light, the perfect dessert.