This healthy lemon blueberry bread is studded with fresh blueberries and made a little more indulgent with a swirl of cream cheese.
While I can always cozy up with a slice of bourbon banana bread, a really lemony-flavored loaf is my favorite.
Growing up, there was a coffee shop called Peaberry Coffee in Colorado and they had the BEST lemon bread with a perfectly thick cream cheese swirl through the middle.
As the coffee shop closed down many years ago, I’ve been trying to come up with a lemon bread that’s just as moist and lemony, but slightly healthier.
This healthy lemon blueberry bread is my ideal brunch recipe!
It’s a bit healthier thanks to Greek yogurt and white whole wheat flour, but the cream cheese swirl makes it feel indulgent. Trust me, you’re going to want this recipe!
While good, there were a few key aspects lacking in that bread, particularly blueberries and poppyseeds.
The only thing I don’t like about this bread is having a leftover egg yolk.
I urge you not to throw it away! Instead, use it up in one of these healthier recipes or freeze it!
Yes, it sounds odd, but you can actually freeze leftover egg yolks! Simply whisk the yolk and add a tiny pinch of salt or granulated sugar.
The general rule is for every 4 yolks, you’d add ¼ teaspoon salt or ½ teaspoon of sugar. But if you’re only freezing 1 yolk, I tend to just eyeball it.
Once your yolk is mixed with sugar or salt, place in a freezer-safe container. To thaw, simply place in the fridge overnight.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350oF and lightly grease a loaf pan.
Lately I’ve been preferring to use butter to grease, as I’ve had better luck with them not sticking compared to spray. You can also use a parchment sling instead.
Step 2: Mix sugar and liquid ingredients together in a mixer
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together oil, ⅓ cup sugar and 2 ½ tablespoons honey until well combined.
Add eggs, Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, lemon juice and zest. Mix well.
Step 3: Add dry ingredients
Slowly stir in flour, baking powder, and salt until just combined, being careful not to over-mix.
Step 4: Add blueberries
Fold in blueberries and poppy seeds; set aside.
If using frozen blueberries, don’t thaw before adding them. It’s also a good idea to lightly coat the frozen berries with some flour before adding to help prevent them from sinking to the bottom.
Step 5: Make the cream cheese filling
For the cream cheese mixture, beat together cream cheese, 2 tablespoons honey and egg white until smooth. I’ve done this by hand and using a mixer – I recommend the latter as the mixture ends up smoother.
Additionally if you use sugar in place of the honey, the mixture will be thicker, but I liked the flavor of the honey better.
Step 6: Assemble bread
Pour ⅔ of batter into prepared pan. Add cream cheese layer on top.
Note: Your cream cheese layer may seem liquidy, but don’t worry, the texture will sort itself out as it bakes! I was so sure I was going to end up having to throw the bread away as the cream cheese mixture got so liquidy, but when I pulled the bread out of the oven, everything had settled in the way I’d hoped.
Pour remaining batter on top.
Step 7: Bake!
Place pan in oven and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Note: this bread was ready after 55 minutes when making it in Denver, but when I used to make it in Boston, it was done closer to 45 minutes.
Allow to cool completely before slicing.
Since it’s made with Greek yogurt and very moist, this bread doesn’t last quite as long as others.
I recommend storing it in the fridge (either in a zip-top bag or airtight container) for up to 4 days.
You can also freeze individual slices by wrapping each slice in plastic wrap, or a reusable wrap, then placing that inside of a freezer-safe bag. Store for up to 4 months.
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You are my favorite food blogger! I always look forward to your posts in my inbox. Thank you for sharing your culinary adventures and nutritional expertise. This looks delicious!
Hi April, that means so much to me thank you!! Please let me know if there are any recipes you’re looking to see more of 🙂
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