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LEMON BLUEBERRY BANANA BREAD
This lemon blueberry banana bread is a great way to use up those ripe bananas that always seem to be on the counter! At least in my house anyways. We also love to make these cinnamon banana bread muffins and this peanut butter chocolate chip banana bread too.
Loaded with fresh blueberries, fresh lemon zest & juice, and mashed bananas this bread has it all and it’s so moist and delicious. Top it off with a sweet lemon glaze for the best quick bread recipe using those browned bananas.
HOW TO MAKE LEMON BLUEBERRY BANANA BREAD
Butter
Granulated Sugar
Large Eggs
Mashed Banana – You need about 4 to 5 browned bananas for this recipe.
Lemon Zest & Lemon Juice – Fresh is best! Be sure and only zest the very outside layer of the lemon peel. Anything below that first layer is very bitter.
All-Purpose Flour, Baking Powder, Salt
Fresh Blueberries – Don’t try and use frozen. It will add more moisture to the bread.
Powdered Sugar, Heavy Cream, Fresh Lemon Juice – This is the simple lemon glaze recipe.
MY TIPS FOR THIS RECIPE
– Use fresh blueberries! Frozen blueberries will add additional moisture which will change the bread texture.
– If wanted, use fresh blackberries or fresh raspberries in place of the blueberries.
– If you use anything less fat than heavy cream in the glaze then you will need much less of it. Start with 1 tablespoon and add from there. If you use heavy cream, which is what the recipe calls for, you will need the full 3 tablespoons. As with any glaze recipe, add more or less milk and/or powdered sugar to get the right consistency you prefer.
TRY THESE OTHER RECIPES THAT USE BROWNED BANANAS
- banana bread cake with fluffy cream cheese frosting
- chocolate chip banana muffins
- cinnamon swirl banana bread
- banana pumpkin chocolate chip bread
- greek yogurt banana muffins
- best easy banana bread
- chocolate chip banana snack bars
Lemon Blueberry Banana Bread
Ingredients
Lemon Blueberry Banana Bread
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ cups mashed bananas about 4-5 bananas
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice about 1 lemon
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups fresh blueberries washed and dried
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°. Prepare four mini loaf pans (5.75" x 3") by spraying with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or use a mixing bowl with a handheld mixer, beat together the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy and combined. * This takes about 1-2 minutes. At first it won't come together and will look like it's in pieces, but keep beating it and it will come together and look creamy and combined.
- Add in the eggs and beat just until combined.
- Add mashed bananas, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Beat until combined and use a spatula to scrape down the sides.
- In a separate bowl, add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir with a whisk (this acts like a sifter to break up large clumps). Add flour mixture into the mashed banana mixture and gently stir with a spatula just until combined.
- Gently stir in the fresh blueberries using a spatula.
- Fill each loaf pan about 3/4 of the way full and even out the top. I use the back of a spoon to do this.
- Bake for 30-38 minutes. If needed, lay a piece of tin foil over the top to prevent over browning for the last 10 minutes of cook time. A toothpick inserted into the middle should come out clean with no wet batter. Loafs will be raised and there will be small cracks on the top of the bread. Let the bread cool in the pans for about 30 minutes.
- Remove the bread from the loaf pans to glaze. Alternately, you can leave the bread in the loaf pans and let it cool completely before glazing. Or glaze the bread warm. There really is no wrong way!
- TO MAKE THE GLAZE : Stir together the powdered sugar, milk, and fresh lemon juice with a whisk. Add more or less milk/powdered sugar to reach desired consistency. You can either use a fork to drizzle the glaze on OR put the glaze into a Ziploc bag and cut the corner off and then glaze the bread for straighter lines, like what is pictured.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Hi, This really looks delicious! I have SO many frozen blueberries as I get them from an organic farm every year and get a whole years supply! Do you think if I thawed the berries and used a paper towel to get as much moisture out as I can, that it would be ok? I am always looking for new blueberry recipes! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi. I have never personally done that but I think yes you could do that with good results if you dried them really well after they are thawed. Let me know how it goes cause I am curious.
Can these be made into muffins for easy grab and go snacks?
Yes, I think the recipe would work as muffins. I have never done it so I can’t say for sure but I think it would be fine.
I used one bread loaf tin as per notes, but it turned out not nice. Batter seemed too liquid (it felt like a lot of mashed banana to be fair) and it fell apart even after being cooled. Thanks for sharing, maybe this recipe is best in mini loaf tins or modified so it doesn’t brown quite as much during baking/is sturdier as a loaf.
I’ve only ever made it in the mini loaf pans. I will have to go look at the notes, because yes, this recipe is best in a mini loaf pan.
I made this into 12 muffins and one mini pan, and used well drained thawed frozen blueberries. Did not pat them dry. No issues at all with the berries. Batter is not purple. Baked 25 minutes at 350. Mini pan took 12 extra minutes. Muffins look perfect, but haven’t tasted them yet. I’m at high altitude (5600 ft), and it’s always nice to find a recipe I don’t have to modify. Glaze sounds good but might not use.
Absolutely loved this! I used frozen blueberries. I rinsed them to get the ice off and patted them dry with a paper towel. Also, if you’re like me and like to mash bananas in the same mixer, be sure to throw them in before you add the eggs so the eggs don’t get over beaten! I gave the batter 2 T of lemon, but would give it more next time.
I used one regular size loaf pan instead of making smaller loaves. Next time, I will use 3 bananas instead of 4-5 & less fresh blueberries. All that fruit made cooking time over 1&1/2 hours, & it was very dense.
As the picture shows, the fruit also caused
a lot of cracking. Flavor was very good though.
For those of you who said your blueberries sunk to the bottom…..when you put fresh fruit in a baked good, first put them in a bowl and dust with flour then toss. It will prevent fruit from sinking to the bottom.
Love this tip! Thanks for sharing!
Hi i made the recipe/ looks good very dense and heavy. I am watching my calories and one piece if divied equally into 16 is 13000 calories per slice!!!!!!!!!!!!! Are you sure that is correct???
I’m not understanding how you got 130,000 but one slice is 228 calories and the nutrition facts are based off there being 16 slices in the loaf.
I wish I could leave a photo, as this came out beautifully. I made it in the 9 x 5 pan I cooked it the full 65 minutes and covered with foil the last 20 (as directed)…. It turned out perfect. It is phenomenal, and I will make it again and again!!!!
I’m sure it was beautiful! Thank you for your comment!
How many loaf pans did you use and how long to bake them I am making them tomorrow
I’m sorry I’m just seeing this, I was on a camping trip without reception and am just getting back! I use four mini loaf pans and bake them at 350 for 30-38 minutes. Sorry my response is late, if you have already made them I hope they turned out well!
I put it in for a hour since within the 35 minutes it wasn’t cooked all the way, I put it on a plate to serve and it was still un-done, Yet the toothpick I put in the loaf was clean, I cooked it longer after that putting the stuff back in the loaf pan, and when It was finally done after 2 hours! My family disliked it, I would not recommend this.
I’m sorry it wasn’t a success for you! I’m not sure what could have happened with the loaf, I’ve never experienced that before.
Waiting for this to come out of oven…couldn’t see recipe instructions bc of constant ads. Good thing I had phone beside my laptop. Smells yummy.
Hopefully you loved it! 😊