Easy Sweet Lemon Loaf Recipes

This loaf is sunshine in carbs. It’s a tender, citrusy quick bread with a tart-sweet glaze that cracks just a little when you slice it. No mixer, no drama—just bright lemon, soft crumb, and that bakery-style glossy top you want to pick at while it cools on the counter (oops, guilty).

My family goes feral when this comes out of the oven. My husband “checks if it’s done” by stealing the heels, and our little one licks the spoon from the glaze like it’s a popsicle. Saturday morning coffee + a still-warm slice = a very quiet kitchen for five whole minutes. It’s become our peace treaty after chaotic weeks, and it never hangs around long enough to see Monday.

How to Make It

We’re going old-school quick bread: whisk the dry stuff, whisk the wet stuff, then marry them gently. The secret move is rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar first—it perfumes the whole batter and gives you that loud, bright lemon without needing a science degree.

Use room-temp eggs and yogurt, and don’t overmix. You want a few streaks of flour when you stop stirring; they’ll finish in the pan. Speaking of, line your loaf pan with a sling of parchment so you can lift it right out (no pan-banging gymnastics).

Bake at 350°F for about 50–55 minutes, then let it sit in the pan for 10. While it’s still warm, you can brush on a quick lemon syrup if you’re feeling extra. Cool fully before glazing or the glaze will do that dramatic slip-n-slide and pool at the edges. Not the worst thing, honestly.

Yields 1 standard loaf (8½ x 4½-inch), about 10 slices. Prep 15 minutes, bake 50–55, cool as long as your patience allows.

✔Ingredient Notes

– Lemons: Zest first, then juice. Rubbing the zest into the sugar with your fingers is messy but magic—do it.
– All-Purpose Flour: Gives structure. Spoon and level so you don’t pack it in and end up with a brick.
– Granulated Sugar: Sweetens and helps with that golden crust. You can reduce by 2–3 tablespoons if you like things less sweet.
– Plain Yogurt or Sour Cream: Moisture + tang. Full-fat is best. Greek works; thin slightly with a splash of milk if super thick.
– Neutral Oil: Keeps it soft for days. Can use melted butter for flavor, but it’ll be a touch denser.
– Eggs: Room temp so they don’t shock the batter. Cold eggs can make the oil seize—been there, not pretty.
– Powdered Sugar: For the glaze. Sift if it’s clumpy unless you like little sugar rocks (I don’t).

✔Recipe Steps

1. Prep pan and oven: Heat to 350°F. Line an 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pan with parchment and lightly grease.
2. Make lemon sugar: In a bowl, rub 3/4 cup sugar with the zest of 2 lemons until sandy and fragrant.
3. Whisk wet: Add 2 large eggs, 1/2 cup plain yogurt, 1/2 cup neutral oil, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, and 1 tsp vanilla; whisk smooth.
4. Mix dry: In another bowl, whisk 1½ cups flour, 1½ tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp fine salt.
5. Combine: Fold dry into wet until just combined (a few flour streaks are fine). Scrape into pan and smooth.
6. Bake and glaze: Bake 50–55 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 in pan, lift out, cool 45 more, then glaze with 1 cup powdered sugar + 2–3 tbsp lemon juice.

What to Serve It With

– Hot coffee or strong tea (Earl Grey with lemon loaf is a whole vibe).
– Fresh berries and a dollop of whipped cream if you’re feeling brunchy.
– A scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert people who “don’t like cake” (they’ll like this).

✔Tips & Mistakes

– Zest first, always. Trying to zest juiced halves will make you question your life choices.
– Don’t overmix. Stir just until you stop seeing dry flour—overdoing it = tough loaf.
– Tent with foil at 40 minutes if the top is browning too fast.
– Let it cool before glazing. Warm is okay; hot will melt it right off.
– Line the pan. That parchment sling is your best friend for clean edges.

✔Storage Tips

Room temp: Wrap tightly and keep on the counter for 2–3 days. It actually gets more lemony overnight.
Fridge: Up to a week, wrapped. It’s denser cold (in a good, pound-cake way). I eat cold slices straight from the fridge like a gremlin—no regrets.
Freeze: Slice, wrap individually, and stash for up to 3 months. A quick 20-second zap or a few minutes on the counter brings it back.

✔Variations and Substitutions

– Lemon Poppy Seed: Add 1–2 tbsp poppy seeds to the dry ingredients.
– Blueberry Lemon: Fold in 1 cup fresh blueberries tossed with 1 tsp flour. Bake a few minutes longer.
– Almond Twist: Swap vanilla for 1/2 tsp almond extract; sprinkle sliced almonds on top before baking.
– Oil ↔ Butter: Use 1/2 cup melted butter instead of oil for richer flavor (crumb will be slightly tighter).
– Yogurt ↔ Sour Cream: Either works. Dairy-free? Use a thick coconut yogurt and a neutral oil.
– Sugar ↔ Honey/Maple: Use 1/2 cup honey or maple and reduce lemon juice by 1 tbsp; bake time may increase by 3–5 minutes.
– Gluten-Free: A good 1:1 gluten-free flour blend works. Let the batter rest 10 minutes before baking for best texture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Easy Sweet Lemon Loaf Recipes

Bright, zesty, and ultra-moist lemon loaf with a sweet-tangy glaze. Perfect for brunch or an easy dessert, this bakery-style loaf comes together quickly with simple pantry ingredients.

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 10

Calories: 120kcal

Ingredients

 

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Main Ingredients

• ▢ 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ 0.5 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ▢ 2 large eggs room temperature
• ▢ 0.5 cup unsalted butter, melted slightly cooled
• ▢ 0.5 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
• ▢ 0.25 cup fresh lemon juice
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon zest about 2 lemons
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 cup powdered sugar for glaze
• ▢ 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice for glaze
• ▢ 0.5 tablespoon milk add as needed for glaze consistency

Instructions

Preparation Steps

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan and line with a parchment sling for easy removal.
• In a large bowl whisk flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
• In a separate bowl whisk eggs, melted butter, sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla until smooth.
• Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and fold gently just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
• Transfer batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Tap the pan once on the counter to release air bubbles.
• Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
• Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift out to a wire rack to cool for another 30 minutes before glazing.
• Make the glaze: whisk powdered sugar with lemon juice. Add a splash of milk as needed for a thick, pourable glaze.
• Drizzle glaze over the cooled loaf. Let set for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.

Notes

For extra lemon flavor, brush the warm loaf with 1 tablespoon lemon juice mixed with 1 tablespoon sugar before glazing. Store covered at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days.