Julie Clark
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Blueberry Bread
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Moist quick bread stuffed full of fresh blueberries! This easy blueberry bread recipe is made extra special with the addition of a buttery sugar streusel baked on top.
It’s been too long that I’ve been holding onto this recipe idea. Our quick breads are some of our most popular recipes. Every time I share a picture of one on social media everyone says “Can I make this with blueberries?”
So today we’re making Blueberry Bread with a crumble topping. It’s like a blueberry muffin bread. And it is worth the wait.
Table of Contents
- About this Blueberry Bread Recipe
- What are the health benefits of blueberries?
- Is there a difference between fresh and frozen blueberries?
- Ingredients
- How to Make Blueberry Bread
- Blueberry Bread with Crumb Topping
- Why did my blueberries sink?
- Storage Instructions
- Recipe Variations
- Blueberry Bread Recipe
- Other Quick Bread Recipes
About this Blueberry Bread Recipe
- Flavor: Although it might seem like this bread is overly sweet, it is not. The bread itself doesn’t have a lot of sugar in it, but the crumb topping adds a lot of flavor. You can leave the topping off, but it won’t be as sweet of a bread.
- Texture: This bread is soft and moist, but loaded with texture. The berries soften in the bread and the buttery crumb streusel on top adds just a slight sugary crunch.
Why is this called bread? It’s cake.
Well, true. This is definitely like a blueberry loaf cake. However, this type of dessert is also called a quick bread. Call it whichever you’d like!
What are the health benefits of blueberries?
Is blueberry bread healthy? Not really at all, but blueberries themselves are a super food. They are zero cholesterol and are full of fiber, both of which are good for the heart. They have potassium, Vitamin C and Vitamin B6.
Eat those fresh blueberries by the handful without any guilt, but save a few for this delicious bread recipe that is great for breakfast or brunch. (source)
Is there a difference between fresh and frozen blueberries?
Nutritionally, there is no difference between fresh and frozen berries. Both have the same nutrients. For this recipe, we normally use fresh berries, but you can use frozen berries if you’d like.
If you choose frozen berries, you do not have to defrost the berries before you bake with them unless the recipe you are using calls specifically for defrosted berries.
Ingredients
- Friends have made this with gluten free all-purpose flour and it works well.
- I use canola oil, but vegetable or melted coconut oil work well, too.
- Non-dairy milk can be substituted for 2% milk.
For best results, use a kitchen scale to measure out ingredients when you can.
How to Make Blueberry Bread
This bread has 5 simple steps.
- Mix the wet ingredients.
- Mix the dry ingredients.
- Combine the dry ingredients into the wet. It’s important not to overmix the batter. It’s ok if there are a few lumps. See the picture below!
- Make the streusel and top the bread.
- Bake. The bread will take about 55-70 minutes, depending on the type of pan you use. I use a 1 pound metal loaf pan and it took about 65 minutes.
Blueberry Bread with Crumb Topping
What makes this bread over-the-top is the buttery crumble baked onto the top. It’s just three ingredients: flour, sugar and butter. It gives the top of the bread just a little bit of a crunch and extra sweetness.
The butter should be soft, but not melted. Simply mix the 3 ingredients together. Don’t worry…the mixture will be very crumby but that’s just how you want it. Sprinkle it over the batter before baking.
Why did my blueberries sink?
If you’ve ever baked with blueberries, you know that sometimes the blueberries sink to the bottom of the muffins or breads. That often happens when the batter is not thick enough. This quick bread batter is thick enough to support the blueberries so they should not sink.
If you have trouble with sinking berries, some say you can toss the blueberries in a few tablespoons of all-purpose flour before adding them to the batter. We haven’t found this to be 100% accurate every time, so we found another solution.
Whether you are making bread or muffins, spoon some of the batter into the prepared pan before adding the blueberries to the batter. Then mix in the blueberries to the remaining batter and scoop as you normally would. This is the most foolproof way we’ve found to fix sinking berries.
Storage Instructions
This bread is safe to store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. After that, refrigerate to keep the bread fresh.
Can you freeze blueberry bread? Yes! This bread freezes well. Wrap in plastic wrap, then place the loaf in a freezer bag or another airtight container so that it is double wrapped.
Allow the bread to thaw completely before you open the package. This will keep it fresh.
Recipe Variations
- Make an amazing lemon blueberry bread. Add a tablespoon or two of fresh lemon juice to the measuring cup, then fill the rest of the way with milk. Add lemon zest to the batter when you add the blueberries.
- Love glaze like I do? Drizzle a powdered sugar glaze over the top of the bread.
Blueberry Bread
Moist quick bread stuffed full of fresh blueberries! This easy blueberry bread recipe is made extra special with the addition of a buttery sugar streusel baked on top.
Servings 10
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Ingredients
For the Bread:
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar 150 grams
- 1/2 cup 2% milk 4 ounces
- 1/2 cup canola oil or vegetable or coconut oil, 4 ounces
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 grams
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 260 grams
- 2 teaspoons baking powder 8 grams
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
For the Crumble:
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar 100 grams
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 65 grams
- 3 tablespoons salted butter softened, but not melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, milk, oil, egg and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not over mix!
- Fold the blueberries gently into the batter.
- Pour the bread batter into a greased and floured 9"x5" loaf pan. (You can line the pan with parchment paper if you'd like to ensure it removes easily.)
- Make the crumble by mixing together the flour, sugar and butter in a small bowl. This mixture will be crumbly.
- Sprinkle the crumbs evenly on top of the bread batter in the pan.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes. The exact time will depend on the type of pan you have and your oven. If it is a smaller pan, it may take up to 70 minutes in the oven. A toothpick inserted in the center of the bread should come out clean.
- Allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes, then remove the bread to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Video
Notes
- I do not recommend using an electric mixer for this recipe as it would be too easy to overmix the batter. Simply mix by hand with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
- If the bread looks like it is getting too brown on top, cover it loosely with a piece of aluminum foil for the remainder of baking.
Nutrition
Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 102mg | Potassium: 160mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 170IU | Vitamin C: 2.9mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 1.7mg
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Bonus!!! We’ve included our top 5 tips for making any type of quick bread. These will be sure to give you success every time!
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Made this today using frozen blueberries. It was delicious!!! I’ll definitely make it again.
I used buttermilk instead of milk and half the amount of baking powder. It took 90 to bake but came out delicious! The crumble seemed a little “off” and just fell everywhere. COVID 19 baking
The recipe was really good but I wish I would’ve refrigerated it because it definitely doesn’t taste right after sitting out beyond a couple days
Did not take 60 min. Mine was in for at least 90 minutes and the edges are way too cooked. Easy recipe but I’m not sure I’ll use it again.
I just finished baking the blueberry bread and used frozen blueberries. It also took 90 minutes in the oven. I love the idea of a crumble on top but think it’s way to thick. It didn’t crumble much nor brown except for the edges. I’d suggest halving the sugar and flower but maybe not the butter. Can’t wait to taste it though
Hi there! Could I make this recipe with any alternative flours or sugars? For example, almond flour or coconut sugar? Thank you!
Overall, no complaints; the recipe is easy and the taste is satisfactory. I could detect the sugar granules in the crumbles but maybe it was because I melted the butter. I had this in the oven for 90 minutes instead of 60. The loaf is beautiful, but the real gauge is not in the looks but the taste.
Can this be frozen
What if I remove the blueberries? They are so expensive where I live, is there a decent substitute
Can I add pecans or walnuts?
I just made this I put in 6 individual loaf pans. I had some big beautiful blueberries so I’m thinking this is gonna be great! At my home we love baked goods from home and I bet everyone will love this!
I made the muffins and squealed with joy when I opened the oven door. They looked perfect! Then I had to wait for them to cool so I wrote down your recipe for banana bread with cream cheese filling. Cant wait for that one btw! When I finished I peeled the paper back and took my bite. Omg! Just perfect! I am diabetic so I respectfully took a chance and used half stevia and half sugar making them “light ” So good I nearly ate the blueberry loaded paper.
I just made this today with fresh blueberries me and my kids picked . And it is delicious !! Came out perfect.
Delicious! And I even used Greek yoghurt instead of oil. Definitely a keeper!
The recipe says softened butter and the video shows melted butter. Does it matter?
Can this bread be frozen after baking?