This gluten free lemon blueberry loaf is loaded with pops of fresh blueberries in a sweet, slightly tangy lemon blueberry loaf cake and then covered in a simple lemon icing. Every slice is full of the flavors of summer!
Loaf cakes are one of our favorite sweet treats to make because they can be used in so many ways. They make easy main dishes for a sweet breakfast or an addition to brunch, but they're also great as afternoon snacks or delicious dessert recipes.
Because I have Celiac's Disease and Adam is Jewish, we have to be careful about the ingredients we use in our baking. It's important for me to avoid flares and for him to adhere to his religious beliefs.
To that end, we always strive to make every recipe we create gluten free and offer kosher options like this Passover chocolate cake for ourselves and to share with all of you.
Of course, if you don't have gluten issues or follow a kosher diet, all of our recipes can be made with traditional ingredients in equal amounts!
Like our gluten free dairy free banana cake, this dairy and gluten free blueberry lemon loaf is a perfect example of our approach. It's a soft, tender, and sweet loaf cake with zero gluten or dairy, but no one will ever know, thanks to its wonderful texture and flavor. Its bright berry flavor also makes it the perfect dessert after a zesty meal like this ground chicken and sweet potato recipe.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Moist and Tender: The days of dry gluten free baked goods are long over. Thanks to a quality 1:1 gluten free flour, this loaf cake is super moist and tender with a fantastic crumb.
- Sweet and Summery: The combination of lemon zest and fresh lemon juice in the cake, fresh blueberries, and lemon icing gives this cake a bright, summery flavor in every bite.
- Simple Ingredients: Everything you need to make this recipe is either in your kitchen or at your local grocery store. Even gluten free flour is readily available these days.
- Easy: This simple recipe requires just a few minutes and a few easy steps. It's ready in just over an hour.
- Great for Meal Prep: This cake is freezer-friendly, so you can make it ahead of time or make extra to save for later.
- Versatile: Serve this cake for breakfast, brunch, an afternoon snack, or as a dessert. Its bright, citrus and blueberry flavors also make it a great dessert pairing for bold, spicy dishes like these stuffed poblano peppers with chicken and cream cheese and this ground chicken and sweet potato recipe.
- Customizable: You can easily tweak this recipe to make it your own.
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Ingredients
I prefer Costabile olive oil for its quality, purity, and flavor. Use Code: 15GOLDENGK on Amazon for 15% off.
You'll find a complete list of the ingredients and their exact amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Variations
- Traditional Ingredients: If you have no dietary restrictions, you can use traditional flour and dairy products to create a cake very similar to this moist lemon pound cake recipe.
- Berries: Your favorite berries, like raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries, and strawberries, will work well in this recipe.
- Chocolate Chips: Chocolate pairs well with both berries and lemon, so try adding milk, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate chips to the batter.
- Nuts: Chopped almonds, walnuts, or pecans add more flavor and texture to the cake.
- Lemon Poppy Seed: Use poppy seeds in place of blueberries for a tasty lemon poppy seed quick bread recipe.
- Plain: For a less sweet version, omit the icing. It's still an absolutely delicious quick bread.
How to Make Gluten Free Lemon Blueberry Loaf
Step 1: Whisk the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Then, beat the sugar and eggs in a large mixing bowl until frothy.
Step 2: Mix in the butter and oils, followed by the remaining wet ingredients. Then, mix in sour cream. Mix in the dry ingredients until just combined.
Step 3: Toss the blueberries with flour to evenly coat.
Step 4: Gently fold the blueberries into the lemon loaf batter and pour it into a prepared loaf pan.
Step 5: Bake at 350°F until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool.
Step 6: Whisk the icing ingredients and pour them over the cooled cake. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Bring all your cold ingredients to room temperature for easier, more complete mixing.
- Your egg and sugar mixture should be nice and frothy before adding any other ingredients to create the best loaf cake texture.
- Mix your ingredients until just combined, meaning that everything is moistened but not smooth. Overmixing can create a tough, dense cake.
- Leave an overhang on either side of your loaf pan when lining it with parchment paper to create handles and make it easier to remove the cake.
- We used a light metal pan. If you have a dark pan, check your cake for doneness a few minutes earlier. Dark pans tend to cook baked goods faster.
Gluten Free Lemon Blueberry Loaf FAQ
No, it doesn't. With today's 1:1 gluten free flour options, you'll almost never see a difference in flavor or texture from traditional baked goods.
A dry cake is usually the result of using too much flour. Many people scoop their flour directly out of the container with their measuring cup. This leads to compacting. Instead, loosely spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife.
Toss the blueberries with flour before folding them into the batter. The flour prevents the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the batter.
More Delicious Gluten Free Recipes
If you loved this recipe, please leave a rating and a comment and let us know. We always love hearing from our readers!
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Lemon Blueberry Loaf
Ingredients
Lemon Blueberry Loaf Cake
- 1 ½ cups gluten free flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup dairy free butter melted; room temperature
- 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon olive oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 eggs large; room temperature
- ½ cup dairy free sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice fresh
- 1 cup blueberries fresh
- 1 tablespoon gluten free flour for the blueberries
Lemon Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 1 ½ tablespoon oat milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Lemon Blueberry Loaf Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
- Beat the eggs and sugar for a full 2 minutes in a stand mixer.
- Add the butter, vegetable oil, and lemon olive oil and beat again.
- Add the vanilla extract, lemon extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice, and mix again on medium.
- Add the sour cream and mix until combined.
- Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
- Toss the blueberries with 1 tablespoon of gluten free flour and gently fold them into the batter.
- Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Set the baked loaf cake aside to cool on a wire rack.
Lemon Icing
- Whisk the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and oat milk until combined.
- Pour the icing over the cooled cake. Let it set and enjoy!
Notes
- Store at room temperature for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
- Refrigerate for up to a week in an airtight container.
- Wrap unfrosted slices and freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag. You can also wrap an entire loaf in a double layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Bring to room temperature and serve plain or glazed.
- Bring all your cold ingredients to room temperature for easier, more complete mixing.
- Your egg and sugar mixture should be nice and frothy before adding any other ingredients to create the best loaf cake texture.
- Mix your ingredients until just combined, meaning that everything is moistened but not smooth. Overmixing can create a tough, dense cake.
- Leave an overhang on either side of your loaf pan when lining it with parchment paper to create handles and make it easier to remove the cake.
- We used a light metal pan. If you have a dark pan, check your cake for doneness a few minutes earlier. Dark pans tend to cook baked goods faster.
Ann Hahesy says
Sounds delicious! But just thought I should mention, do not use oat milk as it is not gluten free, speaking from a bad experience! I'm sure any other type of milk would be fine.
Matt says
These have just the right balance of tart blueberry and zesty lemon. It feels like a perfect cozy yet refreshing treat in the morning!
Lathiya says
The cake was amazing. It was light, airy, and delicious.
Swathi says
Gluten-free lemon blueberry loaf is so good, I enjoyed making this classic combination in gluten-free form.
Sonja says
A lemon blueberry cake for a friend with celiac was the quest when I found this recipe and it sure delivered. Only problem: I really didn't want to share! Guess I'll have to make more!
Nicole says
This lemon blueberry loaf is amazing! Absolutely love this recipe and you don’t miss the gluten at all.
Anonymous says
This lemon loaf is amazing! I love the texture and flavor the blueberries add.
Krystle Smith says
I baked it last weekend, and the texture turned out so tender and moist. I'm definitely making this again for brunch, maybe even doubling the recipe!
Swathi says
Lemon blueberry loaf is so good and a perfect dessert idea, I enjoyed making it.
Anonymous says
This lemon loaf is amazing!! The blueberries are the perfect addition.
Liz says
This was the perfect way to use up the rest of our farmers' market blueberries! It was a delicious treat for breakfast and snacking!
Jet says
This loaf looks delightfully bright and summer-ready! I can't wait to try it using gluten-free flour. Planning to save extras so I’ll always have a slice on hand for breakfast or an afternoon snack.
Krystle Smith says
The combination of fresh lemon juice and zest, paired with the juicy blueberries, gives it the perfect balance of sweet and tangy. The lemon icing on top? Absolutely divine!
Tisha says
I love the lemon blueberry combo. Also love that this is a gluten-free option.
Claudia-Cristina says
Just baked the Gluten Free Lemon Blueberry Loaf—so soft, zesty, and packed with juicy blueberries! 🍋🫐🍞
Elizabeth says
My family inhaled this blueberry bread when I served it for breakfast. It was delicious!!
Nicole Kendrick says
What a win! Make sure they do the dishes too! LOL
Rose says
The lemon and blueberry combo is always a favorite of mine, and I love that this version is gluten‑free.
Nicole Kendrick says
Mine too! So sweet and that lemon finish is amazingggg!
Ashley says
Such a delicious combo of flavors. Can't wait to make this again!
Nicole Kendrick says
How could you not love the mix of lemon and blueberry!?!
Tisha says
This Gluten-Free Lemon Blueberry Loaf is the best of both worlds treat! Absolutely delicious!
Nicole Kendrick says
Thank you so much!!!
Claudia says
I just made this lemon blueberry loaf, and it’s so soft and fresh-tasting — hard to believe it’s gluten-free!
Nicole Kendrick says
It is always so soft for me and I love it more each time!!
Liz says
Such a delicious combination! It was tasty for both breakfast and snacking!
Nicole Kendrick says
Such a wonderful bite when in a rush in the morning! Enjoy!
Dana says
Yum! This was so delicious--lemon and blueberries may be my favorite combination.
Nicole Kendrick says
Same here girl! Enjoy this delicious treat!
Rosy says
This lemon blueberry loaf, that too gluten gluten-free version, is so good and easy to put together. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Nicole Kendrick says
Gluten free it totally the way to go! Thanks for the review!
Rory says
It is so hard to find a gluten-free loaf that looks this moist and tender! The combination of lemon and blueberry is a total classic, and those berries look perfectly distributed. It’s the kind of bright, cheery bake that makes any morning feel special.
Nicole Kendrick says
This is a gluten-free cheat code! SO SO good!
Tina says
Delicious blueberry loaf. You can taste both blueberries and lemon. So yum!
Nicole Kendrick says
Each bite has so much lemon! I can't ever get enough!
Beth says
Every bite was like a delicious taste of summer! My family loved every bite.
Nicole Kendrick says
So glad they are eating good! Enjoy the snacks!
Colleen says
This turned out perfect. You wouldn't even know it's gluten-free.
Nicole Kendrick says
Thank you for the 5 stars of love!
Leslie says
I am BEYOND grateful for recipes like this! I would Never have guessed this was gluten-free. It was perfection!
Nicole Kendrick says
I love this so much! Thank you for the sweet words!
Lia says
I’ve tried a few gluten-free loaves, but this one is by far the best texture. The lemon and blueberry flavor is so bright, and it stayed perfectly moist. You’d never even know it was gluten-free!
Nicole Kendrick says
Bright, sweet, and so moist! I am head over heels for this recipe and your nice review!
Lia says
I made this and it turned out so good! Soft, bright, and packed with blueberries — definitely making it again 💛🍋
Nicole Kendrick says
I love the pop of blueberries in this cake! Thank you!
Sonia says
This loaf so moist and flavoful. Great balance of both blueberry and lemon.
Nicole Kendrick says
I love the flavor balance here too! Thank yo so much girl!
Beth says
This loaf screams summertime! So good and easy to make. Love that it's gluten free, too!
Nicole Kendrick says
I can't wait for summer! This cake is always around to cool you off!