This simple lemon blueberry cheesecake quick bread will be a delicious addition to any brunch or gift basket this spring! The light and bright flavor of the lemons compliment the sweetness of the blueberries to create a bread that is perfectly balanced. Save this recipe for a special occasion or a slow weekend brunch. You won't regret it!
What could be better than biting into a big slice of lemon quick bread? Not much in my book, but adding blueberries and cream cheese sure sweetens the deal! I made this quick bread for the first time to take to my family's Easter celebration. My grandpa kept sneaking pieces while I was trying to slice it. Maybe he has a sweet tooth, or maybe he just knows a good bread when he finds it... most likely a little of both!
a few quick tips
Before you dive in and make your own loaf of lemon blueberry cream cheese quick bread, and yes, that is a mouthful to say, here are a few quick tips to consider. I designed this recipe to make two large loaves, not only because it is so good you'll wish you had a second, but because it made the best use of the required ingredients. I certainly don't need a random four ounces of cream cheese or half of a stick of butter in my fridge! I'd rather have a loaf of yummy bread in my freezer, ready to be served! Bake once, eat twice, am I right?
I also recommend trying alternative flours if you are gluten sensitive, like me. The first time I made this recipe, I used traditional white flour. Since then, I have experimented with gluten free options. I found that the Bobs 1:1 gluten free flour mix created a loaf that was more dense and moist, almost like a cheesecake. My family thought it was really good, but I am searching for more of an identical dupe. I'm going to keep trying and I will update this post if I find the magic GF flour!
The last tip I have is to use frozen blueberries if you don't have fresh available. Fresh blueberries are delicious, but if you are making this recipe out of season, like I am today, frozen will work just fine. It might slow down your cooking time by several minutes, so make sure to use a thermometer to test for the perfect quick bread temperature of 205 degrees. I had to bake my loaf an additional fifteen minutes.
the recipe for lemon blueberry cream cheese quick bread
- ½ C butter room temperature
- 2 C organic sugar
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 2 C plain greek yogurt
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 4 Tbsp lemon juice or two lemons plus zest
- 3 C all purpose flour
- 4 tsp baking powder aluminum free
- 2 C fresh or frozen blueberries
cream cheese filling
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- ½ C sugar
- 2 egg whites
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two loaf pans with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray. If the butter, eggs, yogurt and cream cheese have been refrigerated, set them out about twenty minutes before you start baking. If using whole lemons, zest and juice.
- In a stand mixer, combine sugar and butter and mix until fluffy and incorporated, about a minute. Add the eggs, yogurt and vanilla and continue beating on a medium setting for another minute.
- Mix in flour and baking powder until just combined. Fold in blueberries. Pour batter into the loaf pans.
- Using the same mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and egg whites for several minutes until fluffy.
- Drop dollops of the cream cheese mixture over the loaves. Using a knife, swirl the dollops through the batter to create a beautiful marbled design.
- Bake at 350 degrees for sixty-five to seventy-five minutes until the internal temperature of the loaf measures 205 degrees or a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool and serve immediately. Refrigerate for up to three days or freeze for up to six months.
Recipe
Lemon Blueberry Cream Cheese Quick Bread
Ingredients
- ½ C butter room temperature
- 2 C organic sugar
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 2 C plain greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 tablespoon lemon juice or two lemons plus zest
- 3 C all purpose flour
- 4 teaspoon baking powder aluminum free
- 2 C fresh or frozen blueberries
cream cheese filling
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- ½ C sugar
- 2 egg whites
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two loaf pans with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray. If the butter, eggs, yogurt and cream cheese have been refrigerated, set them out about twenty minutes before you start baking. If using whole lemons, zest and juice.
- In a stand mixer, combine sugar and butter and mix until fluffy and incorporated, about a minute. Add the eggs, yogurt and vanilla and continue beating on a medium setting for another minute.
- Mix in flour and baking powder until just combined. Fold in blueberries. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pans.
- Using the same mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and egg whites for several minutes until fluffy.
- Drop dollops of the cream cheese mixture over the loaves. Using a knife, swirl the dollops through the batter to create a beautiful marbled design.
- Bake at 350 degrees for sixty-five to seventy-five minutes until the internal temperature of the loaf measures 205 degrees or a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool and serve immediately. Refrigerate for up to three days or freeze for up to six months.
Notes
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a muffin tin by lining 24 cups or spraying the cupcake cups with cooking spray. If the butter, eggs, yogurt and cream cheese have been refrigerated, set them out about thirty minutes before baking.
- Prepare the lemons by zesting and juicing. Strain the seeds and divide the juice in two equal portions.
- In a stand mixer, combine sugar and butter and mix until fluffy and incorporated, about two minutes. Add the eggs, half of the lemon juice, yogurt and vanilla and continue beating on a medium setting for two minutes more.
- Mix in flour and baking powder until just combined. Fold in ⅔ of the blueberries. Pour batter into the muffin tins.
- Using the same mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, remaining lemon juice and egg whites for several minutes until fluffy and smooth.
- Drop dollops of the cream cheese mixture over the muffins. Using a knife, swirl the dollops through the batter to create a beautiful marbled design. Top the muffins with the reserved blueberries.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until the internal temperature measures 205 degrees or a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool and serve immediately. Refrigerate for up to three days or freeze for up to three months.
Nutrition
If this recipe has you craving lemons, try my easy lemon meringue pie recipe. I also recommend my sourdough banana bread that puffs up to to make a gorgeous sky-high loaf. I also would love to share my brand new E-book with you! It's called The Homestead Table and you can grab your copy through the link below.
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