Adapted from this blueberry muffins recipe, this blueberry muffin bread is soft, moist, and loaded with blueberries. Since there’s no individual muffins, this muffin batter goes from the mixing bowl to the oven in minutes. Though this quick bread is outstanding on its own, a swirl of blueberry jam and sprinkle of crumble topping create an outstanding crust.
I’m always on the lookout for quick and easy recipes that double as breakfast and snack. Banana bread, morning glory muffins, and zucchini bread are my usual defaults, but in an effort to break out of routine, blueberry muffin bread is now in the line-up.
What is Blueberry Muffin Bread?
Glad you asked. Blueberry muffin bread is exactly what it sounds like… blueberry muffins baked as bread. This is a quick bread recipe, so there’s no yeast required. Blueberry muffin bread is soft, moist, and completely overloaded with blueberries. Enjoy it warm from the oven or straight out of the refrigerator. It also freezes beautifully!
Blueberry Muffins in a Loaf Pan
Any muffin recipe yielding around 12 standard size muffins doubles as a quick bread recipe. Today we’re using my blueberry muffins, which is actually my master muffin recipe. This particular muffin batter creates 1,000s of muffin varieties including cranberry orange muffins, peach muffins, and apple cinnamon muffins. For the muffin bread, I added a little more flour to ensure this was a nice big loaf.
Now we can create plenty of quick bread recipes too! For example, swap blueberries for chocolate chips and you have an easy chocolate chip quick bread.
Blueberry Muffin Bread Ingredients
Like pound cake and biscuits, blueberry muffin bread is another example of how extremely basic ingredients easily transform into an absolutely delicious recipe.
- Butter: Butter is the base and produces a soft cakey crumb. If desired, swap with solid coconut oil.
- Sugar: Use a mix of granulated and brown sugar for flavor. A dry unrefined sugar, such as coconut sugar, works too. I don’t recommend a liquid sweetener.
- Eggs: 2 eggs work their magic providing structure and overall richness.
- Sour Cream or Yogurt: Plain low fat or full fat sour cream or yogurt add exceptional moisture, as well as the necessary acid for the baking soda.
- Vanilla & Salt: Flavor flavor flavor.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the workhorse of quick breads like apple cinnamon bread and zucchini bread. I don’t typically bake with gluten free flours, but let me know if you try any that work.
- Leaveners: Both baking soda and baking powder add necessary lift. Remember the differences in baking powder vs baking soda and why we use both in some recipes?
- Milk: The blueberry muffin bread would be flat and heavy without milk.
2 Optional Extras!
The blueberry muffin bread is completely awesome on its own. But if you want to take things up a notch, add one or both:
- Blueberry Jam: Swirl 2 Tablespoons of blueberry jam into the batter.
- Crumble Topping: Simply combine all-purpose flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Sprinkle on top before baking.
The pictured bread includes both. See my recipe notes for detailed instructions.
Enjoying your slices with a swipe of homemade honey butter is fantastic here, too!
Blueberry Muffin Bread
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Adapted from my favorite Blueberry Muffins, this blueberry muffin bread is soft, moist, and loaded with blueberries. Since there’s no individual muffins, this muffin batter goes from the mixing bowl to the oven in minutes. Though this quick bread is outstanding on its own, a swirl of blueberry jam and sprinkle of crumble topping create an outstanding crust.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (80ml) milk, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups (210g) fresh blueberries*
- optional: 2 Tablespoons blueberry jam and/or crumb topping (see recipe note)
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or coat with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. On medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract on medium speed until combined. With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients and milk into the wet ingredients and beat until no flour pockets remain. Fold in the blueberries.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan. See note if adding streusel or blueberry jam swirl. Bake for 60-65 minutes, loosely covering the bread with aluminum foil at the 30 minute mark to help prevent the top and sides from getting too brown. A toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf will come out clean when the bread is done. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack.
- Cover and store bread at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Cool baked muffin bread completely. Tightly wrap the loaf or slices (individually or grouped) in 2 layers of plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Place wrapped bread in a large freezer-friendly storage bag or reusable container. Freeze for up to 3-4 months. Thaw wrapped or unwrapped in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | 9×5-inch Loaf Pan | Cooling Rack
- Sour Cream: Plain yogurt is a great substitute for sour cream. Unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana may also be used.
- Blueberries: Fresh blueberries are best. I do not suggest frozen blueberries. If you need to use them, do not thaw, add another 2 Tablespoons of flour to the dry ingredients, and extend the bake time.
- Why is everything at room temperature? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. See my post on the importance of room temperature ingredients for more information.
- Blueberry Jam or Crumble Topping: If desired, swirl 2 Tablespoons blueberry jam (or any flavor) into the top of the loaf before baking. A crumble topping adds a lovely crunch. Simply combine 1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour, 2 Tablespoons brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, then using a fork, mix in 2 Tablespoons melted unsalted butter until crumbles form. Sprinkle over loaf before baking.
- Adapted from Blueberry Muffins with a *little* extra flour and milk to produce a nice large loaf.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Excellent breakfast bread! Very moist and not too sweet.
Hi Lisa, We recommend adding the zest from 1 lemon and 2 Tablespoons lemon juice. Make sure you remove 2 Tablespoons of milk to make up for the lemon juice.
Thank you so much!
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I often bake smaller loaves so I can give one to a neighbor when I bake. Do you think it would work in two mini loaf pans? Same baking temperature but for less time?
Hi Ilene, absolutely! We’re unsure of the exact bake time, as mini loaf pan sizes can greatly vary. It will be shorter, but keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness. Hope they’re a hit!
I made the mini loaves before I got your reply since it was another rainy day here and I was able to get 4 mini loaves. Great for gifting to neighbors with one for me! I baked them about 30-35 min. and tested with a toothpick.
What kind of pan would you recommend? I used a ceramic loaf pan this time and not only did it take 20+ minutes longer, it came out dark and overdone and still raw in the very middle. I have to assume it’s a pan issue? Thanks! Was so excited for this one! 🙁
Hi Jordan, We like this loaf pan!
I used to have that problem too but I switched from ceramic or glass loaf pans to the metal and it has made all the difference.
I find since lowering the temp by 25 degrees it helps my loafs from being overdone. I am using glass pans. granted the middle was still cooked. Hope this helps,
we don’t usually have fresh blueberries here in our country, can i use canned blueberries instead? it’s just canned blueberries in light syrup.
Hi Eiram, we’ve never tested using canned blueberries. We would use the same amount, drained. You may want to pat them dry as well so you don’t add too much moisture to the batter. Let us know if you try!
Hey, I used canned blueberry pie filling when I made this recipe because I don’t have fresh/frozen berries available near me either — I was worried about the “blueberries sinking” thing that happens even when baking with fresh berries so instead of mixing in the filling I just swirled it on top of the batter after pouring it into the pan. It turned out delicious, but next time I would add half the batter, swirl in some filling, then add half, swirl in some filling again, and add a little more on top. Don’t add too much because it’s quite wet and can affect the baking time/outcome, try to avoid adding much of the syrup (but don’t throw the syrup — you can add it on top of another baked item/make blueberry cream cheese frosting with it or something) and be careful not to underbake/overbake.
Made this morning- I only had frozen blueberries and didn’t read the note so accidentally thawed them overnight. I drained them, but otherwise didn’t read that I needed more flour. Oops! Anyways, followed the recipe exactly besides that. Swapped the sour cream for mashed banana per the recipe notes. It came out very well! But it did take closer to 1.25-1.5 hrs to bake through. Maybe from high moisture content? But it’s a big hit and very tasty.
Can you add lemon zest and juice to create blueberry lemon loaf? Once baked and cooled, do a lemon glaze?
Certainly! We recommend adding the zest from 1 lemon and 2 Tablespoons lemon juice. Make sure you remove 2 Tablespoons of milk to make up for the lemon juice. The lemon glaze from this lemon poppy seed loaf would be perfect here.
All I can say is one BIG thank you!
I recently joined your website and glad I did. Love all your baking recipes. I don’t enjoy cooking.
But baking?. Anytime. It’s my therapy and relaxation. Besides.I just happen to love it.
I prefer quick healthy breads, muffins, bars, sheet cakes. Rustic and country
And I certainly get it here. Thanks so much!
Happy Easter.
God bless!.
I love all of Sally’s recipes, usually 10/10 but this one was just ok. Partially on me, I didn’t roll my blueberries in flour so they sank to the bottom of the pan. The batter tasted amazing (licked the spoon before baking!) but found the finished bread to be bland. I tried it in a 9” round pan after the 9×5 loaf and found that baked up so much better – golden all over rather than the overly browned crust and sunken middle of the loaf. It tasted better the day after I made it compared to when it was warm from the oven. Hopefully it’ll continue to improve as it sits, but I wouldn’t make it again.
Thanks, Bella. I appreciate this feedback! Sorry you were disappointed.
Great recipe! Can’t wait to try it
I just joined your site. New here.
Amazing recipes.
IAM health conscious. And love and safe mostly your quick bread and muffin recipes.
Also blueberry gallette is great! Baked your Irish soda bread recipe.. Delicious!
Thank you very much!
Best,
Marina.
This is my go to recipe for muffins!!! Perfect every time..
Could you add a lemon glaze to this bread once it comes out of the oven in place of the strudel?
Hi Bea, absolutely! The lemon glaze from this lemon poppy seed loaf would be perfect here.
I just found and made this recipe a few days ago. As suggested, I used a (homemade) blueberry jam, the streusel, and I added a bit of icing drizzle for a little extra sweetness. Other than the icing drizzle, I followed the recipe exactly as written. It’s easy to follow and the bread is perfection. Everybody LOVES it, can’t wait to make it again. Thanks!
Hi Sally, I made this before and it was AMAZING, so thank you!. At the time I used fresh blueberries and froze the remaining ones. Looking at your recipe now it recommends not using frozen but if one does, to add another 2 Tbs flour and extend bake time. Would I need to do this extra step seeing as how my original blueberries were “fresh” to start with, until I froze them. Not sure what to do?! Thank you for any help you can give me.
Brenda
Hi Brenda, so glad you love these muffins. Treat them as frozen berries if they’re frozen. Happy baking!
I used frozen berries but instead of adding two tablespoons of flour to the recipe I tossed the berries in two tablespoons of cornstarch with the thought that this would better absorb the moisture from the thawing berries. It worked very well.
Hi. Can you add the cream cheese filling to this that you use in the strawberry muffin recipe?
Hi Tricia, We haven’t tested it but it should work to layer that in this recipe. Let us know if you give it a try!
Absolutely amazing!!! Always prefer frozen blueberries for the size and distrubution throughout blueberry baked goods, so I used them, rinsing them thoroughly and measuring post-rinsing, plus a few, and then tossed in flour. Never an issue adding them to the recipes not frozen. I also incorporated lemon juice and zest in the same fashion as with the lemon blueberry muffin recipe. Love the brown crustiness this recipe achieves as well.
A 9×5 pan is too small for this recipe.
Hi Hilary! It’s what we’ve always used. Is yours a true 9×5? Some loaf pans are smaller, closer like 8×4 and that would be too small for this repine.
Can I use avocado oil instead butter
Hi Jenna, you need a fat that is solid at room temperature so that you can cream it with the sugar. Solid coconut oil may work, but you’ll lose a lot of flavor from the butter.
This is a great recipe, but I was wondering if you could add some nuts. If so, how many? I read a lot of comments and no one seemed to add them, but I thought they might add a little crunch. Thank you,
Hi Polly, up to a cup of nuts would be a great addition here. Hope you enjoy the bread!
Can u substitute margarine for butter in the blueberry muffin loaf
Hi Teresa! We recommend sticking with butter for best results. Margarine isn’t always a 1:1 swap and you’ll miss the buttery flavor.
I’ve made a lot of you recipes and have not had a problem until now. Followed directions exactly and after 50 minutes I have an almost burnt bottom and raw middle. I’m moving therapy back up and hoping for the best!
The first time I made this bread, it came out terrific! I use the blueberry jam topping along with the streusel topping. The second time I made this bread all of the blueberries sunk to the bottom. The only thing I did differently was, I used a cinnamon sugar topping along with the blueberry jam. What could’ve happened?
Hi Susan! Tossing the blueberries in a little flour helps prevent them from sinking. Are you using frozen? They are more prone to sinking since they are heavier. If using frozen, add 2 more tablespoons of flour to the dry ingredients to help.
I made this recipe today and the middle doesn’t want to cook, I put it back into the oven twice but no go. It smells yummy and we are going to eat it anyway just the ends and the sides. But I can’t figure out what happened! I’m wondering if it was the pyrex pan. Your thoughts?
Thank you
Pat King
Hi Pat! I have a glass Pyrex loaf pan and it’s a little smaller, more like 8.5×4.5. Is yours smaller too? You really want a true 9×5 for this recipe, anything smaller will make the bread too thick and difficult to bake through properly.
Thank you for responding. Your so right the Pyrex does measure smaller, so now I know. Next time I’ll use my aluminum pan. Unbelievable.
While preparing this recipe, I got interrupted and accidentally forgot to put in the milk. I realized this after I put it in the oven. I was so afraid it would come out dry, but lo and behold, the loaf was moist and frankly just awesome! This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Hi bakers – sour cream v. yogurt – is there a distinct difference in taste in this blueberry muffin bread recipe? If yes, which is preferred?
If yogurt, is greek yogurt okay to use?
Hi Lee! We prefer sour cream for the extra richness it provides, but we often use Greek yogurt with great results.
Thank you!
I meant to ask about buttermilk compared to both yogurt and sour cream?
Hi Trina – thank you for responding! Not sure if there is a glitch in my computer but I have to type at least twice my question . Snyhow
Hello Trina – not sure what happened to my original reply. Here is the question again. What about using buttermilk vs. sour cream? Which is better for the taste? Thank you for your first reply!
This bread is delicious as is (I added crumble but not jam), but just made French toast out of it, and WOW!!
This was sooooo good! Great recipe! My family raved about it for days!
I have made this recipe twice in the last month. It’s easy and delicious! My husband loves it. The crumble on top made it extra special. Thank you Sally !
It’s easy to make and so delicious. I made two,one to freeze and one for my family to eat.
Wonderful recipe. The loaf came out moist and fluffy. Easier to make than muffins, but those are great too!
I ran out of baking powder so made my own using baking powder and cream of tartar. With that, do I still add another tsp of soda as called for in the recipe?
Hi Kim, baking powder substitutes don’t always work the same, but yes, we would still add the baking soda called for in the recipe. Here’s more on baking soda and baking powder in recipes.