This easy blueberry pound cake is soft, moist, and bursting with jammy blueberries and zesty lemon — perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a cozy afternoon treat.
For more quick breads try our chocolate banana bread, egg-free banana bread, and zucchini banana bread.
Easy Blueberry Bread with Lemon Glaze
This blueberry pound cake is everything we love in a simple, homey bake — soft, moist, and packed with gooey blueberries that turn wonderfully jammy in the oven. Louise and I first made it on a quiet Sunday morning, and it’s been a brunch favorite ever since.
It’s the kind of cake that works for any moment — lazy weekend breakfast, an afternoon pick-me-up with tea, or even a cozy dessert after dinner. The crumb? Tender and melt-in-your-mouth, like our go-to blueberry muffins, but with a denser, buttery bite you expect from a good blueberry loaf cake.
Every slice is bursting with fresh blueberries and a hint of lemon that brightens the whole thing. And let’s talk about that lemon glaze — sweet, tangy, and so refreshing we’ve drizzled it on everything from lemon muffins to pancakes.
No eggs, no butter, no fuss. Just a plant-based blueberry bread that’s quick to make, freezer-friendly, and made with pantry staples. Whether you call it a blueberry quick bread or a healthy blueberry pound cake, one thing’s for sure — it’s a keeper.
5 minutes to prep. 50 in the oven. Let’s get baking! 💛🫐🍋
Ingredients
Full ingredients and substitutions are in the recipe box below.
- Lemon – Use both the zest and juice for bright citrus flavor and aroma; orange or lime can be used for a twist, but zest is key.
- Blueberries – Fresh is best, but frozen work too if added straight from the freezer; you can also use raspberries, strawberries, or rehydrated dried blueberries.
- Milk – Any plant-based or dairy milk works; we prefer soy or almond milk, but oat, rice, or cashew milk are great too.
- Sugar – White sugar is our go-to, but any granulated sugar works; coconut sugar, brown sugar, or even maple syrup (with reduced milk) are good options — always add a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness.
- Oil – Use a neutral oil like olive oil (healthiest), canola or sunflower for a soft crumb; substitute with melted butter, dairy-free butter (1.25x), or applesauce for an oil-free version.
- Flour – All-purpose flour is ideal; use half whole wheat for a heartier texture or a 1:1 gluten-free blend with xanthan gum for a gluten-free option.
- Baking Powder – Essential for rise and lightness; if you’re out, use ¼ tsp baking soda + ½ tsp lemon juice or vinegar per teaspoon.
- Vanilla (optional) – Adds warmth and aroma; you can substitute almond or maple extract, or skip it for a more citrus-forward profile.
- Quick Lemon Glaze – Made with powdered sugar, lemon juice, a splash of any milk, and vanilla extract; swap with orange or berry juice for a flavor variation.
Which pan size? We recommend using an 8 x 4-inch (20 x 10 cm) loaf pan — it’s tall and narrow, which gives the blueberry pound cake a beautifully domed top, just like you see in our photos. It’s our go-to pan for the prettiest presentation!
If you don’t have that size, no worries. You can also use an 8.5 x 4.5-inch (21.5 x 11.5 cm) or a 9 x 5-inch (23 x 12.5 cm) loaf pan. Just keep in mind that the larger the pan, the flatter and wider the cake will be, and you may need to slightly reduce the baking time.
How to Make Blueberry Bread
1. Prep the oven and loaf pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 9×5-inch (23×12 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper and set it aside. This makes it easy to lift the cake out later — no sticking!
2. Mix the wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the grated lemon zest, lemon juice, milk, sugar, oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk everything together until smooth and well combined.
3. Add the dry ingredients: Sift in the flour and baking powder directly into the wet mixture. Start whisking slowly — this helps prevent flour from puffing everywhere. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then whisk again on medium speed until the batter is just combined.
4. Add the Blueberries: In a separate small bowl, toss the blueberries with a tablespoon of flour. This simple step keeps them from sinking to the bottom of your cake while baking. Gently fold the flour-coated blueberries into the batter using a spatula. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top.
5. Bake the cake: Bake in the center of the oven for about 50 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick or skewer into the center — just try to avoid a blueberry. If it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs, the cake is ready. If it’s wet, bake for a few more minutes and check again.
Once done, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then carefully lift it out and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Make the Lemon Glaze: In a small bowl, stir together powdered sugar, lemon juice, a splash of plant milk, and a bit of vanilla extract until smooth and pourable. When the cake is completely cool, drizzle the glaze over the top. Let it set for a few minutes before slicing. Use a serrated knife for cleaner slices — and enjoy every juicy, citrusy bite!
Tips
- Don’t skip the lemon zest – It adds bright, citrusy flavor that makes the blueberries pop. Zest carries more aroma than juice alone.
- Toss the blueberries in flour – This prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the loaf while baking.
- Use fresh blueberries when possible – They give the best texture and color. If using frozen, add them straight from the freezer without thawing.
- Don’t over-mix the batter – Mix just until combined to keep the crumb tender and avoid a dense, gummy texture.
- Check your baking powder – Make sure it’s fresh so the bread rises properly. Stale baking powder means a flat loaf.
- Let the loaf cool before slicing – This helps the crumb set and keeps slices from falling apart or getting gummy.
- Use a serrated knife – It cuts cleanly through the soft crumb and juicy blueberries without squishing the loaf.
- Glaze only after cooling – If the cake is warm, the lemon glaze will melt off or soak in instead of creating a nice drizzle.
- We recommend using an 8 x 4-inch (20 x 10 cm) loaf pan — it’s tall and narrow, which gives the blueberry pound cake a beautifully domed top
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Frozen blueberries work well in this recipe. Just add them straight from the freezer without thawing — this prevents them from bleeding into the batter and turning your blueberry loaf cake purple. Be sure to toss them in flour before folding them into the mix.
This is super common! To avoid it, lightly coat your blueberries with a tablespoon of flour before adding them to the batter. This helps them “stick” in place and stay evenly distributed throughout your moist blueberry bread.
Absolutely. Simply swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend. The result is a soft, gluten-free blueberry pound cake with all the same fruity, citrusy goodness.
Store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate it for a week. If you want it extra moist, wrap it while it’s still slightly warm to trap steam. You can also freeze slices for a quick, jammy blueberry breakfast bread anytime.
Totally! This recipe works great with raspberries, blackberries, or a berry mix. Just keep in mind that more watery berries may slightly change the texture of your blueberry loaf.
This usually happens from over-mixing the batter or using too much liquid. For the best texture, mix only until the flour disappears, and avoid over-whisking — especially once you add the flour and baking powder.
They’re very similar! Blueberry bread is often slightly lighter and more breakfast-friendly, while blueberry pound cake is richer and denser — perfect as a dessert or for afternoon tea. This recipe strikes a balance between the two: tender like a quick bread, but moist and indulgent like a lemon blueberry pound cake.
You can, but we don’t recommend it. The lemon zest and juice bring brightness and balance to the sweetness of the blueberries. Without it, the flavor of your blueberry cake loaf won’t have the same zing.
More Easy Plant-Based Desserts
- Pear cake
- Easy Apple cake
- Blueberry cake
- Baked apples
- 30-minute baked pears
- Zucchini bread
- Sweet potato muffins
- Carrot cake
If you tried this Blueberry Bread recipe or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!
Blueberry Pound Cake (Blueberry Bread)
Video
Equipment
- Loaf pan Use an 8 x 4-inch (20 x 10 cm) loaf pan for a tall, domed cake. You can also use an 8.5 x 4.5-inch or 9 x 5-inch pan — just note the cake will be a bit wider and shorter.
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups blueberries about 9 oz
- 2 cups all-purpose flour + 1 tbsp for the blueberries
- 1 cup milk we used almond milk
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ cup olive oil sub canola or sunflower oil
- 1 medium lemon the grated zest
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon baking powder + 1 pinch salt (optional)
For the Lemon Glaze (optional)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk we used almond milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice + optional 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 9×5-inch (23×12 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Mix wet ingredients in a large bowl: the zest from 1 medium lemon, ¼ cup lemon juice, 1 cup milk, ¾ cup sugar, ¼ cup olive oil, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract.
- Add dry ingredients: Sift in 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 tablespoon baking powder, and 1 pinch of salt. Whisk gently until just combined.
- Toss 1¾ cups blueberries with 1 tbsp flour, then fold into the batter. Pour into pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick (avoiding blueberries) comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
- Make glaze: Stir together 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Drizzle over cooled cake. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Lemon – Use zest + juice for max flavor; orange or lime works too.
- Blueberries – Fresh is best; frozen okay if added unthawed.
- Milk – Any milk works; soy and almond are our favorites.
- Sugar – White, brown, or coconut sugar all work; add a pinch of salt.
- Oil – Use neutral oil; sub butter (1.25x) or applesauce for oil-free.
- Flour – All-purpose is ideal; try half whole wheat or a 1:1 GF blend.
- Baking Powder – Must be fresh; no rise without it!
- Vanilla – Optional; sub almond or maple extract if you like.
- Lemon Glaze – Powdered sugar + lemon juice + milk + vanilla; sub orange or berry juice for a twist.
- Use the zest! – Lemon zest adds way more flavor than juice alone.
- Flour the berries – Keeps them from sinking in the loaf.
- Fresh is best – Use fresh blueberries if you can; frozen is fine unthawed.
- Don’t over-mix – Mix just until combined for a soft, tender crumb.
- Check your baking powder – Old = flat loaf. Make sure it’s fresh!
- Cool before slicing – Helps the loaf set and slices stay clean.
- Grab a serrated knife – It glides through without smashing the berries.
- Glaze when cool – If the cake is warm, the lemon glaze will melt.
Nutrition
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Hi! We are Nico & Louise
We're here to share easy, healthy, and delicious recipes 🌿✨.
Welcome to our blog, we are glad you are here.
How much vegan butter do you recommend when subbing for oil? Thanks!
Hi Danielle,
I’d recommend to use a little more butter than oil. So, 1/3 of a cup of butter (instead of the indicated 1/4 of a cup).
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Thanks for the reply. I was going to double the recipe hence 300 grams of sugar, sorry I should have made it clear. Forgot to ask how long do you think the cake will keep. I don’t have much room in my freezers therefore will be making quite a number of cakes 3 days before the event but was thinking of making the blueberry one 5 days in advance.
Hi Rita,
Store the lemon blueberry pound cake at room temperature, best if covered in a cake dome or plastic wrap. This way, it will stay moist for 3 to 4 days. We found that after four days, it went slightly dry, so I cannot recommend making it five days ahead.
Just FYI, you can freeze it for up to three months ( without glaze). In this case, we recommend freezing it already sliced, so you can thaw the portion you want to eat when you feel like it. Thaw in the refrigerator or microwave for a few seconds at a time.
I hope this helps!
I am planning to make this for a forthcoming party but not sure about the amount of sugar in this recipe. 300 grams seems and awful lot of sugar particularly as the blueberries are quite sweet. And 240 grams of sugar for the glaze. I’ve read somewhere that you can reduce the sugar by 20% than the recipe requires. Would you agree with this? Even at 20% reduction for me personally it is still a lot of sugar. Is it perhaps possible to use maple syrup instead of sugar do you think? I just wish cakes didn’t require so much sugar!
Hi Rita,
The recipe says 150 grams of sugar, and not 300 grams 🙂 If this is still too much you can definitely reduce it by 20% Oh, and remember that the glaze is optional. The cake is fantastic, also without the glaze.
Let me know if you have any additional questions!
It was so simple and delish! My husband and friends loved it so much I’m making it again
Fantastic, Kie! I’m very happy you and your friends enjoyed this cake, YAY!
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and a rating 🙂
Kindest, Louise
Made this today. Added a little baking soda, used whole wheat flour. It’s great. Thanks!
Warm greetings from a fan in Latvia! I have baked this for my husband a few times. My cake always comes out denser than yours and I think it could be due to overmixing or due to my oven. I wanted to ask you if you bake the cake with the oven fan on? Do you put it in the middle of the oven?
HI Ilze,
thanks for your message 🙂 I don’t use the fan when I bake this cake. I put it on the oven rack just below the middle one.
If yours it’s too dense you could try adding a little more baking powder; like an extra teaspoon. Or adding 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda together with the baking powder.
You can also try a different plant-milk. Soy milk is the heaviest. Something like almonds or oats would make a lighter cake.
I hope this helps!
Greetings from Italy 🙂
Nico
Bonjour, es ce que je peux remplacer l’huile par de la puree damande?Si oui combien?Merci davance.
Can I use strawberry instead of blueberry
Hi Maitree,
I can’t answer for sure as I haven’t tried, but I think so. There should be no problem adding strawberries. The only thing is, they have a little more water than blueberries, so you might need to cook the pound cake a few minutes longer (that’s just a guess).
Nico
Have tried this multiple times and the last time without blueberries – it turns out perfect every time. Have shared this recipe (& youtube) link to multiple family and friends and they just cant believe that this was vegan. Thank you!
Hi Salim, thanks so much for your kind words and support! We’re so happy you like the pound cake – it’s one of my favorite cakes too. Have a great weekend – cheers, Nico
So so good! The pound cake itself is the PERFECT texture (especially when enjoyed cold. I have found that vegan recipes don’t often get the texture right, and those that do will call for silken tofu which I don’t always have on-hand. This recipe is the best, by far.). I made it with blueberries the first time and the whole loaf was gone within 48 hours lol. I had some strawberries in the fridge so I decided to make another loaf and add those, this time (it is in the oven as I type!). The only thing I changed is I added a bit of vanilla extract to the icing, but that’s definitely a personal preference. Thank you for another stellar recipe!