Buttermilk Lime Quick Bread
Featuring a bright citrus flavor, a slice of this Buttermilk Lime Quick Bread makes for a great mid-morning snack or a tasty late night dessert. You choose!
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I got to thinking the other day. Lemon Bread is a thing. It’s delicious…especially when drizzled with a nice glaze. But what about lime bread? Lemons and limes often appear as partners, but I don’t think limes have gotten to showcase their wares in quick bread recipes very often. We’re going to fix this problem!
Today’s recipe is super easy to make…and, yes, it does feature lime as the primary flavor! This Buttermilk Lime Quick Bread is a tasty combination of sweet and tart. A slice of this bread goes great alongside a mid-morning cup of coffee or tea. It might also go great after lunch…and again after dinner. I seriously couldn’t stop nibbling on this quick bread!
Buttermilk Lime Quick Bread
I don’t know about you, but I always seem to have leftover limes hanging out in the fridge. I’ll buy a bag of limes for margaritas or cocktails, and I only end up using half of them. Or I’ll find ’em on sale and think, “Hey, limes are good. I should buy a bunch of limes.” Problem is I only end up using a couple of them. The rest end up looking all sad and shriveled up. Not anymore!
This Buttermilk Lime Quick Bread is not only tasty, but it’s a great way to use up leftover limes. You’ll need 1 lime (both the juice and the zest) to make the bread, and another lime to make the glaze. If you wanted to get creative, you could use a different fruit juice in the glaze. Perhaps lemon to make a lemon lime bread? Or orange to make a citrus bread? There are options here, my friends!
The refreshing lime citrus flavor in this Buttermilk Lime Quick Bread is amazing. This makes for a good summer recipe, but it’s also great during the colder months. (Limes are in peak season here in the US during the summer months, but you can find imported limes anytime of the year.)
What is Quick Bread?
Quick bread is any bread that is leavened with a chemical leavener – think baking soda or baking powder. And quick breads are just that – quick. They are typically easy to make, and the results are fairly consistent. In the case of this Buttermilk Lime Quick Bread, baking powder is used to leaven the bread.
To make this recipe, simply combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another bowl. Then pour one bowl into the other, stir until just barely combined and send it off to the oven. About 20 minutes later, your kitchen will begin to smell amazing! And 30 minutes after that, the bread is cooling on the countertop.
This bread itself is quite delicious. The tart + sweet combo is irresistible thanks in part to the coarse sugar I sprinkled on top before baking. I learned this trick years ago when taking a culinary baking course. Sprinkle coarse sugar on top of home-baked treats to turn them into bakery-level treats. I also keep a container of sparkling sugar in my cabinet, and I use it on everything from muffins to quick breads.
In addition to the crunchy sugar topping, I also brushed this bread with a sugar-lime glaze as it was cooling. This little step added so much lime flavor! All together, this is a fantastic quick bread that you can whip up in about 10 minutes. That’s right. 10 minutes. So grab a bowl and a whisk and get to baking!
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover slices of this Buttermilk Lime Quick Bread should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. (If you have a toaster oven, I recommend lightly toasting the leftover slices for 1-2 minutes.) Quick breads also freeze well. Just wrap the bread (or individual slices) in plastic wrap and then store them in a ziptop freezer bag for up to 3 months. Let thaw at room temperature before serving.
This Buttermilk Lime Quick Bread reminds me of Florida in the summer. The bright, citrus flavor combined with the sweetness of the bread is quite a fantastic combination. I hope you fall in love with this bread as much as we did – Happy Baking!
Did you bake this Buttermilk Lime Quick Bread recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me (@Spicedblog) on Instagram – I’d love to see your version!
Buttermilk Lime Quick Bread
Ingredients
For the Lime Bread
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp fresh lime zest ~1 lime
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice ~1 lime
- ¼ cup coarse sugar such as sparkling sugar or turbinado sugar
For the Glaze
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice ~1 lime
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
Instructions
For the Lime Bread
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Spray a 9”x5” loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray; set pan aside.
- Using a medium bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; stir until well combined.
- In a separate mixing bowl, add egg, buttermilk, oil, lime zest and lime juice; whisk until well combined.
- Pour the buttermilk mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture; stir until just combined.
- Pour batter into prepared baking pan. (Tip: Use an offset spatula to evenly spread top of batter.)
- Sprinkle coarse sugar evenly on top of batter.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out mostly clean.
For the Glaze
- Using a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice and sugar.
- Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire cooling rack.
- Brush the glaze on top of warm bread.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Looking for more quick bread recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
I need to try this soon for me BTW cant wait to make your recipes soon for me
Thanks, Ramya! This is a really tasty quick bread recipe if you like to bake! 🙂
This sounds so fresh, David! I love the bright lime flavour paired with that tender buttermilk crumb – such a simple but really appealing bake.
This quick bread really is appealing, Ben! I always crave citrus flavors in the spring, and this was a tasty snack/breakfast.
oh yes i will make this on the weekend! I have a spare lime and some lemons in the crisper! Looks so moist (hehehe) and delicious David.
Sherry
Oh that’s great, Sherry! I bet you could use a combination of lemons and limes. For what it’s worth, my favorite way to eat this bread was actually sliced and toasted lightly…with butter of course! 🙂 Happy Baking!
I am a huge fan of lime. In fact, I just shared a slice of key lime pie at my favorite seafood restaurant on Saturday night. But what you’ve done with this lovely quick bread is nothing short of sensational. First, I loved that your recipe uses the lime zest to make sure the lime flavors come through perfectly. Then… the buttermilk adds a lovely rich and decadent touch that only real buttermilk can do. Thank you for feeding my lime cravings so deliciously! 🙂
What is it about key lime pie and seafood? They just pair so well together! While we might not be serving this bread with seafood, I can say it’s still mighty delicious. The lime and buttermilk add such a bright and fun flavor profile to this quick bread! Thanks, Heidi!
Limes definitely do not get the accolades, and they are currently more budget-friendly than their counterpart, lemons. Btw, the crumb on these slices looks amazing – so moist and decadent. Fantastic recipe, David!
That’s a good point, Shashi – lime prices have been surprisingly low lately. I’m not sure exactly why, but that’s ok – it makes it even easier to bake lime quick breads! 🙂