Lemon Raspberry Bread
This Lemon Raspberry Bread is an easy quick bread recipe that captures the flavor of summer! It’s great for breakfast, brunch or dessert.
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Are you looking for a fantastic summer treat? Take advantage of berry season and bake up this Lemon Raspberry Bread! This delicious quick bread recipe features a combination of sweet and sour, and it’s a great choice for breakfast, brunch or even dessert at the end of a warm summer day.
Like most quick breads, this Lemon Raspberry Bread recipe is, well, quick. You can have this batter mixed up and ready to go into the oven in about 10 minutes. That’s right. 10 minutes. There are frisbees to be thrown and soccer balls to be kicked – so don’t spend all of your time in the kitchen!
Lemon Raspberry Bread
It’s not often that my wife’s job intersects with my job. My wife is a metallurgist. I make food and share recipes. Metals and food don’t usually end up in the same sentence…but in this case they do. More specifically, aluminum.
Some baking powder contains sodium aluminum sulfate. This ingredient acts as a leavener, and it doesn’t activate until it reaches 120°F – that means it doesn’t activate until the baked good goes into the oven. The FDA has stated that aluminum sulfate in baking powder doesn’t pose any serious health risks unless it is consumed in mass quantities.
Why Do Raspberries Turn Blue?
However, there is another side effect of that aluminum sulfate. It turns raspberries blue! (Hmmm…maybe that’s where the blue raspberry flavor came from!?) Baking powder with aluminum in it can react with the acidity in raspberries which causes them to turn blue. They’re still perfectly safe to eat – but the color is just a little off. To avoid this, use an aluminum-free baking powder.
Circling back to this recipe for Lemon Raspberry Bread, it’s a fantastic summer recipe! The sweetness from the raspberries combines with the tangy flavors from the lemon, and you’re left with a quick bread that is a perfect combo of sweet and tangy.
Ingredients for Lemon Raspberry Bread
The ingredients for this quick bread are mostly pantry and fridge staples:
- Dry ingredients – All purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt
- Wet ingredients – Unsalted butter (melted), sour cream, milk and eggs
- Flavorings – Lemon zest, vanilla extract, almond extract (optional, but recommended), fresh raspberries
- Glaze – Lemon juice, powdered sugar
To make this Lemon Raspberry Bread, just mix the dry ingredients together. Then mix the wet ingredients together. Combine the two together in a large bowl. Add flavorings and fold in the berries, and you’re all set!
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover slices of this quick bread should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. I can say with absolute certainty that this bread tastes amazing when reheated in a toaster oven!
This bread can also be frozen. Just wrap slices (or even the whole loaf) in plastic wrap and then place into a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 4 months, and let thaw at room temperature. (If you’re making the whole loaf ahead of time, I recommend waiting and adding the lemon glaze before serving.)
Variations
For a fun variation on this recipe, try using other summer berries – blueberries or blackberries would both work well. Or maybe use a combination of all 3!
If you’re looking for a fantastic summer baked good, then put this Raspberry Lemon Bread on the list. It’s easy, and it’s packed with flavor. Happy baking!
Did you bake a loaf of this quick bread at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Lemon Raspberry Bread
Ingredients
For the Lemon Raspberry Bread
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ½ cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 Tbsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- {optional} ½ tsp almond extract
- 1 cup raspberries plus more for topping
For the Glaze
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1½-2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
For the Lemon Raspberry Bread
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Spray a 9”x5” loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray; set pan aside.
- Using a large mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir until well combined. Reserve 1 tablespoon of dry mixture to toss with raspberries
- Using a separate bowl, add melted butter, sour cream, milk, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla extract and {optional} almond extract; stir until well combined.
- Pour wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients; stir until just combined.
- Toss raspberries with the reserved dry ingredients and gently fold into batter.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 65-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of bread comes out mostly clean.
- Let bread cool in pan before removing.
For the Glaze
- Using a small bowl, whisk together the confectioner’s sugar and lemon juice.
- Drizzle glaze on top of bread before slicing. (Tip: Let glaze set for ~60 minutes to harden before slicing.)
- Top with additional fresh raspberries before serving.
Looking for more raspberry recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
Cant wait to make this soon for me i never had lemon raspberry bread before perfect for my after office snacks love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
Thanks so much, Ramya – I hope you enjoy this lemon raspberry bread! It’s an easy and tasty treat. 🙂
Beautiful! I have to look up what a metallurgist does!
Haha – when you figure that out, let me know, too, Mimi! 🙂
this looks fabulous david. I was looking for a lemon recipe to bake so this might be it 🙂
thanks!
This is a pretty tasty one, Sherry – cheers!!
Thanks for this recipe, David! And thanks for the info about aluminum and baking powder. I had no idea that Magneto could have influence over any of my baking staples. I’ll be more careful from now on. 🙂
Be careful, Jeff. I say put on your favorite X-Men costume and bake a loaf of this bread. That should keep you safe.
OOh I love the combo of berries and lemon so can’t wait to try this quick bread/loaf cake – got any leftovers (cos I can start driving NOW)? 🙂
Seriously, stellar loaf and I love anything that takes 10 minutes to prep. Also, thanks for that tidbit on aluminum-free baking powder – I found out the hard way that that’s what was turning my purple sweet potato bakes blue!
Berries really do go so well with lemon, right?? And quick breads are such an easy and tasty treat, too. Overall, this recipe gets two thumbs up…even if you use baking powder with aluminum and the color turns a little funky. Haha!
No way I would love to enjoy blue raspberries (at least in the summer cake…maybe I’d be okay with it in the winter lol), so thanks for this tip! And this bread? It looks amazing, and I do love the refreshing combination of raspberries and lemon!
I agree – the blue raspberries are a bit strange even though the taste the exact same! At least now we know the scientific explanation. Either way, enjoy this loaf, Ben!
As a huge fan of loaf cakes you know this get’s a big thumbs up from me David! Delicious!
Loaf cakes are quite easy and quite delicious – thanks so much, Neil!!
What a gorgeous loaf!! Lemon and raspberry is such a delicious combo. Love a slice (or two) to go with the cup of coffee sitting in front of me right now. 🙂 Nothing like homemade baked goods, is it?
Homemade baked goods really are something special! And, yes, they taste even better next to a cup of coffee! Happy Baking, Dawn!
Such a beautiful raspberry lemon loaf, David! That’s so interesting about the reaction of raspberries with aluminum sulfate. Does that happen with all berries, or just raspberries?
Thanks so much, Michelle! To be honest, I don’t know if aluminum sulfate reacts with other berries. I’m going to take an educated guess based on years of baking and say no…at least I’ve never noticed it with other berries. Good question!
This Lemon Raspberry Bread sounds like the perfect summer treat! The blend of tart lemon and sweet raspberries is such a refreshing combo.
Raspberries + lemon is always a fan favorite!