Have you tried Starbucks Lemon Loaf?! It’s insanely delicious. But now you can enjoy the same moist, sweet, citrusy, and light flavors at home with this Glazed Greek Yogurt Lemon Quick Bread.
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About this Bread
Is it breakfast? Or is it dessert? Or is it a snack? It’s whatever you choose! That’s why I’m calling it Lemon BREAD instead of lemon cake. Mom always said you shouldn’t have cake for breakfast so we will have this Glazed Lemon Quick Bread instead.
It’s perfectly sweet and citrusy and I’m telling you, you can enjoy it any time of day. A slice of this greek yogurt lemon loaf tastes great with a cup of coffee or alongside some fresh fruit.
Some home cooks may shy away from baking their own bread, but fear not! This is a quick bread that requires no yeast, no kneading, and no rising. If you can mix ingredients in a bowl you can make this bread!
If you’re loving homemade quick breads, try my Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake, this Blueberry Banana Bread, Funfetti Pancake Bread, Healthier Pumpkin Banana Bread or Chocolate Chip Banana Bread too!
The two stars of this recipe: Greek yogurt and lemon zest. I love baking with greek yogurt for the moisture and tanginess it adds. Greek yogurt also helps activate baking soda for the perfect rise that gives this lemon bread its light and fluffy texture.
Lemon zest is underrated in my opinion. It brings out the depth of the lemon flavor in this lemon loaf and packs in that citrusy taste much more than lemon juice alone ever could. The zest is in the glaze and the loaf itself for this recipe creating a crave-worthy slice of lemon bread.
Recipe Ingredients
The two stars of this recipe: Greek yogurt and lemon zest.
- I love baking with greek yogurt for the moisture and tanginess it adds. Greek yogurt also helps activate baking soda for the perfect rise that gives this lemon bread its light and fluffy texture.
- Lemon zest is underrated in my opinion. It brings out the depth of the lemon flavor in this lemon loaf and packs in that citrusy taste much more than lemon juice alone ever could. The zest is in the glaze and the loaf itself for this recipe creating a crave-worthy slice of lemon bread.
A few other notable ingredients:
- Almond Extract - This adds additional sweet, nutty, and fruity flavors. It's a unique flavor that goes amazing with the lemon.
- Cake Flour - A lighter, lower protein flour that will help us achieve a fluffy lemon bread texture. Don't forget to sift it!
- Baking Powder - Since we're ditching the yeast, baking powder will give the perfect rise to your lemon quick bread. Make sure you're baking powder is fresh!
- Butter - Rich and creamy, this will help keep our lemon bread soft and moist. I suggest against using any substitutes in this recipe. You can also use this to grease your loaf pan. Make sure it's at room temperature so it's easier to incorporate into the batter.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Customize it
Add poppy seeds to this bread for a classic lemon poppy seed combination. To get a similar visual effect of the black specks without poppy seeds, you could also substitute chia seeds. Black sesame seeds would work too but will give a nuttier flavor. Use a couple of tablespoons of any of these add-ins. Baking time will not need to be adjusted.
You could also make a lemon loaf with blueberries. If you do add in berries, make sure you use FRESH blueberries, not frozen. Frozen berries will result in a very soggy bread.
Switch up your glaze with orange juice and orange zest instead of lemon to bring in another citrusy flavor. Or I think grapefruit would be quite tasty too!
How to Make This Recipe
1. Preheat your oven to 350° F. Then in a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together butter and sugar.
2. Once combined, add in lemon juice, lemon yogurt, and almond extract and beat again.
3. When your batter is smooth throughout, add baking powder, salt, and SIFTED cake flour. *NOTE* Do not skip sifting your flour. See FAQs if you do not have a sifter.
4. Beat together again and pour in the in milk while mixing. Your batter should be light and fluffy. Then, once combined, zest the lemon into your bowl and stir to incorporate.
5. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper (or spray with cooking spray or grease with butter) and pour the lemon loaf batter into the pan. Top your batter with a sprinkle of cane sugar and more lemon zest prior to baking if desired. Bake your loaf for 35-50 minutes.
6. To make the frosting glaze, in a small bowl beat cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and zest all together until a dreamy, silky lemon cream cheese mixture is achieved. Let your Yogurt Lemon Bread cool completely before adding the glaze.
Storage
I suggest storing in an airtight container on your counter for 3-5 days (if it lasts that long;)). Note: You want to avoid storing your lemon bread in the refrigerator because this is going to dry it out. However, the frosting contains cream cheese that needs to be refrigerated. If preparing this loaf ahead of time, leave the frosting refrigerated until time to serve!
You can also freeze this lemon loaf, but do so unglazed. Wrap your cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. You can freeze the whole loaf or individual slices. Prepare your glaze after you’ve thawed the loaf and add it when you’re ready to enjoy.
Recipe FAQs
Cake flour has a lower protein content (~8%) as compared to all purpose (~11%). This gives it a much lighter, airy texture making these cookies perfectly soft and fluffy.
If you don’t have cake flour on hand, I do not recommend just subbing out all purpose flour. The texture really makes this lemon bread and that is thanks to cake flour. You can, however, make your own by measuring out 1.5 cups of all purpose, removing 3 tablespoons of that flour and add 3 tablespoons of cornstarch to the flour. Sift the mixture to evenly distribute the cornstarch.
This step may sound like a hassle, but it makes a BIG difference in the texture of your bread. Sifting flour creates a lighter, fluffier finished product and allows all of the batter ingredients to be incorporated thoroughly with one another. If you don’t have a flour sifter, you can easily do this with a fork or whisk in a large bowl before adding the flour to your other ingredients.
You want to make sure your yogurt lemon bread is cooked fully through. This isn't like a banana bread where a gooey, underbaked center is sometimes welcomed. You'll be able to tell when your lemon bread is done baking by inserting a toothpick or knife into the center and it comes out completely clean. Any gooey or crumbly bits and it needs a few extra minutes!
This Lemon Loaf recipe can easily be turned into Greek Yogurt Lemon Muffins. Grease your muffin tin and add the batter so each cup is about ¾ of the way full. You will still bake your yogurt lemon muffins at 350°F, but check for doneness at about the 22 minute mark. The amount of batter in this recipe will make 12 standard size muffins.
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Recipe
Glazed Greek Yogurt Lemon Quick Bread
Equipment
- 8x4 or 9x5 loaf pan
- Mixing Bowl
- Hand Mixer
- Rubber Spatula
- Sifter
- Lemon Juicer
- Zester
- parchment paper
Ingredients
For the bread
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ⅓ cup butter, softened
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 container Two Good lemon Greek yogurt, 5.3 oz
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- ½ cup milk, I used almond
- 1.5 cup cake flour, sifted
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- Zest from 1 lemon
For the glaze
- 2 tbsp butter, softened
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- Juice from half a lemon, add more to preference
- 2 tsp lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350° F. Then in a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together butter and sugar.
- Once combined, add in eggs, lemon juice, lemon yogurt, and almond extract and beat again.
- When your batter is smooth throughout, add baking powder, salt, and SIFTED cake flour.
- Beat together again and pour in the in milk while mixing. Your batter should be light and fluffy.
- Then, once combined, zest the lemon into your bowl and stir to incorporate
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper (or spray with cooking spray or grease with butter) and pour the lemon loaf batter into the pan.
- Top your batter with a sprinkle of cane sugar and more lemon zest prior to baking if desired.
- Bake your loaf for 35-50 minutes. You want to ENSURE that the middle is done baking before removing from the oven!
For the glaze
- To make the frosting glaze, in a small bowl beat cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and zest all together until a dreamy, silky lemon cream cheese mixture is achieved.
- Let your Yogurt Lemon Bread cool completely before adding the glaze.
Nutrition
Notes
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If you're using MyFitnessPal, search 'A Paige Of Positivity' and find Greek Yogurt Lemon Quick Bread calories and nutrition facts. Disclaimer: for most accurate macronutrients and caloric breakdown, it is recommended that you input each ingredient into your MyFitnessPal food diary.
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
Trisha says
My family ate the whole loaf in less than 24 hours it was that good! I only used about half the frosting but the leftovers were definitely used by my family.
Charlotte L says
I made this in the evening for my daughter's friends to have for breakfast the next morning, but when they came home they devoured it. They all loved it so much and asked for the recipe!
Megan McClellan says
This is DELISH! My small group raves about it 🙂 and it was super simple to make. Big plus!
Jaclin A says
This looked so beautiful and delicious, I had to try it! Again, my daughter approved! It really was so yummy and so easy to make!! Thank you Courtney!! 😋
Claire says
It was incredible! The whole family devoured it, even my dad who usually only eats chocolate dessert! Will definitely make again, but probably with extra frosting as it was so so good.
Sydney Van Acker says
okay but the texture of this bread is AMAZING. like a beautiful cross between pound cake and a fresh bread loaf, just wow.
Courtney Paige says
Just like Starbucks lemon loaf but way less sugar and more flavor. Kuddos!