This award-winning Blueberry Gingerbread Loaf (with Fresh Lime Glaze) won 1st place in the California Berries Winter Baking contest! Made with a blueberry muffin mix, no molasses, and a fresh lime glaze, this blueberry loaf celebrates the flavors of the season and is like a warm gingerbread hug on a chilly winter day!

This Blueberry Gingerbread recipe is a very popular quick bread during the holiday season and makes a great holiday treat, although it's great any time of year. A slice of this blueberry gingerbread loaf, with a steaming mug of tea or coffee, makes a delicious breakfast, dessert or snack. It was inspired by my other quick bread recipes, specifically my Healthy Carrot Bread.
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Looking for more festive gingerbread breakfast recipes? Try my Gingerbread Christmas Pancakes (with Cranberry Compote) and my Gingerbread Pancake Cupcakes!
🥘 Ingredient Notes
And this homemade gingerbread loaf with a blueberry twist, and without molasses, is GOOD! In fact, it's so good that it won a the Winter Baking contest. And for good reason! It's easy to whip up because it uses blueberry muffin mix and holiday spices, and then the oven pretty much does the rest of the work.
For this blueberry bread with muffin mix recipe you'll need:

- Blueberries. Fresh blueberries give this bread extra blueberry flavor and freshness!
- Blueberry Muffin Mix. Muffin mix makes this quick bread even quicker! * I use Concord but you could use any kind, such as Quaker.
- Ground ginger and ground cinnamon. These spices add the gingerbread flavor to this loaf.
- Fresh limes. I use fresh limes in the glaze and they add a welcome zing to this bread and balance the sweetness.
- Pecans. Add texture, crunch, and an earthy flavor.
- Flour. If you are using frozen blueberries, toss them in 1 tablespoon of flour or you will have a purple batter.
*see recipe card for full ingredient list and quantities
📖 Variations & Sustitutions
- Muffins: Make these into blueberry gingerbread muffins. Just pour batter into lined muffin tins and bake for half the time (or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean). Spread the glaze evenly by the number of muffins.
- Blueberries: You can substitute frozen blueberries (defrosted) or wild blueberries for fresh blueberries
- Nuts: You can substitute almonds or walnuts for pecans.
- Greek Yogurt. You could substitute fat-free sour cream.
- Lime juice. You can use lime juice from concentrate, but you'll only need half the amount.

🔪How to Make Blueberry Gingerbread Loaf
PREP: Heat oven to 350 degrees F/176 degrees C. Spray loaf tin (9X5) with nonstick cooking spray.

- Step 1: Combine blueberry mix, cinnamon, ginger, lime zest and coconut in a large bowl and mix until combined.

- Step 2: Mix in Greek yogurt, egg, lime juice, oil, coconut milk into a separate bowl.

- Step 3: Then add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir in chopped pecans.

- Step 4: If you are using frozen blueberries, toss them in 1 tablespoon of flour.

- Step 5: Fold in blueberries.

- Step 6: Spread batter into prepared 9X5 pan.

- Step 7: Bake in preheated oven for approximately 1 hour (60 - 70 minutes) or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted comes out clean. If it's not ready but browning too fast in the oven, cover it loosely with aluminum foil and put it back in the oven, checking at 10 minute intervals. Let cool in pan 5 minutes, then remove from pan and let loaf cool completely on a cooling rack.

- Step 8: Make the Fresh Lime Glaze: Whisk softened cream cheese with powdered sugar. *I find it works best if you use a fork for this step.

- Step 9: Add lime juice and whisk together.

- Step 10: Drizzle glaze over top and refrigerate 5 minutes until glaze firms up. *This is not a thick glaze. If you like it thicker, add a little more powdered sugar. Garnish: Sprinkle additional icing sugar and grated lime. *I recommend placing this loaf in the freezer for 30-45 minutes, as it will slice much easier. It's best to serve it chilled.
🌡️Storage Instructions
- Fridge: The loaf can be stored in an airtight container or freezer Ziplock bag for up to 3 days in the fridge.
- Freezer: This recipe freezes well for up to 3 months. You can leave it in the loaf pan to freeze, if you prefer (I do this sometimes). Simply cover the loaf with Glad Press n' Seal (affiliate link) slide the entire loaf into an extra large Ziplock freezer bag. Or you can use a loaf pan that comes with a lid (see equipment above). I would still put that into a Ziplock bag, just to ensure it stays as fresh as possible.
Expert Tips
- Make sure your cream cheese is softened. If your cream cheese is cold, the glaze will be lumpy.
- Cover browning bread in foil. If the bread isn't ready, but it's browning quickly, then cover it loosely with aluminum foil.
- Let the bread chill in the fridge. Let the bread chill in the fridge for a minimum of 30-45 minutes for best results
- Use a serrated knife/bread knife to slice this bread. A bread knife's serrated edge and downward pressure allow for clean cuts through the tough exterior bread crust without squishing the delicate crumb inside
- Don't slice the loaf until you are ready the eat the pieces. Cut the gingerbread loaf as you need it, as slicing it dries it out more quickly. If you do slice it before storing it, make sure to cover the exposed pieces with plastic wrap.
- Toss blueberries in 1 tablespoon flour. If using frozen blueberries, once they are defrosted, toss them in flour before adding them to the batter.
👪 Servings Size
This Blueberry Loaf cake recipe serves 10. However, you can double or triple this recipe by adjusting the serving size on the recipe card. Just click on the serving size and select the number of servings you’d like. You'll need extra loaf pans. *You can freeze the extra loaves (see storage, above).
This gingerbread loaf recipe is molasses free! And if you have a lot of limes on hand and are looking for recipes for fresh limes (you will need 3-4 fresh limes), this recipe is for you!

If you're a gingerbread fan or looking for recipes for gingerbread loaf, you'll love this easy Blueberry Gingerbread Cake Loaf! It's a great way to use a box of blueberry muffin mix and with just a few minutes of prep time, you'll have a delicious sweet treat!
📋 More Gingerbread Recipes!
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📋Blueberry Gingerbread Loaf Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Loaf:
- 1 -15 oz box Concord Foods Blueberry Muffin Mix *or use another brand of blueberry muffin mix *if you use Quaker this is ½ a 900g bag.
- 1 ½ cups Giant California Blueberries you can substitute frozen blueberries if fresh not available
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 3 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¾ teaspoon lime zest
- ½ cup non fat greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- ½ cup light coconut milk
- ⅓ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- ⅔ cup pecans chopped
Glaze:
- 1 ½ tablespoon light cream cheese softened/ room temperature
- ½ cup icing sugar/powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoon lime juice
Garnish:
- icing sugar/powdered sugar to sprinkle
- grated lime
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F/176 degrees C. Spray loaf tin (9X5) with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine blueberry mix, cinnamon, ginger, lime zest and coconut in a large bowl and mix until combined.1 -15 oz box Concord Foods Blueberry Muffin Mix, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ¾ teaspoon lime zest, ⅓ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- Mix in greek yogurt, egg, lime juice, oil, coconut milk into a separate bowl, then add these wet ingredients to dry ingredients.3 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice, ½ cup non fat greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, ½ cup light coconut milk, 1 egg
- Stir in chopped pecans.⅔ cup pecans
- Stir in fresh blueberries.1 ½ cups Giant California Blueberries
- Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake in preheated oven for approximately 1 hour (60 - 70 minutes) or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted comes out clean.
- If it's not ready but browning too fast in the oven, cover it loosely with aluminum foil and put it back in the oven, checking at 10 minute intervals.
- Let cool in pan 5 minutes, then remove from pan and let loaf cool completely on a cooling rack.
Fresh Lime Glaze:
- Mix softened cream cheese and icing sugar together with a fork ensuring to get out all of the cream cheese lumps.1 ½ tablespoon light cream cheese, ½ cup icing sugar/powdered sugar
- Whisk in lime juice.3 tablespoon lime juice
- Drizzle glaze over top and refrigerate 5 minutes until glaze firms up.
Garnish:
- Sprinkle additional icing sugar and grated lime.icing sugar/powdered sugar to sprinkle, grated lime
Notes
- Muffins: Make these into blueberry gingerbread muffins. Just pour batter into lined muffin tins and bake for half the time (or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean)! Spread the glaze evenly by the number of muffins.
- Blueberries: You can substitute frozen blueberries for fresh
- Nuts: You can substitute almonds for pecans
- Fridge: The loaf can be stored in a sealed container or freezer Ziplock bag for up to 3 days in the fridge.
- Freezer: This recipe freezes well for up to 3 months. You can leave it in the loaf pan to freeze, if you prefer (I do this sometimes). Simply cover the loaf with Glad Press n' Seal (affiliate link) and slide the entire loaf into an extra large Ziplock freezer bag. Or you can use a loaf pan that comes with a lid (see equipment above)
-
- Make sure your cream cheese is softened. If your cream cheese is cold, the glaze will be lumpy.
-
- Cover browning bread in foil. If the bread isn't ready, but it's browning quickly, then cover it loosely with aluminum foil.
-
- Let the bread chill in the fridge. Let the bread chill in the fridge for a minimum of 30-45 minutes for best results
-
- Use a serrated knife/bread knife to slice this bread. A bread knife's serrated edge and downward pressure allow for clean cuts through the tough exterior bread crust without squishing the delicate crumb inside
-
- Don't slice the loaf until you are ready the eat the pieces. Cut the gingerbread loaf as you need it, as slicing it dries it out more quickly. If you do slice it before storing it, make sure to cover the exposed pieces with plastic wrap.
-
- Toss blueberries in 1 tablespoon flour. If using frozen blueberries, once they are defrosted, toss them in flour before adding them to the batter.
Terri Gilson
I still can't believe my Blueberry Gingerbread Loaf won that baking contest! It's such a fun twist on traditional gingerbread, and the fresh lime glaze really makes it pop. Using blueberry muffin mix instead of molasses was a game-changer for me - it's so much easier and tastier!
Justine | JustineCelina.com
What a beautiful story! I love reading about personal anecdotes behind recipes. And this loaf looks like the perfect mixture of comforting and zingy thanks to the lime. Great post!
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Justine!