The wonderful thing about food is that it has the ability to conjure up some incredibly powerful emotions. So much so that it can actually transport you back to a very special place in time. Personally, I have many recipes that have that ability. But what's even better is when you are able to do that for someone else with your cooking. I spotted this Old Fashioned Lemon Bread recipe among my stash of my mother-in-law's recipes, and I put it aside to make one day. Little did I know the power it possessed.
One day, I had an overwhelming craving for lemon bread, and I remembered this lemon loaf cake recipe. And OMG did it ever hit the spot -it has such a bright lemon flavor, moist texture, and I couldn't believe how incredibly tasty it was. In fact, this is the best lemon bread I've ever had, and it makes an amazing dessert, snack, or breakfast. It's really perfect at any time of the day. This lemon bread doesn't have a glaze, but trust me, it's so good, it doesn't need one.
Jump to:
- Recipe Overview: Old Fashioned Lemon Loaf
- Summarize and Save this Content on:
- 🥘 Ingredient Notes
- 📖 Variations & Substitutions
- 🔪Step-by-Step: How to Make Easy Old Fashioned Lemon Bread
- Expert Recipe Tips
- 👪Serving Size
- 🌡️Storing
- Top Tip #1
- Top Tip #2 - What to do with the leftover lemon juice?
- ❔Recipe FAQs
- Didn't find the answer you're looking for?
- 🍞More Quick Bread Recipes
- 📋 Old Fashioned Lemon Bread Recipe (No Glaze)
Recipe Overview: Old Fashioned Lemon Loaf
- Ready In: 1 hour (10 minutes prep)
- Serves: 8
- Calories: 339 kcal (approximately)
- Main Ingredients: lemon zest, flour, butter
- Dietary info: vegetarian
- Difficulty: Easy
- Why You'll Love It: This Old Fashioned Lemon Bread recipe is an easy recipe, made with simple ingredients like fresh lemon and walnuts, and without glaze. And it's the perfect balance of sweet and tangy!
Summarize and Save this Content on:
In addition to all the recipes she gave me over the years, I have this pile of my mother-in-law's recipes that my husband was able to collect after she passed away. Some of them I recognize, like her Dairy Free Pumpkin Bread, some he grew up with, and there are some she likely never even made.
But it was my husband's reaction that really warmed my heart because I had no idea that this was such a special recipe for him. It wasn't until he was eating it and said, 'Wow. I haven't had this in about 40 years. It brings back such great memories.' It was so meaningful to be a part of recreating those cherished memories for him through baking.
If you love classic lemon recipes, be sure to try my Old Fashioned Lemon pie!
🥘 Ingredient Notes
You don't need a glaze for this easy lemon loaf; you simply mix it up and bake. Easy peasy! The walnuts give this loaf a nice texture, and it's the perfect balance of sweet and tart. And you can sprinkle on a little additional lemon zest and walnuts if you like.
For this recipe, you'll need:
- Unsalted butter. I prefer to use unsalted butter so I can control the salt in my baking. The salt content in salted butter varies by brand
- White granulated sugar. Adds color, aids leavening, and keeps this loaf moist.
- All-purpose Flour. Gives this quick bread a consistent, dense, moist texture and taste.
- Milk (I use 1%, but you could use 2% or whole milk). In this recipe, you need to add milk alternately with the dry ingredients to make sure the liquid is absorbed fully. This also helps prevent overmixing, which would cause too much gluten to form too quickly, resulting in a tougher texture. It helps keep the crumb tender and light.
- Chopped walnuts. Walnuts give this lemon bread a nice texture and crunch.
- Lemon zest. The zest of 1 whole lemon is used and it gives this bread the perfect mild splash of lemon flavor, without being overpowering.
*Please see recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities
📖 Variations & Substitutions
- Butter - if you use salted butter, skip the salt in the recipe
- Walnuts - you could substitute pecans for the walnuts or leave them out entirely.
- Milk - I use 1% milk because that's what I always have on hand, but you could use 2% or whole milk. I do not recommend skim milk.
- Mini loaves - Bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Sugar - if you want to substitute monk fruit, use ½ the amount (½ cup)
- Glaze - if you want to use a glaze, I would recommend using my simple lemon glaze in my Cinnamon Swirl Bread recipe.
I also love this lemon bread recipe because not only is it easy, it's simple and wholesome. You use ingredients you have around the house, and it calls for fresh lemons and walnuts, just like it did 40-50 years ago.
These old-fashioned bread recipes are the best because they have stood the test of time. My family's Date Nut Loaf is another recipe that has been passed on from generation to generation. And I know this Lemon Loaf will be the same; it's just too good not to pass on!
🔪Step-by-Step: How to Make Easy Old Fashioned Lemon Bread
Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)and spray a 9X5 loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Step 1: In a large bowl, cream butter with 1 cup sugar, using an electric hand mixer on medium speed.
- Step 2: Then add beaten eggs.
- Step 3: In a medium bowl, sift dry ingredients (flour, salt, and baking powder) together.
- Step 4: Then add milk to the butter mixture, alternately with the flour mixture, a little bit at a time, beating between additions.
- Step 5: Start with milk, then the flour mixture, then end with milk.
- Step 6: Stir in the lemon zest and walnuts.
- Step 7: Baking time: Pour into prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.
- Step 8: Cool hot bread for 5 minutes in pan, then run a knife (or spatula) around edge of bread pan and remove to a wire rack to cool for an additional 10 minutes. Garnish: Garnish with additional chopped walnuts and grated lemon.
Expert Recipe Tips
- Room Temperature Ingredients: For the best "creamy" texture, ensure your butter and eggs are at room temperature. This allows the fat and liquid to emulsify properly, resulting in a lighter, more uniform crumb.
- The "Alternating Addition" Rule: You'll notice the recipe calls for adding the flour and milk alternately. This is a classic baking technique that prevents the batter from "breaking" or curdling. It also ensures the flour is fully incorporated without overworking the gluten.
- Don't Overmix: Once you add the dry ingredients to the wet, mix only until just combined. If you overbeat the batter at this stage, you'll end up with a tough, rubbery loaf instead of a tender, dense bread.
- Zest for Success: Since this bread relies on the lemon rind for its flavor, use a Microplane or a very fine zester. Make sure to only grate the yellow part of the skin; the white "pith" underneath is bitter and can ruin the delicate sweetness of the loaf.
- The "Pan Tap": Before popping the loaf in the oven, give the pan a firm tap on the counter. This helps any large air bubbles rise to the surface so you don't have holes in your finished slices.
- Proper Cooling: Resist the urge to slice the bread while it's hot! Quick breads continue to set as they cool. Letting it rest in the pan for 5 minutes and then on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes ensures it won't crumble when you cut it.
👪Serving Size
This recipe for lemon bread serves 8, but you can double it (you'll need additional loaf pans). Simply click on the serving size in the recipe card, choose the number of servings you'd like, and the recipe amounts will adjust accordingly.
🌡️Storing
Refrigeration: Store this delicious quick bread in the fridge for up to 5 days in a Ziplock bag or sealed container
Freezing: You can freeze this recipe for up to 3 months. *It's best that you DO NOT slice it prior to freezing, but rather, freeze it whole. Wait until it completely cools, then put it in a Ziplock freezer bag.
If you use a glaze (see variations and substitutions) you can freeze it with or without the glaze and add the glaze when it's full defrosted.
Top Tip #1
It's better to slice this lemon bread as you need it and don't slice the entire loaf before storing, as it prevents it from drying out. *Cover the exposed piece in the loaf with plastic wrap when you store it.
I'm so lucky to have so many of Grandma Jean's recipes to be able to share with my children. They may have only had their Grandma Jean for a short time, but her recipes live on in our home.
Top Tip #2 - What to do with the leftover lemon juice?
You're going to have leftover fresh lemon juice after you make this lemon loaf recipe, so why not give my Healthy Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta a try! It's loaded with veggies, chicken, and pasta, with a healthy and light creamy lemon sauce.
❔Recipe FAQs
When you insert a cake tester or toothpick, and it comes out clean (not wet). If it still has some batter on it, put it back in the oven and check it at 5-minute intervals.
You can add a glaze. I would recommend using my simple lemon glaze that I use in my Cinnamon Swirl Bread recipe.
Dryness usually comes from two things: overmeasuring the flour or overbaking. Always use the "spoon and level" method for flour (don't scoop directly from the bag). Also, start checking your loaf for doneness at the 45-minute mark, as oven temperatures can vary.
Absolutely. If you have a nut allergy or simply prefer a smoother texture, you can omit the walnuts entirely. The bread will still have a spectacular lemon flavor. You could also substitute the walnuts with poppy seeds for a "Lemon Poppy Seed" twist!
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So if you have lemon lovers amongst you and you're looking for an easy and delicious lemon loaf recipe, you'll love this one! Making others happy with food is my favorite part of cooking and baking, but being able to make them food just like Mom used to make is priceless ~
Happy Baking!
🍞More Quick Bread Recipes
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📋 Old Fashioned Lemon Bread Recipe (No Glaze)
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 2 whole eggs, beaten
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- 1 whole lemon rind (peel), grated
Garnish
- lemon zest
- chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F or 175 degrees C and spray a 9X5 loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, cream butter with 1 cup sugar, using an electric hand mixer on medium speed, then add beaten eggs.½ cup unsalted butter, 1 cup white granulated sugar, 2 whole eggs, beaten
- In a medium bowl, sift dry ingredients (flour, salt and baking powder) together. Then add this flour mixture to butter mixture, alternately with milk, a little bit at a time, mixing well between additions.1 ½ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ½ cup milk
- Finely grate 1 whole lemon into a small bowl, then add the grated rind to the batter.1 whole lemon rind (peel), grated
- Stir in walnuts.½ cup chopped walnuts
- Baking time: Pour into prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool hot bread for 5 minutes in pan, then run knife (or spatula) around edge of bread pan and remove to wire rack to cool for an additional 10 minutes.
Garnish
- Sprinkle additional walnuts and lemon zest on top of the bread, if desired.lemon zest, chopped walnuts
Notes
- Room Temperature Ingredients: For the best "creamy" texture, ensure your butter and eggs are at room temperature. This allows the fat and liquid to emulsify properly, resulting in a lighter, more uniform crumb.
- The "Alternating Addition" Rule: You'll notice the recipe calls for adding the flour and milk alternately. This is a classic baking technique that prevents the batter from "breaking" or curdling. It also ensures the flour is fully incorporated without overworking the gluten.
- Don't Overmix: Once you add the dry ingredients to the wet, mix only until just combined. If you overbeat the batter at this stage, you'll end up with a tough, rubbery loaf instead of a tender, dense bread.
- Zest for Success: Since this bread relies on the lemon rind for its flavor, use a Microplane or a very fine zester. Make sure to only grate the yellow part of the skin; the white "pith" underneath is bitter and can ruin the delicate sweetness of the loaf.
- The "Pan Tap": Before popping the loaf in the oven, give the pan a firm tap on the counter. This helps any large air bubbles rise to the surface so you don't have holes in your finished slices.
- Proper Cooling: Resist the urge to slice the bread while it's hot! Quick breads continue to set as they cool. Letting it rest in the pan for 5 minutes and then on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes ensures it won't crumble when you cut it.
JoAnna Grable says
This is a lovely quick bread. So delicate and delicious. It is very light and sweet with a touch of lemon flavor. I'm going to zest two lemons next time, to increase the lemon flavor. Also, I beat everything by hand rather than an electric beater. It was perfect.
Terri Gilson says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, JoAnna! Using the zest of 2 lemons is a great idea!
Caroline says
I love a good lemon loaf - have never tried with walnuts in there but it sounds like it's worth a try!
Terri Gilson says
They give it a really nice crunch, Caroline!
Ariella says
Aw those kind of recipe reactions are the best.
Terri Gilson says
I agree!
colleen kennedy says
Yes! Lemon desserts are my favorite! Looks perfect!!
Eileen Kelly says
A delicious lemon loaf with the perfect amount of lemon. A fabulous recipe and the entire family enjoyed the recipe.
Carlos Leo says
This is my kind of bread loaf. I love the citrus flavor in my baked desserts.
Sue Ringsdorf says
I love lemon flavors this time of year, and this bread is the BEST! Looking forward to leftovers!
Anne Lawton says
Lemon tastes great with just about anything, this bread looks delicious!
Laura says
This is my kinda recipe!
Terri Gilson says
Thanks!
Chinazor says
The last time I had a lemon cake at a friend's place, I was literally separated from it because I could not stop munching. I am sure I would love this.
Terri Gilson says
haha that would be me too! I hope you enjoy it!