Adapted from this blueberry muffins recipe, this blueberry muffin bread is soft, moist, and loaded with blueberries. Since there’s no individual muffins, this muffin batter goes from the mixing bowl to the oven in minutes. Though this quick bread is outstanding on its own, a swirl of blueberry jam and sprinkle of crumble topping create an outstanding crust.
I’m always on the lookout for quick and easy recipes that double as breakfast and snack. Banana bread, morning glory muffins, and zucchini bread are my usual defaults, but in an effort to break out of routine, blueberry muffin bread is now in the line-up.
What is Blueberry Muffin Bread?
Glad you asked. Blueberry muffin bread is exactly what it sounds like… blueberry muffins baked as bread. This is a quick bread recipe, so there’s no yeast required. Blueberry muffin bread is soft, moist, and completely overloaded with blueberries. Enjoy it warm from the oven or straight out of the refrigerator. It also freezes beautifully!
Blueberry Muffins in a Loaf Pan
Any muffin recipe yielding around 12 standard size muffins doubles as a quick bread recipe. Today we’re using my blueberry muffins, which is actually my master muffin recipe. This particular muffin batter creates 1,000s of muffin varieties including cranberry orange muffins, peach muffins, and apple cinnamon muffins. For the muffin bread, I added a little more flour to ensure this was a nice big loaf.
Now we can create plenty of quick bread recipes too! For example, swap blueberries for chocolate chips and you have an easy chocolate chip quick bread.
Blueberry Muffin Bread Ingredients
Like pound cake and biscuits, blueberry muffin bread is another example of how extremely basic ingredients easily transform into an absolutely delicious recipe.
- Butter: Butter is the base and produces a soft cakey crumb. If desired, swap with solid coconut oil.
- Sugar: Use a mix of granulated and brown sugar for flavor. A dry unrefined sugar, such as coconut sugar, works too. I don’t recommend a liquid sweetener.
- Eggs: 2 eggs work their magic providing structure and overall richness.
- Sour Cream or Yogurt: Plain low fat or full fat sour cream or yogurt add exceptional moisture, as well as the necessary acid for the baking soda.
- Vanilla & Salt: Flavor flavor flavor.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the workhorse of quick breads like apple cinnamon bread and zucchini bread. I don’t typically bake with gluten free flours, but let me know if you try any that work.
- Leaveners: Both baking soda and baking powder add necessary lift. Remember the differences in baking powder vs baking soda and why we use both in some recipes?
- Milk: The blueberry muffin bread would be flat and heavy without milk.
2 Optional Extras!
The blueberry muffin bread is completely awesome on its own. But if you want to take things up a notch, add one or both:
- Blueberry Jam: Swirl 2 Tablespoons of blueberry jam into the batter.
- Crumble Topping: Simply combine all-purpose flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Sprinkle on top before baking.
The pictured bread includes both. See my recipe notes for detailed instructions.
Enjoying your slices with a swipe of homemade honey butter is fantastic here, too!
Blueberry Muffin Bread
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Adapted from my favorite Blueberry Muffins, this blueberry muffin bread is soft, moist, and loaded with blueberries. Since there’s no individual muffins, this muffin batter goes from the mixing bowl to the oven in minutes. Though this quick bread is outstanding on its own, a swirl of blueberry jam and sprinkle of crumble topping create an outstanding crust.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (80ml) milk, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups (210g) fresh blueberries*
- optional: 2 Tablespoons blueberry jam and/or crumb topping (see recipe note)
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or coat with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. On medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract on medium speed until combined. With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients and milk into the wet ingredients and beat until no flour pockets remain. Fold in the blueberries.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan. See note if adding streusel or blueberry jam swirl. Bake for 60-65 minutes, loosely covering the bread with aluminum foil at the 30 minute mark to help prevent the top and sides from getting too brown. A toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf will come out clean when the bread is done. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack.
- Cover and store bread at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Cool baked muffin bread completely. Tightly wrap the loaf or slices (individually or grouped) in 2 layers of plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Place wrapped bread in a large freezer-friendly storage bag or reusable container. Freeze for up to 3-4 months. Thaw wrapped or unwrapped in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | 9×5-inch Loaf Pan | Cooling Rack
- Sour Cream: Plain yogurt is a great substitute for sour cream. Unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana may also be used.
- Blueberries: Fresh blueberries are best. I do not suggest frozen blueberries. If you need to use them, do not thaw, add another 2 Tablespoons of flour to the dry ingredients, and extend the bake time.
- Why is everything at room temperature? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. See my post on the importance of room temperature ingredients for more information.
- Blueberry Jam or Crumble Topping: If desired, swirl 2 Tablespoons blueberry jam (or any flavor) into the top of the loaf before baking. A crumble topping adds a lovely crunch. Simply combine 1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour, 2 Tablespoons brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, then using a fork, mix in 2 Tablespoons melted unsalted butter until crumbles form. Sprinkle over loaf before baking.
- Adapted from Blueberry Muffins with a *little* extra flour and milk to produce a nice large loaf.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I’ve made this before & I recall it being devoured pretty quickly. Out of curiosity though, would using a bundt pan instead of a 9×5 loaf pan make a huge difference in cooking time?
Tara, we haven’t tested this recipe in a Bundt pan, so we’re unsure of the exact bake time. Keep a close eye on it and use a toothpick to test for doneness!
Tara, I double the recipe and bake in a tube pan. It does take longer to bake. Just keep checking it until the skewer comes out clean. It’s beautiful when baked this way.
OMG sooo delicious. This treat keeps calling me to the kitchen. So moist and flavorful. Just say yes to the jam and crumb topping❤️
Visiting my dad on his birthday this year and he requested a “blueberry quick bread” like the banana and pumpkin varieties I often make. I thought this recipe would be perfect for him, especially with the added crumble. They have a convection oven at their house though which I have no experience with. Google tells me just to reduce my oven temp by 25 degrees. Is this accurate for this recipe and are there any other adjustments I should make? Thanks!!
Hi Katie! We test all of our recipes in a conventional oven, but yes, if you do use convection/fan settings for baking, lower your temperature by 25 degrees F and keep in mind that things may still take less time to bake. Hope the bread is a hit!
Wow. I need to pay better attention to my freezer before bake. I got out all the ingredients exceptionally the frozen blueberry because I didn’t want them to melt.I get to the add blueberries part and realize I have NO blueberries! I added strawberries covered in a little flour to dehydrate them instead. The bread took over an hour to bake, but it turned out AWESOME !!!!!!!! THank you for all your great recipes sally!
– an amateur but happy baker
My family went head over heels for this blueberry muffin bread
Made this the other day with the crumble topping and it was a hit. It came out perfect! Thanks for providing another one of your delicious recipes.
https://www.thekitchenmagpie.com/how-to-make-a-lemon-icing-glaze/ I used this lemon glaze, lemons and blueberries. Yum.
Lemony, blueberry goodness, I overcooked mine by about 10 minutes or so I believe so it was a little dry, but I put a piece in the microwave with a little pat of butter absolutely delicious I believe the sour cream is what gives it, its unique flavor next one I make I’ll keep a closer eye on as to not overcook I just noticed I might’ve confused people by saying lemony goodness I put a lemon glaze over the top, along with using blueberry jam, and the cinnamon crumb
Why did my blueberry bread sink in the center
Hi Terri! Quick breads usually sink if not cooked through completely. A few extra minutes in the oven should help for next time.
Thanks for your response. Even though the bread may have dropped a bit in the center, it is absolutely delicious. My husband loved it and asked that I make this a regular treat!
I made this recipe exactly as it was given. But a 9×5 loaf pan was too small, so it baked all over into my oven and made a mess. I expect you professionals to give me good information. Now I have a big mess to clean up. I don’t know yet how the bread turned out, but I hope it tastes good to make up for the mess.
Carol, I just made this recipe using a 9×5 loaf pan and it came out perfectly, no mess or spillage. You probably didn’t follow the recipe correctly
Not to dog pile on you, but I also used to 9 x 5 and it rose beautifully probably about an inch and a half to 2 inches above the pan
Same
Frankly Pierce, wash your blueberries.
This recipe is flawless.
Hello from Edinburgh, Scotland!
I only started baking during “Lockdown” and stumbled across your website by accident … for which I am very grateful. Your various recipes have been much enjoyed ! I do wonder, however, why you use granulated sugar whilst British recipes inevitably use “Caster Suger”. I do use granulated sugar in your recipes but as a novice Baker… just wondered!!!
A minor point but some items you list are not available in the UK eg “unsweetened apple sauce” unless you are referring to apple sauce sold in jars to accompany pork? We have three apple trees hence my interest in apple recipes!
I have to say your website has encouraged me to continue baking with your easy to follow recipes and videos.
With best wishes, Anna
Hi Anna, I understand the confusion and frustration as I lived in London for 5 years and did plenty of baking there! For applesauce, I was able to find Biona Organic brand “apple puree” which is essentially the same thing as American unsweetened applesauce. I always just used granulated sugar when it was called for in American recipes, or caster sugar if I was using a British recipe that called for that. The only difference is the texture, as caster is more finely ground. It dissolves a bit quicker in something like whipped cream, but I think in most baked goods you won’t really notice a big difference. Hope this helps!
Would like to try this recipe but what if you don’t have an electric mixer, and just your own, brute strength?
Hi Jimmy, if you do not have a mixer, you can stir by hand using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon (so that you can cream the butter and sugars). Once you’ve added in the wet ingredients, feel free to switch to a whisk if you’d like. Hope you enjoy the bread!
This is a great way to use up fresh blueberries! For health reasons I made changes: used 4 TBS Butter then 4 TBS vegetable oil; 1 cup whole wheat flour, reduced sugar to 60 g granulated and 35 brown. It is still super delicious! I had to split it between two 8×4 pans since I didn’t have a 9×5. It was about 465g per pan, but that would prob change if you used all the sugar Sally calls for. I ended up baking for 20 minutes, then covering with foil and baking for another 15 min. I took out when. The internal temp was 199.
Thanks, again, Sally for a great recipe! You are my Go-To for baking recipes these days! They always turn out great, even when I modify for less sugar and adding whole wheat flour!
This is a very nice recipe to use fresh bb’s that need to be used and want something faster than muffins. I made two changes. I used buttermilk instead of plain and used 1 cup King Arthur stone ground white whole wheat. Only had 1 cup AP white flour. I will definitely make this again and use the 2 cups of AP flour. The batter was thick but I feel quite sure it was due to using the www flour. It was still very good. One more thing I did was flour the bb’s so they wouldn’t all sink to the bottom. Used approx. 1/2 tsp. Of flour to do that. Thank you for the recipe Sally.
This bread was sooo good! I noticed that most of the blueberries were towards the bottom half of the loaf so on the next go around I’ll probably save 1/3 of the blueberries and push them in once the bread is in the pan.
I see milk is listed in the ingredients but not noted anywhere in the recipe? Could someone clarify?
Hi Ashley, see the end of Step 3: “With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients and milk into the wet ingredients and beat until no flour pockets remain. Fold in the blueberries.” Hope you enjoy the bread!
Great recipe. I’m from north Idaho so we have huckleberries and I use this as my recipe, I also use gluten free flour which requires about 10 extra minutes baking. Absolutely perfect.
Also for anyone else curious the recipe calorie total is about 2,810. If you divide it into ten slices each piece is around 281 calories.
Thank you for providing the calorie count! I know this isn’t going to be a low calorie food but having a rough idea of calories per slice is helpful in daily nutrition planning! Appreciate the time you took to calculate it all out–I do that with most recipes!!
Kinda blah, could stand to be sweeter
This is the 10th time I’ve made this fabulous loaf! I’ve made it for friends and my stylist, as well as my family. Thank you for your inspiration and all your recipes.
I thought this was bland and dry. I followed the recipe to the letter.
This was fantastic as a loaf and I’ve made as big muffins too. 5+ stars! I replaced the butter with oil just for ease and it was great too. Thank you!
I just made your Blueberry Muffin Bread and it is delicious! Can you send me the nutritional breakdown for this bread?
Hi Russell! We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
about 2,810 calories per loaf. Divide by the amount of pieces to get slice estimation. I’m too lazy to do the macros on it but if someone is worried about macro content, they’re probably not eating this delicious sweet bread 🙂
Do you think I could make this in mini loaf pans? How would I adjust the baking time for that? Thanks
Hi Anna, we’re unsure of the exact bake time, as mini loaf pan sizes can greatly vary. It will be shorter, but keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness. Hope they’re a hit!
Do you think I could use buttermilk instead of regular milk? Any other changes I would have to make?
Hi Nanette, If using buttermilk, use it to replace the sour cream AND the milk. (1 cup total.) Enjoy!
So fluffy, so yummy! I used a bit less sugar but it still turned out amazing
This bread is so delicious. if you don’t like just plain blueberries defiantly try this recipe, the blueberries taste so sweet.
The bread was fantastic. I’ve made it twice already. Both of them came out so brown all around the outside. I greased and put parchment paper on the bottom and up the side of my loaf pans. Is that normal?
The inside was good and moist.
Hi Susan, are you using a particularly dark pan? That could be causing the excess browning. For next time, you can also tent the loaf with aluminum foil part way through bake time. That will prevent excess browning on the out side while allowing the middle to continue baking through. Moving it a rack away from the heating element can also help, but will impact overall bake time. Hope this helps and thanks for giving this one a try!
This is a great recipe, but I’m mi opinion way too sweet and too much vanilla. I’ll make it next time with 1/2 the sugar and vanilla. The sweetness overpowers the blueberries.
Please disregard my comment on using less sugar and vanilla.. The recipe is perfect as is.
Any tips on how deep YOU “swirl ” the jam in? Do you stir or just shallow zig zag.
Hi GMJ, If you watch the video under the recipe, at about the 1:20 mark, you’ll see how we add in the blueberry swirl!
OMG! This so good! i substituted vanilla with fresh orange juice; sour cream with Greek yogurt and added demerara sugar on top. It’s so moist and not overly sweet.
Your baking recipes are great!