Glazed Lemon Yogurt Bread
This lemon yogurt quick bread is stunningly soft and moist with the most delectable, bright, fresh lemon glaze on top.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Mel – Another winner. We have been looking for the best Lemon Bread recipe and we found it. Best ever. -Midge
3 Reasons This is the Best Lemon Quick Bread
- The bread batter is a one-bowl recipe, making it quick and easy to mix up.
- The texture of the bread is intensely soft and moist – it also stays moist for days!
- The lemon flavor absolutely pops with the glaze that is drizzled over the top of the warm bread.
Pro tip: Pouring the glaze over the bread while the bread is just out of the oven and still in the pans, allows the glaze to soak into the top and sides creating a tart-sugary outer layer that is phenomenally delicious.
Key Ingredients
- Granulated sugar: This ingredient is used in the bread batter and in the glaze. Some readers report reducing the sugar to 1 1/2 cups in the bread batter with good results.
- Fresh lemon zest: The lemon zest is rubbed together with the granulated sugar releasing the fragrant oils in the zest and distributing the subtle lemon flavor throughout the batter as the ingredients are mixed together.
- Yogurt: This ingredient aids in moisture and soft texture to the crumb. Use plain yogurt, Greek or regular. Some reviewers have reported back that they used lemon yogurt, and it worked out well, too.
- Oil: Use a neutral-flavored oil, like canola, vegetable, grapeseed, etc. Melted butter or melted coconut oil can be used in place of the oil, as well.
- Applesauce: Use unsweetened applesauce. This ingredient helps with a moist crumb texture without adding extra oil.
- Eggs
- Flour: I use unbleached all-purpose flour. Weigh the flour on a scale or measure with a cup by fluffing the flour very well, scooping in the cup, and using a straight edge to level off.
- Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice is used in the glaze. Zest the lemons before juicing.
Note: You’ll need about 3 to 4 large lemons to yield enough lemon zest.
A Few Additional Notes
My mom made lemon quick bread, like this one, all the time growing up. It was one of my favorite things that she made! The shiny, crackly, sweet lemony glaze on top was always my favorite part.
This lemon yogurt quick bread is just as good as the bread I remember from my youth. I hope you love it as much as I do!
Here are a few additional notes based on the hundreds of reviews that have been left on this lemon bread over the years:
- You can experiment with reducing the sugar to 1 1/2 cups. Readers have reported doing that with good results.
- The glaze can be optional. If the bread is not glazed, the lemon flavor won’t be as pronounced.
- The bread can be baked in 9X5-inch pans – the baked loaves will be wider and a bit flatter.
- You can experiment baking the bread in mini loaf pans. The recipe will likely yield between 5 and 6 mini loaves. The baking temperature will be the same. Check the bread after 22 to 25 minutes of baking.
- The top of the bread gets quite a bit softer if the bread is made a day ahead of time, but it is still delicious. I store the bread in the refrigerator.
Glazed Lemon Yogurt Bread
Ingredients
Bread:
- 2 cups (424 g) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons lemon zest from about 3 large lemons
- 1 ½ cups (340 g) plain yogurt, Greek or regular, or lemon yogurt
- ½ cup (98 g) vegetable or canola oil (or other neutral-flavored oil)
- ½ cup (130 g) unsweetened applesauce
- 4 large (200 g) eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups (426 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Glaze:
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice (from the lemons that were zested for the bread)
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar or powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease two 8 1/2-inch by 4 1/2 inch pans with cooking spray.
- For the bread, in a large bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest and rub the mixture together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant.
- Add the yogurt, oil, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla, and whisk until well-combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and mix until just combined and no dry streaks remain.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pans.
- Bake the bread until the top of the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 50 to 55 minutes.
- For the glaze, while the bread is baking, combine the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 to 20 seconds until the sugar is dissolved. The glaze will be thin. Remove from the heat. Keep warm.
- Spoon or drizzle the glaze evenly over the warm bread (still in the bread pans). Let the glazed bread sit in the bread pans for 10 to 15 minutes. Carefully turn it out onto a cooling rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
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Recipe Source: adapted from a recipe my sister, Emily, originally adapted from Bon Appetit
Recipe originally published August 2012; updated April 2026
Mimi – I always use applesauce with no-sugar added (so unsweetened).
Wow–might try that too some time!
Did you use sweetened or unsweetened applesauce?
Hey Mel,
I recently found your site. I’m actually from Germany but I love baking, cooking and reading american recipes since I spent alot of time in LI New York. Yesterday this recipe was just perfect for my leftover applesauce. It was delicious although it’s always a bit tricky with the measurments ;).
I’m glad I found your site.
PS: Your kids are adorable 🙂
Next time you are in New York you should pick yourself up some American measuring cups and measuring spoons. That should simplify the trickiest of the recipes measurements!
Growing up my Mom made us lemon pound cake. If I lived near her I would be begging for it and her lemon merinque pie. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Kim S. – I think the poppy seeds are a fabulous idea. I’d whisk them in with the other dry ingredients. As for muffins, I’m guessing it would work great but I haven’t tried it so I can’t weigh in on how many it will yield. Definitely keep an eye on the baking time – it will obviously be much shorter for muffins.
Junmay, you can sub canola or vegetable oil for the applesauce.
Hiiiii! I really wanna make this cake for an Aunt, but I realised I don’t have applesauce on hand and I cant seem to find it at any store nearby. Is there any subsitute for it? Please help!
Use 1/2 cup milk for the applesauce
Delicious bread! I made this today with great success, and even added frozen blueberries. I use glass loaf pans, so it did add several minutes to the cooking time. I tossed the blueberries in a tablespoon or so of the flour mixture so they wouldn’t sink, and they did just fine. Loved the tart/sweet glaze over the top. Will certainly be making again!
This was so delicous. I love that it used yogurt. I have a really yummy chicken recipe that calls for 1/3c plain yogurt but I can only find it in a big container so then I am always trying to come up with ways to use the rest.
I made this today and had to use lemon yogurt since I couldn’t find plain – it was delicious!!!! I had chunky applesauce so blitzed it in the food processor (getting the hang of this contraption). Unfortunately, I forgot to put the canola oil into the batter, but caught it in time (4 minutes in the oven) to dump all the batter out of the 4 mini loaf tins, add the oil, wash the tins, and put the corrected batter in. It still turned out great! I think it’s better than Starbucks!
I seriously can’t wait to make this. I love lemon flavor in breads and bars. I was addicted to the lemon loaf at starbucks…now I can get addicted my own homemade lemon bread!
Do you think I could mix in poppy seeds to make a lemon poppy seed bread? What about making this recipe into muffins? Yay or nay?
Just tried this recipe and it is delicious! Thanks for sharing! I used low fat greek yogurt instead and it worked out great.
I have made this twice already and I used coconut oil (divine) and then I sliced it up and made it in to French toast with a strawberry sauce. AMAZING! Thanks.
I made this tonight for dessert. I made a blueberry & raspberry syrup (from your blueberry muffin recipe) and served the lemon loaf with fresh blueberries and raspberries and then drizzled the syrup over top. A dollop of whipping cream and voila!
Another excellent recipe. Thank you
This is delicious. I think I prefer it to a lemon pound cake because the crumb is so moist. I made it last night and served it with a mock sauce anglaise (softened frozen yogurt with a spoon of sour cream mixed in), and fresh strawberries for dessert. And because it’s lemon BREAD, I didn’t feel like a total hedonist eating it for breakfast. I wonder if it’s sturdy enough to be used in your lemon berry trifle (which I love). I may need to do some experimenting . . .
Maybe the yogurt would keep mine from turning out all crumbly, which it never used to do but now does all the time. Grrr. 🙂
This recipe is the best! The most fun is rubbing the zest into the sugar! Greek yogurt is also fabulous in here – this bread has been my ‘go-to’ for the summer – yummy with a variety of seasonal berries and fruit!
My mom made great lemon cookies, miss those. Do love all recipes lemon and agree their popularity appears cyclical. I’ve been making a variation on Ina Garten’s lemon yogurt bread and had great success – looking forward to baking your recipe!
I love lemon yogurt bread. Sometimes we serve ours with a glaze, or with fresh berries. No matter how you serve it it’s delicious. I actually first tried lemon bread from an ex boyfriend. At least I got the recipe 😉
You’re right, lemon bread really has lost popularity over the years! I haven’t made it since my sister’s baby shower, her son is now 2 1/2. It looks like it’s time for lemon bread to make a comeback! I should figure out a reason to make it soon!
I have the same memory of my mom’s lemon bread. The days she would make those golden delights were some of the best in her baking history (along with her chocolate hazelnut cheesecake). I am glad you brought it up again so I can fill my kitchen with that delicious aroma and subsequently my stomach. What a great memory!
My family is coming to visit this weekend, and I think I’ll make this bread! Good timing Mel, it looks delicious 🙂
I don’t know about dwindling lemon baked goods popularity, but don’t understand how it could happen. Lemon bread, lemon cake, lemon anything is one of my favorite things. Especially if it’s extremely lemon-y. I don’t really like subtle. 🙂 This recipe looks great! And I love the connection you have with it. I have the same thing with peanut butter pie. For me, that equals my grandfather. But these are nice connections, aren’t they? Much better than raw fish or stinky trash or something. 🙂
My mom never made lemon anything when we were growing up. I know, so sad and deprived. She claims she doesn’t like lemon stuff. I make everything lemon, I think because of the lemon famine of my childhood. The funny thing is, my mom eats it all! I can’t wait to try this recipe.
My mom would make Lemon Bread and toast it the next day. Melted butter on Lemon Bread……………..mmmmmmm………
I am trying not to curse you today because I LOVE LEMON BREAD, and you just happen to post it on the day of my new diet plan. It is a test I am sure. I made a goal that if I lose my 7 lbs. this will be the treat I make myself. I think I just might run that extra mile on the treadmill thinking about how much faster I can get it into my mouth. Thanks as always for sharing all of the amazing recipes you do. Can’t wait to try this one.
it is funny how foods trend in and out. i’ll always love a bread like this though, delicious!
Jamie – yes, if you want one loaf, I’d recommend halving the recipe and using a 9X5-inch pan so you don’t have to figure out what to do with the little bit of leftover batter (there is a bit too much for one 8 1/2-X4 1/2-inch loaf).
If I wanted only one loaf, can I just half the recipe?
I love lemon loaf and this recipe sounds lovely!
Christine – I use granulated sugar in the glaze.
My granddaughter’s favorite treat is “lemon loaf” from Starbucks. She will LOVE this, and me too!
Thank you!! I will be trying this!
Hi Kristin – yes Greek yogurt will work great. In fact that is what the original recipe called for but I’ve only ever had regular yogurt. Either will work!
YUM! I love your blog Mel!! Thank you for sharing- I am blown away by how you come up with awesome recipes for everything. I come HERE for awesome recipes… where do you go? (I’m sure it’s a compilation of several places, but thanks for organizing them into one easy location for us! 🙂 I’ve been a follower for awhile- and always will be! 😉
Do you think greek yogurt would work instead of regular yogurt? Thanks!
I can’t call this bread with 2 cups of sugar in it, it is a lemon cake . But other than the name I love it.
MmmmMMmmmm I LOVE Lemon, it’s my big weakness. I am the one who doesn’t really like the reds and purples and goes straight for the lemons and limes in the candy dish. My husband loves it since he picks out all the citrus flavors. I am going to make this sometime this week for sure since I wont be able to get my brain off of it until then. Thanks for sharing the recipe! I can’t wait!
I absolutely love lemon bread and I can’t wait to try this. Thanks again for sharing. Food is such a wonderful thing!
Oh this looks so good! I can’t wait to try it.
I did have on question, on the icing/glaze, is it granulated sugar or powdered sugar that was used?
Thanks!
Emily – yes, this bread freezes fine. I wrap the cooled bread in plastic wrap and then seal in a freezer ziplock bag.
Julia – my sister has subbed applesauce for all the oil and says it was great. I think this bread is really adaptable to changes.
Erin – sure…try it! I’d toss the blueberries with a little flour before folding into the bread do they don’t sink.
Do you think it would be good with blueberries? I’m sold on blueberry lemon bread.
I’ve never made lemon bread and I do love quick breads. Do you think that the texture would be compromised if I replaced the oil with more applesauce and yogurt?
Thanks!
I love anything lemon. Do you know if this bread freezes well?
I love all things lemon, and this sounds great! Will definitely try to learn making this. Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
Lemon bread is great and you really don’t see it very much anymore. Your recipe looks great and I need to try it soon. Thanks!
I love lemon bread!!! There used to be a little cafe – The Flamingo room – who brought out sliced mini loaf sandwiches of lemon bread and strawberry bread with sweetened cream cheese filling. I loved those! I’m going to try that with this!
Love everything you do! Thanks for sharing!!
This recipe came at the perfect time – I just bought a bag of lemons from Costco and was wondering what to do with all of the extras. I can’t wait to try this!
I LOVE lemon bread,cookies, etc. This looks yummy.
Oh…I love lemon bread! This looks so delicious, and I can’t wait to make it!