Some of my fondest memories include carbs. They are always there for me when I need them.

This recipe has two of my loves – gluten and fruit. That’s half healthy!

But seriously, this is the perfect morning treat with coffee. It is a great snack between meals. It’s a wonderful end to the day with tea. It’s just good anytime. You can’t put limits on loaves.

When I want to bake something, I always have this idea in my head that I need to set aside a ton of time for it. Then I get started and, every time, I realize that it actually just takes minutes to put together, and even the bake time isn’t too bad. This loaf honestly takes around 10 minutes to prep, and although the oven time is around an hour…It’s passive time. You can do anything while it is in the oven: laundry, work from home, lunges, paint… Whatever, man!

The first thing you need to do is whisk together all of your dry ingredients – flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set this aside and move on to your wet – sugar, eggs, vanilla and oil. Beat this until smooth, and then in a few additions add the dry to the wet, alternating with some buttermilk. Fold in the lemon zest and blueberries and you are done! Easy breezy.

This loaf fills your house with the most delicious aroma. There is nothing more “home-y” than walking into a house that is filled with the smell of fresh baked goods. It let’s guests know that you have it together. You got it goin’ on. You are a successful adult.

While your creation is forming in the oven, start making the glaze. This is not necessary, but it adds a little bit of sweetness to the loaf and also makes it look really pretty. All it requires is a little bit of powdered sugar and some lemon juice whisked together until smooth. I like to drizzle it over the top when the loaf is still warm so it can absorb all of the goodness throughout.

Loaf drop.

Lemon Blueberry Loaf

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour + 1 tbsp
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• zest of one lemon
• 1 heaping cup blueberries, washed and dried

For the lemon glaze:

• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1-2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the two cups of flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a separate, larger bowl, beat the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla together until smooth and combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately in three additions, being careful not to overmix the batter.
5. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of flour over the blueberries and toss until coated. Shake off any excess flour and then carefully fold the blueberries into the batter along with the zest.
6. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
7. Run a butter knife along the edges of the loaf to loosen and turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
8. To prepare your glaze – add the powdered sugar to a small bowl and whisk in the lemon juice, a half tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. Drizzle over the loaf* and use an offset spatula to evenly distribute over the top.

NOTES:

*I like to drizzle the glaze on the loaf when it is still warm. This way, the loaf absorbs the liquid and it gets distributed throughout. You will not be able to see the glaze on top if you do this. If you are going for more of a “look,” let the loaf cool completely before topping with the glaze.