Mixing up a loaf of this Orange Blueberry Bread is so simple you’ll want to keep it on the regular rotation! Move aside, banana bread — this delicious quick bread is perfect for breakfast or snack-time.
I have a love for blueberries – especially in baked goods like this quick bread, this Blueberry Crisp, or this Blueberry Banana French Toast Bake.
I have a handful of recipes here on the blog that I make regularly, but hadn’t taken the time to update the photo (or the recipe!). This Orange Blueberry Bread falls into that category.
I’ve been making it since 2010, and love it! My husband is not a fan of banana bread (*gasp*) so when I’m making something for him to eat as well, I like to turn to quick bread recipes like this Orange Blueberry Bread. I love how little hands on time it takes, and it’s so delicious that I can’t say no to a slice! This is the perfect quick bread for breakfast or brunch, as it is not overly sweet. It’s definitely sweet but not one of the indulgent quick bread recipes with crumb toppings or a glaze. (But I do love those as well!)
I’m pretty sure you’ll fall in love with this Orange Blueberry Bread, too!
How to Make Orange Blueberry Bread
This Orange Blueberry Bread couldn’t be easier! I think that is why I love quick bread recipes so much – they are a breeze to throw together. There are 3 basic steps to follow when making a quick bread:
- Mix together the dry ingredients
- Mix together the wet ingredients
- Gently combine the wet and dry ingredients
The trick with making the perfect quick bread recipe is to not overmix the batter. If you overmix the batter, you will end up with a bread that is not as tender. The more mixing you do, the more the gluten is developed, which makes for a tougher quick bread in the end. You don’t want any dry clumps of flour in the mix, but you want to be very careful not to overmix the batter.
Can you substitute frozen blueberries for fresh blueberries?
Blueberries are one of those items in the produce department that always seem to be really expensive, or really on sale. I think that fresh blueberries are best, but you can definitely substitute frozen blueberries. Frozen blueberries do tend to bleed into the batter more, so do not thaw the blueberries before adding them to the batter. You’ll want to make sure that you fold the blueberries in very gently, whether fresh or frozen, so that they remain big and whole.
How do you know when a quick bread is done?
To test to see if the Orange Blueberry Bread is done, take a wooden skewer and insert it in the center of the bread. You can use a toothpick, but you’ll need to make sure you insert it deep enough to get the center of the bread. I find that a wooden skewer is easier for that, but a toothpick will work if that is what you have on hand. If the tester comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs stuck to it, the bread will be done. If there is still batter on the tester, let it bake for a few extra minutes. Quick breads will normally crack down the center, so don’t be alarmed if this happens — it’s normal!
Looking for more quick bread recipes?
- This Red Velvet Quick Bread with Cream Cheese Filling is always a show stopper with its bright red color.
- This Chocolate Cinnamon Bread is always a favorite around the holidays, but I think it’s perfect year round!
- Or try this Glazed Lemon Poppyseed Zucchini Bread all summer long while the zucchini is overflowing!
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Orange Blueberry Bread
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 1 loaf (14 servings) 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Mixing up a loaf of this Orange Blueberry Bread is so simple you’ll want to keep it on the regular rotation! Move aside, banana bread — this delicious quick bread is perfect for breakfast or snack-time.
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 3 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- Zest of one orange
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 1/3 cup milk (I used 2%)
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
Instructions
- Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Alternately, line the loaf pan with parchment paper and then spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- In a small bowl, combine the blueberries with 1 tablespoon of the flour and the orange zest. Toss lightly to combine.
- In a large bowl, mix together the remaining 3 cups of flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center of the mix.
- In another bowl, or in a large liquid measuring cup, combine the egg, milk, orange juice and oil.
- Pour the liquid into the well in the center of the dry mixture. Stir just until moistened. (Do not worry about making the batter smooth – there should be some lumps left.) Fold in the blueberry mixture.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake in the preheated oven until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 60 minutes. If the bread starts to get too brown, cover with a piece of foil during the last 10-15 minutes.
- Cool the bread in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and allow to cool completely.
- Bread can be eaten once cooled, or for best results, wrap in plastic wrap and store overnight before serving.
Recipe Notes:
adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Baking Book
Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 208
- Sugar: 17 g
- Sodium: 160 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
Keywords: blueberry orange bread, quick bread recipe, blueberry recipe
Sher says
I’m not sure what I’ve done wrong, but I am on 75 minutes and the middle is still uncooked. (In loaf pan as directed). Also, tasted the batter. Not very orangey. I think next time, I will swap more OJ for milk and see what happens.
★★
Sarah Sinclair says
This recipe was just what I was looking for! We normally buy blueberry orange loaf every weekend at our local farmer’s market, but with Covid and needing to avoid crowds, we’ve forgone our weekend indulgence for a while. This recipe is JUST like our favorite baker’s loaf. While we can’t wait to support our local baker again, your recipe will certainly hold us over until then. And of course we’ll add it to our regular recipe box. Thanks!
★★★★★
Mallory says
My boyfriend and I love this recipe so much, and we make it often! (Reminds me of fruity pebbles cereal) I do add a teaspoon of almond extract to take it to another level.
Kelly l Eastridge says
I wish it had more of an orangy taste
★★★
Deborah says
Tried this recipe using almond milk instead of 2% and avocado oil instead of vegetable oil. It was amazing and so easy!
★★★★★
Tammie says
This was my first time really making ANYTHING from scratch. It was fantastic! It was also SUPER easy. It turned out perfect!
★★★★★
Aussie Jo says
I made this in a large loaf pan and it turned out AMAZING! We have so many oranges growing on our tree at the moment, so I have been looking for ways to use them. I had also picked up some local blueberries from our local farmers market a few days ago that desperately needed using. The orange flavour comes through and the bread is not too sweet! The blueberries dispersed evenly and are a great flavour with the orange! I love that it’s a recipe where I would usually have all the ingredients in the pantry or fridge making it quick and easy to whip up. So delicious, thanks for the great recipe. Definitely a keeper for the recipe book 😊😋🤤
★★★★★
Natalie says
This cake looks perfect!
★★★★★
eatme_delicious says
Mmm I love orange zest in baked goods!
Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes] says
I love citrusy desserts too!! This loaf looks delicious 🙂
Chef Dennis says
yumm….our fresh blueberries are out and this would be a great loaf to make with them!
thanks for sharing!
Dennis
Ingrid says
Love berries with citrus. Raspberry and lime is especially yummy.
~ingrid
Jen says
This looks absolutely wonderful! Orange and blueberry are two of my favourite flavours, too…In fact, I was considering whipping up an orange-blueberry (or lemon-blueberry) soup last week.
grace says
it seems like lemon-blueberry is the go-to fruit and citrus combo, but i much prefer orange-blueberry. great-looking loaf, deborah!
Jones says
oh my gosh! I got this recipe from my Mom a couple of years ago and yesterday I suddenly thought of, pulled it out of my recipe book and made it!
I guess it was just a day for Orange/blueberry bread…and it is SO delicious!
Liz says
I think I have to make this!
Julie says
I don't think I've ever had the combo of blueberry and orange, but I love them both so much, I'm sure I'd love it!
Abby says
I've never put blueberries and orange together before! Love it. And as for pairings, I really love blackberries and lime together.
Kim says
I love blueberries and lemon, or any citrus. I also love peaches and raspberries together.
The loaf looks delicious. I bet Abbi loved it:)
Joanne says
Loafs are some of my favorite things to have for breakfast. I mean, they are basically just muffins in bread form right?
These sound delicious. I love pairing citrus with blueberries. I usually go lemon but I can see why orange would be appealing.
thepastrykook says
this must be so delicious! two of my favorite fruits combined! b:
Monet says
I love adding citrus to my quickbreads…perfect for all these summer berries. I too have been baking with a lot of blueberries, and I must say, I will be sad when the summer months are over!
http://anecdotesandapples.weebly.com
Susi says
I love blueberries combined with orange, they go fantastic together. I think I might feel compelled to make this loaf for the weekend :o)
Rosa's Yummy Yums says
A heavenly combo!
Cheers,
Rosa
Georgia (The Comfort of Cooking) says
I love the combination of blueberry and citrus – I have a similar recipe for blueberry muffins with lemon glaze… This looks great though! Beautiful photo, too.
kat says
I like your combination!
Jennifurla says
YUM o YUM, this looks so tasty. I bet it was even better the next day..if there way any left over
Taylor says
I've been on a quick bread kick so maybe I should switch to muffins now! Blueberry orange muffins….mmm sounds yummy!
Pam says
I would have never thought of combining blueberries with orange zest and juice. Sounds like it would be really good though. I like the mix of cherries and lemon in muffins, breads, pies or about anything! Great recipe you have!
Debbi Does Dinner Healthy says
I'm a blueberry lemon fan but the orange sounds intriguing! I'll bet it's great!