Blueberry Orange Bread

Decades old, this recipe for Blueberry Orange Bread is tried and true. Fresh orange juice & zest, fresh or frozen blueberries, glazed with honey and orange while it’s still hot.  This quick bread recipe is a keeper!

Happy New Year! I always fret a little more about what to share for the first post of the new year. Savory? Sweet? Everyone is on the healthy bandwagon this time of year — maybe a salad or a smoothie? I threw all of that fretting out the window and pushed those recipes back a bit when I tasted this Blueberry Orange Bread.

That’s when I decided that starting the new year off with a great recipe for quick bread was just the thing.   Easing into this new year and new decade shouldn’t be hard.  Everything everywhere is all “new year/new me” — a complete transformation sounds incredibly daunting.  Are there things I would change about myself? Heck yeah, there are.  But baby steps, people. 

Walking into the new year thinking you will be skinnier, healthier, more successful, richer, an avid reader, a world traveler, able to say no more or just not be a personal doormat to people, – all at once? That is just setting yourself up for failure.  

Set obtainable goals. Baby steps.  

As they say, life is short, eat the cake! (or the bread) . Incidentally, some cakes are also referred to as “quick bread,” too. That also goes for things like soda breads, brownies, muffins and also baked goods like scones. 

Why is quick bread different than regular bread?

The main thing that makes a quick bread different than a yeast bread is the leavening agent.  Yeast bread uses yeast (obviously).  Yeast is a live cell that when given the right amount of moisture and warmth will multiply rapidly.   What creates the rising of the dough.  

Quick bread doesn’t use yeast, they use things like baking soda and baking powder to get that effect.  Quick bread is mixed up and baked quickly, no need to let them sit and rise before baking.

You’ll also notice that salt is a common ingredient in quick breads.  That is because the salt will activate the leavening agent; the baking soda or baking powder. If salt isn’t used, the bread will not rise as much, or sometimes not at all. 

Ingredients in Blueberry Orange Quick Bread:

• orange juice, orange zest
• fresh or frozen blueberries
• honey
• butter, egg
• flour, sugar
• baking powder and soda, salt

You will find the complete recipe at the bottom of this post in the printable recipe card.

This blueberry orange loaf is a great recipe to use up orange juice before it needs to be tossed.  Or a fantastic way to utilize a whole orange,  from the juice to the zest.  You can use fresh or frozen blueberries.  I always have frozen blueberries on hand, as I love them in my smoothies.  So I used frozen. 

This bread comes together quickly but will take at least an hour in the oven to bake.  The aroma is amazing! 

Melt butter into boiling water, then whisk in juice and zest from the orange.  I had two big oranges and it was more than enough.

Mix in sugar and eggs, then add in all of the dry ingredients.  

Very gently, fold in the blueberries.  You don’t want them to be mushy, and the more you stir, the bluer the batter will get.  

The old recipe calls for one hour of bake time.  It took about an hour and fifteen minutes before this loaf was done in the middle and golden brown on top. 

Check it with the “toothpick test” at one hour, then add an additional 5 minutes at a time until the toothpick is clean.

Mix honey, orange juice, and zest together and spoon over bread while it’s still hot.  This honey-orange glaze just takes the flavor over the top! So yummy!

^Love it? PIN IT!^

If you can’t wait to make this bread, don’t forget where you found it! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board so it’s easy to find!

Favorite Quick Bread Recipes

I have lots of other quick bread recipes here on my site.  There are so many to choose from.  Here are some of my favorites:

• The Very BEST Banana Bread
• Lime in the Coconut Bread
• Pear Bread
• Banana Apple Sauce Oatmeal Bread
• Grandma’s Zucchini Bread 
• Chocolate Orange Banana Bread

There is just something about homemade bread baking in the oven, isn’t there?  I find the whole process very therapeutic.  I tend to bake when I am upset or stressed.  The mixing and creating seem to help me somehow.  Then getting to enjoy the scent of it fill the air while it’s baking, and of course, eating it!

Use your time baking and enjoying this bread to set some obtainable goals for yourself for 2020 and beyond.  

Who’s ready to kick off the new year with this delicious Blueberry Orange Bread?  Well, let’s not waste any more time then! 

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4.52 from 29 votes

Print Recipe

Blueberry Orange Bread

Decades old, this recipe for Blueberry Orange Bread is tried and true. Fresh orange juice & zest, fresh or frozen blueberries, glazed with honey and orange,

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Blueberry Orange Bread, fresh blueberry bread, fresh orange bread, how to make blueberry bread with orange, quick bread

Servings: 1 loaf

Calories: 222kcal

Author: Michaela Kenkel

Equipment

• Loaf Pans
• Citrus Zester

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup orange juice I used freshly squeezed + 2 Tablespoons, divided
• 4 teaspoons orange zest divided
• 1 egg
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen blueberries
• 2 Tablespoons honey

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
• Melt butter into boiling water in a mixing bowl. Add 1/2 cup orange juice and 3 teaspoons orange zest.
• Add in egg, whisk until egg is beaten into the mixture. Mix in sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
• Add flour, baking soda and powder, and salt. Mix well.
• Gently fold in blueberries.
• Pour into prepared loaf pan.
• Bake for one hour. (see notes) Remove when a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.
• Mix 2 Tablespoons orange juice, 1 teaspoon orange zest and 2 Tablespoons honey together. Pour over bread while it's still hot.

Notes

The original recipe is taken from the Winnehahas Good Cookin' Book from 1981.

The recipe said to bake for one hour. Mine seems to take more like 1 hour and 15 minutes. Check it and make sure it's done in the middle before removing it from oven.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 222kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 213mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g