This copycat Starbucks lemon bread recipe is the perfect way to satisfy your lemon craving! Made from scratch with simple ingredients, it has a tangy, bright lemon flavor thanks to plenty of fresh lemon zest.
A cross between a quick bread and a moist pound cake, it can be enjoyed any time of day. So grab some lemons and let’s get baking!
It took me a long time to get this copycat Starbucks recipe just right. Several copycat recipes called for cake mix and pudding mix. That loaf turned out sweet and moist, but the lemon flavor was artificial, so I decided to make an entirely homemade loaf.
The first time I used butter and buttermilk, but the loaf wasn’t quite moist enough. I switched to oil, but it didn’t have a great buttery flavor.
After several attempts, I landed on the perfect combination of ingredients. Butter adds rich flavor, oil and sour cream make for a moist texture.
This copycat Starbucks lemon loaf recipe is going to knock your socks off! And you can make a whole loaf for about the same cost as buying a slice of lemon loaf at Starbucks. 
Fresh zest in the bread and the icing adds so much lemon flavor. This is the perfect quick bread for lemon lovers!
What are the ingredients in Starbucks lemon bread?
According to the Starbucks website, the lemon loaf contains: enriched wheat flour, sugar, eggs, butter, powdered sugar, buttermilk, lemon juice, lemon zest, soybean oil, water, palm oil shortening, corn syrup, sea salt, natural flavor, baking powder, baking soda, guar gum, xanthan gum, beta carotene, enzyme, and soy lecithin.
When you make it at home, you can leave out the fillers and artificial ingredients. That’s always a win in my book!
How to make the best iced lemon loaf:
- PREP – Soften the butter to room temperature. Wash the lemons. Use a citrus zester to remove the outer layer of lemon skin, and juice the lemons. Spray a 9×5″ loaf pan with cooking spray. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
- DRY INGREDIENTS – Stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- WET INGREDIENTS – Use an electric mixer to beat the eggs and sugar until creamy, 2-3 minutes. Beat in the melted butter and oil, then the sour cream and lemon zest.
Add the dry ingredients and stir gently just until there are no streaks of flour.
- BAKE – Spread batter into the greased pan. Bake at 325° for about 60 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- COOL – Let bread sit in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- ICING – In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, cream, salt, and zest until smooth. Spread over the whole loaf.
You can store the bread at room temperature in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
PRO TIPS:
- For best results, use fresh lemons. Nothing compares to the citrus flavor that comes from fresh zest!
- If you have an older nonstick pan and are worried that your bread might stick, you can line the bottom with parchment paper.
Starbucks Lemon Bread Recipe Variations:
- Greek yogurt can be used in place of the sour cream.
- You can add a bit of lemon extract to the bread, but I don’t like to use more than a teaspoon because I think it tends to add a chemical taste.
- I almost always prefer bread made in a mini loaf pan because the outside edges don’t get as brown. You can make this recipe into 3 mini loaves. Decrease the baking time to about 30 minutes.
MORE LEMON RECIPES:
Yield: 1 loaf
Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf Recipe
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Additional Time
2 hours
Total Time
3 hours 20 minutes
Ingredients
Batter:
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup salted butter, melted
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3 Tbsp lemon zest
Sweet Lemon Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp heavy cream
- pinch of salt
- 1/8 tsp lemon zest
Instructions
- Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Preheat your oven to 325°.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl; set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the sugar and eggs with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes or until creamy and pale yellow. Beat in the butter and oil, then the sour cream and lemon zest.
- Add the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
- Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake in preheated oven at 325 degrees for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
- Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, cream, salt, and zest in a small bowl. Spread on top of the loaf, letting some drip down the sides.
Notes
-If you live at a high altitude, add an additional 2 tablespoons of flour to the batter.
-You can add up to a teaspoon of lemon extract, but I prefer the flavor with just the zest.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 343Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 241mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 1gSugar: 31gProtein: 4g
If you’re a fan of copycat recipes, give this one a try. I promise you are going to want to make this delicious lemon loaf recipe over and over again!