Lemon Raspberry Bread with White Chocolate Glaze

Light, fruity, and beautiful, this lemon raspberry bread bursts with summer flavor! Plus, the white chocolate glaze on top is absolutely delicious. With these simple and straightforward instructions, you'll have a homemade loaf that looks like it came straight from a bakery.

Fresh Raspberries vs Frozen Raspberries

To start, keep in mind that while buying pre-frozen raspberries is easier, I highly recommend buying fresh raspberries and freeze them yourself. Pre-frozen raspberries from the store are usually covered in juice that will make the batter too wet and will turn it pink.

For this lemon raspberry bread recipe, I buy fresh raspberries, rinse and dry them, then freeze them in a ziploc bag. After the raspberries are completely frozen, break them into smaller pieces either by hand or with a rolling pin (see below). You can break them into even smaller chunks than seen here and the bread will turn out great as well. If the raspberries start to defrost, put the raspberry chunks back in the freezer before mixing them in the batter.

Whole raspberries in this bread recipe will sink to the bottom and leave large soggy sections. Breaking them up helps them to suspend in the batter and evenly distribute the moisture.

Why Use Room Temperature Ingredients?

Using room temperature ingredients (specifically eggs, butter and any other dairy) will always result in higher quality baked goods because the ingredients will mix evenly and smoothly with the dry ingredients. It can be a pain to get ingredients to room temperature when you're in a hurry, so here are a few tips to get it done quickly:

For a stick of butter, place it on a plate with the paper wrapper on, and microwave for 6 seconds. Flip the butter over 90 degrees so it's laying on a different side, and microwave for another 6 seconds. Repeat these steps until completely softened.

For eggs, place them in a bowl with warm water for a few minutes before cracking.

For the milk and Greek yogurt in this recipe, I measure them out into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave them together for about 30 seconds, or until they reach room-temperature.

How to Make the Lemon Raspberry Bread

Preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Spray a metal bread pan with cooking spray and then set it aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder and set it aside for later. Add the granulated sugar and lemon zest to a second bowl. Use your fingers to rub them together until well combined--rubbing the lemon zest with the sugar will release oils from the zest into the sugar, giving the bread a stronger citrusy flavor.

Add the softened butter to the sugar-lemon zest mixture. Using a hand mixer, mix on medium speed until all the butter is incorporated. Next, add the eggs and mix on medium speed until well mixed.

Then add the Greek yogurt, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed until well mixed. Add the whisked dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just barely combined.

Take the frozen raspberries out of the freezer, and if you haven't already done so, break them up into small pieces. Add the raspberries to the batter and mix with a spatula until just barely combined.

Pour the batter into the oiled bread pan and smooth it over the top with a rubber spatula. Bake for about 50-60 minutes (cover loosely with tin foil at the 25 minute mark to keep it from browning too much). The bread will be done when the center is set and a toothpick comes out with only a few crumbs sticking to it. Check the bread at the 45 minute mark and assess from there.

When done, immediately remove the lemon raspberry bread from the pan and let it cool on a cooling rack.

How to Make the White Chocolate Glaze

While the bread cools, make the glaze. Add the white chocolate chips and heavy cream to a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave for about 40-45 seconds. Then mix them with a metal whisk until smooth. (If you find that the chocolate chips aren't completely melted after whisking for 1-2 minutes, then microwave for a few more seconds. But be careful not to overheat the chocolate!)

Next, sift the powdered sugar into the same bowl (I use a strainer) and whisk it all until smooth. You may need to whisk it for a few minutes to get it completely smooth, but as long as you sift the powdered sugar, you'll be able to get a smooth glaze. Then drizzle the glaze over the top of the loaf.

Other Similar Recipes

If you're looking for other sweet bread recipes, make sure to check out my Greek yogurt banana bread and my pumpkin cream cheese bread as well!

If you try out this lemon raspberry bread or any of my other recipes, I’d LOVE to hear about it. You can leave a comment below the recipe. If you post a picture on Instagram, be sure to tag me! Getting any feedback on my recipes is both rewarding AND helpful as I write and edit recipes in the future.

Now get baking, and enjoy!