This easy lemon bread is perfect for brunch or dessert. It doesn’t need any butter or oil but you won’t be able to tell. The bread is sweet, fragrant and a little tart from the citrus. It’s an easy one-bowl recipe that doesn’t even require a mixer.
a loaf of lemon bread with two slices cut off.

Spring is here, which means warmer weather and more opportunities for weekend brunch. This bright lemon bread is the perfect way to welcome in the new season and to serve at brunch. I love that this bread only takes a few minutes to prepare and then it’s ready to be baked. It has a lovely fragrant lemon scent from the lemon zest, and a touch of tartness from the lemon juice. You can enjoy it as is or add a lemon drizzle over the bread.

Ingredients

  • Lemon
  • Eggs
  • Condensed Milk
  • Self-Rising Flour

Lemon: You will need fresh lemons to make this bread. The bread uses fresh squeezed lemon juice and zest from approximately 1 medium lemon. If you want to make the glaze you will need an additional lemon.

Condensed Milk: This recipe uses full fat sweetened condensed milk. The milk provides sweetness for the bread, helps bind the bread together and replaces the need for butter or oil.

Self-Rising Flour: This bread is made with self-rising flour, which already has baking powder and salt added to it. If you do not have self-rising flour on hand, you can make your own by whisking together all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. The exact amounts are listed in the notes of the recipe card.
two slices of lemon bread.

Lemon Bread Texture

This lemon bread has a texture that is somewhere in between regular bread and a quick bread. It does have a very tight crumb from the condensed milk, so it’s not as fluffy as a classic quick bread. I like that the bread is sturdy enough that you can even add some spread onto it. It also goes great with coffee or tea.
overhead shot of the bread.

More Easy Bread Recipes


4.44 from 30 votes

4 Ingredient Lemon Bread

This easy lemon bread doesn't require any butter or oil. It is sweet, fragrant and a little tart. It's perfect for brunch.
Servings: 12 slices
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup (2 oz) lemon juice + 2 tsp lemon zest, approximately 1 medium lemon
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 (14 oz) can (397g) full fat sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 ¼ cups (156 g) self-rising flour, (see note regarding amount needed)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
  • Add lemon juice, zest, eggs and condensed milk to a large bowl. Whisk until eggs are fully incorporated and batter is uniform. Add in flour. Whisk until flour is fully incorporated. If you find any pockets of flour, the best way to break them up is to rapidly run your whisk in a back and forth motion rather than just stirring in a circular pattern.
  • Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for about 35-45 minutes or until bread is done. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick and it should come out mostly clean. Let bread cool fully in pan before removing. If adding icing, wait until bread is fully cooled before drizzling it on top.

Notes

  • Self-rising flour amount. There are 2 main kinds of self-rising flour sold in the US. One that is a low protein (2 grams per 1/4 cup serving) flour and one that has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup). Brands like King Arthur Flour and White Lily make a low protein self-rising flour.
  • I used White Lily's self-rising flour* to make this recipe which has a lower amount of protein. If you are using a self-rising flour with a regular amount of protein, for every 1 cup of self-rising flour used, you will need to remove 2 tbsp of it and replace with 2 tbsp of cornstarch. Or you can use the homemade self-rising flour mixture below.
  • *This product link is an affiliate link. This means I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.
  • To make your own self-rising flour, add 1 cup and 1.5 tbsp all purpose flour, 2.5 tbsp cornstarch, 1 and 7/8 teaspoons baking powder and 5/16 tsp salt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until evenly combined. Make sure your all purpose flour contains a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup). The reason for adding the cornstarch is to reduce the protein in the flour.
  • Lemon Drizzle: For the lemon drizzle on top, I whisked together 1 cup of powdered sugar with 1 tbsp of lemon juice. Add milk as needed to thin out icing to desired consistency.
  • You will need approximately one medium lemon to produce 1/4 cup (2 oz) of lemon juice and 2 tsp of lemon zest. 2 ounces refers to the volume.
  • Condensed milk is usually sold in 14 oz cans. 14 oz refers to the net weight. One can contains 1 1/4 cups condensed milk or 397 grams. Because condensed milk is so sticky, make sure you scrape the sides of the can with a spatula to get all the condensed milk out of the can.
  • Nutrition estimate does not include lemon drizzle.
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 169kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 193mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 18g, NET CARBS: 27
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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