UPDATED, REVISED, PERFECTED!
Looking for a fast and easy recipe with amazing and flavorful results? This recipe for Blueberry Walnut Amish Friendship Bread pairs beautifully with a bright, lemon glaze and is exactly the kind of treat to keep on hand for guests. It was one of the first recipes I shared back in 2010, and it always gets a ton of compliments. Plus, it’s super easy to make!
If using fresh blueberries, dust and toss in flour to help prevent sinking.
If you’re not able to find fresh blueberries for this recipe, you can substitute with frozen blueberries, adding them directly into the batter without thawing. The upside to using frozen blueberries is that they’re less likely to burst during baking, and it’s easy to keep a bag in the freezer so you make this bread anytime.
For lemon lovers
Blueberries and lemon flavors pair well. If you’d like a burst of citrus, try swapping lemon instant pudding (they now have one made with natural flavors, no artificial sweeteners, and no high fructose corn syrup) for vanilla instant pudding for an extra tang, and add up 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest.
Another favorite modification is to top with an easy crumble for an extra crunch. This bread freezes well, too! Once it cools completely, wrap in foil or plastic wrap, and place in a Ziplock freezer bag.
Like the basic Amish Friendship Bread recipe, you can swap berries, nuts, and pudding flavors to create almost anything. For best results, the max number of add-ins should be between 1-2 cups total.
Blueberry Walnut Amish Friendship Bread with Lemon Glaze
Ingredients
- 1 cup Amish Friendship Bread Starter
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup oil
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups flour
- 1 small box vanilla instant pudding or lemon instant pudding
- 1 cup fresh blueberries rinsed and drained
- 1 cup chopped walnuts lightly toasted
- Lemon Glaze
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° F (165° C).
- In a large mixing bowl, add ingredients as listed.
- Grease two large loaf pans.
- Dust the greased pans with sugar.
- Pour the batter evenly into loaf or cake pans.
- Bake for one hour or until the bread loosens evenly from the sides and a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean. Allow to cool before drizzling with lemon glaze.
- ENJOY!
Notes
- For lemon lovers, try swapping lemon instant pudding (they now have one made with natural flavors, no artificial sweeteners, and no high fructose corn syrup) for vanilla instant pudding for an extra tang, and add up 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest.
- If you’re not able to find fresh blueberries for this recipe, you can substitute with frozen blueberries, adding them right into the batter without thawing. The upside to using frozen blueberries is that they’re less likely to burst during baking.
- For lemon lovers, try swapping lemon instant pudding (they now have one made with natural flavors, no artificial sweeteners, and no high fructose corn syrup) for vanilla instant pudding for an extra tang, and add up 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest.
>> Have you tried this? Give it some stars and leave a comment below letting us know how it worked for you!
I made this and took it to work…it was gone before 10 AM! I didn’t have lemon pudding, so I added a 1/2 tsp lemon extract to the batter to get the lemony flavor. It added a little brightness, but was not too overpowering. I also did the crumble topping with it and wow! 🤩 So yummy!
I wanted just a lemony loaf and this turned out delicious. It was good straight out of the oven, and WAY better the next day. I was shocked how much better! I used:
1 c. starter
3 eggs
3/4 c. oil
3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 c. flour
1 small box lemon instant pudding
1 small box lemon gelatin mix
I have a box of the cook type of lemon pudding mix. Do you think i could use it to replace the instant pudding mix?
Hi Karen! We haven’t tried the cook and serve lemon pudding mix, but it should work fine in this recipe! You can also just omit the instant pudding, as well, if you’d like to try it that way.
Happy baking!
What can I substitute for pudding mix? Don’t want to use any if possible but do want lemon bread. Thanks
Hi Beth! You’ll have to experiment a little, but your bread should be fine without pudding. Here’s a great post as to why the recipes call for pudding: https://www.friendshipbreadkitchen.com/faq-why-do-i-need-to-use-instant-pudding-in-my-amish-friendship-bread/ However, it is totally up to you!
This bread is so good! I have made the recipe as written and made a lower calorie version using apple sauce instead of oil and splenda instead of sugar. Both are delicious!!
It’s one of our favorites, too, Suzanne! So glad you enjoy it! ❤️
Excellent! A definite make again!!!!!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Kasey!
This was absolutely delicious. I used lemon pudding and used half applesauce & have oil to cut the fat. It was moist and so lemony. I made one loaf with blueberries and the other with fresh cranberries. This is a keeper. My husband couldn’t stop eating it !!
That sounds delicious, Cheryl! Thanks for sharing!
Made this gluten free, using Bob’s Red Mill 1 for 1, lemon pudding and frozen blueberries and also added a lemon glaze. Yum!
That sounds delicious, Wendy! We love Bob’s Red Mill for a gluten-free flour. So glad it worked out for you!
Depending on how active your starter is, on day 10 after feeding it with the 1 1/2 cups of flour, sugar and milk and dividing it into 4 ziploc bags, do you need to measure out what you have left, to make sure that you only have one cup left in your bowl? I haven’t measured out the remaining starter before adding all the ingredients to start baking the bread, do I need to? Thanks
Hi Rene, it isn’t imperative that it is exactly 1 cup for this recipe (as long as it is close!). However, it’s a good idea to measure out the starter you’re using in the recipe when you’re separating you starter. Most recipes call for 1 cup and if you use a lot extra or less than a cup it may affect the consistency of the dough or batter. Let us know if you have any other questions!
Can one substitute Blackberries for Blueberries?
Hi Gary! Yes, you can definitely substitute with blackberries!
I’m a little confused about the tip for lemon lovers, where it says swap lemon for vanilla pudding for an extra tang and then add lemon zest, if you want. The way this is worded is what confused me. Is it the vanilla pudding you should use if you really like lemon, or the lemon pudding. “Swap lemon for vanilla” suggests the vanilla is the preferred option for a burst of citrus. We are fanatical citrus lovers, so i want to make the lemon flavor pop. Can you clear this up for me?
Hi Tonya! You would use the lemon pudding and the lemon zest for extra citrus, instead of using vanilla pudding! Sorry for the confusion on that. Happy baking!
This is an awesome recipe! Definitely recommend using the lemon glaze!
I freeze my wild blueberries, would they be ok to use? Maybe I should reduce some of the moist ingredients?
Can I use almonds in this bread ?
This looks wonderful. Blueberries and lemons go great together.
This recipe sounds like the one that I want to make for my mom for Mother’s Day! She loves blueberries, walnuts!
Oh I have to try and make this for my parents they would love it
Made this for breakfast today (minus the nuts since we have an allergy in our house.)
This is definitely one of our favorites, Leigh Ann!
I made this last night and it came out really delicious! I also made the accompanying glaze and it was also delicious. I did add more blueberries andcoarsely chopped walnuts to the top of the loaves for presentation and crunch. The loaves were beautiful and I got raves on the deliciousness.
When I make it again, I will substitute the vanilla for lemon extract; I forgot to do it this time.
Oh, forgot to say that I also substituted the vanilla pudding for lemon and that I put the blueberries and walnuts on top of the loaves before baking.
love,love this site. Never was a baker but I am trying and doing well with this!! thank you for this recipie esp.
The directions call for 1 Cup starter. Does this mean on Day 10 AFTER the following steps? 1.Pour the entire bag into a nonmetal bowl.
2.Add 1 1/2 cup flour, 1 1/2 cup sugar, 1 1/2 cup milk.
3.Measure out 4 separate batters of 1 cup each into 4 1-gallon Ziploc bags.
4.Keep one of the bags fr yourself, and give the other bags to 3 friendship along with the recipe.
Yes, that is after the final step of dividing. At the step where they tell you to add your cake ingredients. Because the amount you are left with that they tell you to add your ingrediants to always equals 1 cup if you measured it before adding all the other things to make your loaves.
This looks DELISH!
This is the most amazingly delicious Friendship Bread recipe. I am making it now, starter going, for two of my children and our two granddaughters whoa re visiting next weekend. They will love it as our little girls LOVE fresh blueberries!
Keep the amazing recipes coming our way!!!
I live in Arcadia, Missouri
How do you make the starter?
Hey Deb! The recipe for the starter is here: https://www.friendshipbreadkitchen.com/amish-friendship-bread-starter/
would love to get the recipe on the starter
Hi Ruth! Here’s the recipe for the starter: https://www.friendshipbreadkitchen.com/amish-friendship-bread-starter/
How do you make the starter
Here you go, Lois: https://www.friendshipbreadkitchen.com/amish-friendship-bread-starter/