Easy Lemon Bread is moist, full of lemon flavor & made with a cake mix, lemon pudding mix, oil, water and eggs! Simple lemon sweet bread ready in about an hour!
Did you know you can make sweet bread using a cake mix? You can! It’s a simple, easy cheat I love using because it cuts down the time it takes to make the batter.
Tips for Making Fantastic Quick Bread
Quick bread requires no yeast, but instead uses other ingredients for leavening. You want the bread to be soft, tender and moist with great flavor. Here are a few tips on how to achieve that:
Make sure it’s fully baked! Most quick breads need to be baked until 200°F. I like to use a cooking thermometer and insert it at an angle pointing towards the middle of the bread- which is the part that bakes last. If it’s not fully baked, the loaf will sink in the middle. I had no idea the pan you use makes such a difference too! I prefer glass or ceramic bread pans, but you can read all about the best bread pan.
Don’t use an electric mixer! Just mix by hand in a mixing bowl with a whisk or even a spoon. When you overmix quick bread, the bread is tough and doesn’t rise as well. It’s almost impossible to not overmix the batter if you use an electric mixer.
Don’t feel like you have to whisk out all the lumps! Most quick bread has something in it that helps the bread be moist and flavorful. So mix just to combine, then let it be.
Let the batter sit before baking. I swear by this! Just mix all the required ingredients by hand, then let the batter sit for a good 5-10 minutes. The flavors meld and the batter rests, and the result is a higher rise once baked and a delightful crumb.
Ingredients in Cake Mix Lemon Bread
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy recipe:
- lemon cake mix– the mix contains most of the dry ingredients you’ll need for the bread like all purpose flour or cake flour, salt and some type of leavening agent like baking soda or baking powder
- instant lemon pudding – adds great lemony flavor and a soft texture to the bread
- vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
- cold water
- 4 large eggs– room temperature eggs preferably (you can cheat a bit and set the whole eggs in warm water for a few minutes to bring them up to room temp!)
How to make the sweet lemon glaze
Whisk together 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar with about 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice (fresh or bottled) in a small bowl. Drizzle over the top of the bread after you have removed it from the bread pan. The drizzle can be added while the bread is warm or after it has cooled. You can top the bread with fresh grated lemon zest too, for a stronger lemon flavor if you’d like! I also love adding in 1/4 tsp vanilla extract to the glaze. Lemon zest is just grated lemon peel, for anyone wondering!
How Can I add more Lemon Flavor?
This bread is flavored by the lemon cake mix and pudding mix, but you’re always welcome to add more lemon flavor! You have several options. You can add ½ teaspoon of lemon extract. For a boost of very fresh lemon flavor, you can add 1-2 TBSP lemon zest from 1 lemon. Zest is just grated lemon peel.
EASY LEMON BREAD
Ingredients
- 16.5 oz lemon cake mix
- 3.4 oz instant lemon pudding mix
- ½ cup vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
- 1 cup cold water
- 4 eggs
Lemon Glaze
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 TBSP lemon juice
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Spray 2 bread pans with non-stick spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Combine cake mix, pudding mix, oil, water and eggs in a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer for about 3-4 minutes.
- Pour into prepared pans. Bake at 350° for about 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Leave in pans for a few minutes before removing the loaves and placing on a wire rack to cool.
- Lemon Glaze: In a small bowl, use a fork to mix the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Drizzle on top of the bread once it has cooled for at least 15-20 minutes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
📫 Save this recipe! Send it to your email! 📩
I consent to receiving emails from this site.
Can I use Lemon Essential Oil in bread?
Yes, you can also add some lemon essential oil to this bread and/or the lemon glaze if you’d like. Lemon essential oil gives the bread a fresh lemon flavor without actually using fresh lemons! Just add 2-3 drops to the batter and 1-2 drops to the glaze.
AVOID SUNKEN BREAD
The easiest and best way to avoid sunken bread is to use a cooking thermometer to check the inside of the loaf. Fully cooked bread will register 200°F on a thermometer. My all-time favorite thermometer is the Thermapen. It’s super fast and incredibly durable. Another great cooking thermometer is the ThermoPop which is a more basic version that works just as well!
What kind of oil is best in lemon bread?
The recipe also calls for vegetable oil, but I actually usually use coconut oil (melted of course!) because it adds a lighter taste to the bread, plus as you can see, I’m all about making my “bread” as healthy as possible. Cue the cake mix and the lemon pudding. Both of these ingredients add the perfect amount of lemon flavor and they just make this recipe so easy to make!
You can also use a light olive oil. I find that EVOO adds a strange tangy flavor, so aim for light instead.
For the love of homemade bread
Once you make one loaf of homemade bread, you’ll be hooked and want more! Our Buttermilk Bread is always a big hit, as is our Soft White Bread which is perfect for sandwiches.
If you love banana bread like we do, you’ll want to try our White Chocolate Banana Bread as well as our Caramel Banana Nut Bread. Yum!
Come Spring, baking lemon breads is just tradition! Our Lemon Buttermilk Quick Bread is always amazing, as is our Lemon Poppy Seed Bread. Happy Baking!
Easy Lemon Bread is moist, full of lemon flavor and made with only five ingredients! This lemon bread recipe starts with a cake mix & is topped with a sweet tart lemon glaze that everyone loves!
Nancy says
do you think you could put this in one bundt pan?
Nellie says
I’ve never made it in a bundt pan, but I imagine it would work well and should fit into one bundt pan. Let me know how it works!
Vickie says
Good morning, not to be a dummy but which loaf pan size? 9 x 5 or 8 x 4, thank you ..
Bridget says
Thank you, I’m sorry I meant to say 13×9 pan
Vicky says
Can you freeze one?? Do you think it will freeze ok?! I don’t think my family will need both loafs now.
Nellie says
Yep, you can freeze it. Just cool, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the freezer. Works better if you freeze it without adding the glaze and then you can add that after it thaws. Enjoy!
Theresa Moeggenberg says
It says 2 loaf pans…. Is that 2 9×5 loaf pans? Thank you!
Nellie says
Yep, that’s correct Theresa!
Debbie says
Absolutely wonderful. Thank you for the recipe. Picture perfect
Doug says
We had a lemon cake but only vanilla pudding, so I made it anyway and put in 1/2 C lemon juice and 1/2 C water instead of 1 C water. It’s in the oven now! I’m sure it won’t go to waste at my house, but it will go to our waists!
Nellie says
Great idea to use lemon juice with vanilla pudding – hope you enjoyed it!
Brenda says
I add a small container of poppy seed (4oz) to the mix for a delightful lemon poppy seed bread.
Never any left overs!
Light and delicious!
Nellie says
I love that you added poppy seeds – great idea!
Julie says
No fresh lemons so used a splash of lemon extract and it was perfect! When a recipe makes a lot, I usually share with the neighbors. Not this time! This was too good to share !!! 😉 So good! This is definitely gonna be a go-to recipe ❤️
Confusedgirl says
Do I make the pudding first then add it to the cake mix or add dry pudding mix into the cake mix?!? I’m so confused!
Nellie says
Don’t make the pudding first – just add the dry mix straight into the recipe!
Anita says
I have made this several times now and it is a huge hit with my family!
Question-I had difficulty finding lemon pudding today-now I see it is the cook and serve- will that work in this recipe?
Nellie says
I haven’t tried the cook and serve variety so I’m not sure how that works. Please let us know if you try it!
Anita says
I took a chance after researching the differences between Instant and Cook & Serve puddings. The recipe came out just as wonderful as the last several times I’ve made it. We enjoy this moist flavorful bread sooo much , I try to keep the ingredients in hand.
I have added fresh blueberries on a few occasions, however they always sink to the bottom of the bread during cooking.
Joanne Trepanier says
Ladies…… I have a better approach to your lemon bread recipe…… This is what I do: Instead of 1 cup of water added to the mixture, I first put into the cup the juice of 1 lemon and then add the water to make a cup. The extra lemon juice gives it more flavor and a certain zing to the bread!!!!!!! Bake as usual! This recipe also makes a lovely Bundt cake……. Happy baking!!!!!
Nellie says
Thanks for the tip Joanne – what a great idea!
Malori says
This looks so delicious and I’m wanting to try it. Anybody ever used sugar free pudding mix?
sue vollmar says
If the cake mix recipe only calls for 3 eggs….would you still use 4 ?
Looks amazing and I’m ready to make it. Thanks
Nellie says
Yep, still use 4! Hope you enjoy it!
Judy Rush says
I WOULD LOVE TO MAKE THIS AS IT SOUNDS VERY GOOD. HOWEVER, I DO NOT USE MIXES AS THEY CONTAIN CHECMICALS THAT ONE DOES NOT NEED IN THEIR BODY! I HAVE WRITTEN 2 COOKBOOKS AND THAT IS A STANDING REQUIEMENT: ALL ITEMS MUST BE SCRATCH MADE – NO MIXES. IF YOU EVER CHANGE TO THAT FORMAT (SCRATCH MADE) PLEASE LET ME KNOW AS I WOULD WELCOME TRYING THEM MADE THE OLD FASHIONED WAY.
Teresa says
Not sure why you had to comment in capital letters – definitely sends a wrong message and please don’t tell me what I can and cannot put into my body. I loved the ease of this recipe and it was delicious!!
Lisa says
My grandma used this recipe over 50 years ago. It is a favorite in our family. Has anyone ever tried Sugar Free Instant Pudding. I have a diabetic brother that is craving this but is obviously watching his sugar levels. If you have, let me know how it turned out. THANKS
Dianne Metzar says
I have not made this lemon loaf, but I had to give it a star rating in order to add a comment. I hope when I do make it, I can give it a 5 star. Question: I cannot find a 3.4 oz lemon pudding mix. The only one I can find is M-T-Fine 2.75 oz. boxes. The bigger boxes are over the 3.4 oz. the recipe requires. What do I do ? Has anyone else had this problem? thanks,
D
Jessica says
Strange, Dianne! Are you looking at the sugar free boxes? I’d just use the smaller one. The pudding mix adds cornstarch & lemon flavor that just contributes to the bread. So a 1 oz difference shouldn’t be all that apparent.
MAXINE MOATES says
Can you make these in mini loaf pans? If so, how long to cook?
Jessica says
Yes- you can make mini loaves with this batter. Bake about 25-30 minutes.
Mike licavoli says
I’m planning on making a lemon Bundt cake as a pot luck for a Xmas gathering. This recipe for cake and glaze will do well!
Gloria Gingrich says
Can you share your experience with making it in a bundt pan. Cook time. I havent made the recipe yet but would like to try using a bundt pan.
thanks Jeanne
Ree says
I am unable to print any of your recipes–I’d rather look them up one at a time
Nicole says
I’m sorry to hear that you’re unable to print these recipes but we do offer two easily accessible “print recipe” options on this page as well as on our other recipe pages. You can also save our recipes to your social media accounts or email them to yourself so that you can find them more easily later.
Marianne DeLano says
Ree, you can also print to pdf for most files.
Rose Theobald says
I made this lemon bread using canola oil. I made it in 4 mini loaf pans and added poppy seeds to 3 of the. OMGOODNESS, this is so very good. I’m going to try it with the coconut oil next. Thank you
Ian says
Is this recipe for one 9.5 x 5 load pan of for two?
Nicole says
You will need two bread loaf pans 🙂