Alabama Blueberry Bread: A Farmhouse Favorite Bursting With Blueberries

Jul 30

If you’re looking for a tried-and-true Alabama Blueberry Bread recipe that’s full of sweet Southern flavor and perfect for summer baking—this one’s it.

a rich, buttery slice of Alabama blueberry bread filled with juicy summer blueberries

Moist, dense, spiced just right, and absolutely loaded with fresh blueberries, this is the kind of simple farmhouse dessert that feeds both body and soul.

Today was one of those long, hot hayfield days where nothing went as planned. We were tedding hay with one tractor, raking it into windrows on one tractor, and another tractor was getting it just as hard as we could bailing hay into round bales. We were trying our hardest to beat scattered thunderstorms that were not in the forecast when the pastures were cut a few days ago—hay season unfortunately does not check the weather app! The skies were unpredictable, but the solution for a late lunch pick-me-up wasn’t.

I reached for a recipe shared with me by my dear friend and pharmacist partner, Beth Richardson. Let me tell you—this girl can throw down in the kitchen, and this bread is the pure, unadulterated proof of that statement.

I whipped it up fast while nervously watching the clouds roll by (like I could change the weather anyway?), and served it alongside chicken burritos for our hungry crew. And you know what? Burritos and Alabama Blueberry Bread might just be my new favorite combination. Who knew?

Why You’ll Love This Alabama Blueberry Bread

Full of ripe, juicy blueberries (fresh or frozen blueberries work equally well here!)
Loaded with warm, homey spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove
Stays moist for days, and tastes even better the next morning
Perfect for gifting or making ahead for potlucks and family gatherings

This isn’t your average sweet bread. The lemon extract adds a little brightness, while the thick batter bakes into a dense, golden loaf with just the right texture. The crunchy, chewy crust that comes from coating the pan with cinnamon sugar takes it right over the top!

Alabama Blueberry Bread Recipe

From the kitchen of Margaret Dabbs, shared by Beth Richardson.

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 well-beaten eggs
1 1/4 cup cooking oil
2 1/2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
2 teaspoons lemon extract
Zest of one lemon
1 cup chopped pecan (optional)

For the Crunchy Crust:

1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 2 loaf pans or 1 tube pan.
Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, beat eggs until they are well beaten, and mix in oil and sugar until just incorporated.
Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and stir until just moistened.
Smash 1/2 cups blueberries in a separate bowl, and add them into the batter. You can just dump these in and fold them along with the unsmashed blueberries—no need for an extra mixing step!
Gently fold in blueberries, lemon extract, lemon zest, and pecans if using. I added a 1/4 cup of nuts to the top of one loaf pan simply because I forgot to add them into half my batter—half of my family likes nuts and half of them don’t!
Combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle onto greased loaf pans or tube pan. This is what makes the amazingly crunchy, chewy crust.
Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool slightly before slicing. This bread tastes even better the next day!

wet ingredients include oil, eggs, and sugar for this Alabama blueberry bread. — **After all the wet ingredients are mixed.**

that punchy burst of blueberries and lemon zest is really the best flavor combination known to man. juicy, fresh blueberries ready to mixed into a bowl of bread batter. — **Blueberries and lemon zest=perfection! This batter is THICK, so folding these blueberries in was a task.**

**Cinnamon sugar for the win in this recipe! The chewy, crunchy crust it produces MAKES this bread what it is—and that’s AMAZING!**

This batter is so thick! You just have to dump it in and try not to disturb your cinnamon sugar crust.

The most glorious blueberry bread recipe ever! Alabama blueberry bread renders a Moist, delectable dessert that can be enjoyed year round with fresh or frozen blueberries. — **Don’t smooth the tops. Leave them just like this. They’ll bake beautifully!**

sliced Alabama blueberry bread for gifting or eating on the go. It's the perfect treat because it's so grabbable and can travel well. — **Slices of perfection right there!**

Notes from My Kitchen:

This batter is thick! Don’t be alarmed—it bakes up beautifully.
I used 2 1/2 cups of blueberries (Margaret’s original recipes called for 2 pints).
You can mash some of the blueberries before adding for extra color and moisture—I did. It turned out great!
If using a tube pan, you’ll get a slightly more even bake due to airflow. I rather enjoyed slicing it up in loaf form, though!
This bread has a wonderful holiday spice flavor profile and would be perfect to gift to loved ones during the holiday season. Wrap a loaf in parchment paper and tie with pretty ribbon or twine for a rustic, farmhouse look. You could also tuck a loaf into a brown paper bag with a handwritten tag for a rustic, ranch-inspired gift vibe as well!

When the Day’s Long and the Skies are Threatening Rain…

There’s something so soul-satisfying about sitting down after a whirlwind day of cattle farming—hair windblown, boots dusty, clothes nasty, rain just missing you by a mile—and slicing into a still-warm loaf of homemade blueberry bread. It was the perfect treat for a not so perfect day!

Whether you’re feeding a hungry hay crew or just needing a bite of pure Southern comfort in your kitchen, this Alabama Blueberry Bread is one recipe you’ll reach for again and again.