Citrus Thyme Bread

Citrus thyme bread is a fresh twist on a classic sweet bread. Quick to make, it’s worth every minute of baking time! Packed with citrus flavor, customize it to your taste.

Are you ever in the mood for a treat, but not cake or cookies? What? You don’t think about the desserts you eat that much? Oh, well, I do. Ha! When I am feeling that way, I love to make dessert bread. They are a little lighter {I mean, for a dessert} and they always hit the spot.

The stars of the show in this citrus thyme bread: oranges, lemons, and thyme! I promise, this recipe is life changing. I think I say that a lot. I’m not sorry. 🙂 I adapted this recipe slightly from one of my favorite Taste of Home recipes, Lemon Thyme Bread.

This citrus thyme bread is one of my favorite dessert breads to make, probably because it uses fresh thyme from my garden!

If you don’t have fresh, you can of course use dried and it will also be delicious. But probably not as delicious as it would be if you used fresh. Because fresh herbs are just heavenly.

Anyways.

This citrus thyme bread starts pretty basic, cream butter and sugar together for a few minutes until light and fluffy. Don’t skip this step! It’s important for the texture of the bread.

This is what creamed butter and sugar should look like 🙂 

Next, add an egg and cream it again for a few minutes! It should be ultra light and fluffy now.

LIKE THIS!

Next, you add the zest and thyme. Use any combination of zest you like, or just one kind! It doesn’t matter – citrus thyme bread is always delicious.  I’ve never tried lime….let me know if you take on this experiment :).

The recipe calls for Greek yogurt, you can use regular yogurt or even sour cream if you want. I just happened to have greek in the fridge when I made it this last time.

Next, come the dry ingredients, this is where you want to be sure NOT to overmix. Mix the dry ingredients in until they are just combined.

It will be a thick batter, like this picture shows. 

Spread it in a loaf pan, I used a standard size {9×5 inches} but you can use two smaller ones as well.

YUMMY!! This citrus thyme bread is so amazing, I almost can’t handle it. I love making mini loaves and delivering them as gifts! It’s the perfect amount of sweet and fresh.

Looking for another delicious quick bread? Check out my chocolate chip banana bread recipe!

PIN this recipe on your Bread or Dessert board to SAVE it for later! Follow Longbourn Farm on Pinterest for more great tips, ideas, and recipes!

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Citrus Thyme Bread

Citrus thyme bread is a fresh twist on a classic sweet bread. Quick to make, it's worth every minute of baking time!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 12 slices

Calories 202 kcal

Author Longbourn Farm • Alli Kelley

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg room temperature
• 1/2 cup milk less 1 tablespoon
• 1 tablespoon citrus juice lemon or orange
• 1/2 cup plain or vanilla greek yogurt
• 1 3/4 cup AP flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme chopped , 1 tablespoon if using dried
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

2. Cream butter and sugar together for 2-3 minutes. 

3. Add the egg and cream for an additional 1-2 minutes. 

4. Add milk, citrus juice, and yogurt and whisk until well combined. 

5. In another bowl, combine flour, soda, salt, thyme, and zest.

6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just barely combined, do not overmix. 

7. Pour into one greased loaf pan (see note) and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs on it.

Recipe Notes

I use one regular sized (9x5 inches) loaf pan, but you could easily use two smaller or three mini loaf pans, just alter the baking time accordingly. 

Nutrition Facts

Citrus Thyme Bread

Amount Per Serving

Calories 202 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 8g 12%

Saturated Fat 5g 25%

Cholesterol 36mg 12%

Sodium 176mg 7%

Potassium 60mg 2%

Total Carbohydrates 27g 9%

Sugars 13g

Protein 3g 6%

Vitamin A 6.8%

Vitamin C 4.5%

Calcium 3.6%

Iron 6.2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.