These Mini Meyer Lemon Loaves are drenched in a sweet lemon syrup and topped with a sugary glaze.
This only my second time baking with meyer lemons, and I’m seriously wondering why I haven’t done it more often. Have you tried a Meyer Lemon? They are the BEST. Sweeter than your regular old less exciting lemons, they are said to be a cross between a lemon and a mandarin, and they are delicious! For this post, I’ve collaborated with some fabulous bloggers to bring you sweet and savoury recipes all made with lemon!
I love lemon desserts. If there’s a lemon meringue pie or lemon tart on the dessert menu, you can bet I’m going for that over anything chocolate – I love the sweet/tart flavour, and generally find lemon desserts to be less heavy.
These mini meyer lemon loaves are the perfect pairing for your afternoon tea/coffee, or even breakfast if you desire. No judgement here – this is a desserts all the time kinda zone.
I found these super cute pastel colored mini-loaf pans was dying to use them. Nothing quite screams SPRING like pretty pastels. I know it’s technically still February and we’re just past Valentine’s Day, but we’re exactly one month from the first day of spring, so I think spring-looking recipes are fair game.
The recipe for these mini meyer lemon loaves is really simple. The biggest pain in the butt is zesting the lemons, but it really doesn’t take that much time and it’s really worth it. Zest is crucial in my opinion, and really adds a depth of flavour. The syrup is optional, but again, it really intensifies the flavour, so I wouldn’t skip it!
If you don’t have mini loaf pans (not many do), you can easily make this recipe in a regular sized loaf pan or a 6-cup Bundt pan. Just be sure to adjust the baking time accordingly. Meyer lemons are in season from November to March, so if you’re looking to try them, don’t dawdle or you’ll miss out!
If you love lemons as much as I do, be sure to check out the lemon flavoured recipes from my blogger friends below!
Mini Meyer Lemon Loaves
Ingredients
Loaves:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cups granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp Meyer lemon zest approx. 2 lemons
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 Tbsp Meyer lemon juice approx. 1/2 lemon
Syrup:
- 2 Tbsp Meyer lemon juice approx. 1 lemon
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 Tbsp water or milk
Instructions
Loaves:
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease & flour a mini-loaf pan. I use homemade cake release.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together, set aside.
- Beat butter until smooth. Add sugar and lemon zest and beat until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.
- Add flour and milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour (2 additions of flour and 1 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition.
- Add sour cream and lemon juice and mix until combined.
- Spoon or pipe batter into pan.
- Bake for 20-25mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Cool in pan for 10mins, then turn loaves out onto wire rack.
- While the loaves are still hot, poke with a toothpick or skewer and immediately brush with syrup. Allow to cool completely. Once cooled, drizzle glaze over top.
Syrup:
- Place lemon juice and sugar into a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until simmering and all sugar has dissolved. Set aside until loaves are ready.
Glaze:
- Place powdered sugar and water into a measuring cup. Stir with a fork until fully combined. Drizzle over loaves. Top with lemon zest if desired.
Check out all the other lovely lemon recipes below from bloggers who took part in our 30 Day Lemon Challenge!
- Buttery Lemon Garlic Rice by Hot Eats and Cool Reads
- Lemon Brulee Tart by Life Currents
- Lemon Cardamom Scones by Manila Spoon
- Lemon Garlic Chicken by Savory Experiments
- Creamy Lemon Layered Pie by Who Needs A Cape?
- Lemon Panna Cotta by Culinary Ginger
- Lemon Pie Bars by Noshing With The Nolands
- Lemon Pudding Cheesecake by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
- No Bake Lemon Cheesecake by Num’s the Word
- Zingy Lemon Chicken Wings by Lovefoodies
vanessa mariscal says
Delicious and pretty easy to make. The presentation is great as well 🙂 I love how its not too sweet. Perfect amount of goodness and sweetness.
Olivia says
So happy you loved these, Vanessa! 🙂
Tazneem says
Can I use cream cheese instead of sour cream?
Olivia says
Hi Tazneem! For best results, follow the recipe as-is.
Jamie says
Nom! So delicious and moist and flavorful! Don’t overfill your loaf pans like I did though! I’m new to baking…no idea how far I should have filled them, but they overflowed, so it was obviously too much! The cakes still tasted wonderful though! I kept one out to eat and am freezing the rest for later. I don’t think they’ll be in the freezer long though! Thanks for the yummy recipe, Liv!
Olivia says
Hi Jamie! So happy you loved them, thanks for the feedback! 🙂
Jamie says
Hi! I can’t wait to bake these! Can they be frozen? If so, should I glaze them before or after freezing? So excited to find Meyer lemons at Sprouts!
Olivia says
Hi Jamie! LOVE meyer lemons. You can glaze them before or after, either works. The thawed glaze might not look as pretty though, so it just depends on what you’re going for.
Leslie Mowers says
Hi Olivia, after reading other people’s comments, I thought I should include that my mini loaf pans are 3″x5″. Maybe in the recipe it should show the loaf size you used. Those are beyond cute!
Thanks so much!
Leslie
Olivia says
Hi Leslie! Good point, I should have called that out! Mine were very small — similar to the sizes in this pan: https://amzn.to/2ZeGeFh. I’ll add a note to the post, thanks!
Leslie Mowers says
Hi Olivia. The recipe for the Meyer-lemon mini loaves said it made eight. Mine barely made four Christmas mini loaves. And they didn’t rise more than an inch. I filled the paper loaves holders half-way up. 🙁 My ingredients are six months old – so that should not be the problem. Any suggestions?
Thanks so much!
Leslie
Renee says
Do you have to refrigerate left over loaves?
Olivia says
Hi Renee! I wouldn’t. The fridge tends to dry cakes out. If anything I would wrap them well and freeze them if you plan to store them for a while, otherwise they will be fine on the counter for a few days.
wildbill says
Love this recipe! Bake took about 20 minutes more so I’m recalibrating my oven this afternoon. But, then again maybe my using bread flour is what caused the extra bake time….I used same ratio as recipe called for. Whatever the cause, the results are outstanding! We love it!
Olivia says
Hi there! So happy to hear you love it 🙂
Abby says
Hi, what are the mini pan sizes?
Olivia says
Hi Abby! I can’t remember exactly, but probably about 4″x2″ or so.
Bernadette says
Hi Does this recipe only make one mini loaf? TIA
Olivia says
Hi Bernadette! It makes 8 mini loaves.
Jacquie says
Olivia, I can’t tell you how many times I have made this loaf in the last month. Meyer lemons have been readily available here in southern Ontario. I just love this lemon loaf…super easy and super dose of deliciousness!!!! Instead of making the glaze with milk, I just use about 2 Tbsp of the Meyer lemon juice with the icing sugar…. yummy 😋.
Olivia says
Hi Jacquie! I’m so happy to hear that!! I love Meyer lemons and it’s been ages since I baked with them. LOVE the additional hit of lemon juice in the glaze too, good call!
Elizabeth says
I happened upon your site when looking for a key lime recipe. Your key lime filling was by far, the best I’ve ever tasted. Today, I made these lemon loaves, and they were equally fantastic. Thanks for your beautiful and delicious creations.
Olivia says
Hi Elizabeth! You are so sweet, thank you! I am so glad you liked these too 🙂
Vanessa says
Will this recipe work if I use orange zest/juice instead of lemon?
Olivia says
Hi Vanessa! Yep, that should work just fine.
Neely says
How many mini loaves does this recipe make? I would love it o gift a few & wanted to be sure if i needed to double the recipe or not. Thank you
Olivia says
Hi Neely! The recipe makes 8 mini loaves.
Monta Reina says
Olivia,
I live in Texas, where can I purchase the disposal (if this is what one may call them), gee, here it is Easter and wouldn’t you know it, when I need something, I don’t have it.
My stepdad was from Van Cover and our class elect most beautiful married a man from Canada.
Continue with your cooking and sharing your knowledge, it is greatly appreciated by here in TEXAS.
Olivia says
Hi Monta! I don’t think you’ll be able to find these specific ones in Texas as they’re from a local Canadian grocer. You should be able to find disposable loaf pans though! Check some craft or baking stores — do you guys have a Michael’s down there? You can also make this recipe in one regular sized loaf pan if you can’t find the smaller disposable ones.
Jacquie says
Hi Olivia, I saved this recipe in my recipe list online. I bought the loaf pans but not the mini ones. These ones are about 9″ by 4″. Would this recipe make one of these then?
Also, the back of the pkg of these nonstick coated. Paper loaf pans says that they are oven safe to 226F. This recipe calls for 350F. ???
Olivia says
Hi Jacquie! I think the recipe would work well for that size, but you’d need to maybe increase the baking time.
Regarding the packaging temp… I KNOW. I actually contacted Superstore when I saw that (via their FB page). They tested them and assured me it was an error and worked fine at 350F. So, I went ahead and tried it because I really wanted to use them!! They worked fine at 350 :).
Jacquie says
Great! I did see in someone else’s question about baking time. I think 45 -50 minutes should work, Thanks for the info Olivia and your recipes. And by the way. I have used your homemade cake release. It is the best thing ever.!!!!
Olivia says
Yay! I’m so glad you like it (any my recipes :)). The cake release works like a charm!
Bernice says
Hi Olivia,
So the baking time is 20-25 min for the mini loaf size? How about the regular loaf…just started baking mine now. I am guessing 50 mins.
Olivia says
Hi Bernice! Yes, likely about 50mins or so. Start checking at 45, but could be as much as 60mins depending on the size of your loaf pan 🙂 Let me know how you like it!
Lynn | The Road to Honey says
Well as a matter of fact I happened to buy some Meyer Lemons at the grocery store today. They can be hard to come by in my neck of the woods so I try to purchase them whenever I can. . .always with the best intention of preserving them. . .but time never seems to be on my side. That said, I am loving these teensy tiny loafs. They are so cute and the perfect treat for breakfast or an afternoon snack.
Olivia says
Thanks so much Lynn! They can be hard to come by here too at times, so I’m glad I snagged some. Good call on the preserving, never thought of that but it would be a great idea!
Cailee says
Oh my gosh!! These little lemon loafs are the cutest thing ever! Best idea since sliced bread <3 I love lemon… so inviting for Spring! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!!
Xoxo Cailee
Olivia says
Ahh thanks so much Cailee!! 🙂
Mel @ The Refreshanista says
These are so cute, Olivia! I love love love lemon loaf so this is a must-make 🙂
Olivia says
Thanks so much Melanie! xo
Claudia | The Brick Kitchen says
I haven’t tried Myer lemons, no – seen them in lots of recipes but never actually spotted them in the shops! Sounds like I might have to figure out how to get my hands on some though, they sound amazing. These loaves are the cutest as well – those pastel colours and the mini-size, and I just love how refreshing and vibrant citrus baking is. Gorgeous! <3
Olivia says
Thank you so much Claudia! 😀
Manila Spoon says
These delicious mini loaves are perfect for gift-giving!
Olivia says
Thank you Abby! 🙂
Megan - The Emotional Baker says
I love lemon treats, but have yet to try Meyer lemons. These loaves are so beautiful and perfect for spring 🙂
Olivia says
Thanks so much Megan! 🙂
Jessica (Savory Experiments) says
Theses are just beautiful! They are perfect for giving gifts around Easter or spring!
Olivia says
Thank you Jessica! 😀 xo
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
These little loves are so beautiful! And aren’t meyer lemons fabulous – I wish it was easy to get my hands on them here in Australia!
Olivia says
Ahh I wish I could send some your way! Thank you Thalia! <3
Helen Cassidy Page says
I love your website. Is it possible to get email updates of your posts? I signed up to follow you on instagram but I don’t check in there very often.
Olivia says
Hi Helen! YES, you can get emails 🙂 There should be a big bar across the top of my page that says “Never Miss a Recipe”. Just drop your email in there! And thank you! 🙂
Helen Cassidy Page says
Liv, I’v’e looked and looked, but don’t see that bar. Can you add it for me? Sorry to be a pest but I would like to follow you.
Olivia says
Hi Helen! I added you manually, so you should receive the next newsletter on Monday :).
Renée ♥ The Good Hearted Woman says
Oh my gosh, these have me craving lemon bread! So bright and beautiful!
Olivia says
Thank you Renee!! 🙂
Kathryn @ FoodieGirlChicago says
Lemon loaf is one of my favorite treats – these look delicious!!
Olivia says
Me too! Thank you Kathryn! 🙂
Lisa (Panning The Globe) says
These are so sunny! I love your photos. I’m pinning and printing out the recipe so I can make these soon.
Olivia says
Thanks so much Lisa! 🙂
Janelle says
We were just talking about making a lemon loaf. This one sounds amazing and perfect timing!
Olivia says
Thanks Janelle!
Carole Crawford says
Looks like a super addition to my meyer lemon recipes. Wish my tree produced more lemons. But you can freeze both the juice and the zest!
Olivia says
Hi Carole! I am super jealous of your Meyer lemon tree!! Good tip about freezing the juice and the zest. I actually have some leftover in my fridge. I should really do that!
Beth (OMG! Yummy) says
I love my meyer lemons! These sounds so great – the zesting is totally worth it!
Olivia says
Totally! The zest adds so much flavour :). Thank you!
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables says
Those sound delicios!!! I used to be a strictly chocolate dessert eater but now I’ve started branching out 😉 These would be so yummy! Gorgeous photos, too 🙂
Olivia says
I know, I used to be all about the chocolate too! But now lemon is a favourite 🙂 Thanks!!
jacquee | i sugar coat it! says
OK, spring is definitely in the air! LOVE!! (p.s. – saw these cases at superstore last weekend and…)
Olivia says
Haha! YES it is time for spring already 🙂
Lori Who Needs A Cape? says
Spring has sprung with these lovely loaves! Trying soon I know my family will love them!
Olivia says
Thank you Lori! I hope you love them 🙂
Sheena @ Hot Eats and Cool Reads says
These look like such perfect little loaves! I know we’d love them at our house!!
Olivia says
Thank you Sheena!
Serena says
These are adorable! Perfect for a spring treat to bring to the neighbors!
Olivia says
I agree! Thanks Serena 🙂
Lovefoodies says
Wowza! Now I must make these and have with my tea party. They looks so good. Plus I love the other recipes at the end. Such a great variety to choose from. Lovely!
Olivia says
Perfect for a tea party for sure! Thank you Mary! 🙂
Tara says
My daughter adores lemon loaf, probably her number one favorite, I will have to make these for her for sure!!
Olivia says
Thanks Tara! I hope she loves them 🙂
[email protected] says
I have never baked with meyer lemons and need to try. These look so Spring-like and pretty, as well as delicious. Lovely recipe.
Olivia says
Thanks Janette! You will love Meyer lemons 🙂
Justine @ JustineCelina.com says
Oh my gosh, I seriously can’t handle the cuteness! What a great idea with the mini loaf pans! I never look at superstore for that kind of stuff, but I’m definitely going to start. Meyer lemons are the best and I love lemon-based desserts. And these photos are so fresh, delicious looking and spring-y. Absolutely stunning work, as always!
Olivia says
Superstore has some great seasonal items! I always wander through their baking section looking for treasures :). Thank you Justine! 🙂 <3