Healthy Blueberry Orange Wheat Bread with Cream Cheese Icing...

When I saw the photos of this recipe come in to my blog feed about a week ago from "Eat Cake for Dinner", I knew I had to try it.  It had two of my favorite things - blueberries and oranges - although I am not sure I would have thought to put them together. I have made plenty of blueberry and lemon recipes but never thought of using a different citrus.  My mother used to often put orange zest in cookies, but I didn't carry that forward in my baking.  Mothers DO know best! :)

I wanted to make it a little healthier, so I opted for white wheat flour instead of all purpose, and half honey crystals (great sugar substitute) instead of the sugar.  I had not used the honey granules before so was a little timid to use them entirely, but next time I will as they were great and the flavor was fabulous.

The aroma of the baking bread was so distractingly wonderful that I kept walking into the kitchen exclaiming, " OMG that smells wonderful!".  It made me feel like I was in the middle of an orange grove..... It was sheer heavenly!  I love citrus anyway, but this was sunshine in a loaf pan!

Blueberries and oranges =BRILLIANT idea!  So happy to share this healthier version with you!

Look good?  Oh it is!

Healthy Blueberry Orange Wheat Bread with Cream Cheese Icing

adapted from Eat Cake for Dinner

1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c. organic cane sugar
1/2 c. honey crystals
2 eggs (I use only pastured eggs now)
2 tsp, grated orange zest
2 tsp. vanilla (homemade)
1/2 c. plain Greek yogurt (homemade)
1 Tbsp. milk
2 c. white wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. fresh blueberries

Orange Cream Cheese Icing
2 oz. organic cream cheese
zest from half an orange (about 2 tsp.)
1/2 c. organic powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice (from the zested orange)

Preheat the oven to 350.  In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar and honey crystals together.  Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well with each one.  Then add the orange zest, vanilla, Greek yogurt, and milk and mix at low speed until well combined.

In a large bowl, combine the white wheat flour, baking powder and salt.  Toss the blueberries in the flower mixture and coat well (this will prevent them from all dropping to the bottom of the batter while baking).

Gently add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold together until just combined well.  The batter will be unusually thick. (Don't worry!  It will be okay!) Spoon the batter into a lightly greased loaf pan.  Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

You can see how really thick this batter is - it's okay. It will bake beautifully.

Remove from the oven, cool on a rack for 10 minutes, and then remove from the pan and finish cooling.

When totally cool, frost with Orange Cream Cheese Icing (ingredients above)

See the orange zest in the icing?  You could make it thinner with more orange juice and drizzle it,

but I loved it like this.  Either way will work just fine.

Place the cream cheese in a small glass dish and microwave for about 15-20 seconds until the cream cheese is very soft.  Add the rest of the icing ingredients and mix very well until smooth. (you will want to eat it with a spoon so try to resist the temptation!)  Instead, frost the top of the loaf or thin with more orange juice and drizzle it over the top.

Look at ALL of those blueberries!  Every bite is full of berry flavor.

So moist....

Every bite is a treat...

Store the bread in the refrigerator.... if it lasts that long! Pin It Now!