Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Sweet, citrusy, and always moist, this classic lemon poppy seed bread is the perfect way to brighten your day! This easy-to-make, lemon-infused quick bread recipe features the most irresistible lemon glaze.
How long it takes: 20 minutes prep, 45 minutes to bake
Equipment you’ll need: electric mixer, loaf pan
Servings: makes 1 large loaf (10 slices)
Quick bread recipes are my favorites to bake on a whim when I’m craving something sweet. This lemon poppy seed bread, like applesauce bread or pumpkin bread, relies on pantry and fridge staples, and the batter comes together in a snap. The oven does most of the work here!
While banana bread and zucchini bread have kind of a rustic, home-baked vibe to them, this lemon poppy seed bread feels more like something you’d enjoy at your favorite coffee shop. And that lemony flavor—I probably could eat the entire loaf of this lemon poppy seed bread in one sitting!
About This Lemon Poppy Seed Bread Recipe
- Bright lemon flavor. There are times when you want ultimate chocolate decadence (i.e. my no-bake chocolate tart), but there are other times when you want something sweet without being heavy. Lemon poppy seed bread is made for those occasions! The light, bright flavor isn’t rich and won’t leave you feeling over-stuffed.
- Quick and simple. This lemon poppy seed bread is easy as can be, and you probably have most of the ingredients in your kitchen already. Just mix up the batter, bake the bread, and then add the irresistible glaze.
- Great for gifting. Quick breads are the perfect sweet treat to bring to brunches or give to friends and family. This lemon poppy seed bread transports well and it keeps at room temperature for a few days.
Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted Butter: Let the butter soften at room temperature. When you gently press your finger into the butter, it should leave an indentation, but not feel completely mushy either.
- Granulated Sugar: AKA white sugar.
- Eggs: While your butter softens, let your eggs come to room temperature, too. Room temperature eggs hold more air when beaten, giving your lemon poppy seed bread a lighter texture with more rise.
- Plain Greek Yogurt: I like to use full-fat (whole milk) yogurt for baking because the extra fat gives baked goods a more tender crumb.
- Lemon: You’ll use both the zest and the juice. Be sure to zest the lemons before juicing them (it’s much easier!). You’ll need 2 lemons.
- All-Purpose Flour: Although I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, I think it would work well with a measure-for-measure substitute.
- Poppy Seeds: Although poppy seeds don’t have a lot of flavor, they add a fun little crunch and visual interest. If you don’t have them, the bread will turn out fine without poppy seeds.
- Baking Powder and Soda: Quick bread is leavened with baking powder or soda (or both) instead of yeast.
- Salt: Although you can’t taste the salt in bread recipes, without it the bread would taste bland and not-quite-right.
- Powdered Sugar: AKA confectioners’ sugar, powdered sugar makes a smooth glaze for the bread.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: The glaze is simply powdered sugar mixed with lemon juice. Fresh juice has a brighter flavor than bottled which has preservatives added.
Cooking Tip
Always store your poppy seeds in the fridge or freezer so they don’t go rancid. If you’re looking for more ways to use them, try homemade poppy seed dressing, poppy seed cookies with orange, and lemon poppy seed cottage cheese pancakes.
How To Make Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer until the mixture is soft and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating well until combined, followed by the Greek yogurt and lemon juice.
On top of the wet ingredients, add the flour, poppy seeds, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Lightly mix the dry ingredients together (they don’t have to be well combined) before folding them into the wet ingredients by hand, just until the dry ingredients are mixed with the wet ingredients.
Spread the batter into an even layer in the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, with only a few crumbs clinging to it.
Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then carefully remove it from the pan and place it on a wire rack to cool completely.
If you’re adding the glaze, combine 1 cup of powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, adding more juice as needed. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled bread. Leave the bread uncovered until the glaze has set, then slice and serve.
Sometimes this happens, and sometimes it doesn’t—it’s one of the quirks of quick breads! If it happens, it’s no need for alarm and your bread will taste fine. It just means that the top set, but the bread continued to rise after this, causing it to crack.
The edges should be just starting to turn brown, the center should be golden, and when you insert a toothpick or cake tester, there should be either no crumbs or a few moist crumbs. If the toothpick has wet batter on it, the bread needs to bake longer.
Recipe Variations
- Substitute Meyer lemons. I’ve made this recipe with Meyer lemons and it’s fabulous! Meyer lemons are smaller, slightly sweeter, and more fragrant than regular lemons.
- Add orange. You can substitute orange juice and zest for up to half the lemon juice and zest in the bread, or make the glaze with orange juice. This will mellow the lemon flavor a bit, but add a new layer of citrus flavor. You can also make the bread with all orange juice and zest but you’ll have to give it a new name!
- Try another glaze. Cream cheese glaze or lemon cream cheese glaze are also fabulous with this lemon poppy seed bread.
- Make it without the poppy seeds. Don’t have poppy seeds on hand? Don’t like them? Have a drug test in the morning? (Just kidding—you should be fine as long as you don’t eat a whole loaf!) You can easily omit the poppy seeds in this recipe or try my lemon bread recipe.
Once the lemon bread has completely cooled, store it in an airtight container. It will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
You can also freeze this lemon poppy seed bread for 2 to 3 months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator before serving. If you slice the bread before freezing it, and wrap the slices individually, they will thaw very quickly.
More Quick Bread Recipes
Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (zest your lemon before juicing!) from 1 lemon (see note)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Glaze (optional)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Add the butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until soft and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and beat until combined.½ cup unsalted butter, softened, 1 cup granulated sugar, 2 large eggs
- Add the Greek yogurt and lemon juice; mix until well combined.1 cup plain Greek yogurt, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (zest your lemon before juicing!)
- On top of the wet ingredients, add the flour, poppy seeds, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Lightly mix the dry ingredients together (they don’t have to be well combined) before folding into the wet ingredients. Don’t over-mix; batter will be quite thick.2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons poppy seeds, 2 teaspoons lemon zest, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread into an even layer. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, with only a few crumbs clinging to it.
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove it from the pan and place it on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Optional: Once the bread has cooled, you can drizzle it with a simple lemon glaze. To make the glaze, combine powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, adding more lemon juice if necessary to thin. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the bread. Leave the bread uncovered until the glaze has set.1 cup powdered sugar, 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Slice and serve!
Notes
- Recipe variations: If desired, the poppy seeds can be omitted. Meyer lemons can be substituted if available.
- Storage: After bread has completely cooled and glaze is set, store in a resealable bag or container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze for two to three months.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
This recipe is delicious
Thank you so much!
Okay, three out of three absolutely loved the bread! The man who gave me the Meyer lemons said he has had all kinds of lemon poppy seed bread and this is by far the beat he has ever had! Thought you would like to know!
So glad to hear it was a hit! Thank you for letting me know!
Okay, just got done with the bread, but you still didn’t answer my question about storing it. In the refrigerator or on the counter? How long should it last in both situations? Thank you! And by the way it makes my whole house smell really good! My didn’t turn out flat and short like your pictures, mine came out large and higher at the center like a dome. But I did triple the recipe and used the correct size pans.
Glad it turned out well! Sorry I hadn’t responded to the comment yet – I’d keep it on the counter if you plan to eat it in a day or two, otherwise move to the fridge for up to a week.