Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Name: Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 2 eggs; ⅓ cup oil; ⅓ cup sour cream; ⅔ cup milk; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; ½ cup lemon juice; 1 zest of lemon; 1¾ cups flour; 1 cup sugar; 2 teaspoons baking powder; ¼ teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon salt; 3 tablespoons poppy seeds; 2 tablespoons melted butter; ½ zest of lemon; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 1¼ cups powdered sugar

close up shot of slices of bread on a parchment lined wooden board

It's so easy to make the lemon poppy seed bread recipe from scratch and it creates a moist, delicious loaf of bread with so much lemon flavor and topped with a simple lemon glaze.

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Table of Contents

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread Ingredients
Substitutions And Additions
How To Make This Lemon Poppy Seed Bread Recipe
How To Serve This Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf
Storing This Lemon & Poppy Seed Cake
More Recipes You’ll Love
JUMP TO RECIPE

This tasty lemon poppy seed bread is simple to make from scratch, and the results are a moist, delicious loaf with a delightful tangy lemon flavor. Topped with a sweet lemon glaze, it’s perfect for breakfast, a snack, or dessert!

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread Ingredients

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread raw ingredients that are labeled

Lemon poppy seed bread is a delectable treat that tantalizes the taste buds with its zesty lemon flavor.

The bread is infused with a bright citrus flavor that blends seamlessly with the slightly sweet taste of the poppy seeds.

The texture of the bread is soft and moist, with a slight crunch from the poppy seeds that add an extra dimension of taste.

You’ll need:

For The Bread:

2 eggs
⅓ cup of vegetable oil
⅓ cup of sour cream
⅔ cup of milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
½ cup of lemon juice
Zest from 1 lemon
1¾ cups of all-purpose flour
1 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons of baking powder
¼ teaspoon of baking soda
½ teaspoon of salt
3 tablespoons of poppy seeds

For The Glaze:

2 tablespoons of melted butter
Zest from ½ lemon
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1¼ cups of powdered sugar

Substitutions And Additions

SOUR CREAM: You can also use Greek yogurt as a substitute for sour cream in this quick bread recipe.

MEYER LEMONS: Meyer lemons have a slightly sweeter taste than regular lemons but can easily be used as a substitute in this recipe.

How To Make This Lemon Poppy Seed Bread Recipe

Our step-by-step instructions below will walk you through the process of making the bread batter and baking it in the oven.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

This recipe doubles easily and I guarantee your family will gobble it up so fast, you’ll want to have extras.

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper or spray it with cooking spray.

STEP TWO: In a large bowl, add the eggs and beat with a hand mixer on high speed for 60 to 90 seconds until they are foamy.

STEP THREE: Add the vegetable oil, sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.

STEP FOUR: Add the zest and lemon juice and mix.

STEP FIVE: Sift together the dry ingredients (minus the poppy seeds) in a separate bowl.

STEP SIX: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, and mix until combined.

dry ingredients whisked into the bowl of wet ingredients

STEP SEVEN: Stir the poppy seeds into the batter mixture.

STEP EIGHT: Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan, and bake for 40 to 50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.

PRO TIP:

Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your bread at the lower end of the recommended baking time.

bread batter placed into a loaf pan then baked

STEP NINE: Remove from the oven, and let warm bread cool completely before glazing the top of the bread.

STEP TEN: To make the glaze, whisk together all of the glaze ingredients and drizzle over top of the cooled bread.

PRO TIP:

Place bread on a wire rack before pouring the glaze on top so that any excess glaze will run through the rack rather than leaving a puddle around your bread.

cooled bread topped with glaze on a cooling rack

How To Serve This Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf

For a breakfast or brunch option, a side of fresh berries or a dollop of Greek yogurt would be the perfect complement to the citrusy flavors of the bread.

You could also try serving a warm cup of tea or homemade pumpkin spice latte alongside your slice of bread for a cozy and comforting combination.

This poppy seed lemon cake is the perfect recipe to share with friends. Make a double batch and give one away. Homemade gifts make the best gifts!

You’ll want to make this quick recipe again and again. If you love lemon, make sure you check out our great recipes for lemon sugar cookies or lemon lasagna.

MORE BREAD RECIPES

Quick Breads

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Quick Breads

Eggnog Bread

Storing This Lemon & Poppy Seed Cake

Loaf cakes freeze exceptionally well. Here’s how to wrap it to ensure the best result.

IN THE FRIDGE: Cover this moist bread with foil or plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out, and store it in the fridge. It should last about 1 week when properly stored.

IN THE FREEZER: Wrap the entire loaf in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil and keep it in the freezer for up to three months.

close up shot of slices of bread stacked on top of each other

I love that it only takes 10 minutes to bring this lemon poppy seed bread recipe together—making it the perfect quick, homemade treat for our family to make. Plus, it’s absolutely gorgeous and tastes incredible.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I use bottled lemon juice, or should I use fresh lemon juice for this lemon bread?

This easy lemon poppy seed bread would work with either, but since you already have fresh lemons for the zest, you can easily use the juice as well.

How do you store this lemon quick bread recipe?

You can store lemon bread in plastic wrap or an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Can lemon poppy seed bread be frozen?

You can freeze this great recipe by wrapping it in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil before putting it in the freezer for up to three months.

More Recipes You’ll Love

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

5 from 6 votes

It's so easy to make the lemon poppy seed bread recipe from scratch and it creates a moist, delicious loaf of bread with so much lemon flavor and topped with a simple lemon glaze.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1

Servings

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Ingredients

Bread

2 eggs
⅓ cup oil
⅓ cup sour cream
⅔ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup lemon juice
1 zest of lemon
1¾ cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons poppy seeds

Glaze

2 tablespoons melted butter
½ zest of lemon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1¼ cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, add the eggs and beat on high for 60 to 90 seconds until they are foamy.
Add the oil, sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract, and mix until smooth.
Add the zest and lemon juice and mix.
Sift together the dry ingredients (minus the poppyseeds).
Add to the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in the poppy seeds.
Pour into a loaf pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely before glazing.
To make the glaze, whisk together all of the glaze ingredients and drizzle over top of the cooled bread.

Video

Notes

Place bread on a wire rack before pouring the glaze on top so that any excess glaze will run through the rack rather than leaving a puddle around your bread.
This recipe doubles easily, and I guarantee your family will gobble it up so fast, you’ll want to have extras.
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your bread at the lower end of the recommended baking time.

Nutrition

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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!