This sweet and zesty Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Bread is vegan, allergy-free, and topped with a delicious sugar-free glaze! It's a perfect loaf cake recipe for breakfast, dessert, or a spring brunch! Made with simple and healthy ingredients, it's quick and easy to bake just like any quick bread!
Quick breads are the BEST! From banana bread to strawberry bread, fruit always seems to take the cake when it comes to these sweet loaves. But what about a sour and zesty fruit? Something like...a lemon? Lemon poppy seed bread it is! From muffins to doughnuts, lemon poppy seed is delicious any way to bake it! Whether you call it a loaf cake or quick bread, this iced gluten-free lemon poppy seed loaf is going to be your baking obsession this spring!
Quick Bread vs Loaf Cake vs Bread vs Cake
What's the difference?
- Quick Breads: Can be a muffin, biscuit, scone, or loaf. They're leavened with baking powder or baking soda, NOT yeast. They are a category of bread.
- Bread: Can be anything from a quick bread to a bread that is, in fact, leveled with yeast.
- Cake: Lighter than a bread, with the fats and sugar creamed together. They also contain a higher amount of those fats and sugars.
- Loaf Cake: It's a cake, baked in a loaf pan! They are a category of cakes.
It's that "muffin vs cupcake" question. "Chicken vs egg" kind of deal,Β in this case, this loaf is a quick bread. I include a simple glaze, which you actually can leave off and make it seem even more "bready"....but why do that when it's sugar-free?!
Ingredients for Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
This recipe is super simple and besides the lemons and poppy seeds, I know you have all the ingredients in your gluten-free pantry!
- Gluten-Free Baking Flour
- Baking Powder
- Milled Flax Seed (for flax eggs)
- Granulated Sugar (sugar-free sweetener)
- Lemon Zest and Juice
- Poppy Seeds
- Vanilla Extract
- Non-Dairy Milk
The simple sugar-free glaze is just a combination of powdered sweetener, lemon juice, and water!
How to make this easy Lemon Poppy Seed Quick Bread
It takes the same amount of work as banana bread, just swap the mashing of bananas with the zesting and juicing of lemons!
- Preheat your oven to 375Β°F and prep your vegan eggs by mixing your flax seeds with water to allow them to gel.
- Mix together your flour, baking powder, and granulated sweetener.
- Add in the zest of 1 lemon (this is my favorite zester and industry standard) and the juice of 2-3 lemons (depending on size). You need β cup of lemon juice. This is my favorite citrus juicer (no seeds!).
- Then add the poppy seeds, vanilla extract, flax eggs, and non-dairy milk before mixing everything together to form a smooth semi-thick batter.
- Grease an 8x4 loaf pan and pour in your batter, smoothing out the top of the loaf. Bake the lemon poppy seed loaf for 20-25 minutes at 375Β°F. Remove and let it cool slightly before turning it out of the pan and cooling completely on a wire rack.
- To make the glaze, simply mix together your powdered sweetener, lemon juice, and water until you get a smooth, thick icing consistency before spreading it over the top of your cooled lemon loaf!
To Store:
Cool the loaf completely and store it in an airtight container. It can be kept in the fridge or at room temperature for about 4-6 days. I recommend storing it in the fridge if you plan to ice it right away. If you keep it unfrosted, you can store it at room temperature.
To Freeze:
The best way to freeze the loaf is by slicing it up first, unfrosted, wrapping each slice individually in wax paper or foil, then store them together in a big Ziploc bag or freezer container.
To Reheat:
Take out the slices you want and allow them to thaw in the fridge or give it quick heating in the microwave or toaster oven.
A Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf Cake
I guess that also brings into question...breakfast cake or dessert cake? Is banana bread a breakfast or dessert? However you choose to answer that question will give you the answer for this lemon poppy seed cake! This gluten-free vegan lemon poppy seed bread is:
- Gluten-Free
- Vegan
- Allergy-free (Dairy-Free,Β Soy-Free,Β Egg-Free,Β Nut-Free,Β Peanut-Free,Β Wheat-Free,Β Sesame-Free,Β Corn-Free,Β Coconut-Free)
- Oil-Free
- Sugar-Free
- Kid-Friendly
- Freezer-Friendly
- Make-Ahead for Breakfasts and Snacks for the Week
more lemon poppy seed recipes:
- Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes
- Lemon Poppy Seed Doughnuts
- Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
- Lemon Poppy Seed Quinoa Flakes
Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Bread (Vegan, Allergy-Free)
This sweet and zesty Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Bread is vegan, allergy-free, and topped with a delicious sugar-free glaze! It's a perfect loaf cake recipe for breakfast, dessert, or a spring brunch! Made with simple and healthy ingredients, it's quick and easy to bake just like any quick bread!
- Prep Time: 5 Minutes
- Cook Time: 20 Minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 1 8x4 Loaf 1x
- Category: Breakfast, Dessert, Bread, Snack
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Gluten-Free Baking Flour
- 1 Tsp Baking Soda
- ΒΎ Cup Granulated Erythritol (or preferred granulated sugar)
- 2 Prepared Flax Egg (2 TB Milled Flax Seed + 4 TB Water)
- 2 TB Poppy Seeds
- Zest of 1 Lemon
- β Cup Lemon Juice*
- 1 Tsp Pure Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract
- Β½ Cup Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk
For the Glaze:
- 1 Cup Powdered Erythritol (or preferred powdered sugar)
- 2 + ΒΎ Tsp of Water
- 1 Tsp Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375Β°F.
- In a small bowl mix together the flax eggs and set them aside to gel while you prep the rest of the batter.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, granulated sweetener, and whisk together.
- Then add the lemon zest, poppy seeds, vanilla extract, flax eggs, lemon juice, and non-dairy milk before mixing everything together to form a smooth semi-thick batter.
- Pour the batter into a greased 8x4 standard loaf pan and smooth out the top.
- Bake the loaf in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes (until a toothpick comes out mostly clean).
- Remove the loaf from the oven, let it cool slightly, before turning the loaf out of the pan, and allowing it to completely cool on a wire rack before storing, slicing, or icing.
- To make the glaze, simply mix together the powdered sweetener, lemon juice, and water. Do this teaspoon by teaspoon to make sure the glaze stays thick. Then pour the glaze of the cooled loaf, spreading it with a knife and topping with additional poppy seeds, if desired.
Notes
*This bread makes 8 slices.
**You can use pre-bottled 100% pure lemon juice if you must.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
So if you love quick bread, cake, loaf cakes, or...bread, this lemon poppy seed loaf is a must-bake! Lemony sweet with the perfect amount of zing! I love baking with poppy seeds too! Such a subtle nutty flavor and always makes me think of bagels. You will love a slice of this lemon poppy seed bread with or without the delicious simple icing!
More gluten-free quick bread recipes:
- Pumpkin Bread
- Zucchini Bread with Maple Oat Crumble
- Pumpkin Zucchini Bread
- Classic Gluten-Free Banana Bread
- Blood Orange Quick Bread
- Peanut Butter Espresso Banana Bread
So tell me:
+ Quick bread, loaf cake, or just a sweet bread? What are you calling it?
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Menaka Bharathi
Wow it looks awesome, hope it comes under my must try list.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Lol, you hope? Well, why not?
Helen
Lemon Poppy Seed Bread would be perfect to bake up right now! Thanks!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I know you'll love it!
Jan
This looks delicious! A perfect quick spring bake. I will be trying this soon.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Great to hear, enjoy!
Katelyn
Wow I need to try this! I recently went GF and need some new recipes.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Enjoy, Katelyn.
Nicole
Oh wow this looks just amazing and tasty !!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Hope you enjoy!
Lauren
Loved this recipe, thanks for sharing!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Glad you enjoyed it!
Marie
The cake looks delicious would be perfect with a nice cup of tea! Canβt wait to try!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Sure it would! Enjoy!
Tina
I always cook gluten free. that is a recipe I need to try out.
thank you for sharing π
xoxo
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Hope you enjoy it, Tina.
Misha
I'm definitely saving this recipe for this week! I can't believe how yummy this looks and how simple the ingredients are! I think I actually have all of these ingredients at home right now. Need to make this very very soon!
Thank you so much for sharing!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Right? You don't need much to make a delicious, healthy treat!
Jacqueline
This looks so yummy! I'll definitely need to try it out ASAP!!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
It's so easy! Enjoy!
Sierra Albis
Okay that recipe literally looks amazing! I NEED to try this out. I feel like I have been eating so much over this quarantine and this recipe is just going to be another tempting treat! Cannot wait to try it out. Thanks for the recipe
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Well, no need to feel bad about it! This loaf is all about the healthy baking vibes!
Phenie
I haven't done this much baking in my life until the recent lockdown! This poppy seed bread looks amazing and I will most definitely give it a go. That glaze is what got me π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Always gotta add that extra sweetness on top! I hope you enjoy, quick breads are the best!