Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

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Lemon poppy seed bread is a delicious quick bread that pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee. This quick bread recipe makes 1 standard sized loaf or 3 mini loaves of tangy glazed lemon bread. It’s the perfect spring or summer treat!

Quick breads are some of our most popular recipes. We’ve got strawberry, cherry, blueberry and even peach!

A close up of loaves of lemon bread

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread Recipe

Because lemon is one of our favorite flavors (Side note…we always focus on the chocolate, but why?? Lemon is sooo good!), we needed to share with you a lemon poppy seed quick bread recipe. One that is moist and tender…with a glaze, of course!

Poppy Seed Health Benefits

Poppy seeds are tiny, edible seeds from opium poppy flowers. Yes, it’s the same plant that is used to make opium and heroin. This means that eating a slice of lemon poppy seed bread will, in fact, make you fail a drug test. Go ahead and make the bread, but save the eating for after the test. 😉

There are some health benefits of poppy seeds, but you’ll have to eat a whole lot of them, as there are about 3,000 poppy seeds in one gram! Known health benefits include:

  • Improves digestion – The fiber in poppy seeds helps to promote a healthy digestive system.
  • Assists in red blood cell formation and increases blood flow.
  • Improve the quality of sleep – With its high magnesium concentration, poppy seeds can help you sleep better. They’re also known to help regulate metabolism, which can assist with insomnia.

Now that you know the benefits of eating poppy seeds, there’s no better time to bake up a loaf pan of the delicious lemon quick bread!

What is quick bread?

Unlike sandwich bread and other types of bread and rolls that use yeast to help them rise, quick bread recipes use a leavening agent like baking soda or baking powder. Since no rising time is involved, the recipe doesn’t take as long to make. Hence the name, quick bread!

2 loaves of glazed lemon poppyseed bread

What are the five main ingredients in quick breads?

Making a quick bread like lemon poppy seed bread requires just a few simple pantry ingredients. The base ingredients for almost all quick bread recipes are:

  • flour
  • a sweetener – Typically, sugar or honey.
  • a leavening agent such as baking soda, baking powder, or a combination of both
  • eggs
  • liquid – The liquid is typically milk, oil, or water, but can be fresh juice or even alcoholic beverages.

How do you make lemon poppy seed bread?

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Grease a 9×5″ loaf pan (or 3 mini loaf pans).
  • In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
  • In another bowl, mix the butter and sugar until well blended.
  • Add the eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, sour cream and poppy seeds.
  • Mix in milk and flour alternately, mixing between each addition just until combined. Do not over mix!
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 60-70 mins or until a toothpick into the center comes out clean. (Mini loaves will take less time to cook. The exact time will depend on how big the mini loaves are.)
  • Let cool for 20 min in the bread pan, then remove the loaves to a wire rack to cool completely.

**Pro Tip: If you need a mini loaf pan, this pan does a great job!**

step by step photos for a lemon poppy seed bread recipe

Lemon Glaze for Bread

For a simple glaze you need 3 ingredients:

Add the milk or water one tablespoon at a time so that the glaze does not get too runny. Make the glaze right before drizzling or it will dry out a little and form a “crust”.

 

A close up of lemon poppy seed bread

Can you freeze quick breads?

Yes! Quick breads freeze well. Wrap the cooled bread in plastic wrap first, then in aluminum foil or a plastic freezer bag. You can freeze the breads for 3-4 months, but up to 6 months.

Other Quick Bread Recipes

loaves of lemon poppy seed bread
loaves of lemon poppy seed bread

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

4.73 from 11 votes
Lemon poppy seed bread is a delicious quick bread that pairs perfectly with coffee. This quick bread recipe will make 1 standard loaf or 3 mini loaves of glazed lemon bread.
Servings 10
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients
 

For the Bread:

  • cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup butter (melted)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • zest of ½ lemon
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • ¾ cup milk

For the Icing:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2-3 tablespoons milk (or water)
  • 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Grease a 9x5" loaf pan (or 3 mini loaf pans).
  • In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
  • In another bowl, mix the butter and sugar until well blended.
  • Add the eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, sour cream and poppy seeds.
  • Mix in milk and flour alternately, mixing between each addition just until combined. Do not over mix!
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 60-70 mins or until a toothpick into the center comes out clean. (Mini loaves will take less time to cook. The exact time will depend on how big the mini loaves are.)
  • Let cool for 20 min in the bread pan, then remove the loaves to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • While the bread is cooling, mix icing ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle the glaze on the bread after it has cooled to room temperature.
  • Store in an airtight container.

Notes

The calories shown are based on the bread being cut into 10 slices, with one serving being one slice of bread. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.**

Nutrition

Calories: 382kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 276mg | Potassium: 136mg | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 585IU | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 1.5mg
Author Julie Clark
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Calories 382
Keyword lemon dessert, lemon poppy seed bread, quick bread recipe

titled photo collage: glazed lemon poppy seed bread



About Julie Clark

I'm Julie Clark, CEO and recipe developer of Tastes of Lizzy T. With my B.A. in Education and over 30 years of cooking and baking, I want to teach YOU the best of our family recipes.

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Kim Rivera
3 years ago

can this bread be made without poppy seed?