Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Soft and moist Lemon Poppy Seed Bread is so simple and so full of flavor it’s sure to be gone in minutes! It’s one tasty quick bread!

If you’re a fan of the tangy flavor combination of lemon and poppy seeds in this bread, you’ll certainly enjoy Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes and Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins!

A family favorite!

Today’s recipe is a Lemon Poppy Seed Bread that the entire family is obsessed with!

We’ve always been fans of the lemon and poppy seed combo and knew a bread form would be great (we are already big fans of our Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins).

This particular bread was super soft and perfectly sweet. It may have helped that we added 1 cup of sour cream and a little extra lemon flavor for more flavor making it one of our favorite quick bread recipes.

We were glad we added extract to the lemon glaze because the bread, itself, wasn’t too lemony. Give it a whirl and let us know how you like it!! Whether it’s a dessert or not is up for debate. 😉

Just mix and bake!!

PREP. Preheat oven to 350°F, grease 3 8×4 inch loaf pans (or line with parchment paper for easy removal).

DRY INGREDIENTS. Whisk together your flour, salt, baking powder, poppy seeds and 2½ cups white sugar in a large bowl or stand mixer.

WET INGREDIENTS. Add the eggs, milk, oil, sour cream, vanilla, and lemon extract until smooth.

BAKE. Distribute batter evenly into three 8×4 inch prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes. Cool loaves in pans for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

FROSTING. Mix together orange juice, powdered sugar and lemon extract until well combined. Pour over your loaves while they are still hot. Allow to cool completely before serving.

Tips + Variations

Room temperature: Bring the cold ingredients like the eggs, milk, and sour cream to room temperature first, they will bond better when you mix them together making a smoother batter and more evenly textured bread.

Crack on top of your bread: that is a good sign! It just means the bread expanded properly to let out heat when it was cooking.  If you don’t notice a crack on top, no worries, sometimes this can be due to the baking powder being past the expiration date, or any number of factors in the baking process.  It will usually taste just as good.  

Substitute plain yogurt: replace plain yogurt for sour cream, just make sure it isn’t the fat free variety.

Garnish: Add some thinly sliced lemons or some lemon zest to the top of the bread as a pretty garnish before serving.

Make Ahead & Store

Make this bread ahead of time and FREEZE for up to 6 months! It’s best to wrap it in plastic wrap and then store it in a Ziploc freezer bag or wrapped in aluminum foil.

We also recommend waiting to add the glaze until after you have thawed it in the fridge overnight.

One more thing to note – make sure if you are going to be glazing it that you have brought it to room temperature first.

STORE this Lemon Poppy Seed loaf in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. For longer storage, keep it in the fridge.

For more lemon treats:

• Glazed Lemon Zucchini Bread
• Lemon Bundt Cake
• Easy Lemon Bars
• Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Adapted from allrecipes.