This Lemon Poppy Seed Bread will satisfy your most intense lemon cravings. Greek yogurt adds richness and fabulous texture and it’s finished with a tart-sweet lemon glaze.
For more lemony treats, try my Easy Lemon Bars and Lemon Zucchini Coffee Cake.
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I’ve been craving citrus like nobody’s business. It’s light, bright, and a wonderful way to perk up a cold, dreary day. That was the motivation behind this recipe and the result was spot-on perfection. This Lemon Poppy Seed Bread has been on my list of baking favorites for years.
It’s a tender, moist loaf full of bright lemon flavor and draped in a sweet-tart icing. Poppy seeds add just a tiny bit of texture. It contains no butter but gets plenty of richness from 2% plain Greek yogurt.
Table of contents
Ingredient Notes
- Dry ingredients: All-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds.
- Wet ingredients: 2% plain Greek yogurt, granulated sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, the juice and zest from a lemon, and pure vanilla extract. I always use Meyer lemons for baking when they’re available. They are super juicy and slightly sweeter than regular lemons.
- Glaze: Powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice.
How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Combine the wet ingredients. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the wet ingredients until well combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, all at once, and use a wooden spoon to mix just until combined.
- Finish the batter. Stir in the poppy seeds The batter will be silky but quite thin.
- Bake. Pour the battr into a greased 9-inch loaf pan and bake it in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Cool. Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Then, remove the bread from the pan and allow it to cool completely before icing.
- Ice. Using a whisk, combine the powered sugar with enough lemon juice so that the icing pours off the tip of a spoon. Drizzle the icing over the top of the cooled bread.
Valerie’s Quick Bread Tips
Measuring Flour: It’s important to use proper measuring techniques, because too much flour can result in a dense, dry quick bread. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup until it’s heaping full, then run a butter knife across the top to level it off, allowing the excess flour to fall back into the container.
Don’t Overmix: Overmixing can lead to a tough texture in your quick bread. Mix the batter until the ingredients are just combined.
Add Moisture: Adding ingredients like yogurt and sour cream ensure your Lemon Poppy Seed Bread will be moist. You can substitute sour cream for all or part of the yogurt in this recipe and still have a wonderful result.
Test for Doneness: Use a toothpick or cake tester to check for doneness. Insert it into the center of the bread and if it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs clinging to it, your quick bread is done.
Cool Properly: Allowing the Lemon Poppy Seed Bread to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes will make it sturdier and easier to remove from the pan. Cool the bread completely before icing, otherwise the icing will just roll off the warm bread.
Storage Tips
- Room Temperature: Enclose the bread in foil or place it in an airtight container and store at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
- Refrigerate: For longer storage, I recommend transferring the container to the refrigerator. If wrapped and chilled, it will stay fresh and tasty for up to a week.
- Freeze: Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe plastic storage bag. Press out as much air as possible, seal the bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the bread at room temperature.
More Quick Bread Recipes You’ll Love
- Carrot Zucchini Bread
- Apple Fritter Bread
- Strawberry Banana Bread
- Cinnamon Swirl Bread
- Browse my collection of muffin and quick bread recipes for more ideas!
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Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- 1 cup 2% plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 large lemon, zested and cut in half
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 9-inch loaf pan generously with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl use an electric mixer to combine the granulated sugar, yogurt, oil, eggs, the juice from half of the lemon (reserve remaining half for later), all of the lemon zest and the vanilla extract. Mix until well combined. Use a wooden spoon to stir in dry mixture, just until combined. Stir in the poppy seeds last and mix until incorporated throughout the batter.
- Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of bread comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Use a knife to around the edges of the loaf pan to loosen the bread and then turn out the loaf onto a plate. Allow to cool completely before drizzling with the lemon glaze.
Lemon Glaze
- Combine the powdered sugar and juice from as much of the remaining half of lemon (2 to 3 tablespoons) to reach the desired drizzling consistency. Drizzle over the completely cooled bread.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
Like this? Please rate & comment below!
This post was originally published on January 16, 2016. It has been updated with new text and images.
Wow
Made this a couple times and it was great. Went fast!! Made it as cup cakes once too.
Today I decided science I had poppy seeds id make it again. This time tho I didn’t have plain yogurt but vanilla flovor instead. So I used that but eliminated the pure vanilla instead. So it’s in the oven now and already smells wonderful. It’s cooler today a break in that 100 degree temps. So it’s a good day to start the oven.
I just made this on Sunday myself, Francey. I split it between two smaller loaf pans so I could give one to my Dad for Father’s Day and keep one for us. I believe it may be my favorite quick bread. I’m happy to hear you’re trying different things with it. I was thinking of doing cupcakes too! Thanks so much for your comment.
I’m off to buy poppy seeds…… Yum
Great blog page!
I just made the lemon yogurt poppy seed bread. Followed the recipe to the tee! Baked it for 45 minutes. Took it out of the oven to check with a tooth pick and the bread was completely raw on the inside but golden brown on the inside! I wrapped it tightly in foil and had to cook it for another 40 minutes! Even after all of that the bread didn’t rise. 🙁 I am very sad about this since I wanted to serve this tomorrow at my Mother’s Day brunch. Hopefully people will still enjoy it. Did I do something wrong? Is there something wrong with the recipe?
I’m sorry to hear this, Emma. I’ve made this bread more times than I can count with a perfect result each time. I can’t say for sure what went wrong but it should never take 85 minutes to bake a quick bread. The bread should bake for between 45 and 55 minutes but if it was browning more than you like, I’d suggest covering the top with foil at the end of the baking time but would not recommend covering it tightly with foil. I would check your oven to be sure it is heating properly. Also, when you say it didn’t “rise” it makes me wonder if you might not have included the baking powder with the flour and salt in the first step?
I have everything except Greek yogurt. I just have “regular” full fat plain yogurt. Think it is ok to substitute?
Hi Melissa. I’ve not tried it with regular yogurt but I think it’d probably work out okay. I’ve subbed sour cream frequently in baking recipes that call for Greek yogurt with a good result. Let me know how it works out for you!
I really want to make this, can you give me a guesstament of how much lemon juice is actually used?
Thank you
The recipe calls for one large lemon. The juice from half the lemon (approximately 2 to 3 tablespoons) is added to the batter and the juice from the remaining half of the lemon is used to make the icing. If the lemons are looking very small or not very juicy, pick up two. Let me know how it turns out for you!
When I made the glaze for some reason it did not turn out as pictured.. It drizzled on clear (not white). Perhaps I should have added more icing sugar?
Yes, Sonia, that is correct. Continue whisking in additional powdered sugar until you reach the consistency you are after. I actually prefer a thin glaze but I think either way it will be delicious!
This is very good! I made it twice! The first time was a oops. So I made it off of the printable recipe and it lists the oil on the ingredients but not in the directions to prepare it. I realized just after putting it in the oven (I saw the oil sitting out). Just a heads up! So good thought. Even the one with out oil was not bad! ?
Thank you so much for pointing this out, Kristen! I’ve updated the recipe. These things slip by sometimes. I’m SO sorry that I didn’t catch it before you made the bread but glad it worked out for you in the end 🙂
This looks delish! Only problem
Is now I want some! I want to make this soon!
Thanks so much, Laura. I hope you try it!
Val: The lemon …….. bread looks delicious and I don’t believe I’ve ever had a moist type before. I do like yogurt. I’ll try to get Bonnie to make one so she will probably be in touch. I also recognize the serving plate, it is one from the older set. Possibly even from the original starter set of two place settings with a sugar and creamer given to your Great Grandmother Wachter as a wedding gift back on the farm in Ohio. The second set was started during WWII by your Grandmother Black-Longenecker when she worked at the glass company, and finished afterward when she was spokesperson for GE appliances on the local Toledo TV station.
Old Dad
Dad, your comment means so much to me. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave it! I try to feature the Haviland in my posts as much as possible, which is a pretty easy task. It is gorgeous and I treasure each and every piece. It’s wonderful to hear the history behind it.
I hope Bonnie makes you the bread 🙂
Love you, Val
What a great dad! And a lovely story. Can’t wait to bake the bread today myself!
Oh yum, I love lemon and poppy seed bread!!!!
What an awesome looking bread!!! The flavors sound delicious! Great pics!
It’s so good to hear from you, MJ.! Thanks so much for the sweet comments 🙂
This bread looks amazing, Valerie! Your photos make me want an entire loaf to myself! 🙂
Thank you so much, Amy. Everyone loved it so much I had to bake another loaf yesterday!
Would this freeze well? And would you wait to glaze it till about to serve?