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Loaf of lemon poppy seed bread drizzled with glaze on a cooling rack

Easy Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Anna Schaber
This tangy Lemon Poppy Seed Bread is perfect for lemon lovers! Every slice is moist and tender thanks to protein-rich Greek yogurt while generous amounts of fresh lemon juice and zest make this loaf extra lemony. Plus it's easily made by hand - no mixer required!
4.68 from 95 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 47 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 2 minutes
Course Breakfast & Brunch
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 389 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

Bread

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Freshly grated zest of 2 large lemons
  • ¾ cup whole milk plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs lightly beaten
  • 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • ⅓ cup oil (vegetable, canola or olive)
  • 2 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 ½ tablespoons milk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Lemon syrup

  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar

Lemon glaze

  • 1 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • ½ cup powdered sugar

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Instructions
 

To make the bread:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8 ½ x 4 ½-inch loaf pan.
  • Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • Place lemon zest, yogurt, sugar, eggs, poppy seeds, oil, lemon juice, milk and vanilla extract in a large bowl and whisk until combined. Gently fold flour mixture into yogurt mixture until just combined. (Batter will look lumpy.)
  • Pour batter into pan and bake for 42 - 47 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

To make the syrup:

  • While the bread is baking, combine lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until sugar has dissolved.
  • Immediately pour warm syrup over hot bread after it has been removed from oven and allow to cool completely in the pan.

To make the glaze:

  • Once bread has cooled, whisk together 1 tablespoon of lemon juice with powdered sugar, adding more to achieve a smooth consistency. Drizzle glaze over top of bread. Slice and serve.

Notes

Ingredient tips:

  • Use whole milk plain Greek yogurt for best flavor. 
  • Fresh lemon juice is a MUST in this recipe. Bottled juice does not have the same flavor. 
  • Not a poppy seed fan? You can easily leave them out and this bread will still taste delicious.

Baking tips: 

  • Metal pans are better for baking than glass pans as they do not retain their heat as long and possibly overbake the bread. 
  • Check your bread five minutes before the recommended minimum baking time as oven temperatures vary. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. If your baked goods are consistently over or undercooked, consider buying an inexpensive oven thermometer to check your oven temperature. 

Storage:

  • Loosely wrap bread and store on the counter for 1-2 days. If the bread is wrapped too tightly, the powdered sugar glaze will be absorbed into the bread. I like to slice my bread using a serrated knife and store it in a larger plastic container with a lidded top that is not completely sealed shut. 

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Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 389kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 8gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 294mgFiber: 2gSugar: 41g

Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.

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