Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Sweet and delicious lemon poppy seed bread that also happens to be gluten and dairy free! This bread is one of my all time favorites; growing up, I always loved all things lemon like my dad. I created this recipe because I wanted to make a version that was free of gluten and dairy but still tastes great! This bread is also paleo-approved if you do not include the optional frosting.

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread Ingredients

Almond Flour: The main component of the bread is almond flour. I don’t recommend using any kind of substitute flour for this recipe as I have not tried any other kinds. Almond flour is very thin and works much differently than any all-purpose flour.

Tapioca Flour: Tapioca flour is a thickener very similar to cornstarch or arrowroot starch. You could substitute the tapioca flour in this recipe for arrowroot starch if that’s all you have one hand, but I don’t recommend skipping it all together for the texture.

Coconut Flour: Due to the fact that almond flour is so fine, coconut flour is used for the lemon bread as a denser compliment. The coconut flour will help bind the batter together and make for a better texture when baked.

Eggs: Use two whole eggs, slightly beaten, for this recipe to help it bind together with the dry ingredients and rise. I haven’t tested any substitutes but I would recommend trying a flax egg and adding some additional nut milk if needed for texture.

Lemons: You’ll need two lemons for the bread, both the juice and the zest. Use a lemon zester or any kind of greater or microplane to completely zest the lemons before halving and squeezing out the juice. You can also use bottled lemon juice.

Maple Syrup: Maple syrup is the sweetener for this recipe, which is still considered a paleo option. You could also use honey, but in that case reduce the amount to 1/4 cup. You may need to add additional almond milk if the batter is too dry.

Unsweetened Nut Milk: You can use any kind of unsweetened nut milk, including almond, coconut, macadamia, hemp or even oat. If you don’t have an allergy or preference, you can also use 1% milk.

Coconut Oil: Coconut oil will keep the bread very moist, and you won’t taste any of the coconut in it. You can substitute with olive oil, ghee, or melted butter but the taste will vary slightly depending on which one you use.

Poppy Seeds: Poppy seeds are the classic addition to lemon bread that add a bit of texture but don’t have much taste. If you’d prefer to, you can omit the poppy seeds and just have lemon bread.

Confectioners Sugar: The confectioners sugar is used for the optional lemon frosting. This is the only component that isn’t paleo-approved because it has refined sugar. You can omit the frosting if you’d like to keep the recipe paleo.

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Recipe by Jenn Lueke

4.5 from 19 votes

Servings

Adjust servings

+

–

8

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

50

minutes

Sweet and delicious lemon poppy seed bread that also happens to be gluten and dairy free! This bread is one of my all time favorites; growing up, I always loved all things lemon like my dad. I created this recipe because I wanted to make a version that was free of gluten and dairy but still tastes great! This bread is also paleo-approved if you do not include the optional frosting.

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Ingredients

• 2 cups almond flour, packed

• 1/4 cup tapioca flour or cornstarch

• 2 tablespoons coconut flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

• juice of 2 lemons ( about 1/2 cup)

• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup

• 1/3 cup unsweetened nut milk

• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds

• zest of 2 lemons (about 3 tbsp)

• LEMON FROSTING (optional)

• 1 cup confectioners sugar

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons unsweetened nut milk

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350F and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, lemon juice, maple syrup, nut milk, coconut oil and vanilla extract.
• Pour the mixed wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and incorporate the mixes until just combined. Fold in the lemon zest and poppy seeds and incorporate.
• Transfer the mix to the loaf pan lined with parchment and bake for 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Check the bread halfway through and cover with foil if the top is browning quickly.
• While the bread cooks, make the lemon frosting by combining the confectioners sugar, lemon juice and nut milk in a bowl until it becomes a glaze.
• Allow the bread to cool completely, then pour the frosting on top. I recommend leaving the bread in the pan and letting the frosting set for 10-15 minutes before removing and slicing into 6-8 even pieces.

Notes

• Storage: Wrap in foil or store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 3 days. Refrigerate for up to 5 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.
• Coconut Oil: Swap for 1 stick of melted butter (1/2 cup).
• Make them muffins: Transfer the batter to lined muffins tins and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 15 minutes for regular muffins and about 25 for jumbo muffins.

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