Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Jun 27, 2025 
This tender, fluffy, and bright Lemon Poppy Seed Bread is bursting with flavors and coated with a sweet glaze that’s delightful to enjoy any time of day!
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
You know those slices of lemon loaf from your favorite coffee shop? This Lemon Poppy Seed Bread recipe is your ticket to enjoying the best of the best, made right at home with love!
Is it really bread, or is it cake? We are not trying to pull one over on you here. This recipe is a little less sweet than cake with a quick bread texture. However, it’s so irresistible it might as well be cake. You be the judge…
Why You’ll Love This Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
- Citrus flavors – This classic baked treat is bursting with bright and tangy citrus flavors.
- Moist – Every bite of this delicious cake is moist and tender.
- Perfect for entertaining – Whether it’s for brunch or an afternoon coffee with friends, this lemon poppy seed bread is the perfect centerpiece treat for entertaining.
This classic sweet bread makes the perfect brunch item, after-school snack, or quick breakfast!
Ingredients and Tips
- Dry ingredients – For the base of this cake, you’ll need all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt to balance the flavors.
- Poppy seeds – Use regular poppy seeds to get that stunning look and slight crunch.
- Milk – Use whole milk to get that moist interior.
- Eggs – Use large eggs at room temperature.
- Lemons – Make sure to use freshly zested and juiced lemons!
- Yellow food coloring – This is totally optional, but it definitely gives a boost to the cake’s yellow interior.
- Powdered sugar – You need powdered sugar, which along with milk and lemon juice, will make the base of the sweet icing.
Recipe Variations and Dietary Swaps
- Gluten-Free: To make a gluten-free lemon bread, you can use a gluten-free replacement flour that has a 1 to 1 ratio!
- Citrus: Easy lemon bread can be changed into “orange bread” or even “lime bread” by swapping the citrus.
- Glaze: You can opt out of glazing your lemon poppy seed loaf to consume less sugar.
How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
Our recipe for Lemon Poppy Seed Bread is surprisingly easy, and it’ll make for a bakery-style sweet treat at home! Slice and enjoy for breakfast, brunch, snack, and dessert. With two loaves, you can really indulge in all the sweet, tangy lemon loaf cake you like!
Find the full Lemon Poppy Seed Bread recipe with detailed instructions and storage tips in the printable form at the bottom of the post!
Tips For Success
- Use room-temperature ingredients! Whenever you bake cakes or quick breads like this lemon poppy seed cake loaf, it is best to use room-temperature ingredients for the best flavor and texture!
- Don’t overmix the cake batter, especially once you add the flour. Overmixing will result in a dense and tough cake!
- Omit the poppy seeds for a simple sweet lemon loaf!
Storage Notes
- Storing Leftovers – Wrap leftover cake tightly in plastic wrap and store either at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.
- Freezing Leftovers – Wrap the leftover cake tightly again, and store in the freezer for 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
Slice and serve the lemon poppy seed loaf at room temperature or briefly warm in the microwave.
Enjoy for breakfast and brunch with softened butter and/or your favorite fruit preserves. A thick slice is delightful with a hot cup of coffee or tea!
And everyone in the family loves to munch on lemon poppyseed cake for an afternoon snack or dessert with a big glass of cold milk.
Really love lemon? Pair this sweet bread with homemade Lemon Curd!
Lemon Poppy Seed Bread Recipe
Video
Ingredients
For the Lemon Loaf Cake –
- 3 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1 cup flavorless oil vegetable, canola, avocado
- 3 large eggs
- 3 lemons zested and juiced
- 2-4 drops yellow food coloring optional
For the Lemon Glaze –
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Set out two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans, or three 8 x 4 inch loaf pans. Grease the pans well.
- Set out a large mixing bowl and a medium mixing bowl. Zest the lemons, making sure to only grate the yellow skin, not the bitter white underneath. Then juice 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice for the bread, and one extra tablespoon for the glaze.
- In the large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, sugar, poppyseeds, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Then mix in the milk, oil, eggs, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, and all lemon zest. Mix until smooth.
- Pour the poppy seed bread batter evenly into the prepared pans.
- Place them on the center rack, and bake. 55 to 60 minutes for 9 inch pans, 45 to 50 minutes for 8 inch pans.
- When the timer goes off, insert a toothpick deep into the center of the bread. If it comes out clean they are ready. If not, continue baking a checking in 5 minute increments. Remove them from the oven and let them rest in the pans for 15 minutes. Then gently run a butter knife around the edges to loosen the bread, and gently flip the loaves out of the pans onto a wire rack.
- While the loaves are cooling, measure the powdered sugar into the medium bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of milk and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the powdered sugar. Whisk until very smooth.
- Drizzle the glaze evenly over the top of the poppyseed loaves. Allow them to cool and dry until the glaze is set. Then wrap well in plastic until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course, it won’t then be poppy seed bread, but yes – you can definitely use this as an excellent lemon loaf recipe. Omit the poppy seeds for a delicious sweet and tart lemon cake bread with glaze.
Absolutely! As-is, this recipe makes 2 loaves, each with approximately 12 slices – 24 slices in total. Halve the ingredients and bake just one lemon poppy seed loaf for 12 servings.
Use your preferred plant-based milk alternative to easily make this sweet bread without dairy. Almond, soy, and oat milk are great alternatives!
Lemon loaf cake will keep well for up to a week at room temperature. Keep tightly wrapped in plastic or store in an airtight container.
Yes, these loaves freeze very well! However, I do recommend that you wait to glaze until you’re ready to serve.
Let the baked bread cool, and wrap in plastic wrap. Then wrap in a layer of aluminum foil, and store in an airtight plastic zipper bag. It will keep well for up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, or on the countertop for 2-3 hours.
Lemon and poppyseed my two favorites – great recipe, baked up perfectly!
I love lemon anything so I knew I’d like these but I didn’t know just how MUCH I’d love them. They were incredible! Thank you so much for a new favorite!
This is so bright and the texture is perfect. Love it!