Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

This lemon poppy seed bread is bright, moist, and full of fresh citrus flavor! The poppy seeds give it a little texture, and the lemon glaze on top adds a little extra tang. It's a simple, easy recipe that's perfect for breakfast, a snack, or a light dessert.

Why Room Temperature Ingredients?

Using room temperature ingredients—especially eggs, butter, and any other dairy—will almost always give you better results when baking, since they combine more evenly and smoothly with the dry ingredients. It can be frustrating to wait for things to warm up when you're short on time, so here are a few quick tricks to speed up the process:

For butter, place the stick (still in its paper wrapper) on a plate and microwave it for 6 seconds. Rotate it 90 degrees so it’s resting on a different side, then microwave for another 6 seconds. Repeat until it’s fully softened but not melting.

For eggs, just place them in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes before using.

For the milk and Greek yogurt in this recipe, I measure them into a microwave-safe bowl and heat them together for about 30 seconds, or just until they’re no longer cold. Microwaving Greek yogurt for this long on its own will curdle it, so make sure to add the milk to the same bowl.

How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Preheat your oven to 350°Fahrenheit. Lightly coat a metal loaf pan with cooking spray and set it aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and poppy seeds, then set the mixture aside. In a separate bowl, combine the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Use your fingers to rub them together until the mixture is fragrant and fully blended—this helps release the oils from the zest and gives the bread a more intense citrus flavor.

Add the softened butter to the sugar-zest mixture. Using a hand mixer, beat on medium speed until the butter is fully incorporated. Then add the eggs and mix again on medium speed until smooth.

Next, add the Greek yogurt, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed until everything is well combined. Gently fold in the dry ingredients using a rubber spatula, mixing just until no dry streaks remain.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for about 40–50 minutes, loosely covering the pan with foil if it starts over-browning. The loaf is ready when the center is set and a toothpick inserted comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Start checking around the 35-minute mark to be safe.

Once it’s done, carefully remove the lemon poppy seed loaf from the pan and let it cool on a wire rack.

How to Make the Lemon Glaze

While the bread cools, make the glaze. Whisk together the lemon juice and almond extract. Gradually mix in the sifted powdered sugar until smooth. It will be extremely thick--then mix in the water to thin it out--and add more water if necessary.

Drizzle the glaze over the loaf, and let it set for a few minutes before cutting into the loaf.

Similar Recipes

If you you're looking for other quick sweet bread recipes like this one, make sure to check these out:

Greek Yogurt Banana Bread

Lemon Raspberry Bread

If you try out this lemon poppy seed bread or any of my other recipes, I’d LOVE to hear about it. You can leave a comment below the recipe, or if you post a picture on Instagram, be sure to tag me! Getting any feedback on my recipes is both rewarding AND helpful as I write and edit recipes in the future.

Now get baking, and enjoy!