Breakfast. The most important meal of the day. I will always be team breakfast, and this amazing lemon poppy seed bread is the best thing you'll have for breakfast, ever. I mean, what's not to love? A delicate crumb, bright citrus flavor from the lemon, and a slight crunch from the poppy seeds. This bread is excellent for breakfast, a snack, and everything in between. Let's dive in!

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

There's nothing much more classic than lemon and poppy seed. Of course, there's my blood orange poppy seed loaf and my lemon poppy pancakes, so there's no lack of these types of recipes on my site, but this poppy seed bread is a must! This particular version is paleo friendly, made completely gluten and dairy free. All my paleo friends can rejoice!

Why bake with poppy seeds? What can I pair them with?

Baking with poppy seeds gives the overall texture and flavor of the bread a not-so-sweet crunch, snap, bite, and have a slew of health benefits! I really love baking with these seeds because of the unique texture they give to anything they are baked with. You can truly make anything with poppy seeds, such as :

• Rolls
• Scones
• Muffins
• Loaves
• Pancakes
• Waffles

There's no shortage of amazing recipe ideas to incorporate poppy seeds!

Kitchen tools

The beauty of making a breakfast or quick bread is that it really only takes one bowl, a few kitchen tools, and you're good to go!

• Large mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Spatula
• Loaf pan
• Parchment paper

How do I make this lemon poppy seed bread?

The ingredients for this bread couldn't be easier!

• Eggs: Just two is what we ask for!
• Cane Sugar and Light Brown Sugar: The light brown sugar offers a richer, deeper color and flavor
• Oil: Avocado or olive oil are preferred in this recipe
• Almond Milk: We want to keep this recipe dairy free, so almond milk is preferred.
• Lemon Juice and Zest
• Paleo Baking Flour: I like to use Bob's Red Mill paleo baking flour blend, but read on in this blog post for swaps!
• Baking Soda and Baking Powder
• Demerara Sugar: This is a coarse sugar that is added on top to give a little additional sweetness and crunch.
• Poppy Seeds: The reason we're all here right? A little more poppy seeds goes a long way, so be generous here!

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350º and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together both sugars and eggs for 3 minutes until the mixture gets light and airy.
3. To the mixture, pour in the vanilla extract, oil, almond milk, lemon juice and lemon zest. Whisk again to incorporate.
4. In the same bowl, pour the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and poppy seeds, then whisk just until the batter comes together and the poppy seed are fully incorporated.
5. Let the batter sit on the counter for at least 10 minutes.
6. Pour the batter into the pan, with an option to top with Demerara sugar. Bake for 55 minutes.
7. Take the bread out of the oven and let sit for 20 minutes before slicing.

Swaps and Tips

Do I need to make this gluten and diary free?

Nope, you can opt for milk and for an all-purpose flour if you choose not to make it GF/DF. The measurements may vary a little bit with the all purpose flour, but aim for 2 cups spooned and leveled or approximately 256g if you're weighing your ingredients (which I HIGHLY RECOMMEND).

Does this recipe work in muffin form?

Yes, absolutely! I have a lemon poppy seed muffin recipe on the blog too!

Can I freeze this loaf after I bake it?

You definitely can freeze this! Wrap tightly with cling wrap and place in a ziplock bag. This will stay for 2-3 minutes, but let defrost at least 30 minutes before serving.

Hungry for more?

Check out these other delicious breakfasts!

• Easy Brunch Charcuterie Board
• Sausage Gravy
• Apple Pie Challah French Toast Bites