Name: Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 1
Ingredients: 2 cups gluten-free flour blend, like Cup4Cup or King Arthur Measure For Measure; 4 teaspoons poppy seeds; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 3/4 cup of granulated sugar; 2 eggs, room temperature; 1/3 cup sour cream or Greek Yogurt, room temperature (use dairy-free if needed); 1/3 cup of vegetable oil, or your oil of choice; 2/3 cup of milk (use lactose-free or dairy-free if needed), at room temperature; 4 Tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice; 1 Tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 small lemon)

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Let's make a bright and fresh quickbread for spring - a gluten-free lemon poppy seed loaf. Yum!

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Do you love lemon-flavored breads and desserts?

I do too.

But I only realized it recently. Thankfully, I'm making an effort to incorporate more lemon-flavored things on the blog, like these gluten-free lemon blueberry scones or these gluten-free lemon & thyme bars.

And of course, this gluten-free lemon poppy seed loaf!

This quickbread is super easy to make, and produces a moist (sorry for using that word) spongelike cake with a light lemon flavor. You could add a glaze to this for added decadence, but I think it's so good as is, you don't need it!

Gluten-Free Flours Blends For Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf

I've tested this gluten-free lemon poppy seed loaf recipe with two gluten-free flour blends, Cup4Cup and King Arthur's Measure For Measure. In the photo below, you can see the difference between the two. No changes were made except using a different gluten-free flour blend. The Cup4Cup loaf had a softer, more spongelike texture, where as the King Arthur Flour was a lot more crumbly. Both tasted great, but Cup4Cup is always my preferred flour for baking gluten-free.

gluten-free lemon poppy seed loaves — Cup4Cup lemon bread on the left, King Arthur on the right

Here's what you'll need to make gluten-free lemon poppy seed bread:

-Gluten-Free Flour: You can use whichever gluten-free flour blend you prefer, but please note, your results may vary if you don't use one of the ones I mentioned above.
-Poppy Seeds
-Baking Soda
-Baking Powder
-Salt
-Eggs
-Sugar
-Oil of choice
-Sour cream or Greek yogurt
-Milk of choice
-Lemon zest
-Lemon juice

How To Make Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

The process to make the gluten-free lemon poppy seed bread is really so easy. You combine the dry ingredients with a whisk. Then in another bowl, you combine the wet ingredients with a whisk, before mixing the two together. And that's it!

Please note: I prefer to let batters like quickbreads and muffins rest for 15 minutes or so before baking. This is a tip from America's Test Kitchen prevents a gritty texture in the final product.

How To Serve Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

This gluten-free lemon poppy seed loaf goes perfectly for breakfast with a cup of tea or coffee. You can add a dab or butter or jam to it for extra decadence, but I really don't think it needs it.

This gluten-free lemon loaf would also make a lovely addition to a weekend brunch. Or you can bring it to a summer barbecue for dessert with glaze on top (more details about that in the recipe card). Whichever way you choose to enjoy it, just make sure to do so within 2-3 days, because like all gluten-free baked goods, it hardens quickly. Keep it tightly wrapped & covered to keep that moisture in!

Can I Make This Dairy-Free?
Yes, but I haven't tried it. Due to the nature of this bread using Greek yogurt/sour cream, you could substitute a dairy-free yogurt/sour cream and milk if you like, and would need to make sure your gluten-free flour blend is dairy-free too (Cup4Cup contains milk powder). Please note if you use a nut-based milk, it could change the color of the batter and make it look much more dull, and not as bright (This happened when I used certified GF oat milk in a batch during testing).

What if it cracks?
Don't worry about it! It just means the bread baked properly. You can always add a glaze on top (recipe details below) if you'd like to cover it up.

More Gluten-Free Baking Recipes

Feel like another easy quickbread? This banana bread with walnuts hits the spot.

Looking for scones recipes? Bake a savory version with bacon, cheddar, and chives, or try these pumpkin scones with maple icing.

Want to practice your pie making skills? Check out this gluten-free peach pie with lattice design.

Ready to take your baking skills to the next level? Try these delightful, buttery, and flaky gluten-free croissants.

Discover all the gluten-free baking recipes on the blog right here.

Here's the full recipe for gluten-free lemon poppy seed loaf!
If you love this recipe, please leave a review! Thank you so much!

Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Bread Recipe

Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf

Yield: 1 loaf

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Additional Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Recipe Adapted From Sally's Baking Addiction

Ingredients

2 cups gluten-free flour blend, like Cup4Cup or King Arthur Measure For Measure
4 teaspoons poppy seeds
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup of granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
⅓ cup sour cream or Greek Yogurt, room temperature (use dairy-free if needed)
⅓ cup of vegetable oil, or your oil of choice
⅔ cup of milk (use lactose-free or dairy-free if needed), at room temperature
4 Tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 small lemon)

Instructions

Remove your eggs, milk, and sour cream/yogurt from the refrigerator to rest at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350° degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9x5'' loaf pan with oil, spray, or butter.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, poppy seeds, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In another medium-sized bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until well combined. Then add the vegetable oil, sour cream/Greek yogurt, milk, lemon juice, and zest.

Once the wet ingredients are combined, add them into the dry ingredients (gluten-free flour mixture) and stir to combine, making sure everything is well incorporated. Don't worry about overmixing - there's no gluten developing here.

Allow the batter to rest for 15 minutes at room temperature. Then pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from oven and let the bread cool on a wire rack while still in the pan (it keeps cooking!). Slice and serve when cooled.

Notes

Gluten-Free Flour: Please note this recipe was specifically formulated using two gluten-free flour blends, Cup4Cup and King Arthur Measure For Measure. If you use a different blend, your results may vary.

Dairy-Free: To make this bread dairy-free, substitute your favorite dairy-free & gluten-free flour blend, dairy-free milk, and dairy-free yogurt/sour cream. Please note that plant-based milks may results in a darker batter.

Glaze: I don't add glaze to this lemon loaf, but you can. Here's a recipe for that.

Storage: Keep the bread tightly covered at room temperature for 2-3 days to retain moisture. It will harden over time, like most gluten-free baked goods.

Nutrition Information

Yield 8 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 349Total Fat 15gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 55mgSodium 294mgCarbohydrates 46gFiber 1gSugar 21gProtein 8g

The nutrition information on each recipe card is provided as a courtesy and for your convenience. The data is calculated by Nutritionix. You are encouraged to make your own calculations based on your ingredients and preferred nutritional facts calculator. While I try to make sure they are accurate, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of these calculations.

Do you like quickbreads?

What's your favorite kind?

Tell me in the comments below!