This lemon poppyseed bread is the best way to brighten your day! Not only easy to make, this loaf is tender and lightly sweet with a zingy glaze perfect served as an afternoon or breakfast treat.

lemon poppyseed bread on a wooden board with two slices in front

Zesty, Zingy, Zero Fuss

This loaf has bright, fresh lemon flavor that makes every slice taste light, buttery, and bakery worthy.
It is an easy homemade loaf made with simple pantry staples and no complicated steps.
Make this lemony loaf as a Mother’s Day treat, for Sunday brunch, a baby shower or just any day you need a sweet treat.

lemons, eggs, baking powder, baking soda, flour, butter, poppyseeds, sugar, sour milk, assembled to make lemon poppyseed bread

The Magic Behind the Loaf

Dry Ingredients: The trio of flour, baking powder, and baking soda creates structure. The baking powder and baking soda help the loaf rise beautifully and give it that light bakery style texture.
Buttery Mixture: Softened butter adds rich flavor and moisture, while sugar adds sweetness and helps create a golden, delicate crumb. Eggs help bind the batter together while adding stability. They also help the bread bake up fluffy and slice cleanly.
Liquid Mixture: The stars of this recipe!
Fresh lemon juice adds bright citrus notes, while the zest brings bold lemon oils for color and extra fresh and vibrant flavor.
Sour milk adds moisture and tenderness while reacting with the baking soda for a softer crumb. It also gives the loaf that delicious tang that pairs perfectly with lemon.
Poppyseeds add a light crunch and classic texture plus it balances the soft lemon loaf beautifully.
Lemon Glaze: Optional, but highly recommended!
This super easy glaze made with powdered sugar and lemon juice, adds a sweet and citrusy finish giving every slice an extra burst of lemon flavor.

process to make lemon poppyseed bread where the sugar and softened butter have been whisked together

process to make lemon poppyseed bread where dry ingredients and wet ingredients are added alternately into butter mixture

How to Make Lemon Poppyseed Bread

In a small bowl, whisk dry ingredients.
Zest and juice lemons, and prepare the wet mixture.
Blend butter mixture.
Alternate adding flour mixture and milk mixture into the batter, folding gently until just combined.
Pour into prepared pan and bake (as directed in recipe).
Cool completely on a wire rack.
Mix glaze and drizzle over cooled loaf.

powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest assembled to make the lemon glaze for lemon poppyseed bread

lemon glaze for lemon poppyseed bread in a clear mixing bowl

Citrus Secrets & Crumb Clues

Zest the lemon first, then proceed to juice it. This makes it much easier to extract the juice and is less messy. A juicer is a great way to extract every drop of juice, but you can also use a fork inserted into a lemon half held with one hand and squeeze with the other.
How to make sour milk? Add a splash of lemon juice, or vinegar, to regular milk and allow to rest for a bit.
Do not overmix the batter. Fold ingredient groups together gently to keep the loaf soft and tender.
The loaf will rise best if you begin with a high oven temperature, then lower it to finish baking.
Cool loaf completely before adding the glaze. This will keep that drizzle beautiful.
Adjust the glaze to your liking. A thicker glaze is more like a frosting, while a thin glaze will almost absorb into the loaf.

sliced lemon poppyseed bread with the glaze dripping down the side

Keep It Fresh & Flavorful

No matter how you store this lemon and poppyseed loaf wrap it whole, or as individual slices, with plastic wrap or in an airtight container.

At room temperature, store for up to 3 days.
Refrigerate for up to 1 week. It is best to bring the loaf to room temp before serving.
Freeze for up to 2 months. I like to also wrap with foil in this case, or add into a freezer zippered bag.

a slice of lemon poppyseed bread with a bite taken out on a white plate with remaining bread in the background

More Bread and Roll Recipes

I hope you enjoy this lemon poppyseed bread as much as I do! Leave a comment and rating below.

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Lemon Poppyseed Bread

Donnalea

Servings

Prep 20

Cook 1

Cool 1

Print Pin

This moist lemon poppyseed bread is an easy quick bread that’s buttery, bright, and perfect for brunch or snacking.

Equipment

Loaf pan 9"x5"
mixing bowls
parchment paper

Ingredients

2½ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon poppyseeds
½ cup salted butter softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup sour milk
½ cup lemon juice
2 Tablespoon lemon zest

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

Grease a 9"x5" loaf pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Reheat oven to 375˚F
In a small bowl combine 2½ cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon baking soda.
Zest 2 lemons, and squeeze the juice out of both. Set aside 1 Tablespoon of the juice for the glaze.
In a small bowl mix 1 cup sour milk with ½ cup lemon juice and 2 Tablespoon lemon zest.
In a medium mixing bowl, blend softened ½ cup salted butter and 1 cup sugar together well. Add 2 large eggs and whisk well. Add 1 Tablespoon poppyseeds.
Mix the flour and sour milk mixture alternately into the egg mixture, folding between each addition, until just combined.
Fold into prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes at 375˚F. Turn oven down to 350˚F and continue to bake for 45 minutes.
Check for doneness by a toothpick inserted into the middle of loaf comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Glaze

In a small bowl, mix 1 cup powdered sugar with the reserved 1 Tablespoon lemon juice. Mix. If it is too thick, add ¼ water, or more if needed.
Drizzle glaze over cooled loaf.

Notes

To sour milk, add 1 Tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup milk. Allow to stand about 5 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 297kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 5gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 163mgPotassium: 91mgFiber: 1gSugar: 28gVitamin A: 315IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 68mgIron: 1mg

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