Author: I love loaf.
Drizzled with lemon icing - pretend it's part of a complete breakfast because it goes so damn well with coffee - Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf, I love you.
This is a glorious morning treat. If you want to feel like your house has been magically turned into that really cute little coffee shop down the street, this is the recipe you need to make. (Indie music not included). I love this soft, buttery, fluffy, lemony, poppy seedy loaf. It makes a mornings go from cold cereal boring, to a special spring way to start the day.
This breakfast cake is tasty all on its own, but drizzling the lemon icing, just kicks it up seven notches. I mean look at that drizzle! I dare you to whip out this bad boy and not wow someone, even if it is yourself, who is still in pjs way too late in the day. Not that I would have any experience with that. ~Looks to ceiling and whistling a tune~
My recipe isn't quite as yellow as some of the lemon loaves you see out there, but that's because I didn't use any food colouring, and I opted to use whole wheat flour to get a little nutrition squished in there. Personally, I think it looks gorgeous and I tell it that all the time. I don't judge by the colour of your loaf.
So here we go, mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. You can opt for less poppy seeds if you like, but I LOVE the flavour of poppy seeds, so I wasn't shy.
Mix the wet ingredients in a medium bowl. Don't forget to zest your lemons before juicing them, because then you may run into some serious zesting issues.
Mix wet into dry until just combined. No need to beat this to death, and kill all those lovely rising bubbles.
Pour into a lightly greased loaf pan. A metal one will work fine too, and bake.
Let your loaf cool completely before icing. Then just drizzle the icing all over, in any zig-zagy way you like. It always seems to look pretty no matter how messy you are. Let the icing set, stand back, cross your arms, nod, and be impressed at your gorgeous baked treat.
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Vegan Lemon Poppy Loaf
Servings: loaf (about 12 slices)
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Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet ingredients:
- 1 ¼ cups plant-based milk, (such as soy or almond)
- ½ cup light oil, (such as canola or vegetable)
- ⅓ cup lemon juice, (2-3 lemons)
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the lemon icing:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F (190 C). Lightly grease an 8" x 4" loaf pan.
- In a large bowl whisk together all the dry ingredients.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently mix together. Don't over mix, lumps are totally fine.
- Pout the batter into at the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45 - 55 mins, rotating once midway through. The loaf is ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool completely before icing. When cool, mix the lemon icing ingredients together in a bowl. Set the loaf on a cooling rack over a baking sheet to catch all the excess icing. Drizzle the icing over the loaf. Let the icing set for about 30 minutes before slicing.
Nutrition
⭐ Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love if you left a rating and comment, it helps others find the recipe and makes my day! 💕Featured Ingredient: Poppy Seeds. 76 Days, 45 Recipes to go!
Bon Appetegan
Sam.
raina says
Hi Sam, ok so mmmmmmmm...making this today. One question, are the poppy seeds whole or ground? Thank you.
Sam Turnbull says
Whole poppy seeds! (Otherwise you won't see them in the loaf like in the picture). Enjoy!
Caroline says
Could we use almond flour instead of wheat flour?
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Carloine,
Almond flour is simply ground up almonds, which mean it doesn't have the same binding qualities as wheat flour. If you are looking for a gluten free option I recommend trying an all-purpose gluten free blend intended for baking. I know Bob's Red Mill makes one. I hope that helps!
Kelly says
Do you have to use whole wheat flour or can j use all-purpose?
Sam Turnbull says
This recipe is designed for whole wheat flour, if you use all-purpose, you will have to experiment with ratios. Here is a good guide. I haven't tried it myself though, so I can guarantee results.
Tyra says
Do you think I could replace lemon and poppy seed with a berry and nut? For example strawberries and almonds? Also, would the temp be the same if I wanted to do lemon poppy seed muffins instead of a loaf? Great recipe and thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Tyra,
The lemon in the recipe is used as a rising agent along with the baking soda, so you wouldn't want to cut that. I think you could add some berries and nuts to the recipe and it should be ok. For muffins, my guess is that the temperature would be ok, but they would take way less time to bake. I haven't tested any of these changes however, so if you experiment, I can't promise good results. I hope it works out for you! 🙂
Avi says
Hi! I am trying to get away from refined sugar - if I used honey, would it be the same amount or less? do you think I would beed to balance out the extra 'wet' ?
Sam Turnbull says
I don't cook with honey as it's not vegan, so I am not really sure. If you are trying to cut refined sugar, I would try unrefined palm sugar which I have heard good things about. Hope that helps!
Anna Topal says
Thanks so much for the recipe I've been craving something lemon-y all day. Making this as we speak! Smells heavenly! 🙂 -Anna
Sam says
You're very welcome! I hope you love it 🙂
Seren says
I've done this recipe like 3 or 4 times by now and never get tired of it. One of my favorite recipes by now. I'm really really thankfull for this one. It's simple and you can eat it at any time, and of course is just delicious <3 Thanks for this webiste! 😀
Sam says
Awww, thank you for the lovely compliment Seren! I'm so happy you enjoy the recipe, and my site! 😀
Porter Parker-Smyth says
I'm looking forward to trying this soon! I was a bit confused with the quantity of lemons. Are the 2-3 lemons also for the icing? Or should i buy 4? Thank you!
Sam says
Hi Porter,
(what a super great name by the way!)
It just depends on the lemon size, and how much juice you can get from them. You need 1/3 cup for the load, and 2 additional tablespoons for the icing. I find that lemons in my grocery store vary a lot in size, so I would always buy more just to be on the safe side. Then I use any leftovers for lemon water. I hope that helps!
Ash says
Hello! My husband and I absolutely LOVEEEE this recipe!!! Honestly, I'm making it 2-3 time a week. I use applesauce instead of the oil (we try not to use oil) and I don't add in the poppy seeds or lemon zest just because I never seem to have them. Now that fall is coming I want to encorporate pumpkin into everything possible. Do you think I could take out the lemon and maybe the applesauce and add canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices? Thanks so much!!!
Sam says
Thats awesome Ash!! I am so happy you love the recipe so much and that you were able to make it your own 😀
Sam says
For the pumpkin part of the question, I really have no idea! That would be so many changes that it would be difficult to know how it turns out.
If you give it a go, let us know how it works for you 🙂
Felicity says
Hello! I had been super excited to bake this loaf as soon as I first saw you post it. I'm glad to say that it did not disappoint- in fact, the flavor was wonderful and it was just sweet enough. Each slice was a bit on the chewy side (is that a property of baking with almond milk?), but I loved it. Thanks for this lovely recipe!
Sam says
Yay! The chewiness would likely come from the whole wheat flour. So happy you loved the recipe Felicity!
Gina says
Thank you for sharing this delicious vegan recipe. I noticed a typo that is a bit confusing. The second instruction should say "mix together all the dry ingredients" instead of "wet ingredients." Have a great day!
Sam says
Oh thank you! I will fix that. Ugh, typos. So happy you enjoyed the recipe! 😀
Veronica says
I made these into mini loaves and had them with fruit for dinner. I baked them for about 17 minutes. Fabulous, and even wowed my non-vegan family!
Sam says
Welcome Veronica!
Yay, so happy you and your family loved the recipe, and the mini loaves sound great!
conniefletch says
OMG!!!! Now I know for sure what I'm making for Sunday's Easter brunch!!!! That's a thing of beauty, Sam!!!!
Sam says
Aww shucks, thank you so much Connie 🙂
Michelle says
This sounds amazing!! I'm definitely going to bring this to Easter brunch and dinner! Do you think that coconut palm sugar would be ok to use or should I get granulated sugar for this recipe? Thanks 🙂
Sam says
Hi Michelle,
This would be a great Easter addition! From what I understand about coconut sugar it can be used as a direct replacement of white sugar. I haven't tried it in this recipe myself but it should work out fine. Enjoy!
miche11es says
I wasn't able to make it for Easter, but I did just make it for Mother's Day and it got rave reviews, everyone loved it! Thanks for sharing this recipe, it's definitely a keeper (btw, I used regular sugar and not palm).
Sam says
Welcome miche11es!
I am so very happy you and your family enjoyed the recipe! You're right, this would be a great Mother's Day treat as well. I know my mom loves this recipe!
Kathy Sturr says
Yum! This would be a great treat for company. Love lemon!
Sam says
Yes, it works great for company! I love lemon too, and lime, and all things zesty. 😉
michele says
ever try to do this as cupcakes? i bake to share at work and loafs and cakes get too messy and too many wasted crumbs...
Sam says
I would put it in the muffin category, but I imagine they would work just fine. Just keep an eye on them in the oven as they will take less time to bake. I would guess around 15 minutes but I haven't tried them myself yet.
Cindy says
This looks so yummy. Do you have any suggestions for how to make it gluten and sugar free?
Sam says
Hmmm... I think maybe a gluten free all purpose flour such as Bob's Red Mill mix might work. For sugar free I'm not sure, I don't often make sugar free baked goods. I only eat them on occasion so I usually just go for it! Haha. If you give any alterations a try. Let us know how it turns out 🙂
Milinda says
A gazillion years ago, I was introduced to lemon-poppy seed bread as the perfect Mardi Gras treat, and have loved it ever since. While those holidays are no longer a part of my repertoire, I've missed it, as well as it's cousin almond-poppy seed muffins. Thank you for giving me another chance at enjoying it.
Now I have another excuse for those bags of lemons I love to buy. 🙂
Sam says
I didn't know lemon poppy seed loaf was a Mardi Gras treat, you learn something new every day! I also don't think I have ever tried almond poppy seed muffins, and now I'm hungry!! I hope you enjoy the recipe Milinda 🙂
Katie says
Oh, this sounds delish! I'm going to make this today! Thank you!!
Sam says
Yay! I hope you love the recipe Katie.
The Holistic Herbivore says
This is the perfect Easter bread! It totally screams spring!
Sam says
Oh thank you! I love the lemony sweet taste, it totally says spring to me too. 🙂