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Gluten Free Lemon Poppy Seed Bread made with almond flour and coconut flour, a lemon glaze, and is paleo, so no dairy in it. This moist loaf is one of the best healthy lemon poppy seed bread recipes!
We live for lemon poppy seed everything in this house. Seriously, that was always one of the key flavors of my childhood. My mom used to always bring home lemon poppy seed muffins, which is why I also created a healthier version of my beloved favorite: oat flour lemon poppy seed muffins.
This bread is moist, lemony, soft, fluffy, and one bite in automatically makes you channel spring. Each bite is speckled with plenty of poppy seeds and fresh lemon, taking you back to your childhood (or at least mine!) when lemon poppy seed everything flooded your kitchen.
Breakfast bread, afternoon snack, dessert at night…whenever you want, this bread is a refreshing treat filled with real food and wholesome ingredients.
The right amount of lemon mixes with the almond flour and coconut flour to create a sweet, yet slightly nutty take on traditional lemon poppy seed bread.
Iced with a delicious lemon glaze that is simple to make, refreshing, and adds the perfect bit of sweetness to the top of this bread. I like a thick glaze so I keep the liquid to a minimum, but if you prefer its more runny, go ahead and add some more milk to it.
Why I love this gluten free lemon poppy seed bread
- No weird ingredients!! I like to keep my breads simple. This is only a combination of two gluten free flours: almond flour and coconut flour.
- Easy. All you need to do is mix your ingredients together and throw it in the oven and boom. Done.
- Low carb. Watching your carbs or just want something that is more nutrient dense? Low carb doesn’t mean no flavor. In fact, I like this lemon poppy seed bread better than the traditional bread.
- Uses honey as the only sugar replacement.
- Perfect to make for an Easter brunch, or heck, any holiday brunch at all.
- Also perfect for a mid-morning healthy snack or dessert after dinner.
How do you make this bread?
First. Zest that lemon like you’ve never zested before. But really, I like to zest the lemon first because it just puts me in a good mood with the fresh lemon scent.
Then you throw all your dry ingredients in a bowl.
Whisk up all your wet ingredients in another bowl.
Add those dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, add in your poppy seeds and your lemon zest, and pour into a bread loaf pan.
Then bake! While it’s baking prepare your glaze by whisking all of the ingredients together.
Once completely cooled, ice your fresh lemony loaf and serve!
The best way to store this bread is on the counter for up to 48 hours, or in the fridge after that!
If you make this recipe, be sure to comment below and let me know how it was! Also tag @erinliveswhole on Instagram and use the hashtag #erinliveswhole so I can see it and feature you!
Gluten Free Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
Gluten Free Lemon Poppy Seed Bread made with almond flour and coconut flour, a lemon glaze, and is paleo, so no dairy in it. This moist loaf is one of the best healthy lemon poppy seed bread recipes!
Ingredients
Bread
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
Optional Glaze (not paleo!)
- 1.5 cups powdered sugar
- 2–3 tbsp almond milk
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a bread loaf pan with parchment paper AND cooking spray. The paper will assist with an easy release of the bread and is a key step.
2. In a small bowl, mix almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, whisk three eggs.
4. Stir in coconut oil, honey, almond milk, vanilla, and lemon juice.
5. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until completely combined.
6. Stir in poppy seeds and lemon zest, then pour into bread pan.
7. Place in oven and bake for 50-60 minutes (will depend on bread pan, mine was exactly 9×5 and took ~50 min), or until toothpick comes out clean. Cover halfway through if starts to brown on top.
8. While baking, prepare glaze by whisking together powdered sugar, almond milk, and lemon juice.
9. Let loaf cool completely before glazing.
10. Enjoy! Store on counter for up to 48 hours before putting in fridge.
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Jane says
I was planning on making a lemon poppy seed bread for Easter and it came down to this one or another GF recipe. Asked my daughter which one I should make and she “said make Erin Lives Whole…her recipes are always great!” And this recipe proved to be no exception. Everything went together easily and the end result was perfect. I made the recipe in three mini loaf pans in the hopes that one would make it into the freezer (but I don’t think that will happen LOL).
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Jane, so so happy you both loved it!! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Aline says
What size bread pan? It appears to be 8X4 to me. It is much appreciated that you have made your recipes healthier. Looking for one, I found your site and will be trying many of your recipes. Thank you.
Erin says
Hi Aline, yes, it is a 8×4! Enjoy all the recipes!!
Elisabeth says
Hi! Could I substitute the honey for maple syrup??
Erin says
Hi Elisabeth, that should be fine! I haven’t tried it so please let me know how it comes out!!
Ann says
Do you soak or grind your poppy seeds first?
Erin says
Hi Ann, nope you don’t have to do either. Let me know how your bread comes out!
Katie S says
I made this for my aunt and she loved it!! She said that the lemon flavor wasn’t too strong but it was still noticeable, and the loaf was so moist! I have to make it for myself now!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Katie, I am so happy you both loved the bread!!
Aw says
Has anyone tried using cashew or coconut milk in this recipe as a sub for almond milk?
Clair says
Can’t wait to make this! I’m quarantined and don’t have almond flour. Is it possible to use coconut flour only?
Erin says
Hi Clair, I haven’t tried it with only coconut flour, but feel free to and let me know how it comes out!
Tita says
love how light the bread is and how filling! however, the recipe calls for 2 TBSP of lemon zest, and i only manage to get less than 1 TBSP of the lemon zest. So i was worried whether it wont taste very lemon-y. But when i break my fast the next day.. its quite lemon-y!
Thanks for sharing the recipe. Im looking forward to trying the lemon poppyseed muffin next!
★★★★
Erin says
Hi Tita, I am so happy you liked it and made it work for you! 🙂
Lucille says
I Love love love this lemon bread!
You’ve been such a great help in my health journey. I have so many food restrictions but I always come here for a sweet treat because I know Erin has recipes that I can eat too! So thanks so much!!!
Erin says
Hi Lucille, thanks for sharing! I am so happy you enjoy my recipes!
Francesca says
A favorite for breakfast loafs in the house!! Absolutely love it!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Francesca, I am glad everyone enjoys the bread!
Lisa says
Can the almond flour be subbed with something else? I can’t eat almond. Cassava maybe?
Erin says
Hi Lisa, yes any flour will work! Just check the ratio of whatever flour you choose. Let me know how your bread comes out!
Pam says
This is delicious and moist and cannot wait to make another! I didn’t have all the ingredients on hand so I made some substitutions that I will share in case it helps anyone else. In place of the coconut flour I used a gf flour all purpose blend. Because you said you would need less liquid I replaced the 1/3 cup of honey with 1/2 cup of white sugar ( I looked up the equivalent conversion). I replaced the almond milk with lactaid whole milk. Everything else was the same but had to use the lactaid milk in the icing. I’m sure the sugar would not be ideal for many but but it was worth it in this case!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Pam! Thank you so much for the kind words! I am so happy you enjoyed the bread and it came out so well! 🙂
Elizabeth says
Thank you so much for doing the work to test a HEALTHY recipe for this commonly popular and adored flavor profile!
I chose to put this batter into muffin tins instead of making a loaf. At 350 the muffins were ready after 24 mins.
Erin says
Hi Elizabeth! You are very welcome!! I am so happy you like them! 🙂
Maddie says
OH MY GOSH!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! Healthy baking is soooooo hard when you come across lots of yummy looking recipes that never taste good. Let me just say, this lemon cake was insane! My family couldn’t believe it!! Thank you!!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Maddie, thank you so much for your kind words!! I’m so happy you and your family enjoyed it! 🙂
Sasha says
It turned out amazing!! Super easy and flavorful
Erin says
Hi Sasha, so happy you enjoyed it!
cassandra diaz says
SO GOOD!
The texture, flavor and look was spot on. We followed the recipe and added a few drops of Lemon essential oil, which was so yummy.
I didn’t get to make the icing, but know it would have just made it that much more amazing.
Your recipes always get gobbled up and are requested by the whole family!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Cassandra, I am so happy you and your family enjoyed the bread! Hope you have a chance to make the icing next time! 🙂
Cat Johnson says
I’m curious if I can use cassava flour (or another gluten free flour) in place of the coconut flour and still get the same texture? I am allergic to coconut so that is not an option for me, but don’t want to waste ingredients experimenting if you would happen to know the answer. Thanks.
Erin says
I think it would work, but am not super familiar with cassava. Sorry about that!
Lila says
Hi Erin! Could I swap the honey for coconut sugar or apple sauce?
Erin says
Hi Lila, I have not tested any other sweeteners in this recipe. Feel free to give one of them a try and let me know how it goes!