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Lemon poppy seed bread is a moist loaf of sweet lemon bread, speckled with poppy seeds and topped with a delicious lemon glaze. A sure sign that spring has arrived.

Nothing says Easter and springtime more to me than lemon! We love lemon anything at our house, be it sweet or savory. I especially like my lemon when it’s combined with poppy seeds! If you are looking for a nice, light sweet treat, a loaf or two of lemon poppy seed bread is the perfect recipe.
One of the things I love about this recipe is that it has a nice light lemon flavor. Even non lemon lovers will enjoy it. There is lemon zest in the batter for a subtle lemon flavor and and then a nice sweet, lemony glaze on top that soaks into the bread as it cools creating a lovely sugary topping to the bread.
Ingredients Needed
- All Purpose Flour
- Sugar
- Butter
- Eggs
- Milk, 2% or whole
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Lemon, juice and zest
- Poppy Seeds
How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom only of four (5 1/2 x 3 inch) mini loaf pan or 1 full size bread pans. Set aside.
- Cream together butter and sugar. Add in eggs one at a time.
- Add in dry ingredients, milk, poppy seeds and lemon zest and stir just until combined.
- Spread batter evenly into prepared pans.
- Bake at 350 degrees F until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30-40 minutes
- Stir together melted butter, sugar, and lemon juice in small bowl.
- Drizzle over warm bread loaves.
- Cool 10 minutes and remove from pans.
Tips from leigh Anne
- The recipe calls for dividing the batter among four small mini loaf pans, but you can also make 2 large loaves if you prefer. Increase baking time to 45-50 minutes.
- Grease only the bottoms of your loaf pan, whether you use four mini ones or two large ones.
- To make sure you have even amounts of batter in each pan, use a kitchen scale to weigh each pan. This will ensure the loaves bake at the same time.
- Pour the glaze over the loaves right after taking them out of the oven, you want them nice and warm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I freeze lemon poppy seed bread?
This recipe freezes really well. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and then foil. It will last in the freezer for 3 months.
How can I tell if my poppy seeds have gone bad?
Poppy seeds have a high oil content and can go bad quickly. They should have a sweet, nutty smell. They should also taste mildly sweet and nutty. If they taste off it is best to throw them away and use new poppy seeds.
Check out more of my quick bread recipes:
Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 C sugar
- 1 C butter softened
- 3 eggs
- 2 1/4 C all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 C milk
- 2 Tbsp poppy seeds
- 1 Tbsp freshly grated lemon peel
Glaze
- 1/2 C sugar
- 3 Tbsp butter melted
- 4 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom only of four (5 1/2 x 3 inch) mini loaf pan or 1 full size bread pans. Set aside.
- Cream together butter and sugar. Add in eggs one at a time.
- Add in dry ingredients, milk, poppy seeds and lemon peel. Stir just until combined.
- Spread batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Stir together all glaze ingredients in small bowl.
- Drizzle over warm bread loaves. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pans.
Kristy says
Looks fantastic! I haven’t eaten that in so long, must put it on my list of more recipes I want to try!
Rebecca Luke says
mmmm. Yummy! Did you get my e-mail with the recipe Leigh Ann? I couldn’t tell if it actually sent or not, and I didn’t want you to get like 7 e-mails of the same thing!
Melissa says
That looks delicious! I will be definitely trying this recipe!