This Lemon Poppy Seed Bread turned out so bright and moist I’ve already made it twice this week!

I had a bunch of lemons sitting around and decided to bake something sunny. This lemon poppy seed loaf was perfect! It’s super moist thanks to the sour cream and oil, loaded with bright lemon flavor, and those little poppy seeds give it the best texture. The glaze seeps in while it’s warm and makes the top nice and sticky-sweet.

My family loved it for breakfast and afternoon snacks. It’s simple enough for a weekday bake but feels a little fancy.

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Ingredients

• Bread:

• 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled

• 4 tsp poppy seeds

• 1 tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp baking powder

• ¼ tsp salt

• 1 large egg, room temperature

• ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar

• ⅓ cup (80ml) vegetable oil

• ⅓ cup (80g) sour cream (or plain/Greek yogurt), room temperature

• ⅔ cup (160ml) whole milk, room temperature

• 3 Tbsp (45ml) lemon juice

• 1 Tbsp lemon zest

• Glaze:

• ½ cup (60g) confectioners’ sugar

• 1 Tbsp (15ml) lemon juice

• Optional: candied lemon slices for garnish

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Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, poppy seeds, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the egg and sugar until combined. Add the oil, sour cream, milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Whisk until smooth.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk just until combined a few small lumps are fine. Don’t overmix.
• Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 50–60 minutes (mine took 55). Cover loosely with foil halfway through so the top doesn’t get too dark. A toothpick in the center should come out clean.
• Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack. While it’s still warm, make the glaze by whisking the powdered sugar and lemon juice together. Drizzle over the warm bread so it soaks in nicely (I doubled the glaze this time because I like it extra lemony).
• Once fully cooled, slice and serve. Optional: top with candied lemon slices for a pretty finish.

• Room temperature ingredients really help everything mix smoothly and rise nicely.
• The glaze soaking into the warm bread is key it adds so much moisture and lemon punch.
• I used sour cream and it gave a tender crumb. Greek yogurt would work great too.
• It stays moist for days. I kept leftovers in the fridge and they were still perfect after a week.
• Next time I’m adding a handful of fresh blueberries to the batter I think that combo would be killer.

This is one of those reliable quick breads that always turns out well. Bright, not too sweet, and perfect with coffee or tea.