Made with wholesome ingredients like oats, cottage cheese (or applesauce) and pure maple syrup, this fluffy Oatmeal Lemon Poppy Seed Bread features a boost of protein and complex carbohydrates.
A thick slice of this perfectly sweet whole grain lemon poppy seed bread warmed up with a generous amount of melted butter seeping through is my idea of the ultimate treat!
After making my Blueberry Oatmeal Cottage Cheese Bread, I just knew I needed to revisit the topic with a lemon poppy seed version.
Because I realize I have a substantial dairy-free audience, I tested the recipe multiple ways, using cottage cheese for one version and applesauce for an alternative.
Both turn out great!
Our main ingredients are oats, eggs, cottage cheese (or applesauce), fresh lemon zest, poppy seeds, and a touch of pure maple syrup!
I designed this lemon poppy seed bread recipe for those who love a sweet treat that isn’t overly indulgent.
The bread is perfectly sweet for my taste, but I suggest adding any kind of granulated sweetener if you know you prefer sweeter treats.
Let’s discuss the basic ingredients for this healthy lemon poppyseed bread.
Ingredients for Oatmeal Lemon Poppy Seed Bread:
Oats: Taking the place of all-purpose flour, we blend oats into a flour to serve as the backbone of this quick bread recipe. I love that oats contribute whole grains for slower burning carbohydrates, in addition to some fiber.
To make gluten free lemon poppy seed bread, use certified gluten free oats. I use gluten-free sprouted oats.
Whole Eggs: A couple of large eggs help the batter rise into a fluffy texture. I haven’t tested the recipe with an egg replacer like flax eggs.
Feel free to drop a comment below letting me know if you try an egg-free version.
Pure Maple Syrup: The sweetener! A little pure maple syrup brings a slight sweetness to the bread. Add brown sugar, regular cane sugar, or sugar-free sweetener for a sweeter bread.
Cottage Cheese or Applesauce: We need some form of liquid to add moisture to the quick bread. I like using cottage cheese because in addition to the subtle creamy flavor, it also brings a punch of protein.
Applesauce works great too for a dairy-free alternative! This ingredient takes the place of oil, which makes the bread lower in calories and fat.
Pure Vanilla Extract: A splash of vanilla brings warm flavor.
Pure Almond Extract: Poppy seed goods are known for their almond flavor, which comes from almond extract. Skip it if you don’t have any on hand.
Lemon Zest: A generous amount of lemon zest boosts the bread with citrus flavor. Pick up two large fresh lemons from the grocery store for zesting.
The lemon flavor comes entirely from lemon zest, so for more lemon flavor, use the zest from three large lemons instead of two.
Poppy Seeds: Little bursts of crunchy poppy seeds bring spunk to this easy lemon bread recipe.
I have learned over the years that one tablespoon of poppy seeds is the right amount of poppy seeds for quick bread recipes.
Baking Powder: The leavening agent. Baking powder helps the batter rise and bake evenly for perfect texture.
Sea Salt: Salt enhances flavors! Don’t skip it.
Looking for ways you can change up this recipe? Here are some options.
Recipe Customizations:
- For a sweeter bread, add 1 to 4 tablespoons of white sugar, brown sugar, or coconut sugar.
- Looking for an almond flour option? Make my Almond Flour Lemon Poppy Seed Bread.
- If you follow a low-carb diet or a sugar-free diet, make my Keto Lemon Poppy Seed Bread.
- Prefer baking muffins? Make my Cottage Cheese Muffins or my Grain-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins.
- Replace the oats with 1 2/3 cup oat flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- Use sour cream or plain Greek yogurt instead of cottage cheese.
- For moist texture, add 3 tablespoons of avocado oil, melted coconut oil, or olive oil. This results in moist crumbs, similar to cake.
- Make a sweet lemon glaze by combining 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Drizzle it over the lemon loaf before serving.
Now that we’ve covered the basic ingredients, let’s bake a loaf!
How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Bread:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9” x 5” loaf pan with parchment paper.
Transfer the oats to a high-speed blender or a food processor and blend for 1 minute, or until a flour forms.
Add the baking powder and sea salt to the blender too and blend for another few seconds until all of the dry ingredients are combined.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cottage cheese (or applesauce), eggs, pure maple syrup, vanilla extractor, and almond extract to combine the wet ingredients.
You can use an electric mixer if you’d like, however, I use a fork, wooden spoon, or rubber spatula for my mixing.
Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients, and mix well. Stir in the poppy seeds and lemon zest.
Transfer the bread batter into the prepared loaf pan and cover it with aluminum foil. Bake for 40 minutes on the center rack of the preheated oven.
Remove the foil and bake for another 20-25 minutes, or until the bread is fully baked. Insert a digital thermometer into the center of the bread to take its internal temperature. If it reads 190 degrees F or higher, it is ready.
Let the bread cool all the way to room temperature before slicing and serving.
Enjoy a warmed up slice of bread with melted butter on top and enjoy alongside a cup of coffee for an amazing afternoon treat.
Want to turn it into dessert? Enjoy a slice of lemon poppy seed loaf with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and fresh fruit.
Storage Options:
- Room Temperature: Wrap the loaf pan with plastic wrap and store on the counter for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Transfer the loaf to an airtight container or a zip lock bag and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Freeze in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
The next time you find yourself craving a zesty lemon poppy seed treat, whip up this easy loaf!
If you enjoy baking quick bread recipes like this one, also try these winners!
More Quick Bread Recipes:
- Protein Cinnamon Roll Bread
- Oatmeal Cinnamon Raisin Bread
- Protein Banana Bread
- Almond Flour Chocolate Bread
- Cranberry Orange Bread
Remember: the best way to enjoy this flavorful loaf is with a nice smear of butter!
Lemon Poppy Seed Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups quick oats or rolled oats
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- ¾ cup cottage cheese or unsweetened applesauce
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest *
- 1 Tbsp poppy seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9” x 5” loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Transfer the oats to a high-speed blender or a food processor and blend for 1 minute, or until a flour forms. Add the baking powder and sea salt to the blender too and blend for another few seconds until all of the dry ingredients are combined.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cottage cheese (or applesauce), eggs, pure maple syrup, vanilla extractor, and almond extract to combine the wet ingredients. You can use an electric mixer if you’d like, however, I use a fork, wooden spoon, or rubber spatula for my mixing.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients, and mix well. Stir in the poppy seeds and lemon zest.
- Transfer the bread batter into the prepared loaf pan and cover it with aluminum foil. Bake for 40 minutes on the center rack of the preheated oven. Remove the foil and bake for another 20-25 minutes, or until the bread is fully baked. Insert a digital thermometer into the center of the bread to take its internal temperature. If it reads 190 degrees F or higher, it is ready.
- Let the bread cool all the way to room temperature before slicing and serving.
- Enjoy a warmed up slice of bread with melted butter on top and enjoy alongside a cup of coffee for an amazing afternoon treat.
Notes
Nutrition
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This sounds amazing! Question though….if I have oat flour already prepared, would i still be 2 cups, or does the quantity of the flour change once it’s processed in a blender??
Hi Cathy! I believe you would use about 1 2/3 cups or 1 3/4 cups of oat flour. I’ve googled this before and it appears as though people use less oat flour when replacing oats 🙂 I hope you love the bread!!