Recipe Collection: Zucchini Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

It had been on my plan to make lemon-poppy-seed bread anyway when I started getting lots of zucchini from my CSA.  So I thought, I ought to make some zucchini bread too!  However, I didn’t have a recipe for either that really worked for me yet.  Then I got the brilliant idea to combine them into one delicious, healthy bread.  I had also sampled some cheesecake that had nutmeg in it and the flavor had reminded me of lemon zest, so I thought, I bet that will be the perfect spice for this bread.  I probably could have even added more than I did.  The result was fabulous — moist on the inside and chewy-crunchy on the outside!

I first developed this recipe in 2010, and brought it back recently (2022).  My kids absolutely loved it.  So much that I was sent back to the grocery store for more zucchini almost immediately.

The bread is really so delicious…and it’s sweet, but not overwhelmingly so.  Many similar recipes have over 2 cups of sugar in one loaf, while this has only 3/4 cup (split between organic sugar and maple syrup).  It’s more than enough.  Plus, the bread is whole wheat, and filled with vegetables.  It couldn’t be a better treat — the best of all worlds.

Recipe Collection: Zucchini Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Ingredients:

• 2 c. sprouted whole wheat flour (or regular whole wheat flour, or equal parts teff, brown rice, and tapioca starch for GF)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. sea salt
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp. poppy seeds
• 3 tbsp. butter, softened
• ½ c. organic cane sugar
• 1 egg
• ¼ c. maple syrup
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 c. zucchini, shredded (about 1 small)
• 1 c. milk

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350.

Step 2: In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients thoroughly.

Step 3: In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Add egg and maple syrup and blend together.  Add vanilla, lemon juice and zucchini and stir until smooth.

Step 4: Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Step 5: Pour into greased loaf pan and bake for 40 – 50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

It makes a delicious loaf when sliced into 1″ pieces.  Let it cool for a bit before slicing, or it will fall apart!  It’s that tender.

It would also bake nicely as muffins, or in a Bundt pan, if you’re so inclined.  Muffins do make nice single servings and then you don’t have to worry about slicing.  It’s absolutely delicious with some soft, grass-fed butter spread across its surface!

Print Recipe

Zucchini Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Delicious zucchini lemon poppy seed bread recipe made from real food ingredients.

Prep Time10 mins

Course: Appetizer

Servings: 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 2 c. sprouted whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 lemon zest
• 2 tbsp. poppy seeds
• 3 tbsp. butter softened
• 1/2 c. cane sugar organic
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c. maple syrup
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 lemon juice
• 1 c. zucchini (about 1 small) shredded
• 1 c. milk

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350.
• In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients thoroughly.
• In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and maple syrup and blend together. Add vanilla, lemon juice and zucchini and stir until smooth.
• Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
• Pour into greased loaf pan and bake for 40 – 50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Notes

It makes a delicious loaf when sliced into 1″ pieces.  Let it cool for a bit before slicing, or it will fall apart!  It’s that tender.

It would also bake nicely as muffins, or in a Bundt pan, if you’re so inclined.  Muffins do make nice single servings and then you don’t have to worry about slicing.  It’s absolutely delicious with some soft, grass-fed butter spread across its surface!

What’s your favorite type of zucchini bread?