Recipe Collection: Zucchini Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Written by Kate Tietje and updated in May of 2022. 

In 2010, I started getting lots of zucchini from my community-supported agriculture (CSA).  I had planned to make lemon-poppy seed bread and thought I should 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 with nutmeg, and the flavor reminded me of lemon zest, so I thought that would 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 returned it to our food rotation in 2022.  My kids absolutely love it.  So much so that I was almost immediately sent back to the grocery store for more zucchini.

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.

Zucchini Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sprouted (or regular) whole wheat flour (for gluten-free, you can use equal parts teff, brown rice, and tapioca starch)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. sea salt
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp. poppy seeds
• 3 tbsp. butter, softened
• ½ cup organic cane sugar
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cup zucchini, shredded (about 1 small)
• 1 cup 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 before slicing, or it will fall apart!  It’s that tender.

If you’re so inclined, it would also bake nicely as muffins or in a Bundt pan.  Muffins make nice single servings, so you don’t have to worry about slicing.  It’s absolutely delicious with 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 cups 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 cup cane sugar organic
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 lemon juice
• 1 cup zucchini (about 1 small) shredded
• 1 cup 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 before slicing, or it will fall apart!  It’s that tender.

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

What’s your favorite type of zucchini bread?