Almond Poppy Seed Bread

This Almond Poppy Seed Bread is simple to make, yet simply irresistible! It is tender, moist and has a lovely aroma. 

I don’t think it’s a huge secret that I love poppy seeds. Pair ’em with lemon, orange, grapefruit or almond and I’m in! You just can’t go wrong. For a taste of poppy seeds also check out Lemon Almond Poppy Seed Scones, Lemon Poppy Seed Sweet Rolls, Almond Poppy Seed Muffins.

Almond Poppy Seed Bread covered with glaze and almond slices

A Delicious Almond Quick Bread

I’ve been on a huge bread/muffin kick lately. I’m absolutely loving anything banana, lemon or poppy seed. This sweet quick bread just happens to be one of my new favorites. It’s so easy to make and tastes absolutely divine! Not only is it crazy moist but it’s packed full of flavor!

Since I only had one lemon on the counter I thought I’d stick with almond for this recipe, although it does include a little bit of fresh lemon juice and zest just to round out the flavors. Speaking of which, I used a generous amount of vanilla extract and almond extract along with sliced almonds on top to make this bread extra delicious!

And of course a heaping 2 tablespoons of poppy seeds. It is poppy seed bread after all. P.S. make sure yours are fresh! Like all herbs, spices, nuts and seeds, they can go rancid (and have a pretty short shelf-life). They should smell/taste nutty and fruity. That’s why they’re perfect in this recipe!

Poppy seeds for almond poppy seed bread recipe

How to Make Almond Poppy Seed Bread

PREP. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray (or butter and flour) an 8×4-inch loaf pan, set aside.

WET INGREDIENTS. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and almond extract until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until incorporated.

DRY INGREDIENTS. In a medium size mixing bowl whisk together the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

CREAM MIXTURE. In a small mixing bowl combine the sour cream, milk and lemon juice, mix together until smooth.

COMBINE. With mixing speed on low, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients in three separate additions. Mix until a smooth batter forms

BAKE. When you’ve got the batter mixed up pour it into a buttered/floured 8×4-inch loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour at 350 degrees.

TIPS: I realize that’s a big range in baking time, but like most breads/loaves, they vary by oven and altitude. So just keep an eye on it, tent it half way through if you need to, and test it for doneness. It should have a lovely crack down the center and be golden brown on top. If you decide to use almonds on top (it’s totally optional, I know my husband preferred it without the crunch), they’ll get toasty too.

COOL. The loaf may look slightly moist in the center, especially in the crack, but as long as it’s mostly set (not runny) remove it and allow it to cool in the pan for 30 minutes before removing from the pan and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Almond poppy seed loaf

How to Make the Glaze

To prepare the glaze, in small mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract and the salt. Pour over the cooled loaf and allow to drip over the edges and sides. Allow to sit for 20 minutes to harden before serving.When the bread cools drizzle some vanilla glaze over top, slice and dig in!

This almond poppy seed bread is crazy irresistible! You won’t be able to eat just one slice! Enjoy 🙂

You can make the glaze ahead of time. Since it has milk in it, it needs to be refrigerated and will last about a week. 

Make it a citrus glaze: Instead of using vanilla extract you can use orange extract and also use orange zest. If you want a lemon glaze you can use lemon extract and lemon zest. The citrus is a great flavor to pair with poppy seeds, so you can use either lemon or orange extract/zest.

Almond Poppy Seed Bread cut into slices

Storing and Freezing

Bread: You can store bread at room temperature in a container to keep it moist. A ziploc bag is a good option because you can control the air flow into the bag. 

Glaze: The glaze should be kept refrigerated before putting on the bread, but once it has hardened on the bread you don’t need to store it in the fridge.

Freezing: In terms of freezing you need to wrap your bread in plastic wrap, then in foil, before placing it in a freezer bag. Quick breads will last in the freezer for about 3 months. When you’re ready to eat it, let the bread thaw in the fridge overnight and then bring it to room temperature before slicing.

For more Almond treats, try:

Did you try this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ rating below and share it on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest!

Almond Poppy Seed Bread

Almond Poppy Seed Bread Recipe

This Almond Poppy Seed Bread is simple to make, yet simply irresistible! It is tender, moist and has a lovely aroma.
4.85 from 13 votes
Pin Rate
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 8 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 53 minutes
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 282kcal
Author: Andrea
Print Recipe

Ingredients

For the Bread

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter - room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 2/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp poppy seeds
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/8 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup sliced almonds - optional

For the Glaze

  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp milk
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • pinch salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray (or butter and flour) an 8x4-inch loaf pan, set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and almond extract until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until incorporated.
  • In a medium size mixing bowl whisk together the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  • In a small mixing bowl combine the sour cream, milk and lemon juice, mix together until smooth.
  • With mixing speed on low, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients in three separate additions. Mix until a smooth batter forms.
  • Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle with sliced almonds (if desired). Place into the oven to bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. You may need to tenting the loaf with foil half way through the baking process to prevent over-browning. The loaf may look slightly moist in the center, especially in the crack, but as long as it's mostly set (not runny) remove it and allow it to cool in the pan for 30 minutes before removing from the pan and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • To prepare the glaze, in small mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract and the salt. Pour over the cooled loaf and allow to drip over the edges and sides. Allow to sit for 20 minutes to harden before serving.

NOTES

You can easily change this into a lemon poppy seed bread by upping the lemon zest (by about a tablespoon and a half) and swapping the almond extract for additional vanilla extract.

Nutrition

Serving: 12serving | Calories: 282kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 205mg | Potassium: 128mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 364IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 1mg

Want more inspiration?

More Recipes You'll Love

About the Author

Andrea

Hi I'm Andrea!

Hotelier turned Food Blogger to help make your life simple, one recipe at a time.

Join the Conversation

Rate and Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Please click on the Stars below to share your Rating of this Recipe




Comments:

  1. i will be doubling this recipe but i see that the milk stays the same in the 24 slice version as the 12 slice verson. do i just double it from a 1/4 c to 1/2 c? thanks

    1. Hi Jan, I’m not sure what is happening. When I change it to 24 slices, it does double the milk as it should, so yes, use 1/2 cup milk when doubling this recipe.

  2. 5 stars
    I love the taste of almond and lemon together. The perfect combo! It is absolutely beautiful too!