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Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Bread

Lemon poppy seed zucchini bread is a bright citrusy quick bread with visible poppy seeds and a golden crumb. It’s baked in a loaf pan, then finished with a glossy lemon glaze poured over a warm loaf for a soft set.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
cooling 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Lemon poppy seed zucchini bread
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp poppy seeds
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.33 cup vegetable oil
  • 0.33 cup Greek yogurt
  • 2 lemons (zest) Zest of 2 lemons.
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup zucchini, grated and squeezed dry
Lemon glaze
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice Use 2–3 tbsp to reach a pourable glaze.
  • 1 tsp lemon zest

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 loaf pan

Method
 

Bake the loaf
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
  2. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds together in a mixing bowl.
  3. Beat granulated sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, Greek yogurt, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  4. Stir in grated zucchini, grated and squeezed dry until the batter looks evenly combined.
  5. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined, leaving a few streaks of flour.
  6. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and tap once on the counter to level the top.
  7. Bake for 50–58 minutes at 350°F, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool and glaze
  1. Cool the loaf for 15 minutes in the pan.
  2. Whisk powdered sugar with lemon juice and lemon zest until smooth and glossy.
  3. Pour the glaze generously over the warm loaf so it soaks in and sets on top.

Notes

Pro tip: squeeze the grated zucchini very dry so the crumb stays tender and not gummy. Store the loaf covered at room temperature up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze up to 2 months (thaw overnight in the fridge). For a lighter option, use low-fat Greek yogurt to keep the lemon flavor bright without changing the bake time much.