The tangy citrus flavor of lemon poppy seed, but with the moisture and natural sweetness of banana bread – this vegan gluten-free loaf is a delicious, glazed, best-of-both-worlds spring baking recipe!
It’s officially spring (even if it doesn’t quite feel like it outside yet) and I am officially craving all the bright citrus and sweet berry and light fluffy recipes. Lemon poppy seed is the epitome of that flavor craving to me, but I wanted it in a more everyday form that can slide effortlessly into your weekly meal prep. A.k.a. banana bread form. Because nothing makes me feel stocked up on sweet snacks like a loaf of banana bread in the fridge for little treat-ing my way through one slice at a time.
But this hybrid didn’t just happen for ease. The banana bread base also adds a lot of natural moisture and natural fruit sweetness that means we can use less oil (none actually!) and less sugar in the ingredient list. So this recipe is a smidge healthier than your typical lemon poppy seed loaf cake too!
How To Bake Lemon Poppy Seed Banana Bread
This recipe is one bowl, 15 minutes of prep, it’ll be in the oven before you know it. And the ingredient list is pretty straightforward, just a couple of flours required to keep it gluten-free and vegan but still as SOFT and FLUFFY as possible.
The Vegan, Gluten-Free, Oil-Free Ingredient List
The wet ingredients (a.k.a. what’s going in the blender)
Bananas. As ripe as possible for extra sweetness. And I included recipe notes for swapping out for applesauce or eggs if you prefer.
Lemon juice. Fresh will give you the brightest flavor, so I highly recommend squeezing your own if you can.
Lemon zest. More citrus flavor.
Lemon extract. Even more citrus flavor, I wanted this loaf to scream CITRUS. I used a natural lemon extract made with lemon oil, but you could use straight up lemon essential oil instead.
Natural SunButter. With how moist this loaf turned out, you’d never guess the only fat source in the whole ingredient list is a quarter cup of SunButter. No oil, just my favorite delicious and flavorful seed butter is all you need. And I won’t say I didn’t pick the Natural variety because the jar matches the recipe. But I will say I also picked Natural because it is my favorite lightly sweet variety for spooning right out of the jar and perfect for baking with too.
Cane sugar. You can use coconut sugar, but you will end up with a darker colored loaf and it may be slightly more moist and less fluffy too.
The dry ingredients (a.k.a. what’s going in the bowl)
Gluten-free flour. Or regular all-purpose flour if you are not gluten-free. I did test it with oat flour and the crumb just wasn’t as defined as I like.
Almond flour. The perfect moist contrast to that gluten-free blend to give you the most beautiful gluten-free crumb.
Baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Poppy seeds. Not entirely necessary for flavor, but it wouldn’t be a lemon POPPY SEED banana bread without ’em.
Since we already broke it down by wet ingredients and dry ingredients, I’m sure you can guess what happens next: add wet to dry, mix, bake! And you don’t technically have to use your blender, you can mash/mix the wet ingredients by hand, but the blender makes it so quick and easy.
Easiest Lemon Glaze Recipe
It doesn’t get any easier than this two ingredient, five minute, sweet-tangy glaze recipe. It’s just powdered sugar whisked with lemon juice, until you achieve that perfect thick-enough-to-not-fall-off-but-thin-enough-to-drizzle consistency. You could use raspberry or blueberry juice instead to add some fruity contrast, or just regular almond milk and a little vanilla extract would make a delicious glaze as well. Or skip the glaze entirely, this lemon poppy seed banana bread is definitely yummy enough to go glaze-less!
Lemon Poppy Seed Banana Bread FAQs
Can you taste the banana?
Yes. You can absolutely taste the banana, so if you are not a banana fan go with the applesauce option instead. But if you like banana, I think it’s the perfect background sweetness to the lemon-forward flavor in this loaf.
How big is the loaf pan used?
The pan I used for this recipe is 8.5 x 4.5″ inches.
Why did my loaf sink in the middle after taking it out of the oven?
It wasn’t baked through completely! The middle should feel springy and not at all squishy when it’s done. The lack of eggs makes vegan loaf cakes tricky, so when in doubt about doneness add another five to ten minutes. And make sure you are baking on the middle rack too for the most surround heat.
Did your gluten-free flour blend contain xanthan gum?
Yes it does, the exact one is linked in the recipe. This is my go-to gluten-free flour, I have not tested with any others, so you will have to experiment.
What is the best way to store leftovers?
In an airtight container in the fridge is best (preferably unsliced will keep it more moist), it will easily last a week. Or you can freeze the loaf for longer storage, and then glaze after thawing before serving.
The tangy citrus flavor of lemon poppy seed, but with the moisture and natural sweetness of banana bread – this vegan gluten-free loaf is a delicious, glazed, best-of-both-worlds spring baking recipe!
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