Looking for a spring time inspired recipe? Then this Lemon Blueberry Poppy Seed loaf is perfect for you! Loaded with fresh lemon juice, lemon zest and bursting blueberries, this is perfect for anyone looking for something bright and sweet but with a nice tart bite of lemon!

This recipe is also made gluten free by using a mix of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour and almond flour. I have not tested other flours but I suspect you could use all-purpose flour as a direct substitute, however, do not sub in coconut flour. I also snuck in some chia seeds which mix perfectly with the poppy seeds while adding some extra nutrients into the mix.

If you want a lighter bread that’s less sweet, you could easily leave off the lemon glaze but in my opinion it adds the perfect amount of sweetness and ups the lemon flavor with another punch of fresh lemon juice and zest. Let me know what you think!

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Recipe

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 tsp lemon extract (not lemon oil!)
• Juice of 1 lemon (use fresh, not the bottled stuff)
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 1/3 cup honey 
• 1 tsp chia seeds

Dry Ingredients

• 1 tbsp poppy seeds 
• 1 cup gluten free flour
• 1 cup almond flour 
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen) – dusted in cornstarch or arrowroot powder 
• slivered almonds – optional

Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Zest of 1/2 lemon

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Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350^F and prepare your pan. I use this pan (9” x 5”)and line it with parchment paper (love this one from Thrive Market!). Set aside.
2. In a large bowl mix together your wet ingredients until well combined: eggs, Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, lemon extract, almond extract, lemon juice, and honey. Once everything is combined, mix in chia seeds and let sit for 2 minutes. 
3. In a separate bowl mix together your dry ingredients: gluten free flour, almond flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds. 
4. Carefully fold in your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients. You just want to mix until well combined – do not over mix!
5. Cover your blueberries with a thin layer of cornstarch and then gently fold them into your batter. 
6. Pour into your prepared loaf tin and bake for 35 minutes. Check the loaf with a toothpick and if it comes out clean take out to cool. If the toothpick comes out wet, bake for an additional five minutes. 
7. While your loaf cools, prepare your glaze. Mix together your ingredients until you have a smooth glaze. If you want your glaze thinner, you can add more lemon juice or a teaspoon of water. For a thicker glaze, add less lemon juice or more powdered sugar. 
8. Once your loaf cools, add the glaze and add optional almond slivers if you’d like.
   

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Notes:

1. This is also totally delicious without the glaze!
2. If you’re adding the slivered almonds do it while the glaze is still wet so they stick to your loaf. 
3. If you are using frozen blueberries I recommend giving them a rinse for a minute or so and then drying them with a paper towel. This helps prevent them from bleeding through the loaf and preserves the nice yellow color of the lemon loaf.
4. I think this would also be delicious if you swap out blueberries for raspberries! 

Recipe adapted from Ambitious Kitchen