Poppy Seed Bread is an easy sweet bread that is perfect for brunch or dessert. Everyone will want a second piece!
Tasty, quick breads like my Banana Bread and Zucchini Bread are sweet enough for dessert but savory enough for a hearty breakfast. We have so many Bread Recipes that you can enjoy anytime of the day.
Sabrina’s Poppy Seed Bread Recipe
My Poppy Seed Bread is filled with buttery, almond poppyseed flavor. It tastes like a poundcake, yet not as dense with a bit of crunch from the poppy seeds. Citrus pairs beautifully with this bread so enjoy it warm with some butter and a cup of orange juice. And while I don’t have it in the recipe card, a lemon glaze really makes this bread sing so I put my go-to easy glaze down below in the post.
Recipe Card


Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon butter extract
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together and set aside.
- Whisk together the vegetable oil, eggs and sugar until fully combined.
- Add in the milk, vanilla extract, almond extract, butter extract and poppy seeds and whisk until well combined.
- Whisk in the dry ingredients until fully incorporated.
- Grease a 9×5 loaf pan and pour the batter into the pan.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Nutrition
Table of contents
About this Recipe
While it’s fun getting creative with different flavor combinations, like Oreo Chocolate Bread, we do love a classic bread in our house. This bread recipe is a yummy old fashioned bread (dating back to ancient Egypt!) that tastes and looks beautiful. The only thing better than the smell of freshly baked bread is that first bite when its warm and fresh from the oven. The nice thing about quick breads is that you get all the delicious bakery aroma with about as much work as using a bread machine.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
To get more flavor out of the poppy seeds, warm the milk in this recipe and add the seed. Allow to soak for 30 to 60 minutes. Soaking poppy seeds in the milk will soften their outer coating so they will release more flavor when the bread is baking.
Lemon Glaze
Ingredients: ¼ cup orange juice, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 cups powdered sugar
- Combine orange juice, lemon juice and vanilla extract in a small bowl.
- Stir in powdered sugar until it creates a glaze consistency.
- Poke a few holes in the top of bread and drizzle the glaze over it.
How to Store
- Serve: Cover your bread and keep at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- Store: To keep your bread fresh longer, store in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freeze: Cool bread completely and wrap in plastic wrap tightly or put in an air-tight container, freeze for 3 months.
Ideas to Serve
Dessert: Cook this recipe in a bundt pan with little adjustment and it would make a beautiful dessert, especially topped with my lemon glaze or Cream Cheese Frosting.
Gifts: This bread would also make a great gift, baked in mini loaf pans and then wrapped up in pretty, colored cellophane.
Frequent Questions
Poppy seeds not only taste delicious, they are packed with calcium, iron, and zinc. They are a slightly high in calories (like many nuts and seeds), but a little goes a long way!
You can absolutely toast poppy seeds! Bring out more of the nutty, fruity flavor of poppy seeds by toasting them for 2-3 minutes on the stove top.
Poppy seeds are incredibly delicious and a small amount can add so much flavor and crunch. They are nutty and can give off a fruitiness, especially if they are ground up.
Variations
- Muffins: To make these into poppyseed muffins, line a 12 cup muffin pan and divide batter into the cups. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 375 degrees.
- Almonds: Bring out more almond flavor by stirring in a ¼ cup of chopped almonds into your batter. Sprinkle some on top for an almond poppyseed bread with a crunchy crust.
- Chocolate: Poppy seeds taste great with chocolate. Stir in your favorite chocolate chips before baking or top with a Chocolate Ganache.
- Lemon: Make this Lemon Poppy Seed Bread by adding a couple teaspoons of lemon juice and lemon zest to your batter. Top with lemon glaze (recipe below) for even more lemony flavor.
- Bundt pan: You can make this recipe with little adjustment and it would make a beautiful dessert, especially topped with my lemon glaze.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: This bread would also make a great gift, baked in mini loaf pans and then wrapped up in pretty, colored cellophane.
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I didn’t have whole milk so I used 2%, but did everything else to the recipe. It still came out great and was a hit with the family. I’ll definitely be making again, thanks for the recipe!
Would you double the recipe for a Bundy cake? Thank you
Yes, I have in the past, it works great.
Looks delicious! Would it work with almond flour, almond milk and applesauce instead of the oil?
I haven’t tested it but all those substitutions will work fine. Enjoy!
Great way to start the day! Thanks for coming back to let me know how much you enjoyed it, Alina.
This poppy seed bread looks so moist and delicious! I’d love to try making a gluten free version this weekend. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome!
I’ve been looking for a poppy seed bread recipe and this is perfect! Looks so delicious and can’t wait to whip this up:)
I’m so glad you found this recipe! It was meant to be.
This smells amazing when it is baking!
I love poppy seeds – a great recipe.
Thanks for the 5 stars, Alexandra.
I love baking quick bread like these. This is perfect for breakfast, and with afternoon tea. Do you think it will work with black sesame seeds instead of poppy seeds?
Definitely! Enjoy.
I love Quick Breads, especially when there’s no mixer required. This Poppy Seed Bread reminds me of my mom’s old classy Poppy Seed Cake. I will definitely make this bread very soon, since I’m anxious to taste it’s deliciousness. It’s very nice with Afternoon Tea, if you’re so inclined.
Sounds perfect!