Poppy Seed Bread

Poppy Seed Bread is the most delicious quick bread with with poppy seeds, vanilla extract, and almond. Easy, sweet bread perfect for brunch or dessert.

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.

POPPY SEED BREAD

The only thing better than the smell of freshly baked bread is that first bite of warm bread, 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.

While it’s fun getting creative with different flavor combinations, like Oreo Chocolate Bread, we do love a classic bread in our house. This Poppy Seed Bread is a yummy old fashioned bread (dating back to ancient Egypt!) that tastes and looks beautiful. 

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. Enjoy it warm with some butter and a cup of orange juice, citrus pairs beautifully with Poppy Seed Bread. 

You can bake this in a bundt pan with little adjustment and it would make a beautiful dessert, especially topped with my lemon glaze below or Cream Cheese Frosting. This bread would also make a great gift, baked in mini loaf pans and then wrapped up in pretty, colored cellophane.

Lemon is a traditional pairing with Poppy Seed Bread, but this recipe allows the almond extract to shine and bring out the nutty flavors of poppy seeds. If you are missing that tart, lemony flavor, I’ve included in the variations how to make lemon poppy seed bread.

Now, if you are even remotely a fan of Seinfeld, you may be a bit nervous about poppy seeds. To address the elephant in the room, no, cooking with poppy seeds won’t do more than provide a delicious snack. However, there have been studies that it can give a false positive in tests, so maybe make this bread after you get back from the Africa trip with Mr. Peterman.

Tip for Baking with Poppy Seeds:

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.

MORE BREAKFAST BREAD RECIPES

Easy Banana Bread (No Mixer!)

Zucchini Bread

Pumpkin Bread

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

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VARIATIONS ON POPPY SEED BREAD

• 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 1/4 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.

Lemon Glaze for Poppy Seed Bread:

Ingredients: 1/4 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.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT POPPY SEED BREAD

• Are poppy seeds good for you? 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! 
• Do you toast poppy seeds? 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.
• Do poppy seeds taste good? 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.

EVEN MORE QUICK BREAD RECIPES

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Carrot Bread

Cranberry Orange Bread

Nutella Bread

HOW TO STORE POPPY SEED BREAD

• 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.

5 from 4 votes

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Poppy Seed Bread

Poppy Seed Bread is the most delicious quick bread with with poppy seeds, vanilla extract, and almond. Easy, sweet bread perfect for brunch or dessert.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword Poppy Seed Bread

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 12 servings

Calories 256 kcal

Author Sabrina Snyder

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

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together and set aside.

3. Whisk together the vegetable oil, eggs and sugar until fully combined.
4. Add in the milk, vanilla extract, almond extract, butter extract and poppy seeds and whisk until well combined.

5. Whisk in the dry ingredients until fully incorporated.

6. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan and pour the batter into the pan.

7. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Nutrition Facts

Poppy Seed Bread

Amount Per Serving

Calories 256 Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Fat 14g22%

Saturated Fat 11g69%

Cholesterol 29mg10%

Sodium 115mg5%

Potassium 78mg2%

Carbohydrates 30g10%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 18g20%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 64IU1%

Calcium 45mg5%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.