VEGAN LEMON POPPY SEED QUICK BREAD

     Moist. Light. Delicious. What more could you look for in a vegan quick bread? This vegan lemon poppy seed quick bread recipe is 100% vegan and so good, non-vegans will have no idea its dairy & egg free! It works well as a breakfast quick bread, or even as dessert. The only ‘weird’ ingredient in here is non-dairy yogurt (which is still very easy to find at most grocery stores – and even easier at Whole Foods!)

     Baking and prep-time is pretty quick as well. Overall, you should be able to have it ready to go in about 1.5 hours (45min bake time included). Even less if you don’t use icing! Just add together dry ingredients in one bowl, wet in another, mix together and bake!

    A couple of things to keep in mind as you bake:

     This recipe calls for a non-dairy yogurt. However, keep in mind that the type of yogurt you select will have an impact on the consistency of the dough/batter. I used Kite Hill Unsweetened Greek-Style Almond Yogurt. This is a very thick yogurt, which resulted in a dough-like batter. If you use something like, So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk, the consistency will be much more like a batter – almost pourable. If you use a Greek Style yogurt, you will have to press the dough flat into the loaf pan and smooth it out on top – or else it will come out ‘lumpy’ at the top. You can find unsweetened non-dairy milk easily at Whole Foods.

If you would prefer a smoother ‘batter’ like consistency, feel free to add more non-dairy milk or water until it is a consistency you like. You will have to bake it longer, however. 

  A note on the icing 

     This is totally optional, but does add a nice very moist element to the top of the bread, making it almost cake-like. You definitely want to give the cake time to cool completely before icing it, since coconut oil/fat is so sensitive to temperature. If you don’t, the icing will soak in to the cake and become ‘lumpy’ and uneven (tastes just as good, but not as visually appealing). I topped mine with a sprinkle of poppy seeds to give it an extra crunch and visual appeal!

What is coconut cream?

     Coconut cream is essentially the coconut fat solids that have separated in coconut milk. If you buy a can of coconut milk (and your house is cool), when you open it, the coconut cream will be sitting at the top. The colder it is, the firmer it is. Underneath, will be coconut milk that is more the consistency of coconut water. If you have a warm house (or its summer), the coconut cream will be incorporated into the water, so you may need to refrigerate your can of coconut milk to easily remove the coconut cream. (The leftover water is perfect for smoothies, by the way!) You can also make your own coconut milk which will need to be refrigerated), and easily get your coconut cream that way! If you do decide to buy canned, I highly recommend this brand, Native Forest. Their coconut milk is organic, and they have a BPA-free can which is perfect for those of us with chemical sensitivities! It is the perfect topping for this lemon poppy seed quick bread.

VEGAN LEMON POPPY SEED QUICK BREAD 

 
  INGREDIENTS
    2 cups All-Purpose Flour (can sub 
          Gluten Free Flour)
     1tsp  Baking Soda 
     1tsp Baking Powder 
     Pinch of Sea Salt
     1/2 cup granulated sugar (can sub  
           Coconut Sugar)
     3tbls Poppy Seeds
     1tsp Lemon Zest
     1/2 cup Grape Seed Oil
     1 cup Unsweetened Non-Dairy  
          Yogurt (Like Kite Hill Greek  
          Style Unsweetened Almond  
          Yogurt)
     1/4 cup Lemon Juice
     2tbls Water or Unsweetened
           Non-Dairy Milk
     2tbls Melted Non-Dairy Butter

 
  FOR THE ICING
     1 cup Coconut Cream
     1tbls Agave (or other liquid
           sweetener)
     Additional Poppy Seeds