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Glazed Poppy Seed Bread

Name: Glazed Poppy Seed Bread
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 ¼ cups sugar; 1 ⅛ cups oil; 3 eggs; 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla; 1 ½ teaspoons almond extract; 1 ½ cups milk; 1 ½ tablespoons poppy seeds; 3 cups flour; 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder; 1 ½ teaspoons salt; 2 tablespoons butter, melted; ½ teaspoon vanilla; ½ teaspoon almond; 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; ¾ cup powdered sugar, sifted.

posted by Liz Berg on January 10, 2026

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This sweet, dense Glazed Poppy Seed Bread was flavored with both almond and vanilla. A tangy lemon glaze was the icing on the cake!

Almond Poppy Seed Bread is the perfect hostess gift, welcome to the neighborhood gift, or for your own breakfast, brunch, tea time, or snack!

Glazed Poppy Seed Bread slices on a white tray with lemon slices

Table of Contents hide

1 Why You Must Make

2 How to Make Almond Poppy Seed Bread

3 Tips for Making Quick Bread:

4 Ingredient Notes

5 You May Also Like:

6 Glazed Poppy Seed Bread

Why You Must Make

We have a friend dealing with major health issues. I can pray, but I can also offer them something tangible. I dropped this glazed poppy-seed bread in their mailbox when he and his wife were spending the day at the doctor’s office, hoping something sweet would bring comfort during this tough week.

My daughter loves poppy seed muffins, so I was pretty certain she would volunteer to help us polish off the second poppy seed loaf. Moist, tender with just a hint of flavorings, this is a fabulous addition to your breakfast or brunch menu, plus is a terrific gift for your hostess or a friend dealing with a difficult situation.

A loaf of this poppy-seed bread is perfect for gifting.
It can be eaten for breakfast, brunch or dessert!
It’s a quick bread, so no yeast is needed.

How to Make Almond Poppy Seed Bread

This Almond-Poppy Seed Bread Recipe was submitted to Katie’s former grade school’s cookbook by one of my dearest friends. Unfortunately, the “butter” flavoring that was in the original version was nowhere to be found.

I could have melted butter instead of using oil, but I had already started the recipe when I realized my bottle of extract only had two drops in it. Okee, dokey. I just left it out. Then there was the shortage of orange juice to be used in the glaze. Guess I’d have to wing that as well.

Instead, I melted some butter and added some freshly squeezed lemon juice. I was quite pleased with these poppy-seed loaves, moist with just a touch of citrus to play off the sweetness. And Katie single-handedly consumed the loaf I kept for us. Fingers crossed that my friends enjoyed their poppy seed cake, too.

Tips for Making Quick Bread:

When making quick bread, keep these pointers in mind:
Prepare your baking pans well. Grease well. If you’d like to go the extra mile, place a rectangle of parchment in the bottom of your pan, then grease the top.
PRO-Tip: Do not over-mix your batter. Stir in the dry ingredients by hand to prevent overactivating the leaveners. If you do, there will be tunnels in your poppy seed loaf.
Use a toothpick to check for doneness. When inserted in the middle, it should come out clean or with moist crumbs, not batter.
PRO-Tip: If there’s batter on your toothpick, bake for another 10 minutes and recheck. Repeat if necessary. All ovens bake differently, so the timing will vary.
Let cool about 10 minutes in the pan before removing to a cooling rack. This allows the exterior to firm up and helps the loaf keep its shape. If you cool it completely in the pan, you may not be able to remove it in one piece.

Ingredient Notes

Pantry Staples – Sugar, Milk, Flour, Salt (fine salt, not coarse kosher salt, is best for baking), Powdered Sugar (sift for the smoothest glaze), Butter (salted is fine), Vegetable Oil.
Eggs – Large Eggs; Have at room temperature for easier incorporation.
Vanilla Extract – Use real vanilla extract, not artificially flavored vanilla for the best results (check the label when purchasing. I use the Nielsen-Massey brand.
Almond Extract – I use the Nielsen-Massey brand.
Poppy Seeds – Replace if you’ve had them in your kitchen for years. They can go rancid over time.
Baking Powder – Unlike baking soda, baking powder has a much shorter life span. Pro-Tip: Check the date on the tin and replace if needed. To check its potency, you can put a spoonful into some very hot water. It should bubble vigorously if it’s still active.
Lemon Juice – Fresh is best, but bottled can be used. Pro-Tip: If you have a half a lemon left from another recipe, squeeze the juice and keep it in an airtight container in the freezer for future use.