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Home » Recipe Index » Bread: Quick Breads » Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Bread

Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Bread

August 14, 2012 by Kara Cook 39 Comments

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poppy seed lemon zucchini bread recipe

Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Bread – shredded zucchini and pudding mix make this quick bread extra moist. It’s a fun twist on traditional poppy seed bread!

sliced loaf of lemon poppy seed zucchini bread with lemon in the backgroundLemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Bread

You know how sometimes in life,  when one stressful thing happens, a whole bunch of other stressful things happen right at the same time, and you kind of loose a handle on things and start to wonder what it feels like to be “normal”? When you start feeling detached, kinda like you are watching yourself from outside your body and that things are happening faster than you can process them?

And all you want to do is curl up on the couch, eat chocolate, watch reruns of Psych, ignore the ringing phone, and pretend like no one will care if you don’t feed them or provide them with clean laundry? Yah, I’m having a week like that. Fun times people, fun times.

loaves of lemon poppy seed zucchini bread on a cooling rack

lemon poppy seed zucchini bread recipe

Thankfully I still have a stash of recipes hidden in the recesses of my computer that I haven’t shared with you yet. This Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Bread is one of them. My mom brought us a loaf, and I loved it so much I made sure I got the recipe.

I’m a huge fan of lemon, and this is a great way to indulge my lemon cravings and get rid of some extra zucchini. It’s a win win situation!

stack of three slices of lemon poppy seed zucchini bread

Pudding mix makes this bread extra soft and moist. If you can’t find lemon pudding mix, you can substitute vanilla pudding and it will still be delicious.

loaf of Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Bread

Tips for making Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Bread:

-I like to peel my zucchini for this bread. Without the green flecks, no one even suspects that it has zucchini in it! But you can of course skip that step.
-I have better success with most of my quick bread recipes using mini loaf pans instead of large. I use these mini pans. They are 5 3/4″ x 3 1/4″.
-Use a light touch when mixing the batter. Over-mixing can lead to a tough loaf.
-It is much cheaper to buy poppy seeds in bulk. I buy mine at my local grocery store and keep them in the freezer. They last for years. You can also buy them on amazon here.
-Lemon zest is what adds great flavor to lemon baked goods, so if you love lemon, it’s worth it to invest in a good lemon zester.

We love this lemon zucchini bread. If you try it, let me know how your family likes it. 🙂

Lemon poppy seed zucchini bread recipe collage

ZUCCHINI DESSERT RECIPES:

  • Butterscotch Zucchini Blondies
  • Zucchini Bundt Cake (with orange cream cheese frosting)
  • Zucchini Cobbler
  • Chocolate Zucchini Cake (with coconut frosting)
  • Zucchini Brownies

MORE ZUCCHINI BREAD RECIPES:

  • Pear Zucchini Bread
  • Chocolate Zucchini Bread
  • Cream Cheese Filled Zucchini Bread
  • Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
  • Pineapple Zucchini Bread
  • Zucchini Banana Muffins
  • Cherry Zucchini Bread
  • Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

 

Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Bread Recipe

Yield: 24 servings

Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Bread

Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Bread - a moist and delicious zucchini bread recipe #zucchinibread

Soft and yummy lemon zucchini bread made with pudding mix and poppy seeds.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 3.4oz pkg instant lemon pudding mix
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups milk
  • 1 cup oil
  • 3 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 cups peeled, shredded zucchini
  • 1/4 cup poppy seeds
  • 1 Tbsp lemon zest

Instructions

  1. Spray two large or six mini loaf pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper, set aside.
  2. Combine flour, sugar, pudding mix, soda, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
  3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, oil, and lemon juice. Add to dry ingredients and stir gently.
  4. Add zucchini, poppy seeds, and lemon zest. Stir till just combined.
  5. Pour into prepared pans. Bake at 325° for 50-55 minutes for large pans, 30-35 minutes for mini pans. Cool 10 minutes in pans before removing to cooling racks.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn a small amount from your purchase, no cost to you.

  • Citrus Juicer Manual Hand Squeezer with Built-in Measuring Cup
    Citrus Juicer Manual Hand Squeezer with Built-in Measuring Cup
  • Microplane Zester/Grater
    Microplane Zester/Grater
  • Kirkland Signature Non Stick Parchment
    Kirkland Signature Non Stick Parchment

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 240Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 227mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 1gSugar: 13gProtein: 4g
© Kara
Cuisine: American / Category: Bread: Quick Breads

Filed Under: Bread: Quick Breads, Recipe Index Tagged With: lemon zest, poppy seeds, pudding mix, zucchini

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Shannon

    February 22, 2021 at 6:24 pm

    Hi there. The bread tasted good but for some reason both my loaves fell and had huge wholes in the middle. Any advice about what I did wrong? Could you make these as muffins?

    Reply
    • Kara Cook

      March 20, 2021 at 10:38 am

      It could have simply been that your zucchini was extra juicy. Next time try squeezing it dry and see if that makes a difference. And yes, I think you could make them as muffins. They will bake faster, maybe about 18 minutes?

      Reply
  2. Shirley Gustafson

    October 9, 2020 at 3:29 pm

    This is an excellent recipe! I made the first batch with vanilla pudding. Midway through mixing I found my Poppy seeds were bad so I substituted Chia seeds. It was just as good as the second batch made with fresh poppy seeds and lemon pudding mix.

    Reply
    • Kara Cook

      October 18, 2020 at 9:14 pm

      Happy to hear that it works well with chia seeds! Thanks for the tip. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Kayleigh Rogney

    August 29, 2020 at 8:24 am

    Can these loaves be frozen?

    Reply
    • Kara Cook

      August 31, 2020 at 2:56 pm

      We finish it off fast enough that I haven’t actually had to freeze it, but I’m sure it would freeze up just fine. Let it cool completely, then wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer ziplock bag. (Or if you don’t have the ziplock bags, use two layers of plastic wrap.) It should last in the freezer for 2-3 months.

      Reply
  4. Rita L Weisjohn

    August 28, 2020 at 5:35 pm

    Made this today and it is delicious! I will probably add just a touch more zest next time but there will be lots of “next times”. 🙂 Thank you so much for such a wonderful recipe!

    Reply
  5. janet

    August 26, 2020 at 3:47 pm

    I made this today and have to agree, it is delicious, after reading the reviews, I did add extra lemon zest and squeezed 1 extra whole lemon in too.

    Reply
  6. Amy

    August 23, 2020 at 8:26 pm

    Made this today and squeezed a little extra lemon juice into the batter. I also drizzled a little glaze on top. Everyone loved it!

    Reply
    • Kara Cook

      August 26, 2020 at 11:08 am

      Glaze would make it even more tasty!

      Reply
  7. Marni

    July 25, 2020 at 2:49 pm

    I made this today and it was great! I’m allergic to eggs so I substituted the eggs with 16 oz of applesauce. I also squeezed and entire lemon into my batter and added the zest and mine came out quite lemony. I used two pans rather than the mini loaf but I had to increase my cook time to 68 minutes.

    Reply
  8. Gina B.

    July 22, 2020 at 6:10 pm

    I made this today for the first time and it was great! Super moist and dense! My only complaint is (which seems to be the trend) is that it wasn’t as lemony as I was hoping for… which that refreshing lemony flavor is what I was going for on this hot summer day! I would definitely make it again though! Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply
  9. mark

    July 6, 2020 at 1:24 pm

    This was good, though I would prefer a little more lemon flavor. My son said it could be sweeter, but I though it was spot on. Going to try it with some blueberries next time.

    Reply
  10. olivia

    June 21, 2020 at 12:41 pm

    Cannot find lemon pudding mix anywhere!! Could I use vanilla? I did find the little pudding cups of lemon pudding lol but no box.

    Reply
    • Kara Cook

      June 26, 2020 at 11:27 pm

      It should be fine with vanilla pudding mix. I’d maybe use a little extra lemon zest to compensate. 🙂

      Reply
  11. Marcia Stuhlsatz

    February 19, 2020 at 5:29 pm

    Can I use coconut oil in this recipe?

    Reply
    • Kara Cook

      June 26, 2020 at 11:27 pm

      It will not be quite as moist with coconut oil as it is with vegetable oil, but it should still work just fine.

      Reply
  12. Lynne

    September 20, 2019 at 5:56 pm

    I made these and will again, not an overpowering taste of lemon, so I may increase the juice and zest next time. I zested the whole lemon but didn’t measure the amount. I ran out of parchment paper and sprayed and floured the loaf pans, that worked fine, and I also had to bake a bit longer. Highly recommend this recipe, thank you for sharing it.

    Reply
    • Kara Cook

      September 27, 2019 at 11:35 am

      Glad to hear they worked even without the parchment paper! Oh, and if you want a more powerful lemon flavor, just increase the lemon zest, no need to add more of the juice. I do that with other lemon recipes that my kids won’t be eating. 🙂

      Reply
  13. Linda

    September 9, 2019 at 2:06 pm

    Could this recipe be used as muffins instead of loaves? Any adjustments needed?

    Reply
  14. David

    July 25, 2019 at 11:24 am

    Do you squeeze the zucchini dry before using it?

    Reply
    • Kara Cook

      July 28, 2019 at 9:26 am

      No, I didn’t squeeze it dry, just used it right after grating. 🙂

      Reply
  15. Karen

    May 1, 2019 at 9:29 am

    Fabulous recipe! My grandkids ask for it every time they visit. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  16. Jenny

    February 26, 2019 at 12:28 pm

    Would it work using Almond Flour?

    Reply
    • Kara Cook

      March 13, 2019 at 11:50 am

      I have personally never baked with almond flour, but it is certainly worth a try. Let me know how it turns out!

      Reply
  17. Beverly King

    January 21, 2019 at 8:57 pm

    If I make the larger loaves, do I have to use a metal pan or can a glass loaf pan work? Which one would be the best to use?

    Reply
    • Kara Cook

      January 22, 2019 at 10:27 am

      I have only used metal loaf pans, but I would think a glass pan would work. You need to reduce the oven temperature when baking with glass, so you would need to preheat your oven to 300°. You may need to adjust the baking time. Let me know how it turns out!

      Reply
  18. Ginger

    September 19, 2018 at 9:08 am

    I was so excited to make this recipe! I had all the ingredients on hand, and was anxious to get these loaves in the freezer in preparation for an upcoming hunting trip. When they cooled, I couldn’t resist a small slice, just to test. To my surprise….it was very bland and not at all what I expected. I could barely taste the lemon flavor. As I laid in bed last night, I racked my brain trying to figure out what went wrong. Lo and behold….I did not recall adding any sugar. So now I have two beautiful loaves of bread (I also added blue and pink blueberries….so they are very pretty) and am not quite sure what to do with them. I am contemplating making some lemon curd to serve with them. Any other ideas? Bread pudding of some kind? They really need a “pop” of flavor. I refuse to throw them away….I am rating based on what the final result WOULD have been, had I followed instructions. Even made properly, though, I think they need more lemon flavor.

    Reply
    • Kara Cook

      September 19, 2018 at 7:46 pm

      It’s a bummer that you forgot the sugar. 🙁 Lemon curd would be good, or you could mix up a lemon glaze and drizzle it over the loaves. And next time you make them, you can definitely add more lemon zest if you want a stronger lemon flavor. Good luck!

      Reply
  19. Sharon C

    August 30, 2018 at 8:51 am

    I made the lemon poppy seed zucchini bread and I thought it was delicious! I also added fresh Maine blueberries (mixed in a little flour so they didn’t sink to the bottom). Thank you for such a great recipe!

    Reply
  20. Clare

    August 20, 2018 at 4:44 pm

    I would love to do it. How can I avoid using pudding mix? Thank you.

    Reply
    • Kara Cook

      August 21, 2018 at 7:43 am

      I don’t think you would have good results leaving out the pudding mix. Instead, I’d tweak my lemon lime zucchini muffins by adding poppy seeds and baking them in loaf pans. https://www.creationsbykara.com/lemon-lime-zucchini-muffins/ Good luck!

      Reply
  21. Krysta

    August 20, 2012 at 5:02 pm

    Sorry you are going through a rough patch. I know how it is! Hang in there! (and thanks for the recipe, it sounds wonderful…and I happen t have some zucchini in the fridge!)

    Reply
  22. ash

    August 17, 2012 at 11:09 am

    Hi I am wondering if you use the instant lemon pudding or the cook and serve lemon pudding I cant wait to try this out 🙂

    Reply
    • Kara Cook

      October 13, 2018 at 9:50 pm

      I use the instant lemon pudding mix.

      Reply
      • Karen M

        August 3, 2020 at 3:38 pm

        What if you have cook and serve pudding mix, NOT instant. What to do? Husband came home with wrong mix

        Reply
        • Kara Cook

          August 13, 2020 at 9:22 am

          I think that for baked goods like this bread, it will probably work just fine.

  23. Melinda

    August 14, 2012 at 10:17 pm

    Good luck with your week. I totally relate! I think I tried this at mom’s house and it was super yummy!

    Reply
  24. Laurel

    August 14, 2012 at 8:06 pm

    Thanks for sharing. Looks so yummy! Can’t wait to try it. Your blog is so cute!!

    Reply

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Hi. I’m Kara, and I love to create! I share recipes, DIY tutorials, craft projects, and thrifty home decor. I hope that I can inspire you to create something! Read More…

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