Lemon poppy seed bread gets an extra twist by adding finely grated yellow summer squash turning it into what I call lemon squash poppy seed bread. And a delicious twist it is. Perfectly moist, just enough sweetness, and delightfully flavorful. What a delicious way to use extra yellow squash from the garden.
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Hello friends.
I love to garden
Every year we grow a big garden in our backyard and I love this time of year when we start to reap the benefits of that garden through all the yummy vegetables and fruits.
Those juicy red tomatoes that just drip down your chin. Crisp cucumbers galore. And of course the mighty zucchini and summer squash plants that produce way more than you ever dreamed possible.
I love it all (well, except the weeds).
But the thing that I probably love the most is the plethora of healthy fruits and vegetables lying around that are just asking to be eaten.
Of course it can be stressful too – the harvest that is. Especially when the harvest is so great that it’s hard to find new ways to use it all.
‘Cause I don’t know about you, but I can only eat squash so many times in a row cooked the same way and not get sick of them.
But guess what? I have good news for you today because sometimes I just get these recipe ideas that pop into my head and they won’t go away.
How this lemon squash poppy seed bread came to be
Well a couple of years ago I got the idea about yellow summer squash and lemon bread. I knew they needed to get married and have a lemon squash bread.
There’s cinnamon-flavored zucchini bread, right? Why not a lemon-flavored yellow squash bread?
So I went on the hunt. The recipe hunt.
I experimented quite a bit with another recipe that used lemon extract.
It was okaaaay…
But I never was completely satisfied with the flavor – it just tasted too chemically fake for me.
So when I spied this lemon squash poppy seed bread with no lemon extract, I was giddy with glee.
The first time I made it, I knew it was a winner. It comes together so beautifully, has such a delightful flavor. And the texture is light and fluffy and absolutely divine.
And oh we have made this so many, many times since then. It’s right up there on the top of the most-often-made-recipes-in-summer in our house. Right up there with these yellow squash muffins (Have you checked those out yet? be sure you do!).
Does it taste like squash?
No you cannot tell it has squash in it. Food color camo is a beautiful thing friends.
It is delicious right out of the oven, but good the next day too.
Can I freeze it?
Yes! I like to make extra to freeze cause it freezes GREAT.
Serving suggestions
Breakfast, lunch, snack or dinner. No judgements here about when you will eat this lemon squash poppy seed bread.
We even love to toast it up and serve it with a dollop of freshly whipped whip cream for dessert. Yum.
Yes this bread is one of my favorite quick breads of all time. So make sure you don’t let this lemon squash poppy seed bread pass you by, whether you’ve got summer squash growing in your garden or not. Grocery stores and farmers markets are a wonderful thing, my friends.
Lemon Squash Poppy Seed Bread
Lemon poppy seed bread gets an extra twist by adding finely grated yellow summer squash turning it into what I call lemon squash poppy seed bread. And a delicious twist it is. Perfectly moist, just enough sweetness, and delightfully flavorful. What a delicious way to use extra yellow squash from the garden.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter melted
- 2 cups (15 ounces) granulated sugar
- ½ tablespoon finely grated lemon zest from about 1 ½ large lemons
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice from about 1 ½ large lemons
- 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 3 cups (15 ounces) all-purpose white flour divided
- 2 cups (about 1 pound) grated yellow summer squash from about 2 small to medium summer squash
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place oven rack in the center of the oven. Generously spray two 8.5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray and coat evenly with flour to prevent sticking.
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In a large mixing bowl, add melted butter, white sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, almond and vanilla extract and cream together until fluffy and light in color.
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Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until fully incorporated before adding another.
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Evenly sprinkle the salt, baking soda, and baking powder over the top of the mixture and mix well.
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Add the flour ½ cup at a time and mix entirely between additions.
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With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the summer squash and poppy seeds.
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Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared loaf pans.
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Bake at 325 degrees F for 60-65 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Be careful not to check the loaves early or you may cause them to sink slightly in the middle.
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Place loaves on cooling rack to cool 5-10 minutes before carefully removing from the loaf pans to cool completely (about an hour). Store covered well for about three days or loaves can be frozen (see note).
Recipe Notes
1. One of my favorite ways to serve this lemon bread is as a dessert. I toast a piece and add a dollop of freshly whipped whip cream.
2. To freeze loaves, cool completely and then pack into gallon freezer bags and seal. Best if frozen the same day as baked.
Recipe Source: Heather @ The Cook’s Treat, slightly adapted from The Wander Lust Kitchen
All images and text ©The Cook’s Treat
Disclaimer: post contains affiliate links for items on Amazon.
Such a yummy lemon flavored cake-like bread. My hubby’s new favorite. The poppy seeds are a nice touch. I added a drizzle of fresh lemon juice mixed with a bit of powdered sugar. Easy recipe to make for a special event or a gift for that special friend.
Have you tried freezing the grated squash for use later in this recipe? Also do you need to take out the seeds, especially if its large and has a lot of seeds? FYI your squash pancakes were a hit for my family.
Hi Dorothy glad you found the squash pancakes and liked them. 😀 I haven’t tried using frozen grated squash in this recipe. I normally make the bread and freeze it. I would definitely take out the seeds if there is a large amount.
So easy and delicious! Makes a big batch! Definitely a keeper
Thanks Marisa!
I made this with my girls tonight because we ended up with a lot of HUGE summer squash in our garden this year! I followed the recipe, other than cut the sugar to just 1-1/2 cups and upped the squash to 7-1/2 packed cups (that was just two of the enormous squashes we have)! I had to bake it a little longer, although that is typical for most quick breads in my oven. It got two big thumbs up from my girls too!
Thanks for sharing your variation Nicole! Glad you loved it.
We love the bread, but my loaves sunk in the middle. What did I do wrong?
Hi Christine! It could be you checked them just a little bit too soon! Everyone’s oven is so different but I would try checking a few mins later next time.
Mine did too, and I let them go the full time. 🤷♀️ Haven’t tasted them yet, they’re still cooling, but they smell delicious and the batter off the scraper was delicious too!!
Hi Jeanette, Sorry to hear your loaves sunk 🙁 Did you test them with a toothpick before taking them out? I’d be curious if the toothpick came out clean. Since every oven bakes a little different, you may have to add additional time from what the recipe states. Hope that helps.
Thanks for the reply Heather. Yes, my toothpicks came out clean on both loaves. Just one of those things I think because it tastes delicious!! I’ll be making this again. 😋
I’m glad they were tasty anyway! Been thinking about what could be causing the loaves to sink. If your squash was super wet that could be causing too much liquid in the batter. I use regular sized squash to create this recipe so if you are using larger diameter squash you may want to wring out some of the extra liquid first before measuring the two cups of grated squash.
All I can say is WOW! This bread is so good!!! Thank you for the recipe. I will be making this again very soon!
Thanks Dianne! I’m glad you liked the recipe. 🙂
I was given a bunch of garden yellow squash from a friend and and so happy to have found this recipe! I didn’t use hand mixer and just whisked with a slotted spoon. With the leftover half of lemon, I made a glaze with confectioner’s sugar
I have made it several times and put half-loavess in the freezer. Great toasted in toaster! My new favorite bread recipe!
Thanks Lola! The glaze sounds yummy 🙂 Yes toasted is my favorite way to eat this bread. And thanks for including how you made it by hand.
I did the whole think by hand with a whisk so easy came out fabulous even without the poppy seeds!
That’s awesome Amy! Thanks for letting me know.
I really like this recipe. I have been making it in a mixer, but I wondered if you mix it by hand.
Hey Debra. Thanks for your comment. I normally mix it with a hand mixer for the first part and then just by hand at the end. 🙂
I’ve made this many times, and it’s a big hit with my family, and when I sell it at the Farmers markets! I had a craving for it a few times when I didn’t have any lemons on hand, so I had to get creative! I omit the almond extract when I don’t use lemons, then I replace them with 3tsp of vanilla. I actually sold more of the vanilla than lemon at the markets.. but I have to say , ” it’s delicious either way you prefer it!” I grow yellow squash and Zucchini and always have plenty on hand. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Melody! I love your vanilla variation. I’ve got a ton of squash right now too and I think I need to try it!!