Orange Glazed Poppy Seed Bread is a simple quick bread recipe that is perfect for breakfast or a light dessert. This sweet bread is moist and tender, and easy to make – and it has the best homemade orange glaze on top!
Whenever I’m wanting an easy sweet baked brunch treat, this Orange Poppy Seed Bread recipe is one of my top contenders. Its comforting simplicity, topped off with a thin-crusted sweet glaze, has made this quick bread a favorite of mine; it’s got the same bright citrus quality of Almond Lemon Poppy Seed Bread, but with a little softer citrus touch. It’s just plain lovely.
What Makes This Citrusy Quick Bread a Standout
My friend Jennifer is great in the kitchen, and I often ask her for recipes that she makes for us whenever we get together. This orange poppy seed bread is quite possibly the first recipe I ever asked her to share with me (her Peppermint Bark and Pumpkin Ice Box Cake are a couple more family favorites!). Jennifer got this recipe from our mutual friend, Mary, who was my MOPS (now called MomCo) Mentor Mom many years ago. I love it when recipes get passed along – it’s one of the joys associated with food!
- Tender, moist crumb. This bread is incredibly soft and moist, in the very best way. The sweet citrus glaze on top saturates the loaf and locks that moisture in, nice and secure.
- True citrus flavor. Fresh orange zest and juice make for a natural bright orange flavor, while the addition of vanilla and almond extracts add depth — and a little bit of a creamsicle vibe. So yummy.
- Great for sharing. The recipe makes two loaves. One for you and one for a friend. (Or maybe one for now and one to freeze for later!)
If you enjoy this poppy seed bread you should also try my mom’s apple-stuffed Apple Bread recipe and this Peach Bread!
Enjoy!
“WOW!!! Great flavor–they turned out wonderful!!!!! Also made homemade strawberry jam to go with them…delish!!! Thanks for the great post!!!”
Nikki
What You’ll Need
This recipe list includes common, easy-to-find baking ingredients. Scroll down to the printable recipe card to find the exact ingredient quantities and full recipe instructions.
- Flour – This recipe calls for all-purpose flour.
- Sugar – Sugar, of course, is for sweetness. But did you know it also helps create that golden, slightly caramelized crust on a quick bread?
- Salt – I use Morton kosher salt in my baking.
- Baking powder – Gives the bread its rise. It’s the difference between quick bread and yeast bread.
- Poppy seeds – For a subtle and delightful crunch, with a nutty-earthy, slightly sweet flavor. If you like poppy seeds, also try these wonderful Citrus Poppy Seed Cookies. For a savory option, try this Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole.
- Orange zest – Make sure it’s finely grated; it’ll make the citrus flavor go further because it will be more evenly distributed in the batter.
- Milk – Whole milk adds richness to the bread.
- Vegetable oil – Canola oil, avocado oil, or another neutral oil you like to use for baking can be swapped in.
- Eggs – These help bind the batter together and offer rich flavor and texture.
- Vanilla extract – Use pure vanilla, not imitation, for the best flavor.
- Almond extract – Rather than tasting nutty, almond extract has a cherry-like flavor and aroma. It’s the secret ingredient in a lot of bakery treats – a favorite example is Angel Food Cake.
- Glaze – The glaze is made with many of the same ingredients in the bread: granulated sugar, orange juice (from the orange you zested), and vanilla and almond extracts – plus a little bit of melted unsalted butter.
How to Make Orange Glazed Poppy Seed Bread
Nothing complicated here. I’ll walk you through this easy quick bread recipe – let’s go!
- Prepare. Line two loaf pans with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and poppy seeds in a mixing bowl. Stir in the orange zest.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Whisk the milk, oil, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract in a separate bowl.
- Combine. Slowly mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients; beat to incorporate well. If using a stand mixer, increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 30 seconds more.
- Bake. Divide the batter between the two pans and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 65 to 70 minutes.
- Glaze. Whisk together the glaze ingredients. Brush the glaze over the hot loaves and let it soak in for 20 minutes before removing the bread from the pans to cool completely.
Brenda’s Tips + a Few Variation Ideas
I have a few more notes on this orange glazed poppy seed bread recipe:
- Don’t over-mix the batter. This is a good rule of thumb for any quick bread, muffin, or cake recipe. Mixing too vigorously will over-develop the gluten and give the orange poppy seed bread a texture that’s less tender.
- Use all the glaze. While glazing the bread, it might seem that there’s too much glaze. But I highly recommend using all of it. It soaks into the bread to make it extra moist, plus adds a delightful little crust to the top of the bread.
- Make it mini. Bake the bread in mini loaf pans for gifting. You’ll need to reduce the baking time accordingly.
- Fold in some crunch. Pistachios are a beautiful complement to the flavor of orange; finely chop some and fold them into the batter instead of, or in addition to, the poppy seeds.
- Use another citrus fruit. Like tangerines or blood oranges or anything else that has a similar sweetness to navel oranges. Cara Cara oranges are a favorite in our family, featured in my Winter Citrus Salad.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve this orange glazed poppy seed bread as a breakfast, brunch, snack, or dessert — a true multitasker!
- Breakfast & brunch: Pair it with a savory dish like Crustless Quiche or Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole for any gathering or holiday get-together. This bread is also lovely with a little spoonful of fresh Strawberry Rhubarb Jam.
- Dessert: A dollop of sweetened whipped cream makes it an extra-special dessert treat!
How to Store
- Room temperature: Store this orange glazed poppy seed bread in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Refrigerator: For longer storage, refrigerate the bread for up to 6 days. Enjoy it chilled from the fridge, at room temp, or warmed up a bit.
- Freezer: Freeze whole or sliced loaves in an airtight container or bag for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature before serving.
More Quick Bread Recipes
Orange Glazed Poppy Seed Bread
Yield: 2 loaves
This easy quick bread recipe is wonderful for breakfast or a light dessert. It has the best orange glaze on top!
Print
Ingredients
Bread
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ tablespoons poppy seeds
- 3 tablespoons loosely packed, finely-zested orange zest (use a microplane zester)
- 1½ cups whole milk
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs, slightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons pure almond extract
Glaze
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon pure almond extract
- 2 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
Instructions
Bread
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two light-colored metal 8½″ x 4½″ loaf pans with parchment paper slings; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and poppy seeds. Stir on low, just until combined. Sprinkle orange zest over the top and stir on low, just until evenly incorporated.
- In a separate medium bowl, combine the rest of the read ingredients – the milk, oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
- With mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. Beat until incorporated, then raise the mixer speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds more.
- Divide batter evenly between the two prepared loaf pans and bake for 65-70 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Transfer loaf pans to a cooling rack. The bread should crack open lengthwise across the top near the end of baking; this is a good thing – it allows the glaze to soak into the bread more.
Glaze
- While bread is baking, add all glaze ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until incorporated.
- After removing loaf pans from the oven, immediately give the glaze a stir to incorporate, then brush it over the warm bread tops. It will seem like a lot of glaze, but it will soak in and make the bread ultra moist and flavorful, with a bit of a sugary crust once it cools. Cool the loaves about 20 minutes, then use the parchment slings to pull the bread up and out of the pans. Let bread cool completely before slicing.
Notes
adapted slightly from the original recipe shared with me by friend Jennifer Reinhard – originally from Mary Nesvig
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 2slices Calories: 372kcal Carbohydrates: 73g Protein: 7g Fat: 6g Saturated Fat: 2g Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g Cholesterol: 51mg Sodium: 510mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 47g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment below. And share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #afarmgirlsdabbles or tag @farmgirlsdabble!
This post was originally published in 2011, then updated in 2025.
This is a recipe my mom and I have been making since I was a little girl. I was googling hoping to find out recipe, as mine is packed in a box somewhere and I was a little fuzzy on a few details. So happy to find it! ❤️
I love to hear this. Enjoy!!
Instead of sugar could you use confection sugar
Have you tried freezing? If so, how did you do it and how did you defrost?
I just randomly stumbled across this recipe via Pinterest/linked to another website/linked to another. I absolutely LOVE poppy seed muffins and was really excited to try this recipe when I stumbled across it. The poppy seeds were a challenge to find but once I found them and made the recipe it was amazing!!! Thank you so much from me, my taste buds, and everyone at work!
-Sending kudos from Missouri
Ashley
One of my school students made me an ‘orane-glazed, poppy seed bread’…
it was out of this world and I’m hoping that this is the recipe… It was the best stuff and we all loved it. Thanks for posting this and I can’t wait to try it on my own.
It’s one of my family’s favorites – so good! Hope you like it!
This bread looks fabulous, Brenda. That orange glaze has to be just perfect on it.
Thanks, Robyn!
WOW!!! Great flavor–they turned out wonderful!!!!! Also made homemade strawberry jam to go with them…delish!!! Thanks for the great post!!!
Thank you so much for your comment – I love to hear when someone makes a recipe I post! Strawberry jam sounds lovely with that bread!
I love tea breads and this one sounds fabulous. I love the orange glaze!
quick breads are my favorite, and that one looks amazing:)
What great pictures. That bread looks fantastic.
I made the almost exact same bread a few weeks ago for a friend who had a baby. We both devoured our loaves. I added some orange peel zest to the bread batter but other wise the exact same. Thanks for reminding me how much I love it!
Thanks Leah – orange zest would be wonderful in the batter!
That looks so gorgeous and a perfect texture too!
Thank you, Maria!
Saw this on Sweet Tooth Friday – it looks delicious. I love the orange poppyseed combination so will definitely have to try this. Thanks for posting the recipe!
Hi! Nice to hear from you – thanks for popping over from Allison’s site!
Jen and Mary and you have all out-done yourselves. This is the moistest looking dessert bread I’ve seen in awhile. Love the idea of the glaze too. Have a wonderful Mother’s Day Weekend with your beautiful family Brenda.
And a very happy Mother’s Day to you, Paula!
I absolutely love quick breads (so easy!) and I love the flavors you used in this one. It looks delicious! Thank you for sharing and inspiring me with something new! Have a great weekend.
So nice to hear from you again, Georgia – thanks!
This bread was a real treat last weekend while we were at your home. So moist and tasty!
Thanks, Mom – I knew you’d like it!
Looks so moist and wonderful! I love a good poppy seed bread.
Thanks, Sylvie!