LEMON POPPYSEED PROTEIN BREAD (DAIRY FREE)
Where are all my lemon lovers at? I’m a sucker for anything lemon, but my favorite is this Lemon Poppyseed Protein Bread. This bread is moist and fluffy, sweet and citrusy, and downright crave-worthy! It's dairy-free and can also be made gluten-free or vegan! I won't lie, it took many tries to perfect this loaf, but the effort was well worth the reward.
Did you know? This bread makes a great post-workout snack because it’s lower in fats and higher in carbs, speeding protein delivery to the muscle (fat slows digestion and absorption).
Protein substitutions
For the protein, I used LIV Body Lean Vegan Protein in Oatmeal Cream Cookie (a good neutral flavor). I absolutely love that this brand has no artificial ingredients but still tastes great and works well for baking! Feel free to use my code “SARAHWILKINS” for free shipping on all LIV Body products 😉
If you don’t have this particular brand, any plant-based protein should work so long as it’s a complementary flavor (like vanilla or cake batter). Do not attempt to substitute other types of protein powder in recipes that call for vegan protein! (collagen, egg white protein, casein, whey, etc.) In my experience, soy protein, rice protein, and pea protein are mostly interchangeable (you just may need to adjust the amount of liquid or flour slightly).
If you don’t have protein powder, simply substitute two-thirds cup (80 grams) additional flour! See listed flours below…
Flour substitutions
Speaking of flours, the flour that works the absolute best in this recipe is regular old all-purpose flour. For gluten-free, I recommend this gluten free baking flour. Fine gluten-free oat flour is another good option, or any flour that measures 1:1 like regular flour and has some binding capacity (whether gluten or starch).
Up to one-fourth of the baking flour can be substituted for coconut flour if you need to lower the carbs, but the bread won’t be as fluffy or “tall.” For example, substitute one-third cup baking flour for 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons of coconut flour. I don’t recommend substituting 100% almond flour or coconut flour or the texture won't come out right.
Sweetener substitutions
To add the perfect amount of sweetness to this bread, I used this sugar free granulated sweetener. It have no stevia or erythritol which is great if you're sensitive to those! You can also substitute baking stevia, granulated erythritol, monk fruit blend, or any granulated sugar like coconut sugar. If using stevia extract or drops, be sure to check the brand-specific conversion chart for how much to use.
Other substitutions
To moisten this bread, I used nonfat plain soy yogurt but have also used silken tofu and nonfat plain Greek yogurt in the past (equivalent macros but not vegan). All three are high in protein!
The recipe calls for egg whites (not vegan), but if you need to make this vegan I would suggest a vegan egg replacer like Bob's Red Mill brand. You could also try aquafaba, the liquid from canned chickpeas (you’ll need about two cans worth). If using a vegan egg substitute, you'll get better results using wheat flour versus gluten-free because the gluten acts as a binder in place of the egg whites and helps the bread rise!
I did add a little vegan butter to make this bread even moister, but it’s optional. You could also use coconut or avocado oil. This bread is delicious without it! And that subtle yellow hue? I used the tiniest dash of turmeric 😉
Sugar-free lemon icing
For the icing, I used fresh lemon juice and zest, unsweetened almond milk (use milk of choice), and this sugar free powdered sweetener that measures like sugar. You can also use confectioner’s erythritol, powdered monk fruit blend, powdered sugar, or simply blend granulated erythritol into a powder!
Use vegan buttery spread instead of the almond milk for a thicker, richer icing (what I did for these photos).
Here’s the printable recipe for this vegan Lemon Poppyseed Protein Bread! I hope you’ll rate and comment below if you try it 😉
This post contains affiliate links and is sponsored by LIV Body.
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This Pumpkin Chip Protein Bread has a rich, tender texture full of pumpkin spice and chocolate chips (no dry protein bread here). The kids and I can't get enough! Best of all, it's gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free and easily made egg-free and vegan.
