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    Recipes » Recipes » Baking & Desserts

    Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Bread

    Last updated - July 11, 2021; Published - June 12, 2020 By Rhian Williams 25 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    A collage of two gluten-free vegan lemon bread photos

    This Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Bread is moist and fluffy, sweet and tangy, and covered in a rich lemon buttercream frosting. It comes together in one bowl and is refined sugar free too. Perfect for dessert or an indulgent breakfast or brunch.

    A sliced loaf of gluten-free vegan lemon bread topped with frosting and lemon slices

    How sweet is this bread?

    This is definitely a sweet bread recipe - it's similar to a Lemon Cake. To make it less sweet, you can halve the amount of maple syrup and omit the frosting.

    Tips for baking with lemons

    • For optimum lemon flavour, I would recommend using fresh lemons (not ones that you've had sitting in your fruit bowl for weeks!) and organic ones if possible.
    • You have to be careful when baking with lemon juice as the acidity and lemon flavour can really vary depending on the lemons you use.
    • For the bread batter, I would recommend tasting the lemon juice you're using and adjusting the amount of lemon juice you use accordingly.
    • For the frosting, I would recommend tasting it as you're making it and adding extra lemon juice if necessary.
    • For the lemon zest, make sure you use unwaxed lemons.

    How to make the bread

    Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe.

    • Mix together all the ingredients in a glass mixing bowl.

    Tip: Use a measuring jug to measure out the plant-based milk.

    Raw gluten-free vegan lemon bread batter in a glass bowl
    • Transfer the batter into a one-pound loaf tin.

    Tip: Make sure to line the loaf tin with greased baking paper - this will make removing the bread from the tin so much easier!

    Raw gluten-free vegan lemon bread batter in a loaf tin
    • Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
    A loaf of gluten-free vegan lemon bread in a loaf tin
    • Transfer to a cooling rack to cool down before applying the frosting.
    A loaf of gluten-free vegan lemon bread on a wire rack

    How to make the lemon buttercream frosting

    • Place cashew nuts, maple syrup and lemon juice in a food processor.

    Tip: Make sure the cashew nuts are soaked to make them easier to blend. Soak them overnight in cold water or in boiling water for at least 15 minutes.

    Cashew nuts, lemon juice and maple syrup in a food processor
    • Whizz until completely smooth.

    Tip: You will have to mix it around a few times to make it easier to blend up.

    Vegan lemon buttercream frosting in a food processor
    • Use a knife (or palette knife for frosting) to spread the frosting over the top of the loaf.
    A loaf of gluten-free vegan lemon bread on a wire rack topped with frosting

    Substitutions you can make

    • You can use any type of oil: coconut oil, olive oil or vegetable oil.
    • You can use any type of plant-based milk: almond milk, rice milk, soy milk, cashew milk, oat milk etc.
    • You can use any type of liquid sweetener: maple syrup, agave syrup, brown rice syrup etc.
    • You can replace the ground almonds (almond meal) with ground walnuts.
    • For a nut-free version: replace the ground almonds (almond meal) with ground sunflower seeds or use 30g (¼ cup) coconut flour instead of 150g (1 ¼ cup) ground almonds.
    • You can use plain flour, wholemeal (whole wheat) flour or spelt flour instead of the gluten-free flour if you're not gluten-free.

    Ingredients you can mix into the batter

    • Poppy seeds - use my Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cake recipe instead!
    • Dried cranberries.
    • Fresh or frozen fruit like blueberries or raspberries.

    How long does this Lemon Bread keep for?

    This Lemon Bread definitely tastes best when fresh, but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days.

    A loaf of gluten-free vegan lemon bread topped with frosting with two slices next to it

    More vegan sweet bread recipes

    • Gluten-Free Vegan Pumpkin Bread
    • Gluten-Free Vegan Blueberry Banana Bread
    • Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
    • Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread
    • Gluten-Free Vegan Zucchini Bread
    • Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Bread
    • Gluten-Free Vegan Apple Bread
    • Gluten-Free Vegan Orange Bread
    • Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
    • Gluten-Free Vegan Carrot Bread

    If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.

    Watch how to make this recipe

    A loaf of gluten-free vegan lemon bread topped with frosting with two slices next to it

    Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Bread

    This Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Bread is moist and fluffy, sweet and tangy, and covered in a rich lemon buttercream frosting. It comes together in one bowl and is refined sugar free too. Perfect for dessert or an indulgent breakfast or brunch.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast, Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: gluten-free lemon bread, vegan lemon bread, vegan lemon cake
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
    Servings: 10 slices
    Calories: 341kcal
    Author: Rhian Williams

    Ingredients

    For the lemon bread:

    • 60 g (¼ cup) coconut oil (or sub olive or vegetable oil)
    • 180 ml (¾ cup) unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
    • 8 tablespoons lemon juice
    • 2 tablespoons lemon zest (use unwaxed lemons)
    • 12 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 150 g (1 ¼ cup) ground almonds (almond meal) *
    • 150 g (1 ¼ cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub plain flour if not gluten-free)
    • 2 heaped teaspoons baking powder (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
    • ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

    For the lemon frosting:

    • 100 g (⅔ cup) raw cashew nuts soaked in cold water overnight or in hot water for 15 minutes
    • 6 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
    • 4 tablespoons lemon juice

    Instructions

    For the lemon bread:

    • Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit).
    • Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave (skip this step if using any other oil).
    • Once melted, add the milk to the same bowl along with the lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, maple syrup and ground almonds
.
    • Sift in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
    • Mix well, adding a tiny splash more milk if it’s looking too dry.
    • Transfer mixture into a loaf tin lined with greased baking paper (I used a one-pound loaf tin).
    • Bake in the oven for 45 minutes until risen and golden brown and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
    • Once out the oven, transfer the loaf from the baking tin onto a wired rack to leave it to cool completely before applying the frosting.

    For the lemon frosting:

    • Drain soaked cashews and add to a food processor or blender with all the other ingredients.
    • Whizz until completely smooth, adding some water or plant-based milk to thin out if necessary.

    To frost and decorate:

    • Use a knife (or palette knife) to spread frosting over the top of the loaf.
    • Tastes best when fresh, but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days.

    Video

    Notes

    *You can alternatively use almond flour.
    This is definitely a sweet recipe – it’s similar to Lemon Cake. To make it less sweet, you can halve the amount of maple syrup and omit the frosting.
    Tips for baking with lemons
    • For optimum lemon flavour, I would recommend using fresh lemons (not ones that you've had sitting in your fruit bowl for weeks!) and organic ones if possible.
    • You have to be careful when baking with lemon juice as the acidity and lemon flavour can really vary depending on the lemons you use.
    • For the bread batter, I would recommend tasting the lemon juice you're using and adjusting the amount of lemon juice you use accordingly.
    • For the frosting, I would recommend tasting it as you're making it and adding extra lemon juice if necessary.
    Nutrition Facts
    Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Bread
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 341 Calories from Fat 171
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 19g29%
    Saturated Fat 6g30%
    Sodium 56mg2%
    Potassium 186mg5%
    Carbohydrates 42g14%
    Fiber 3g12%
    Sugar 24g27%
    Protein 7g14%
    Vitamin C 9mg11%
    Calcium 115mg12%
    Iron 2mg11%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Made the recipe?Tag @rhiansrecipes on instagram and use the hashtag #rhiansrecipes!

    Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase any of these products, a small percentage will come to me with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog – thank you.

    More Baking & Dessert Recipes

    • Vegan Blueberry Muffins (Gluten-Free)
    • Gluten-Free Vegan Churros (Baked!)
    • 35 Vegan Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes (Gluten-Free)
    • Vegan Baked Pumpkin Cheesecake (Gluten-Free)
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      Recipe Rating




    1. Amelia

      April 19, 2021 at 1:47 pm

      I followed the recipe, without any substitutions and it was very chewing in the middle and didn't taste like it had cooked properly. The flavour was delicious, but the consistency of the cake pretty weird and gummy. I can't figure out why it came out like this.

      Reply
      • Rhian Williams

        April 19, 2021 at 5:23 pm

        I'm sorry to hear that - what type of gluten-free flour did you use? I think this may have been the issue

    2. Jo Knight

      July 20, 2022 at 10:41 am

      How big ias your 1 lb loaf tin? I made half quantity in mine which is 9 x 19 cm (top opening size )and 5 cm deep. This filled the tin but it sunk in the middle which was disappointing. I am an experienced baker and wonder if this was too much baking powder. GF FLour was Doves. Tempersture was oK as I have thermometer. ANy ideas please as I nee to do one again quckly

      Reply
      • Rhian Williams

        July 21, 2022 at 3:29 pm

        Hi - sorry to hear that, did you make any substitutions?

    « Older Comments

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    Photo of Rhian Williams from Rhian's Recipes

    Hi, I'm Rhian! I make easy, undetectably vegan + gluten-free recipes, including healthy comfort food and naturally sweetened desserts using plant-based ingredients.

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