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.
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 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.
- 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!
- Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
- Transfer to a cooling rack to cool down before applying the frosting.
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.
- Whizz until completely smooth.
Tip: You will have to mix it around a few times to make it easier to blend up.
- Use a knife (or palette knife for frosting) to spread the frosting over the top of the loaf.
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.
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
- Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Bread
- Gluten-Free Vegan Cranberry 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
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.
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Servings: 10 slices
Calories: 341kcal
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 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.
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Marisa
Ho there, love your recipes. I’m following a Low FODMAP diet, can I substitute the almond flour and almond milk for oats of something else?
Rhian Williams
Thank you! Almond milk can be replaced with any other plant-based milk. Almond flour can be replaced with ground walnuts, sunflower seeds or a fifth of the amount coconut flour. Oat flour may work in place of the almond flour, but I can’t guarantee results as I haven’t tested it that way. Would love to hear how you get on if you try it though!
Marie
Delicious!
Rhian Williams
Thank you so much, so happy to hear that!
Carrie N
Any suggestions on the frosting if I’m avoiding cashews?
Rhian Williams
You can use a coconut-based one instead. recipe here: https://www.rhiansrecipes.com/cream-cheese-frosting/
Jasmin
Can I use oat flour?
Rhian Williams
Yes that will work (in place of the gluten-free flour), but the texture will be slightly different!
Janice
It didn't rise? What did I do wrong?
Janice
My bread is so wet. I wonder if it's the flour blend I'm using. I have to avoid rice and all the store bought blends use rice flour, so I found a flour recipe and made my own. It was rising in the oven and turned a nice brown, but as soon as I took it out after 45 minutes it sunk and it's like batter in the middle. Any ideas for me to make this bread a success?
Rhian Williams
Hi - I'm sorry to hear that, it suspect it is the flour you are using. What are the ingredients in it?