Ever had the Starbucks Lemon Loaf? Me neither. But I’ve seen it in their display case and it looks divine.
Recently I came across a recipe knock-off for the famous loaf. Therefore, I decided to make a knock-off of the knock-off. I’m guessing that by now, this recipe barely even resembles the Starbucks variety – except for the part about it being a loaf and being lemony. But yay for recipe inspiration! My family agrees that this recipe is a keeper.
Pucker up, by the way. This bread packs a wonderful, lemony punch. I don’t recommend that you eat this Lemon Bread with Lemon Water unless you want to make funny faces at your family all through breakfast. Come to think of it – definitely do eat the lemon bread with the lemon water. Take selfies. Report back to me.
Or you could just have this bread with coffee or milk. But that would just be sooooo normal.
Low Sugar Lemon Loaf
- 1½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
- ⅓ cup sucanat or brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons melted butter
- ½ cup melted coconut oil
- Lemon Glaze
- 3 Tablespoons honey
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Stir ingredients together in a small saucepan over low heat until well combined. Pour over warm bread.
- Stir together dry ingredients.
- Add eggs, vanilla, lemon juice, melted butter, and melted coconut oil.
- Mix well and pour into a buttered loaf pan.
- Bake in a 350° for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Poke hot loaf of bread with said toothpick several times, then pour lemon glaze over the top to coat completely.
- Allow the loaf to sit in the pan for 10-15 minutes before removing. Cool on a plate.

The Starbucks lemon cake is absolutely amazing. I’m sure it’s horrifyingly unhealthy, and it’s definitely really sweet, but if I want an extra special treat when I’m out with a girlfriend or something, there is nothing better. Just so yummy. So lemony. So good.
I’ll have to try yours, because yours I could eat more than once a year :)
Oh, I’ve been pinning lemon loaves all over the place in hopes of recreating it with healthier ingredients. You’ve done the work for me! Can’t wait to try it…just have to wait 27 more days. Our family is doing a whole 30 so no grains, sugar or dairy for 30 days. This lemon loaf will be one of the first things I bake when it’s over though! :)
I’m with you on the Starbucks coffee. I like it better than Caribou Coffee, but when we have a choice, my husband and I both prefer coffee from Dunn Brothers…Thank you for the reduced-sugar recipes. This lemon loaf looks wonderful!
I agree with you completely about Starbucks coffee—YUK!
Even when they have really good specials running, I never go. Definitely going to make your Lemon Loaf, tho—and soon. Thank you so much—including for the laughs just now!
I’m pregnant and have been craving sour things. I’ve been looking all over for a real food, low sugar Apple lemon bread. If I added a grated Apple (I can’t get enough granny smith’s ????) to this recipe, how do you think I would I need to adjust the other ingredients? Thanks!
I don’t think you’d need to make any other adjustments – it would just make this bread very moist!
Made this tonight…so delicious!!! It was exactly what I was craving! Here’s my knock off of your knock off of the knock off :). I did the juice of one lemon, plus the zest; 1/4 c of brown sugar; all butter since I didn’t have any coconut oil; and one grated Granny Smith Apple. My toddler will love this for breakfast in the morning (that is, if I leave her any ;))
Thank you so much for your website! I’ve made many of your recipes with great success!
Have you ever tried powdered stevia in your recipes? I have found that can I reduce the sugar in a recipe by over half and still keep most the sweetness by added powered stevia to the batter. I simply cut the sugar by half and use a little less than half of the stevia. If you go half sugar/half stevia you will taste the stevia a bit. But if you use a little less than half, you don’t taste it at all! And you add the stevia when you combine all the ingredients, NOT when you are creaming butter and sugar together. ..it’s makes things weird. (Very scientific, I know)
Oh, and Walmart carries a giant bag of either Stevia in the Raw or the GV brand for under $6! So it’s a great buy and it lasts for a long time.
Regular coconut oil or refined? Also poppy seeds sound really good with this :). Thank you!