This Strawberry Lemon Loaf Cake is an easy one-bowl quick bread recipe made with fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, juicy strawberries with a sweet and creamy glaze. The pound cake is soft, light fluffy and perfect for spring or summer! Gluten-free, dairy-free, refined-sugar free, paleo-friendly with low carb and keto options.
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Updated April 2023
Fluffy Strawberry Lemon Bread Recipe
Looking for an easy loaf cake recipe for spring and summer? This healthy Strawberry Lemon Loaf Cake is soft, fluffy and bursting with citrus and sweet raspberries.
It’s simple to make in just one bowl and includes a simple 3-ingredient lemonade glaze that tops everything off. We personally love the sweetness and extra zest that the glaze provides, but the plain loaf is just amazing too.
Plus, it’s made with wholesome ingredients making it perfect for breakfast, a healthy afternoon snack or dessert idea for spring, summer or any time you’re craving lemon! This recipe is also completely grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, paleo friendly with low carb and keto sweetener options.
What You’ll Need
The ingredient list for this strawberry loaf cake is wholesome and the perfect combination to give you the fluffiest lemon strawberry bread. Here’s what you need:
- Large Eggs: Bring 4 eggs to room temperature.
- Coconut nectar syrup: our favorite paleo and vegan liquid sweetener to mimic the taste of honey. Made from the sap of the flowers of the coconut palm. If you don’t have coconut syrup, you can also sub with maple syrup or agave syrup. For low carb or keto, sub with your preferred liquid sweetener such as Lakanto Sugar-free maple syrup or yacon syrup.
- Granulated Maple Sugar: Granulated maple syrup is our favorite unrefined sugar that mimics the taste and texture of regular cane sugar. For keto lemon poppyseed muffins, sub with granulated monk fruit sweetener. You can also use coconut sugar, but the color will be darker.
- Coconut Oil: We use melted and cooled refined coconut oil to avoid any added coconut flavor. You can also sub with any neutral tasting oil or melted and cooled unsalted ghee/butter (if not dairy-free). You’ll need a little extra for greasing the muffin tin.
- Lemon Juice & Zest: You’ll need about 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and 1/3 tablespoon of zest.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Just a pinch to make these muffins extra delicious.
- Baking Powder: will help your muffins rise sky-high! Be sure to use a grain-free baking powder to keep these paleo, as needed.
- Superfine Almond Flour + Tapioca flour: this combination of grain-free flours mimic the taste and texture of all purpose flour. The tapioca flour gives these gluten-free muffins that soft and fluffy texture. You can also with arrowroot starch.
- Fine Sea Salt: Just a pinch!
- Strawberries: you can use fresh strawberries or frozen strawberries (unthawed) in this healthy loaf cake recipe.
For the Optional Creamy Lemonade Glaze – Two Options
First choice (paleo friendly):
- Coconut butter:Melted.
- Maple Syrup: You can substitute with Lakanto sugar-free maple syrup, if desired.
- Lemon + Lemon Zest
Second choice:
- Powdered monk fruit sweetener: Or powdered sugar / sweetener of choice.
- Lemon juice
- Water: to thin out the glaze to desired consistency
How to Make Strawberry Lemon Loaf Cake
This strawberry lemon bread is made in a snap! Here’s how to prepare the loaf and the glaze:
- Prepare for Baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 8 x 4 loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Whisk Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs followed by the maple syrup, maple sugar, coconut oil, lemon juice and lemon zest until smooth.
- Add Flours: Add a large fine mesh sieve over the bowl and sift in the flours and baking powder (or sift beforehand in another large bowl and stir in). Stir in the salt until combined.
- Add Remaining Dry Ingredients: Gently fold in ⅔ cup of the flour coated raspberries. Pour batter evenly into the loaf pan. Sprinkle top evenly with the remaining uncoated strawberries.
- Bake: Bake in a preheated oven for 39-45 minutes, or until the loaf is golden and the middle is set.
- Let Cool: Remove the pan from the oven and let the loaf cool completely before adding the frosting.
- Make the optional glaze: Meanwhile, mix together the ingredients for the glaze and drizzle over the cooled loaf.
- Serve: Cut into slices and enjoy.
Tips for Success
- Coat the strawberries in flour: Lightly coat the strawberries in flour prior to adding to the batter. This prevents the strawberries from sinking to the bottom.
- Don’t Over Bake: Over baking this strawberry and lemon bread will result in dryness. This lemon strawberry loaf cake is supposed to have a moist and tender texture, so be sure to adjust the bake time accordingly if your oven tends to run hot or cold. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few loose crumbs.
- Measure Flour Properly: Avoid scooping out the flour with your measuring cup. This packs it into the cup and will result in over-floured batter. Using a food scale to measure the flour by weight is your best bet in terms of accuracy.
- Sift in Flours: Sifting the almond and coconut flours into your batter will help everything combine nicely and prevent any flour clumps from forming.
- Let Cool Completely: Before you frost your lemon bread, it should be completely cooled. If it’s still warm, the icing will melt and make a mess.
Variations and Serving Suggestions
- Use another fruit: Don’t have strawberries? Use raspberries or blueberries to make a Lemon Blueberry Bread.
- Top with Powdered Sugar: Not feeling the creamy frosting? You can lighten this loaf up by leaving it out and opting for a dusting of powdered sugar instead.
- Spread with Nut Butter: Serve with a big schmear of almond butter, cashew butter or any nut or seed butter of choice for a yummy breakfast.
Can this quick bread recipe be made into muffins?
Yes, to make strawberry lemon muffins, simply divide the batter evenly into muffin pans. Or you can even divide the batter into mini loaf pans for mini bread loaves.
How to Store this homemade bread
Store leftover strawberry and lemon bread in an airtight container in the fridge. It will stay fresh for about a week. You can also store it tightly wrapped in aluminum foil if it’s unfrosted.
Can I Freeze this loaf recipe?
Yes, this loaf is freezer friendly! You can store the lemon and strawberry loaf cake in the freezer with or without the frosting. It’s best to store any frosted leftovers in an airtight container with a lid. For an unfrosted loaf, you can either wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then store in a resealable ziptop bag or in a resealable container.
Frozen raspberry bread lasts for up to 2 months. Before you serve it, thaw it overnight in the fridge and bring it back to room temperature.
More Lemon recipes:
We have plenty of go-to gluten free recipes to be discovered! Be sure to check out these ones next.
This Strawberry Lemon Loaf Cake is an easy one-bowl quick bread recipe made with fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, juicy strawberries with a sweet and creamy glaze. The pound cake is soft, light fluffy and perfect for spring or summer! Gluten-free, dairy-free, refined-sugar free, paleo-friendly with low carb and keto options.
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 3 tbsp maple syrup , sub with Lakanto SF maple syrup or preferred sticky liquid sweetener of choice
- 3 tbsp granulated pure maple sugar or sub granulated monk fruit sweetener or sub with granulated monk fruit sweetener for low carb. Can also use coconut sugar but the color will be darker
- 1/3 cup melted & slightly cooled refined coconut oil , can also sub with vegan butter or unsalted ghee or butter if not dairy-free
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/3 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 2/3 cups superfine almond flour
- 3 tbsp tapioca flour , can also sub with arrowroot starch. Use 3 tbsp coconut flour for low carb / keto.
- 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 cup diced strawberries* , divided. (OPTIONAL: to prevent strawberries from sinking, coat with 1 Tbsp tapioca starch (or 1 tsp xanthan gum),
- 1/3 cup melted coconut butter (manna)
- 1 tsp maple syrup or sub Lakanto sugar-free maple syrup
- 1 tsp lemon juice + zest for garnish
- 2/3 cup powdered Lakanto sweetner or powdered sugar of choice
- 2/3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp water or more as needed to thin out the glaze to desired consistency
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 8 x 4 loaf pan with parchment paper.
Toss 2/3 cup of the fresh strawberries together with one tablespoon of tapioca starch or arrowroot flour or 1 teaspoon xanthan gum. This helps the raspberries not sink to the bottom. Set aside. (If using frozen strawberries, do not thaw and dice them frozen then add at the end).
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs followed by the maple syrup, maple sugar, coconut oil, lemon juice and lemon zest until smooth.
Add a large fine mesh sieve over the bowl and sift in the flours and baking powder (or sift beforehand in another large bowl and stir in). Stir in the salt until combined. Gently fold in ⅔ cup of the flour coated strawberries.
Pour batter evenly into the loaf pan. Sprinkle top evenly with the remaining uncoated strawberries.
Bake in a preheated oven for 39-45 minutes, or until the loaf is golden and the middle is set.
Remove the pan from the oven and let the loaf cool completely before adding the frosting.
Meanwhile, mix together the ingredients for the glaze and drizzle over the cooled loaf.
Cut into slices and enjoy.
Recipe Video
*Fresh diced strawberries work best in this recipe. If you only have frozen strawberries, do not thaw and dice them. Toss frozen strawberries directly to the batter. You may need to add another 2 Tablespoons of almond flour to the recipe, and extend the bake time.
**Nutritional information is calculated without the glaze.
How to store
Store leftover bread in an airtight container in the fridge. It will stay fresh for about a week. You can also store it tightly wrapped in aluminum foil if it's unfrosted.
How to freeze
You can store the loaf cake in the freezer with or without the frosting. It's best to store any frosted leftovers in an airtight container with a lid. For an unfrosted loaf, you can either wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then store in a resealable ziptop bag or in a resealable container.
Frozen quick bread lasts for up to 2 months. Before you serve it, thaw it overnight in the fridge and bring it back to room temperature.
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