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As someone who was absolutely OBSESSED with the Starbucks lemon loaf (I got this everytime we went as kids), I can honestly say that this vegan lemon loaf is way better.
For starters, the flavor of this lemon olive oil cake is so much more robust and bursting with real lemon, rather than the synthetic flavor that the Starbucks loaf has.
Additionally, this easy vegan lemon loaf is fluffy and moist, unlike the dense lemon pound cakes that most people associate as a lemon loaf.
And lastly, this vegan lemon loaf recipe is made with good-for-you ingredients. Such as olive oil, coconut sugar (which is low GI), sprouted spelt flour and other super nutritious ingredients. So you’ll actually feel good eating this moist vegan lemon loaf.
Did I mention that this vegan lemon loaf recipe comes together in just one bowl?
Vegan Lemon Loaf Ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this vegan olive oil lemon loaf.
- Coconut sugar: Highly recommend using the golden coconut sugar from Big Tree Farms so the vegan lemon loaf retains its yellow color
- Vegan yogurt: I love using Cocojune unsweetened plain coconut yogurt.
- Cashew milk: Linking my cashew milk recipe here
- Olive oil: Make sure you’re using a good quality olive oil, as the flavor will shine through in the finished loaf
- Meyer lemons: I just like these lemons because the zest and juice is a tad sweeter and more robust on flavor
- Spelt flour: Always use the sprouted spelt flour from One Degree Organics
- Lemon extract
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Kosher salt
- Turmeric – this is totally optional, I just add it so the vegan olive oil loaf has a nice hue
Vegan Lemon Loaf Tips and Tricks
- Rub the lemon zest into the coconut sugar. This helps release all of the oils in the zest which adds to the flavor of the overall loaf.
- Don’t overmix the batter. The cardinal sin of baking haha, but seriously, the more you mix batter, the more chewy and tough your loaf will be.
- Add poppy seeds to this recipe to make it a vegan lemon poppy seed loaf. Yep, it’s that easy to make this into a lemon poppyseed loaf, simply add 3 tbsp of poppy seeds to the batter and mix to combine.
If you have any questions about this recipe, feel free to leave a comment below or DM me on Instagram. I can’t wait for you to make this salad! As always, love it when you rate and review the recipe, your feedback is always appreciated!
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Vegan Lemon Loaf
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
- Category: Breakfast, Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Description
Moist, fluffy and tender, this vegan olive oil lemon loaf is the bougier upgraded version of the classic lemon pound cake. Plus, it’s made with good-for-you ingredients so you’ll actually feel good eating this!
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup (103 g) coconut sugar
- 3 lemons worth of zest
- 3/4 cup (180 g) coconut yogurt
- 1/2 cup (122 g) cashew milk (sub with creamy milk of choice)
- 1/3 cup (72 g) olive oil
- 2 tbsp (28 g) lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- 1 tsp lemon extract (optional)
- 1 3/4 cup (230 g) spelt flour (sub with AP flour)
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp turmeric (optional, for color)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven and prep your pan. Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray an 8×4 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
- Mix the sugar and lemon zest. Next, add the sugar and lemon zest to a large bowl. Using your hands, rub the lemon zest into the coconut sugar until it smells fragrant.
- Whisk the wet ingredients together. Add the vegan yogurt, cashew milk, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon extract, and turmeric to the sugar mixture. Whisk to combine, about 1 minute, until the batter looks frothy and pale in color.
- Fold in the dry ingredients. Finally, sprinkle the spelt flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the wet mixture. Using a flexible rubber spatula, fold the batter together until the flour is just combined.
- Bake the lemon loaf. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the loaf cool on the counter for 1 hour before removing from the pan and slicing. Optionally, you can drizzle it with a cream cheese glaze (see notes), but it tastes amazing without it as well!
- Store any leftovers in parchment and plastic wrap on the counter for 3 days or in the fridge for up to one week.
Notes
To make a simple cream cheese glaze, whisk together 1/4 cup vegan cream cheese or regular cream cheese, with 1-2 tbsp of honey, 1 tbsp lemon juice, and a small pinch of salt. Add 1 tbsp of cashew milk at a time, until the glaze has reached the consistency you prefer.
This recipe looks so good. Can we get the metric measurements. I always mess up when the recipe is in cups VS grams.
Absolutely, just updated the recipe to include metric measurements as well! Can’t wait for you to make this!! 😊