By After numerous tests and trips to Starbucks, you can be sure this high-protein lemon bread is better than Starbucks' lemon loaf cake! It's moist, delicious, and ready in one bowl. Made with almond flour, chia seeds, and hemp seeds, it's also high in protein without any protein powder!
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lemon protein bread highlights
- So moist and fluffy with only one flour (no tapioca, coconut flour, or gluten-free flour replacement here!)
- Made with simple ingredients, plus you can leave out the collagen peptides if you don't have it.
- Even our gluten-eating friends and family commented on how good it was, having no idea it was gluten-free!
I'm no stranger to big box coffee shops, but I'm also no stranger to making healthier versions of what they sell at home. And I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I'm pretty dang good at it! My Bacon Cottage Cheese Egg Bake (a high-protein version of Starbucks bacon gruyere egg bites) has hundreds of raving reviews on the website and Pinterest!
When spring rolls around, I can't help but stop by Starbucks to get the lemon cake (yes, I'm aware it's available all year, but I crave it in the spring) to enjoy with a lavender latte. But, I've been eating more and more gluten-free and always dairy-free, and that lemon cake is neither of those, so it was time to make my own version of it.
After a few interactions and the decision to add chia seeds to emulate poppy seeds, I landed on this AMAZING lemon protein bread. It's so good that we inhaled it in just one day! Then promptly decided it was coming to Easter brunch with us, where it was also inhaled.
ingredient notes & substitutions
All substitutions are a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted. See the recipe card for the full list and quantities.
- The almond flour: there is NO substitute for this.
- The yogurt: Sigis yogurt has a high protein content and is plant based which is why I love it. If you don't want to use it though or can't find it, you can use plain Greek yogurt or Olive oil.
- The chia seeds and hemp seeds: Chia seeds have 3g of protein per tablespoon and hemp seeds have even more so they are a great way to add more natural protein. Feel free to leave these out or swap them for poppy seeds.
- Eggs: I don't recommend trying to swap out the eggs because they provide rise and moisture to this protein lemon bread.
variations & swaps
- Make it sugar-free: I've tested this and had good success with using monk fruit powdered sweetener in place of powdered sugar for the glaze. Pair this with a sugar-free liquid sweetener to use in place of the maple syrup.
- Add a fruit: Try folding in fresh blueberries that have been tossed in almond flour to the batter for a high-protein lemon blueberry bread.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
how to make this bread
Be sure to scroll to the recipe card for the full protein lemon bread recipe!
- Mix everything in a bowl, except the yogurt, lemon zest, hemp seeds, and chia seeds.
- Fold in the remaining ingredients and bake for 45-50 minutes.
- Let cool completely and make the glaze while it cools.
- Pour on the glaze, let it set, then slice and enjoy!
quick recipe video
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a few tips
- Line the pan and grease it! This bread can stick, especially if you try to take it out of the pan before it's cool. It's helpful to line it with parchment paper that extends over the edges of the pan so you can lift the loaf out.
- Let the bread cool for at least 15 minutes before attempting to remove from the pan. And let it cool completely before pouring the glaze on and slicing. If you try to slice it before it's cool, it will crumble.
- To speed up cooling, I pop the cake in the freezer to chill.
- For the glaze, you can add more powdered sugar or lemon juice to achieve the desired thickness. I also recommend letting the glaze set before slicing (the freezer does this quickly!).
- When slicing, use a serrated knife for clean, beautiful slices.
types of almond flour
Almond flour is the base of this bread, and it can be purchased in a few different forms. Here's what you need to know,
- Almond flour: This comes as blanched or unblanched. Either one is fine for this recipe, and it can also be used to make protein blueberry muffins!
- Super fine almond flour: Again, this is fine for the recipe, but I recommend sifting it to get out any lumps.
- Almond meal: This is made from ground almonds that have not been peeled. For this reason, it's a bit courser, so I don't recommend it for this bread, but it'll work for protein apple cake.
storage tips
Fridge & Room Temperature: Store the bread in the fridge for up to 6 days. The fridge creates moisture so when the loaf is stored in an airtight container it can get a bit damp over time. I don't recommend storing the cake at room temperature for more than a day because the cake is so moist it will grow bacteria quickly.
Frozen: The best way to store the lemon bread is in the freezer! I will wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and place them inside a large ziplock bag. They will stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you want to eat a slice, just pop it in the microwave for 20 seconds or leave it on the counter for 15 minutes to soften.
more lemon goodness
If you want more savory lemon protein recipes, check out our lemon ricotta pancakes or lemon ricotta pasta. For sweet lemon recipes, you should try our lemon protein bars or lemon poppy seed muffins! And for more bread, give our protein zucchini bread a try.
Recipe
High Protein Lemon Bread (Better than Starbucks)
Ingredients
Batter
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (aluminum free)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 4 eggs
- ⅔ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup Siggi's vanilla plant based yogurt (see notes for alternatives)
- Zest from 2.5 lemons
- 2 tablespoon chia seeds (or poppy seeds)
- ⅓ cup collagen peptides (unflavored, optional)
- ¼ cup hemp hearts
Glaze (you can skip this to avoid all processed sugar)
- Juice from 3 lemons
- 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar (add more as needed for a thicker glaze)
- Zest from 0.5 lemon
- ¼ cup collagen peptides (unflavored)
Before you start!
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a bread pan with parchment paper and lightly grease it (just to be sure, ya know?).
- Mix together the 2 cups almond flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder , ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt, 4 eggs, ⅔ cup maple syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and ⅓ cup collagen peptides until well mixed.
- Fold in the ½ cup Siggi's vanilla plant based yogurt, Zest from 2.5 lemons, and 2 tablespoon chia seeds if using.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before removing from the bread pan. You can speed this up by placing it in the freezer (I wouldn't do the fridge as that can make it gummy from the moist environment). Then remove and place on a wire rack or tray to continue to cool in the freezer quickly or at room temperature overnight.
- While the cake cools, make the glaze by mixing together the Juice from 3 lemons, 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar, Zest from 0.5 lemon, and ¼ cup collagen peptides. It should be a pretty thick glaze so add more powdered sugar as needed.
- Top the cooled bread with the glaze and let it chill or set until the glaze has hardened. Again, the freezer is a great way to speed this up. Then slice and serve!
Video
Notes
- Line the pan and grease it! This bread can stick, especially if you try to take it out of the pan before it's cool. It's helpful to line it with parchment paper that extends over the edges of the pan so you can lift the loaf out.
- Let the bread cool for at least 15 minutes before attempting to remove from the pan. And let it cool completely before pouring the glaze on and slicing. If you try to slice it before it's cool, it will crumble.
- To speed up cooling, I pop the cake in the freezer to chill, not the fridge!
- For the glaze, you can add more powdered sugar or lemon juice to achieve the desired thickness. I also recommend letting the glaze set before slicing (the freezer does this quickly!).
- When slicing, use a serrated knife for clean, beautiful slices.
Looking for more information?
Additional substitution information can be found above in the substitution section of this post.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.
Hi! Could coconut flour be used instead??? I cannot do almond flour. Thanks!
Maybe, but I haven't tried it. Coconut flour and almond flour do not react the same and coconut flour is much more drying so you might need to increase the moisture by adding an additional egg. I think oat flour might be a better substitute, just less protein.
I’m allergic to nuts. Could I simply use regular wheat flour? I know it will be less protein.
Whole wheat flour and almond flour react very differently (requiring different moisture and leavening ratios) so I don't know that it would work. You can always try! The most similar nut free alternative is actually quinoa flour.
What the fuck? Sooo delicious… sooo moist. I can’t believe it’s this good AND high protein. Love this recipe! Might try using less sugar next time but overall 10/10!!
Right?! So happy you love it!!
I replaced one cup of almond flour (used super fine, did not sieve but whisked my dry ingredients to break any potential lumps), with grounded oats for a tad more fiber, and they turned out great! I did have to use a significant amount of sugar for the glaze to thicken it, so next time I'll use less lemon juice.
Sounds yummy!
This is unbelievably good. My husband and I just shared the ENTIRE loaf straight out of the oven. This is my 4th time making it in a month??? I’m obsessed.
Amazing!!
No Collagen or hemp hearts. Could I use flax seed instead?
I would just leave them out 🙂