Vegan Lemon Loaf

How to Make Vegan Lemon Loaf

1. 1

   Step 1: Preheat and prepare the pan

   Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with a little of the neutral oil and line with parchment leaving a slight overhang for easy removal. Greasing the pan with oil (rather than butter) prevents sticking and keeps the loaf fully vegan.

   For this step

   • 1/2 cupNeutral oil (vegetable or light olive), plus a little for pan
2. 2

   Step 2: Whisk the dry ingredients

   In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined. Sifting is optional but helps a lighter crumb; if your flour is scooped tightly, spoon it into the measuring cup and level for accuracy.

   For this step

   • 2 cupsAll-purpose flour
   • 1 cupGranulated sugar
   • 2 teaspoonsBaking powder
   • 1/2 teaspoonBaking soda
   • 1/2 teaspoonSalt
   
3. 3

   Step 3: Combine the wet ingredients

   In a separate bowl, whisk together the applesauce, lemon juice, lemon zest, and the remaining neutral oil until smooth. The acidity of the lemon juice will react with the baking soda to give lift; for extra tang or a creamier texture, swap half the applesauce for 1/2 cup unsweetened soy or coconut yogurt.

   For this step

   • 4 tablespoonsFresh lemon juice
   • 2 tablespoonsFresh lemon zest
   • 1/2 cupUnsweetened applesauce
   
4. 4

   Step 4: Fold wet into dry

   Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and gently fold with a spatula until just combined — a few small streaks of flour are fine. Avoid overmixing to prevent a dense loaf; if you prefer a lighter crumb, fold sparingly and let the batter rest 5 minutes before transferring to the pan.
   
5. 5

   Step 5: Bake until golden

   Transfer batter to the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top, then bake 45–55 minutes, rotating halfway, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too fast, tent loosely with foil for the last 10–15 minutes of baking.
   
6. 6

   Step 6: Glaze and cool

   While the loaf cools 10 minutes in the pan, whisk the powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon of the reserved lemon juice (add more teaspoon by teaspoon until pourable) to make a glossy glaze. Remove the loaf to a rack, drizzle the glaze over the warm loaf, let set 15–20 minutes, then slice and serve; leftovers keep well wrapped at room temperature for 2 days.

   For this step

   • 3/4 cupPowdered (confectioners') sugar (for glaze)
   

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with a little of the neutral oil and line with parchment leaving a slight overhang for easy removal. Greasing the pan with oil (rather than butter) prevents sticking and keeps the loaf fully vegan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined. Sifting is optional but helps a lighter crumb; if your flour is scooped tightly, spoon it into the measuring cup and level for accuracy.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the applesauce, lemon juice, lemon zest, and the remaining neutral oil until smooth. The acidity of the lemon juice will react with the baking soda to give lift; for extra tang or a creamier texture, swap half the applesauce for 1/2 cup unsweetened soy or coconut yogurt.
4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and gently fold with a spatula until just combined — a few small streaks of flour are fine. Avoid overmixing to prevent a dense loaf; if you prefer a lighter crumb, fold sparingly and let the batter rest 5 minutes before transferring to the pan.
5. Transfer batter to the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top, then bake 45–55 minutes, rotating halfway, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too fast, tent loosely with foil for the last 10–15 minutes of baking.
6. While the loaf cools 10 minutes in the pan, whisk the powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon of the reserved lemon juice (add more teaspoon by teaspoon until pourable) to make a glossy glaze. Remove the loaf to a rack, drizzle the glaze over the warm loaf, let set 15–20 minutes, then slice and serve; leftovers keep well wrapped at room temperature for 2 days.