This healthy lemon coconut bread with honey lemon drizzle is zesty, refreshing and so flavourful! The perfect loaf to serve as a light and healthier treat or snack for Spring and Summer entertaining! {gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, & vegetarian}
Lemon Coconut Loaf Cake – A Healthy Snack or Treat!
This healthy lemon coconut bread is the perfect sweet treat for when you’re craving something light and refreshing.
While it resembles the taste of lemon coconut cake, you’d never guess that this loaf is completely free of refined flour and sugar, and also just so happens to be gluten-free. Additionally, it contains a dose of vitamin C and healthy fats from the lemon juice and almond flour!
The zesty lemon and coconut are a match made in heaven and provide this sweet bread with such a refreshing flavour and texture.
And the super simple optional honey lemon glaze is like the icing on the cake! It oozes into the loaf, adding moisture and an extra dose of zesty sweetness into each bite.
You’ll hardly be able to resist the smell of this loaf baking in the oven. Nothing beats that fresh scent of lemon and coconut!
Similar to these Lemon Almond Flour Cookies, it’s perfect paired with a cup of tea for a healthier treat or snack!
Why We Love this Almond Flour Lemon Loaf
- Easy to make
- Zesty
- Refreshing
- Moist crumb
- Lower in sugar than your typical loaf or cake
- Rich in fibre, healthy fats & vitamin C!
Ingredient Notes
- Almond flour: For best results, use finely ground blanched almond flour.
- Coconut: Use unsweetened coconut flakes to limit added sugar.
- Lemon juice and zest: Use juice from fresh lemons for the best flavour.
- Coconut Oil: Use unrefined or “virgin” coconut oil since this is the most natural form of coconut oil. It has a distinct coconut smell and flavour to infuse more coconut goodness into the loaf.
How to Make Lemon Coconut Bread – Step-by-Step instructions
- Combine flour, coconut flakes, baking soda, salt and lemon zest in a medium bowl and mix until there are no more lumps.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the lemon juice, eggs, coconut oil, vanilla extract and honey. Stir until combined. You can also used a hand mixer if preferred.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Grease a loaf pan using cooking spray or coconut oil and distribute the cake batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the surface with a spatula.
- Bake in oven preheated to 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean and edges are golden brown.
- While the loaf is baking, prepare the honey lemon glaze, if using.
How to Make the Easy Honey Lemon Glaze
- In a small bowl, combine the honey, lemon juice and lemon zest and stir until combined.
And that’s all for the glaze. Totally manageable, right?
Once the loaf has completely cooled, spread the honey lemon glaze over top and sprinkle unsweetened coconut over the surface of the cooled loaf.
The great thing about this almond flour lemon loaf is it doesn’t require any fancy toppings or an elaborate presentation.
It looks pretty on its own or with the simple glaze and sprinkle of shredded coconut. You can even top it with a couple of lemon slices too!
Or if you prefer, you can also skip the glaze altogether and eat the bread as is, or sprinkle it with some powdered sugar or use a cream cheese frosting instead!
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable lemon bread recipe!
Tips for the Best Lemon Loaf Recipe
- If possible, use eggs and lemons that are at room temperature. If the coconut oil is exposed to cold eggs and lemon juice, it will start to solidify and will result in chunks throughout the loaf mixture. This may cause some parts of the loaf to be more moist than others.
- Grease the loaf pan with coconut oil or cooking spray to prevent the loaf from sticking to the pan. Alternatively, you can line the pan with parchment paper, allowing it to hang over the edge of the pan slightly so that you can grab onto each side for easy removal of the loaf from the pan.
- If your oven tends to run hot, you may need to reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F and keep a close eye on the loaf so that it doesn’t overcook. If it turns out very brown on the outside and dry on the inside, it is most likely overcooked. It’s supposed to be a medium golden colour on the outside and slightly moist on the inside.
- The bake time will depend on your oven and size of loaf pan used. I used this 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan and baked it for 38 minutes. Start with baking it for 35 minutes and adjust accordingly. The loaf is done when a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean and the edges are golden.
- Allow the loaf to fully cool in the pan before removing. When you’re ready to remove it, carefully run a knife along the edges to help the loaf release from the pan more easily. Placing one hand over the loaf, carefully flip it out of the pan onto a plate or wire rack.
- If you choose to use the glaze, poke a few holes in the surface of the loaf with a toothpick to allow the glaze to seep into the loaf, adding more moisture and delicious flavour! Finish with a sprinkle of coconut flakes.
Storage Guidelines
You can store this loaf in the fridge in an air-tight container or tightly wrapped in saran wrap for up to three days.
If you pull it directly from the fridge, it will be a little bit firmer since the coconut oil hardens in the fridge, so you can either leave it out a room temperature for a bit or pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to warm it up.
Or if you like your lemon coconut loaf on the firmer side, by all means, eat it straight out of the fridge!
To freeze: I usually cut the loaf into individual slices and put each slice into a snack-sized Ziploc bag, but you could also try freezing the whole loaf as well. You can store it in the freezer for up to one month.
To defrost: The night before or a few hours before you’re ready to eat it, pull the loaf out to allow it to thaw in the fridge or at room temperature.
Alternatively, you can pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to warm it up.
Recipe FAQs
To determine if your loaf is properly baked, softly press the centre of the loaf using a few fingers and observe if it springs back. If you notice small dents or depressions after pressing, then it means the loaf needs more baking time. In such cases, you can return the bread to the oven for a couple of minutes and then check again. You can also insert a toothpick into the centre of the loaf. It should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
For lemon bread to be fully cooked, it’s crucial to allow it to cool down completely, or until it reaches a slightly warm temperature, before removing it from the pan and slicing it. Bread that’s baked in a loaf pan may require up to 1 hour to cool down entirely.
Since this loaf lemon contains eggs, it’s recommended that you store it in the refrigerator or freeze for later.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this lemon coconut bread up warm, cold or at room temperature. It tastes especially good with fresh fruit, yogurt, or a cup of tea!
Recipe Variations
- Add fruit: Try adding some blueberries or chopped strawberries to the batter before baking for a lemon berry flavour.
- To make it more zesty: Add additional lemon zest or add a bit of lemon extract..
- Try a different flavour: Rather than using lemon zest and juice, try experimenting with freshly squeezed lime or orange juice and zest!
Looking for more delicious recipes? Check these out:
- Lemon Larabar Recipe
- Breaded Cod
- Sweet Potato Patties Recipes
- Cilantro Lime Shrimp Tacos
- Asian Stir Fry Sauce
- Oatmeal Protein Balls
- Strawberry Banana Smoothie with Yogurt
- Pomegranate Salad
- Cranberry Salad Recipe
- Ground Chicken Burger
- Breakfast for Kids
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a rating and review!
Healthy Lemon Coconut Bread {Gluten-free}
Ingredients
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (plus more for topping)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Zest of one lemon
- 1/2 cup lemon juice (juice from about 2 lemons)
- 3 eggs beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp melted coconut oil
- 1/4 cup honey
Optional Honey Lemon Glaze
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a loaf pan using coconut oil or cooking spray. Alternatively, you can line the pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix until there are no more lumps. In another bowl, combine the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
- Next, add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Place mixture in greased loaf pan and smooth the surface with a spatula.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until inserted tooth pick comes out clean and the edges of the loaf are golden.
- If you choose to add the glaze, while the loaf is baking, combine all of the ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl and mix until combined.
- Allow the loaf to cool fully before removing it from the loaf pan.
- Either consume loaf as is, or spread the optional glaze lightly over the surface of the loaf and sprinkle with unsweetened coconut. Place in the fridge or serve at room temperature.
Video
Notes
- If possible, use eggs and lemons that are at room temperature. If the coconut oil is exposed to cold eggs and lemon juice, it will start to solidify and will result in chunks throughout the loaf mixture. This may cause some parts of the loaf to be more moist than others.
- Grease the loaf pan with coconut oil or cooking spray to prevent the loaf from sticking to the pan. Alternatively, you can line the pan with parchment paper, allowing it to hang over the edge of the pan slightly so that you can grab onto each side for easy removal of the loaf from the pan.
- If your oven tends to run hot, you may need to reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F and keep a close eye on the loaf so that it doesn’t overcook. If it turns out very brown on the outside and dry on the inside, it is most likely overcooked. It’s supposed to be a medium golden colour on the outside and slightly moist on the inside.
- The cooking time will depend on your oven and size of loaf pan used. I used this 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan and baked it for 38 minutes. Start with baking it for 35 minutes and adjust accordingly. The loaf is done when a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean and the edges are golden.
- Allow the loaf to fully cool in the pan before removing to ensure that it doesn’t break in half, as it’s fairly soft and moist. When you’re ready to remove it, carefully run a knife along the edges to help the loaf release from the pan more easily. Placing one hand over the loaf, carefully flip it out of the pan onto a plate.
- If you choose to use the glaze, poke a few holes in the surface of the loaf with a toothpick to allow the glaze to seep into the loaf, adding more moisture and delicious flavour! Finish with a sprinkle of coconut flakes until the surface of the loaf is coated.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in April 2019 but was updated in May 2023 to include better tips and photos.
My husband is pre diabetic and so I am always looking for sugar free recipes. I have made this recipe twice in one week! It is truly delicious. I just have one problem that maybe you can solve for me. My cake always sags in the middle. It ends up looking like a skate board ramp. The eggs are left at room temp for hours, and I always make sure there are no lumps. What do you think I am doing wrong?
So sorry for the delay! I’m happy to hear you’ve been enjoying the recipe! Unfortunately, it’s fairly common for cakes made with almond flour to sink in the middle. I’m wondering if perhaps your oven might run hot? If the oven is too hot, then the loaf will tend to cook more quickly on the outside. This pushes the centre up. But as the centre will not have cooked fully then it will sink on cooling. Maybe you could try lowering the temperature slightly?
Additionally, it’s important to not mix the loaf mixture for too long. Adding too much air before the loaf bakes may result in it collapsing as it cools. Also, don’t let the batter sit around for very long before baking. Hope these tips help with the sinking loaf!
Can we replace the honey with a sweetener? On my candida diet I can’t have any natural or processed sugars.
I haven’t personally tried it, so I’m not 100% sure how it would turn out. If you do decide to replace the honey with a dry sweetener, you may need to add some extra liquid to compensate for the honey that you would’ve added to prevent the bread from being too dry. Keep me posted on how it turns out if you decide to experiment!
This is amazing Elysia! Moist and flavourful!
So happy you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for reporting back :)
I had to make some adjustments to the recipe but overall I was happy with the end result.
Instead of the honey and vanilla extract I used 1 tsp of sweetleaf stevia French vanilla flavor. However, to make up for any moistening agent I would lose from omitting the honey I added 11 tsp of Foragers cashew milk yogurt in unsweetened plain.
I decided to make a glaze because it just sounded so good. &I made it out of 1/4 cup of the yogurt, juice of 1/2 lemon, lemon zest and 1tsp of powdered stevia.
The loaf was great, still moist – not as lemony as I would have expected (I think next time I’ll use full fat coconut milk instead of yogurt). However the glaze was very lemony and tangy so I actually loved it on top of the loaf- this is going to be handwritten into my “favorite recipes” box!!!!!
Thanks so much for sharing your modifications! Glad you were able to change the recipe to suit your needs :)
This is my go to paleo breakfast treat. It’s so good.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks so much for returning to leave a review! :)
I found this recipe on a candida diet web site. It was amazing!! I read that honey kills candida so I didn’t omit it. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so glad this recipe worked with your dietary needs! Thanks so much for returning to leave a review :)
This was SO yummy! Thank you for a great recipe!!
My pleasure! So happy you enjoyed it!
Do you mean 1/2 cup coconut flour or 1/2 cup coconut?
1st time following one of your recipes.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks
Rhona
Thanks for stopping by Rhona! It’s 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes — not coconut flour. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Thanks for your quick reply!
Recipe worked perfectly. I didn’t have honey so used rice malt syrup instead which is not as sweet as honey.. The cake turned out more lemony, and delicious if you like lemons. Just added 1tspn of powdered sugar in the glaze for a little extra sweetness to offset the tang. Thank you
Thanks so much for the feedback and so happy it worked out for you! Good to know that the rice malt syrup worked as a replacement for the honey!
My favorite gluten free bread recipe yet. Thank you.
Thanks so much Stephanie! Your comment just made my day! So happy you enjoyed the recipe :)
Do you think I could use rice flour instead of almond?
I haven’t personally tried using rice flour instead of the almond flour for this recipe. My only concern would be that rice flour is grain based and therefore more highly absorbent whereas almond flour is nut based and doesn’t tend to absorb the liquid quite as much. If you use rice flour, the loaf may turn out dry, so you may need to adjust the ratio of dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Let me know how it turns out if you try the rice flour!
What pretty garnishes too! I wonder if this would work with other kinds of citrus too?
Thanks so much! It makes such a pretty loaf! I haven’t personally tried it with other types of citrus, but some readers have experimented with orange juice instead of lemon juice and reported back that it turned out really good!
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
My pleasure! You can store this loaf in the fridge in an air-tight container or tightly wrapped in saran wrap for up to three days. Or alternatively, you can freeze it for up to a month!
This look so good! Do you use this base recipes for any other loafs?
Thank you!! I haven’t used this base recipe for any other loaves at this point! I’ve only tried it with the lemon coconut flavours so far :)
Hello, this looks so delicious! Just wanted to ask, what’s the size of your loaf pan?
Thanks Maryam! Sorry for the delay in getting back to you! I used the 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan at the following link: https://amzn.to/2YTEtO0
Hope that helps!
My mom and I made this today. We had to adapt a few ingredients because we didn’t have them. We used orange zest and maple syrup instead of honey. We also had to use all almond flour instead of adding coconut flour.
We’ve just tried a slice each and are IN LOVE! Moist, looks amazing and absolutely delicious! Thank you!!
Oooh this makes me so happy!! I love your ingredient substitutions too! I bet the orange zest and maple syrup would taste amazing in this loaf! Good to know it works out with using all almond flour as well! Thanks so much for taking time to provide some feedback :)
Can this recipe be modified to use pineapple/pineapple juice instead of lemon? Have you made it with any other fruit juices?
I haven’t tried it with pineapple juice or any other fruit juices but I bet it would be tasty, almost like a pina colada loaf! Hope it turns out well if you try it out!
Sooo good!! I made this last night and it was such a delicious treat! I’m doing the Candida diet so I omited the honey. I was worried it would ruin the texture but it came out like a cake! I used juice from half a lemon mixed with monk fruit sweetener for a glaze. I’ll use a whole lemon next time. Thanks for the great recipe!
So glad you loved the recipe Hanna! Love how you modified the recipe to suit your dietary needs! Thanks so much for stopping by to comment! :)
Can I replace eggs with flaxseed eggs?
I haven’t personally tried the flaxseed eggs with this recipe. If you have a chance to try it out, please keep me posted on how it turns out!
Did you try out the flax eggs? If so, did it work out?
I haven’t had a chance to try it out with the flax eggs, but hope to test it out soon! Please keep me posted if you try it out!
Can I substitute Red Mills 1 to 1 GF flour for the coconut and almond flour?
I haven’t had a chance to try this loaf out with the Red Mills GF flour. If you try it out, please let me know how it turns out!
Is it possible to only use coconut flour?
I haven’t tried it with all coconut flour, but I’m not sure how well it would turn out. Coconut flour is highly absorbent, so if you do try it out, you would definitely need to increase the liquid in the recipe. Please provide an update if you decide to try it out!
Yum! Do you know what the nutritional value of this recipe is per serving?
I don’t currently calculate the nutritional value of the recipes on the site, but if you’d like to access that information, you can always plug the recipe into http://www.myfitnesspal.com. Sorry about that!