+GF
It’s moist, sweet, full of flavor and a perfect spring treat—perfect for breakfast, dessert or for a graduation party or baby shower. Keeping it gluten-free means sharing with everyone at the party, which makes you an instant success. Yep, this recipe = success. Making you a winner. Go you! Not a loaf kinda gal? Bake them up as muffins! Watching your sugar intake? Cut out two-thirds of the sugar by ditching the glaze. —AS
MAKES 1 LOAF
LEMON CHIA SEED LOAF
2¼ cups (245 g) gluten-free flour (we used 1¼ cups [120 g] almond flour and 1 cup [125 g] teff flour)
2 tsp (8 g) baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1½ tsp (6 g) xanthan gum
1 tsp (5 g) salt
½ cup (110 g) coconut oil, melted
1 cup (235 ml) dairy-free milk
¼ cup (48 g) organic granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 heaping tbsp (10 g) freshly grated lemon zest, plus more for garnish
⅓ cup (80 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp (20 g) chia seeds, plus more for garnish
LEMON GLAZE
½ cup (65 g) powdered sugar
1–2 tsp (5–10 ml) lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, milk, granulated sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice. Pour the wet mixture into the dry, stirring to combine. Once well mixed, pour in the chia seeds and stir again to distribute them evenly through the batter. Pour the batter into a greased or lined loaf pan (or into a 12-muffin tin) and toss it in the oven. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes (less time for muffins), until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. When finished, remove it from the oven and move to a cooling rack. Let it cool completely before removing it from the loaf pan.
FOR THE LEMON GLAZE
While the loaf cools, make the lemon glaze by simply mixing the powdered sugar and lemon juice together until a thick, runny glaze is achieved. Add as much or as little liquid as you like, but the more liquid, the thinner the glaze. I recommend starting slow.
When the loaf cools, drizzle it with glaze and garnish with a sprinkle of chia seeds and some lemon zest. This lasts 3 days covered on the counter, 5-ish sealed in the fridge.
Note: The glaze is optional but delicious.
Whole wheat flour should be interchangeable here, though I haven’t tried it. If you do use whole wheat, omit the xanthan.
Sub poppy seeds if you like!
This recipe can be used to make 12 muffins instead of a loaf, if you prefer. They will take less time to cook, however, so keep an eye on them.