This Grapefruit Bread is a delicious and flavorful twist on classic quick bread! Using a combination of fresh grapefruit juice, poppy seeds, and gluten-free flour, this quick bread is moist and full of citrusy flavor.
The grapefruit flavor in this bread really stands out, but it isn’t overpowering. To give the bread a little extra zest, we added grapefruit zest to the batter. This adds an extra dimension of flavor that gives the bread a real pop!
If you love making homemade quick breads like this one then you may also enjoy this Banana Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting, it's another tasty recipe to make for your family.
Why You’ll Love This Gluten Free Grapefruit Bread
- This quick bread is moist and full of flavor thanks to the combination of fresh grapefruit juice and zest.
- To make it even more delicious, we topped it with a simple glaze to the top that adds an extra layer of sweetness.
- This bread is also dairy free making it perfect for those who are looking for a delicious gluten-free and dairy-free option.
- You can serve this bread for breakfast with your morning coffee or as an afternoon snack with afternoon tea.
Ingredients Needed
- gluten free flour - Mama’s Almond Blend and Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour are what we suggest for this recipe. We purchase Bob’s Red Mill GF flour in bulk here and save so much money.
- baking soda
- salt
- dairy free butter, room temperature - we use Earth’s Balance Buttery sticks
- granulated sugar
- large eggs
- dairy free sour cream- Tofutti or WayFare are the brands we like and use. Bonus, WayFare is soy free too.
- poppy seeds
- grapefruit zest
- vanilla extract - always use a safe one, McCormick is our go to if we aren’t using our homemade vanilla or Magnolia-Star (also gluten free)
- grapefruit juice
- powdered sugar
Helpful Tools
9x5 Inch Loaf Pan
Electric Mixer - Hand mixer or stand mixer
How To Make This Grapefruit Bread
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees f and then spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan well with nonstick cooking spray.
- Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Cream together the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl for about 5 minutes or until fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the eggs to the butter mixture one at a time, beating well in between each egg.
- Mix in the sour cream, poppy seeds, grapefruit zest, vanilla extract, and grapefruit juice to the wet ingredients until blended.
- Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until just combined. Scrape batter from the sides to ensure it's well incorporated. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan and spread evenly.
- Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 55 to 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the grapefruit bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan and cooling completely on a wire rack.
- Once the bread has cooled completely combine the powdered sugar and grapefruit juice in a small bowl until smooth.
- Drizzle the glaze over the bread and allow it to harden completely before you slice the bread.
Storage
Store the grapefruit poppy seed bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it for up to 6 months.
Recipe Variations
Greek Yogurt: Switch out the sour cream or dairy-free plain Greek yogurt if you are out of sour cream.
Coconut Oil: The butter really makes this a moist bread however you can swap the butter out for coconut oil instead if you prefer.
Poppy Seeds: If you are not a fan of poppy seeds you can leave them or if you love them add an additional tablespoon of them.
Tips & Tricks
- If you want to make sure that your bread removes cleanly and easily from the pan, you can line the loaf pan with parchment paper and then spray the parchment paper with nonstick spray.
- I like to add half of the dry ingredients at a time to not make a mess and have flour going all over the place.
- If you are using a mixer make sure to low speed and not high speed when adding the dry ingredients.
- Once you add the flour to the cake batter be careful to overmix. You want to mix until just combined. Overmixing can result in tough bread.
- For a more intense grapefruit flavor, you can add an additional tablespoon of fresh grapefruit juice to the batter.
- If your loaf is getting too dark on top before it has finished baking cover with foil to prevent it from burning.
- If the glaze is too thick add an additional teaspoon of grapefruit juice until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Next time you make this recipe, instead of making the glaze, try a dairy-free cream cheese frosting on top of the cake instead.
FAQ
You can tell this bread is finished baking when the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Yes, it is sometimes called powdered sugar, confectioners sugar or even icing sugar.
If you ask me it's both. Dense quick bread like this one can be called a loaf cake or a bread depending on who you ask. No matter what you call it, this cake recipe is delicious.
You can lather your pan in any non stick spray as long as its flourless. A lot of baking sprays tend to have flour in the spray to help release the bread or cakes from the pan, so always check if you're using a baking spray. A simple olive oil spray or coconut oil spray will do just fine.
Other Bread Recipes
Grapefruit Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten free flour suggestions in post
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup dairy free butter room temperature, suggestions in post
- 1 ⅔ cups sugar divided
- 3 eggs room temperature
- ¾ cups dairy free sour cream suggestions in post
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 2 tablespoons grapefruit zest about 1 grapefruit
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract suggestions in post
- ¼ cup grapefruit juice about 1 grapefruit
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons grapefruit juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees f and then spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan well with nonstick cooking spray.
- Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Cream together the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl for about 5 minutes or until fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the eggs to the butter mixture one at a time, beating well in between each egg.
- Mix in the sour cream, poppy seeds, grapefruit zest, vanilla extract, and grapefruit juice to the wet ingredients until blended.
- Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until just combined. Scrape batter from the sides to ensure it's well incorporated. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan and spread evenly.
- Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 55 to 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the grapefruit bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan and cooling completely on a wire rack.
- Once the bread has cooled completely combine the powdered sugar and grapefruit juice in a small bowl until smooth.
- Drizzle the glaze over the bread and allow it to harden completely before you slice the bread.
Nutritional Disclaimer
These Nutritional Facts are ESTIMATED. Your actual nutritional info with this recipe may vary depending on the brands you choose. “Eating Gluten and Dairy Free” is not a registered dietician or nutritionist. The provided nutritional info above is based on a generic calculator, if you want more accurate info, use your nutritional calculator of choice where you can choose brands and get more info that way.
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