If there’s one thing you all love MORE than having dessert for breakfast in the form of green smoothies, it’s healthy versions of Starbuck’s baked goods. We’ve swooned over the healthy recreations of the Starbucks Pumpkin Loaf and Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars, which are gluten-free and dairy-free. But this healthy Starbucks Iced Lemon Loaf recipe is one of my MOST requested recipes ever.

Dare I say, it also might be the best healthy Starbucks copycat recipe I’ve ever created. It’s packed with natural ingredients that have been studied to help skin glow, promote healthy weight, heart health, and more. This is the perfect healthy make-ahead breakfast for on-the-go mornings, for lazy Sundays in, or as crowd-favorite dessert to bring to a party!

healthy Starbucks Lemon Loaf ingredients

Like most of my healthy desserts and sweet treats, I designed this moist, zesty breakfast recipe to balance the blood sugar curve, so you eliminate that spike and crash after eating it. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you’ll LOVE this Healthier Together podcast episode with the Glucose Goddess! The key takeaways: science shows that paying attention to your blood sugar curve can give you energy, weight loss, glowing skin, hormone balance, and more. Basically, have your lemon cake and eat it too!

Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

• Almond flour: it’s a nutrient-dense, grain-free flour that’s high in protein, vitamin E, fiber, healthy fats and low carb. Be sure to pack the almond flour in your measuring cup!
• Baking powder: to give it a light, fluffy texture.
• Baking soda: to help the bread rise!
• Fine grain sea salt: don’t skip it.
• Organic lemons: I highly recommend buying organic so you can have zest that’s chemical-free. If non-organic is what you’re working with, soak them in apple cider vinegar for 10 minutes and then rinse.
• Eggs: cage-free and pasture-raised, preferably.
• Maple syrup: my favorite antioxidant-rich and unrefined sweetener to use in baked goods is always pure maple syrup.
• Avocado oil: this heart-healthy fat has received prescription drug status in France for it’s positive affects on arthritis!
• Powdered sugar: ⁣just a dash per serving to give this recipe that authentic taste. If you’re not interested in eating powdered sugar but still want icing, you could melt coconut manna with maple syrup for icing consistency.

What makes this Starbucks Lemon Loaf copycat recipe good for you?

• It’s a gluten-free and grain-free. We’re using almond flour instead of regular, gluten-free all purpose flour for a nutrient boost. We love almond flour because it’s simply ground-up almonds, so you get all of the original almond’s health benefits for cardiovascular health and blood sugar.
• It’s packed with antioxidants for glowing skin. Because we’re using tons of lemon and lemon zest in this recipe, you’re getting loads of the antioxidants that are shown in research to promote skin health.
• It’s dairy-free and heart-healthy. We skip dairy and use avocado oil in this recipe which is a very heart-healthy fat that’s reported to prevent and treat cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.
• It’s optionally refined sugar free. Just skip the homemade glaze and have the lemon loaf naked!

Tips for making this healthy Starbucks Lemon Loaf recipe

• Wash your lemons. Ideally, I prefer to buy organic lemons, but if that’s not possible that’s totally fine, too. For non-organic lemons (or if you’re not sure), I’d recommend soaking them in water with a splash of apple cider vinegar for 10 minutes and then rinse thoroughly.
• Use room temperature eggs. Room temperature eggs are better for baked goods than ones straight out of the fridge because they blend evenly into batters and help dough rise easily. To make your eggs room temp, just place them in a bowl of warm water for 3-5 minutes before using them.
• Line your loaf pan. This step’s crucial to helping your baked loaf come out of the pan easily.
• Glaze the loaf only once cooled. While it’s tempting to glaze your beautifully-baked masterpiece of a lemon loaf right away, wait until it’s cool to the touch so your glaze will stick and retain thickness.

The delicious, dairy-free icing

Sure, you can smear any old store-bought glaze over this lemon loaf recipe, but it wouldn’t be a true Healthy Starbucks Iced Lemon Loaf if I hadn’t made a healthier icing, too. This healthy icing recipe is super easy to make and you’re going to want to put it on everything. Of course this glaze is completely optional, and you can make this healthy Starbucks recipe sans glaze for more of a healthy snack or gluten-free breakfast recipe—because who doesn’t want cake for breakfast every once in a while.

Here’s how to make the addictive lemon glaze:

1. Simply juice the lemons you used for zest (if your lemons were huge or really juicy, start with the juice of 1).
2. Then, stir the juice with enough powdered sugar to make a thick glaze.
3. Once the loaf is cooled, top it with this two-ingredient icing and get ready to enjoy.

How to store this iced lemon loaf

Keep this healthy Iced Lemon Loaf fresh for 4-5 days by storing it in foil or plastic wrap in the refrigerator.

Watch my video for step by step instructions:

@lizmoody

maybe my most requested tiktok ever #healthyliving #healthyrecipes #starbucksrecipe #wellness

♬ Sunroof – Nicky Youre & dazy

More healthy copycat recipes to try

Healthy Starbucks Pumpkin Loaf

Healthy Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars

Grain-Free Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Healthy Chili’s Southwestern Egg Rolls

Enjoy, and tag me if you make this Healthy Starbucks Iced Lemon Loaf on Instagram (@lizmoody)— I can’t wait to see!

Print