Most of you know that my 84-year-old Grandma Gloria loves to bake. She’s inspired several recipes on the blog including these buttermilk waffles, sunflower honey oatmeal bread, green chicken & rice, healthy bran muffins and this fabulous butternut squash green chili chicken stew.

A few weeks I was in New Mexico visiting my mom and grandma and noticed about 30 oranges sitting on her counter (no joke!).

Most of you know I’m obsessed with all things orange so I decided to bake some healthy orange muffins and then eventually went home and tweaked the recipe into this healthy orange yogurt bread made with protein-packed yogurt, naturally sweetened with honey and full of crunchy poppy seeds and pistachios.

GUYS, this could be my favorite bread EVER!

Everything you’ll need to make this orange yogurt bread

This easy and delicious orange yogurt bread uses simple ingredients but is perfectly moist and filled with orange flavor. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

• Whole wheat pastry flour: I love using whole wheat pastry flour in baking because it’s a little more nutritious than regular flour. This is the brand I use.
• Baking powder & baking soda: you need to use both in this recipe to make it nice and fluffy!
• Butter: I prefer to use butter in this recipe for both flavor and texture, but melted coconut oil would also work well.
• Yogurt: the most amazing part of this bread is the texture thanks to the yogurt. I recommend using whole milk plain greek yogurt because it adds additional moisture to the bread. It’s delicious!
• Honey: I love using honey in baking; it’s a great all natural unrefined sweetener.
• Eggs: two eggs are used in this recipe for a cake like texture. I haven’t tried flax eggs but I think it might work.
• Extracts: use both vanilla extract and almond extract for a hint of unique flavor!
• Orange: make sure you use freshly squeezed orange juice and zest for amazing orange flavor.
• Poppy seeds: there’s just something to love about the flavor poppy seeds bring to breads and muffins.
• Pistachios: I wanted to do something different so I decided to use pistachios in this bread. Please know that you can sub them out for toasted walnuts or pecans, or you can omit them completely.

Let’s talk toppings

This healthy orange bread is delicious on its own but even BETTER with that gorgeous orange glaze. The orange glaze on this bread is so ridiculously good that I want to put it on everything. It’s full of sweet, fresh orange flavor and incredibly easy to make. It’s butter free too; all you need is powdered sugar, fresh orange juice and orange zest! YUM.

I love topping the bread with a few extra crushed roasted pistachios on top for added crunch.

Can I make is gluten free?

If you want to make this bread gluten free, I suggest this 1:1 gluten free baking flour or you could try and sub chickpea flour, but the flavor may slightly change. Alternatively, you can try my Paleo Orange-Kissed Loaf with Dark Chocolate Glaze instead!

More ways to customize this orange bread

Because this is a baking recipe, I highly recommend sticking with the original recipe so that the bread turns out the way it’s supposed to. There are a few ways to customize it that I can recommend:

• To make it dairy free: instead of yogurt, feel free to use a dairy free coconut, soy or almond yogurt. Make sure to use coconut oil instead of butter too!
• To make it sweeter: feel free to use 1/2 cup honey instead of 1/3, especially if you aren’t topping the bread with the orange glaze. You could also use your favorite vanilla yogurt for extra flavor!
• For the whole wheat pastry flour: you can also use a mix of whole wheat flour and all purpose flour.

How to make this healthy orange bread

1. Mix the wet ingredients. Start by whisking together the melted butter, honey & orange zest. Then mix in the orange juice and greek yogurt, and finally whisk in the eggs, vanilla extract and almond extract.
2. Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl whisk together the whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda and poppy seeds.
3. Combine the batter. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Fold in the pistachios.
4. Bake & cool. Pour the batter into a prepared loaf pan and bake until a tester comes out clean. Cool completely.
5. Make & drizzle the glaze. While the bread is cooling, mix together the powdered sugar, orange juice and zest. Spread it over the top of the cooled loaf, garnish with pistachios and enjoy!

Try it as muffins

Yes, this healthy orange bread can be made into muffins! Simply make the batter as directed, then divide it between 12 greased muffin liners. Bake for 18-24 minutes until a tester comes out clean.

Storing & freezing tips

• To store: this orange yogurt bread should be kept well-covered in foil or plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days, then I recommend transferring it to the fridge or freezer.
• To freeze: simply wrap in plastic, then tightly in foil and finally place in a reusable bag or freezer-friendly bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature once you are ready to eat. You can also feel free to freeze individual slices for a quick on-the-go treat! I recommend freezing the bread without the glaze.

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I hope you love this orange bread recipe! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe below. I’d love to hear from you and it helps encourage others to make the recipe too!

Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats