This orange loaf recipe is delicious, healthy, and easy to make. It’s packed with fresh orange flavor and is sweet and zesty at the same time. The healthy orange cake is moist and fluffy while still being paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free. 

I love baking with citrus, and this time it’s the oranges that are in focus for this healthy orange loaf cake.

This orange loaf recipe is easy to make, healthy, and perfect all year round. It’s sweet, fresh, and zesty at the same time, and will make everyone go back for seconds. 

Made with clean and wholesome ingredients, this moist orange loaf cake recipe is paleo, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and refined usage-free. 

If you are into citrus desserts, you need to try this Limoncello Cake and this Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake as well!

But first, let’s make this paleo dessert!

Why I love this Paleo Orange Loaf

a sweet and gluten free cake is slices in thick slices and topped with an easy frosting

The first time I made this orange bread, I fell in love! There are so many reasons why it has become a favorite in my family, and I think yours will love it too. 

  • The orange flavor
    This homemade dessert is made with freshly squeezed orange juice and orange zest making it bursting with delicious and citrusy flavor.
  • Easy to make
    Desserts that come together in just a few steps are my favorite kind of baking. These is nothing at all that is complicated about this recipe.
  • Healthy dessert
    This orange cake is made with wholesome ingredients that are good for you. It’s gluten-free, refined sugar-free, dairy-free, and paleo.
  • Looks beautiful
    Nothing better with an easy and healthy desserts that looks like a million bucks, right!? The loaf bread looks stunning when it os topped with the two ingredient glaze.

Is this gluten-free orange loaf healthy?

a homemade paleo orange loaf iced with a citrus glaze and topped with fresh slices of orange and zest.

The orange dessert is made with ingredients that are good for you. The orange loaf is made with gluten-free flour, no refined sugar, and coconut oil instead of butter. Yet it’s packed with flavor and moist and fluffy! 

The moist orange loaf cake gets a lot of sweetness from the fresh orange juice, therefore only a little bit of honey is added to the batter for extra sweetness. 

Orange juice is not only adding flavor and moisture to the cake but also adds a good amount of vitamin C to the cake. 

We all know that Vitamin C is an essential nutrient, so why not get some of your daily vitamin C from a dessert? 

Vitamin C is, among other things, important to the immune system. If you want to read more about the health benefits of vitamin C, you can read more about it here

All the ingredients are paleo-approved.

I think that makes this cake a healthy homemade dessert that won’t disappoint! 

Ingredients needed for the healthy Orange bread

three eggs, a large bowl of almond flour, a citrus fruit is cut in half, a measuring cup of honey, one with vegan milk, one with tapioca flour and one with baking soda.

This incredibly easy-to-make orange loaf is made with only eight healthy ingredients! If you are a frequent paleo and gluten-free baker, you might already have all the ingredients in your pantry.

Dry ingredients

  • Almond flour, packed 
  • Tapioca flour
  • Baking soda

Wet ingredients

  • Eggs, room temperature
  • Coconut oil, melted
  • Honey 
  • Orange juice, freshly squeezed

Fold-in

  • Orange zest

Glaze

  • Powdered sugar, or keto-friendly “powdered sugar”
  • Orange juice

How to make the gluten-free orange loaf

One bowl with dry ingredients - gluten free almond flour and tapioca flour, and one bowl with three eggs

Start with preheating the oven to 350 F. 

Then, add the dry ingredients – almond flour, tapioca flour, and baking soda, into a small bowl and combine.

Now, wash, dry, and zest one large orange. Set aside. 

Juice the zested orange. Set aside.

an paleo batter is coming together and citrus zest is being folded in with a spatula

Then, in a separate and larger bowl, combine the wet ingredients – eggs, melted coconut oil, honey, and orange juice. Whisk until everything is evenly combined. 

Then, gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a spatula.

Lastly, gently fold the orange zest into the orange loaf batter. 

Pour the batter into an 8×4 parchment paper-lined loaf pan.

Bake the cake for 25 – 28 min or until a toothpick comes out clean.

An orange loaf is about to be baked in the oven. the second picture the gluten free loaf has been iced with an orange icing and there is zest and fresh fruit on top it. The left loaf is when the cake is about to go in the oven- the right image shows a completely baked and iced loaf

While the paleo orange loaf is in the oven, prepare the orange glaze. Mix the powdered sugar with orange juice. Start with 1 tablespoon and add more if you prefer a more runny icing. 

Let the cake cool down before adding the orange glaze on top.

Tips on making the best Orange loaf

  1. Use fresh orange juice!
    I know it can be tempting to use store bought orange juice, or simply use the now you drink for breakfast every morning, but trust me, squeeze your own! Since you are going to need zest from one orange swell for this healthy orange loaf cake it makes total sense to use the juice from the same orange.

    And also, remember to zest the orange before juicing it – speaking from experience… 
  2. Use a scale to measure
    To measure flour can be quite tricky and I do recommend using a food scale for the best accuracy. Lately, I have started to measure all my flour, not only all purpose flour, by weight rather than by cups, and it makes a big difference.

    However, if you don’t have a food scale, make sure you pack the almond flour firmly when you measure it. For example, 1 cup of loosely packed almond flour weighs about 96g, but a firmly packed cup of almond flour weighs between 120-130g. 
  3. Don’t over bake the paleo orange loaf
    Over-baking the cake may result in a rubbery and/or dry texture. After 25 minutes, insert a toothpick into the middle of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean the orange cake is done.

How to store Paleo Orange loaf

a hand is holding a thick slice of gluten free and paleo dessert

Store the moist and fluffy orange cake at room temperature for 3 days, or in the fridge in an air-tight container for 5 days. 

Yes, you can freeze it!

Store the orange loaf in an airtight container for up to 2 months in the freezer.

I would recommend not to ice the cake if you are planning to freeze it. However, if you are freezing leftovers, it won’t hurt if there is already icing on top.

Leave me a comment below when you have made it, or if you have any questions! 

I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR CREATIONS! YOU CAN USE “TRIED IT” ON PINTEREST OR SHARE ON INSTAGRAM BY TAGGING #SHUANGYSEATS

a hand is reaching for a homemade paleo orange loaf slice. it's topped with a vegan icing and fresh citrus

Other healthy citrus recipes to make: 

1. Healthy Orange Chicken

2. Healthy Lemon Blueberry Bread

3. Healthy Lemon Bars

a sweet and gluten free cake is slices in thick slices and topped with an easy frosting

Get the recipe:Glazed Orange Loaf {Paleo}

This Orange Loaf is delicious, healthy and packed with sweet, fresh and zesty oranges flavor. It's paleo, gluten-free and refined sugar-free.
3 stars (1 review)

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups almond flour, packed (200g) *
  • 1/3 cup tapioca flour, 40g
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/3 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed (1 large orange)
  • Zest from 1 large orange

Glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1-2 tbsp orange juice

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F. 
  • Add the dry ingredients – almond flour, tapioca flour, and baking soda into a small bowl and combine.
  • Wash, dry, and zest the orange. Set aside. 
  • Juice the zested orange. Set aside.
  • In a separate and larger bowl, combine the wet ingredients – eggs, melted coconut oil, honey, orange juice. Whisk until everything is evenly combined. 
  • Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a spatula.
  • Gently fold in the orange zest into the batter. 
  • Pour the batter into an 8×4 parchment paper-lined loaf pan.
  • Bake the loaf cake for 25-28 min or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Make the glaze by mixing the powdered sugar with orange juice until there are no lumps left. Start with 1 tablespoon and add more if you prefer a runnier icing.
  • Let the cake cool down** before adding the orange glaze on top.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

* I recommend using a food scale when measuring flour for best accuracy. However, if you don’t have a food scale, make sure you pack the almond flour firmly when you measure it. For example, 1 cup of loosely packed almond flour weighs about 96g, but a firmly packed cup of almond flour weighs between 120-130g. 
**I recommend letting the cake cool for 1-1.5 hr, or until it is cool enough for the icing to stay on
Serving: 1g, Calories: 265kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 37mg, Sodium: 141mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 18g

The Nutrition Facts above are specific to the ingredients I chose to use for this recipe, which may vary.