This easy-to-make beer bread is a buttery and delicious culinary confection. No fancy baking skills are required to have a tasty loaf of bread on the table in less than an hour.
Beer bread is such a great bread to make. It is a really good beginner bread – it requires very little effort and basically zero baking knowledge (other than knowing how to use an oven.) No dealing with proofing, rising, folding – just bake, then eat.
Table of Contents
🥘 Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour – I have not tested this recipe with gluten-free flour – it works really well with regular all-purpose flour so I stick with it.
- Baking Powder – No need to mess with yeast as this is a “quick bread” – no time is needed to proof or rise.
- Kosher Salt – If you don’t have kosher salt, use a smaller amount of table salt.
- Beer – I used a 12 ounce can of Modelo for this recipe, but in the past, I have used an IPA and it is really tasty. If using an IPA, I have found that less salt is needed.
- Honey – I love to use Nature Nate’s Honey.
- Butter – I love using salted butter – I use it for just about every recipe, but unsalted will work just fine. This recipe is really rich either way.
🍽 Equipment Needed
- A Mixing Bowl
- Measuring Spoons and Measuring Cups
- A Rubber Spatula or Spoon
- A Loaf Pan (I like to line the pan with parchment paper when baking so the bread is easy to lift out of the pan.) I linked my favorite loaf pan below (it was dirty when I made this recipe so I used this dark Wilton one, but I prefer the even bake from my USA Pan.)
🥣 How to Make It
First, preheat the oven to 375°F. Then mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
Add the beer (pour slowly so it doesn’t bubble up and overflow everywhere) and then add the honey.
Mix the wet and dry ingredients together until well combined but try not to overmix.
Pour the batter into a loaf pan that is lined with parchment paper. I like to use chip clips (binder clips or clothespins also work) while pouring the batter into the pan to keep the paper from folding into the batter while you are pouring it. (Just remove the clips before putting the pan in the oven.)
Lastly, top the loaf with cubes of butter. It will melt as the bread bakes and will form a nice crust while also seeping into the bread. It is so good.
I sometimes also trim back the parchment paper before putting the bread in the oven if it is cut a little too big for the pan. Trying not to catch things on fire and all 😉
Transfer butter-topped bread to the preheated oven and bake for 45 – 55 minutes, until the top of the bread is browned and has a nice buttery crust on top. The butter will run down the sides of the bread and the parchment will be a little greasy but it will be so good!
Remove the bread from the oven, then let it cool – slice and serve!
It is so rich and buttery – my husband said, “I like that beer bread that you made. It is sweet and savory at the same time – it’s really tasty.”
🙋♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
Beer bread does not have yeast in it – the combination of beer and baking powder helps the bread to rise.
Due to the nature of this beer bread – you do need to use beer. The bubbly beer and the baking powder combined really make this bread as awesome as it is. (If you don’t consume alcohol, you can use a non-alcoholic beer, but it will have a beer taste so I don’t recommend making this bread if that will be a problem.)
What kind of beer is best for beer bread?
You can use 12 ounces of any kind of beer for beer bread. I usually opt for whatever is in the refrigerator, but you can also use the type of beer as an opportunity to play around with the recipe.
- A Lager, Amber, or Light Beer – For a fairly mild beer taste, you can use a beer like Bud Light or Corona. We had a case of Modelo left at our house early in 2020 before we got stuck at home and those 28 cans of Modelo became the staple beer in baking different kinds of breads and pizza dough.
- Pumpkin Beer or Christmas Beer – Ok, this one is a “choose your own adventure” suggestion. I am not a big fan of seasonal beers, so I don’t think I would like these flavors – but if you are a pumpkin beer fanatic, it sounds like it would be really good 😉
- A Hoppy IPA – An IPA is a great choice for people who love the taste of beer. The taste really comes through and the bread has a really nice bite to it. (I have found that this makes the bread almost seem saltier, so I use a small pinch of salt instead of the full 1/8 teaspoon.)
- Coffee or Milk Stouts – A stout would make for a really unusual but delicious bread. It would be a little bit deeper of a flavor and would be a little more sweet and buttery than savory.
- Irish Beer – For a fun St. Patrick’s Day recipe you can use an Irish beer, like Guinness. A Guinness Beer Bread would be both festive and delicious!
What are some Good Variations of Beer Bread?
Honestly, there are so many different things that you can mix into beer bread. It is such a mild base that can be used for so many awesome combinations. (I could go on and on, so here are just a few.)
- Ham and Cheese Beer Bread – One of my favorite ways to make beer bread is by mixing in about ½ cup of diced leftover ham and ½ of a cup of any kind of shredded cheese. (You can also add green onions – so yummy!)
- Cheesy Beer Bread – Mixing in ⅔ cup shredded cheese into the beer bread dough will make a yummy cheesy bread. Different cheeses will give a different flavor – sharp cheddar is rich and well.. sharp, pepper jack will add a little bit of spice, gruyere will give a mild cheesy flavor, and Asiago or Parmesan will give the bread a really sharp bite. (For Asiago and Parmesan, I would recommend using ¼ to ½ a cup – the cheese flavor will be really intense.)
- Herby Beer Bread – Make an herby beer bread by folding 2 teaspoons of dried herbs or 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs into the dough. Some of my favorites are rosemary, thyme, and basil.
- Parmesan Herby Beer Bread – Fold ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese into the dough, along with 2 teaspoons of dried herbs (or 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs) and 1 ½ teaspoons of garlic powder.
- Cheddar and Rosemary Beer Bread – Add 2 teaspoons of dried rosemary and ⅔ cup of shredded cheddar cheese to the bread dough – this one is one of my favorites.
- Super Spicy Beer Bread – Dice up one jalapeño and combine it with 2/3 cup of shredded pepper jack cheese. This bread is hoppy, salty, and a little spicy – it is a perfect balance.
🥫 Storage/Shelf Life/Reheating
Once cooled, store beer bread in an air-tight container with something to absorb moisture. Beer bread is really moist, so enjoy it within 3 – 5 days. It is really good leftover if heated up in the oven, toaster, or air fryer.
✏️ Helpful Tips
- To hold up the parchment paper while pouring in the batter, I like to use chip clips (binder clips or clothespins also work.) This keeps the paper from folding into the batter while you are pouring it in. (Just remove the clips before putting the pan in the oven.)
- Try this recipe out with different kinds of beer – there are so many great variations.
- Store this recipe in an airtight container with a loose piece of bread or a towel in the container to absorb any excess moisture – this bread has a lot of moisture already and can get a little dense after a day or two.
Things to Serve with Beer Bread
- Blueberry Jam
- Strawberry Jam
- Instant Pot Creamy Chicken and Noodles
- Pasta e Fagioli
- Ham and White Bean Soup
Other Bread Recipes
Bread Recipes
Sweet Cornbread in a Cast-Iron Skillet
Breakfast Recipes
Buttermilk Muffins
Bread Recipes
Southern Cornbread
Breakfast Recipes
Quick and Easy Homemade Drop Biscuits
Have You Tried This Recipe?
Please rate it and leave a comment below. I would love to hear what you think!
📝 Recipe
Easy Beer Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 ounces beer this is the size of one regular can
- ¼ cup honey
- 4 – 6 tablespoons salted butter cubed
Instructions
- First, preheat the oven to 375°F. Then mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- Add the beer (pour slowly so it doesn’t bubble up and overflow everywhere) and then add the honey.12 ounces beer, ¼ cup honey
- Mix the wet and dry ingredients together until well combined but try not to overmix.
- Pour the batter into a loaf pan that is lined with parchment paper. I like to use chip clips (binder clips or clothespins also work) while pouring the batter into the pan to keep the paper from folding into the batter while you are pouring it. (Just remove the clips before putting the pan in the oven.)
- Lastly, top the loaf with cubes of butter. It will melt as the bread bakes and will form a nice crust while also seeping into the bread. It is so good.4 – 6 tablespoons salted butter
- Transfer butter-topped bread to the preheated oven and bake for 45 – 55 minutes, until the top of the bread is browned and has a nice buttery crust on top. The butter will run down the sides of the bread and the parchment will be a little greasy but it will be so good!
- Remove the bread from the oven, then let it cool – slice and serve!
Notes
Beer Bread Tips
- To hold up the parchment paper while pouring in the batter, I like to use chip clips (binder clips or clothespins also work.) This keeps the paper from folding into the batter while you are pouring it in. (Just remove the clips before putting the pan in the oven.)
- Try this recipe out with different kinds of beer – there are so many great variations.
- Store this recipe in an airtight container with a loose piece of bread or a towel in the container to absorb any excess moisture – this bread has a lot of moisture already and can get a little dense after a day or two.
How to Store Beer Bread
Once cooled, store beer bread in an air-tight container with something to absorb moisture. Beer bread is really moist, so enjoy it within 3 – 5 days. It is really good leftover if heated up in the oven, toaster, or air fryer.Does beer bread have yeast in it?
Beer bread does not have yeast in it – the combination of beer and baking powder helps the bread to rise.Can you make non-alcoholic beer bread?
Due to the nature of this beer bread – you do need to use beer. The bubbly beer and the baking powder combined really make this bread as awesome as it is. (If you don’t consume alcohol, you can use a non-alcoholic beer, but it will have a beer taste so I don’t recommend making this bread if that will be a problem.)What kind of beer is best for beer bread?
You can use 12 ounces of any kind of beer for beer bread. I usually opt for whatever is in the refrigerator, but you can also use the type of beer as an opportunity to play around with the recipe.- A Lager, Amber, or Light Beer – For a fairly mild beer taste, you can use a beer like Bud Light or Corona. We had a case of Modelo left at our house early in 2020 before we got stuck at home and those 28 cans of Modelo became the staple beer in baking different kinds of breads and pizza dough.
- Pumpkin Beer or Christmas Beer – Ok, this one is a “choose your own adventure” suggestion. I am not a big fan of seasonal beers, so I don’t think I would like these flavors – but if you are a pumpkin beer fanatic, it sounds like it would be really good 😉
- A Hoppy IPA – An IPA is a great choice for people who love the taste of beer. The taste really comes through and the bread has a really nice bite to it. (I have found that this makes the bread almost seem saltier, so I use a small pinch of salt instead of the full ⅛ teaspoon.)
- Coffee or Milk Stouts – A stout would make for a really unusual but delicious bread. It would be a little bit deeper of a flavor and would be a little more sweet and buttery than savory.
- Irish Beer – For a fun St. Patrick’s Day recipe you can use an Irish beer, like Guinness. A Guinness Beer Bread would be both festive and delicious!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate and is automatically calculated, so should only be used as a guide.
