This Beer Bread recipe is slightly sweet, moist and so delicious! Made with just 6 ingredients, it’s a simple quick bread that tastes like you slaved over it for hours.
Quick breads like this beer bread require no yeast and are ready in about an hour. Perfect for serving with a steaming hot bowl of Vegetable Soup, Turkey Taco Soup or Easy 3-Ingredient Chili.
Homemade Bread without Yeast
When you hear the words “Beer Bread,” what goes through your mind? Because I do not personally drink beer, I always thought I wouldn’t be able to handle something called Beer Bread. Then my cousin got a bread maker. She spent hours upon hours searching for new recipes to try and beer bread quickly became a household favorite. One bite and I was hooked.
The best part about this recipe though, is there is no yeast, and no bread maker required. It comes together quickly in one bowl then bakes for an hour and you have fresh, hot bread to serve with dinner.
How to Make Beer Bread
This beer bread recipe is super easy with just 6 ingredients: flour, baking powder, granulated sugar, salt, beer and melted butter.
- Prep: Grease a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray or melted butter and preheat the oven.
- Mix. Grab a large mixing bowl and combine everything but the melted butter. The batter is made from the first 5 ingredients, poured into the prepared pan and the butter is melted and drizzled on top which creates a crunchy crust. For a softer crust, you can mix the melted butter in with the batter. Personally I am a fan of the crunchy texture!
- Bake. It takes about 50 minutes or so to bake, but with variances in ovens you want to check it at 45 minutes or bake up to an hour. You’ll know it’s done when the top is golden brown and the sides pull away from the pan. The toothpick test is always a give away – just insert one into the center of the loaf and if all you get are moist crumbs, it’s ready!
How Does Beer Bread Work?
Beer Bread is a simple quick bread recipe that uses beer in place of yeast for the leavening. Both beer and bread are created when yeast is used to turn sugars into carbon dioxide and alcohol. In the case of bread a great percentage of the alcohol evaporates during the baking process, but it does add a mild flavor. (source)
Serving Suggestions and Variations
Beer Bread is perfect for serving with hearty soups, like Vegetable Beef Soup or Bacon and Bean Soup. It also makes a delicious snack on it’s own or slathered with butter and honey.
For different variations of beer bread, you could add any of the following to customize it:
- Replace the sugar with honey or agave.
- Add 3/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.
- Add a small can of diced green chiles or jalapenos with or without the cheese.
- Use a cider instead of a lager for a slightly sweeter taste.
How to Store Beer Bread
- Store beer bread at room temperature for up to 3 days. Do not refrigerate are seal airtight. I recommend storing bread on a plate or cutting board and covering with a tea towel.
- After 3 days, freeze any remaining bread by wrapping tightly with plastic wrap then in aluminum foil and place in the freezer. Thaw on the counter overnight and let it come to room temperature before slicing.
- Feel free to warm your bread in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.
More Quick Bread Recipes
We are in an age of pantry cooking, and making due with what you have. These recipes are just as quick and also require no yeast. Some are sweet and perfect for enjoying with coffee or for dessert and some are savory and go great with hearty meals like Crock Pot Roast and
- Honey Oat Quick Bread
- Cheesy Pizza Quick Bread
- Parmesan Garlic Herb Quick Bread
- Pumpkin Apple Bread
- Zucchini Bread Recipe
- Irish Soda Bread
Tools used in this recipe:
9-inch Loaf Pans: These are great and affordable, and come in a set of two.
Parchment paper – I prefer parchment to foil; it’s just easier to work with and is just as nonstick. Plus it just looks prettier!
Bread Knife – A sharp, serrated bread knife is a kitchen staple, recommended for cutting bread (and tomatoes, too!).
Beer Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 12 ounces beer or lager of your choice
- 4 tablespoons butter melted and slightly cooled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper that folds over just two sides (optional, for easy removal).
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
- Pour in the beer and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and drizzle melted butter on top.
- Bake the bread until golden brown and firm, about 45 minutes to an 1 hour. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then allow it to cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
- Serve with butter and honey for drizzling. (optional)
Do you think I could substitute a cup of flour for whole wheat flour?
Yes you could easily swap out wheat flour. Enjoy!
Could I make these in mini loaves
Yes you could make two ini loaves, just shorten the bake time. I haven’t tried this myself but I would check them at the 20 minute mark and then go from there.
We don’t usually have beer available so I use a soda of some kind. Any one of them will work, I used coke last time, all you are looking for is the carbonation and the all give just a different flavor. I also love it if I have beer to use. Great bread.
So glad you enjoyed it Lynnette! Great idea about using soda. Thanks for stopping by.
do you have a recipe for low carb bread?
Delicious and easy! I am going to add the cheddar cheese next time.
What type of beer works best? Thank you.
You can try any beer you like. I use a basic Budweiser, but other flavors will work well. Keep in mind that a darker or sweeter beer will alter the flavor slightly.