This simple homemade beer bread is soft, moist, and chewy with a beautiful golden crust. This one-bowl recipe is all made by hand with a few simple everyday ingredients. It is the easiest bread you’ll ever make, just simply mix and bake! A loaf of beer bread on a wooden cutting board with a plaid kitchen towel and bottle of lager. We ran out of store-bought loaf bread this week, so I decided to whip up some beer bread. It’s incredibly easy to make – if you can stir, you can make this bread. This delicious bread is great for sandwiches, toast and for dunking in soups or stews. It’s slightly sweet and has a subtle rich buttery taste similar to cornbread, so it’s also great served alongside some chili or barbecued meats. A loaf of beer bread in a baking pan with a plaid kitchen tower and bottle of lager.

Why this recipe is so great:

  • Quick and easy to make – Just 6 simple ingredients all mix together in one bowl and bake. Since there is no yeast in this recipe, there is no kneading or proofing involved.
  • Adaptable and versatile – The ingredients in this recipe can be easily substituted with what you have on hand (see the full list of substitutions below) and you can easily add in your favorite mix-ins for different variations of this bread.
  • Great taste and texture -The texture of this bread is super soft and moist with a lovely dense crumb. The taste is mildly buttery and sweet.

How to make beer bread:

(the ingredient amounts are listed in the printable recipe card further below)

  1. Sift the flour into a large bowl, then whisk in the baking powder and salt.
  2. Pour in the melted butter, honey, and beer. Stir all the ingredients together until just combined.
  3. Spoon the batter into a buttered 9×5″ loaf pan and brush with more butter on top.
  4. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Process picture collage of how to make beer bread.

Substitutions:

  • All-purpose flour – You can use whole wheat pastry flour instead or half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour, which is what I often do. You can also use self-rising flour and just omit the baking powder and salt.
  • Baking powder – If you don’t have baking powder, you can substitute it with 1 tsp baking soda instead.
  • Honey – Can be replaced with the same amount of granulated sugar. If so, add the sugar in with the salt. You can also use maple syrup if you’re a maple syrup fan.
  • Butter – You can substitute the melted butter with avocado oil, EV olive oil or vegetable oil.
  • Beer – You can use any type of beer you like. I personally prefer a light beer, but if you like dark beer, go ahead and use it. It will give the bread a bolder taste. You can also use plain club soda or seltzer water if you don’t like beer.

Variations:

This beer bread is delicious as is, or with a pat of butter, or toasted and buttered. But, if you want to change things up, feel free to add a cup of your favorite shredded cheeses and/or a tablespoon of seasoning spice or herbs to the batter. Here are some of my favorite combinations:

  • 1 cup cheddar cheese and 1 finely chopped jalapeno pepper
  • 3/4 cup cheddar cheese and 3/4 cup cooked crumbled bacon
  • 1 cup smoked cheese and 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 cup spicy cheese and 1 tablespoon Mexican seasoning

Please note that the add-ins will extend the bake time.

How to store beer bread:

Beer bread can be stored tightly wrapped in saran wrap or in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days.

How to freeze beer bread:

Beer bread can be frozen once completely cooled. Double wrap in saran wrap and place in a freezer-friendly ziplock bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and warm up in the oven or slice and warm up in the toaster. A loaf of beer bread on a cutting board with a pat of butter on a slice.

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Did you make this recipe? Please kindly leave a comment with your star rating below.

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Homemade Beer Bread

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 3 reviews
  • Author: Lily Ernst
  • Prep Time: 10 min
  • Cook Time: 45 min
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 9x5" loaf
  • Category: bread
  • Method: bake
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This classic homemade beer bread is soft, moist, and chewy with a beautiful golden crust. This one-bowl recipe is all made by hand with a few simple everyday ingredients. It is the easiest bread you’ll ever make, just simply mix and bake!


Ingredients

  • 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) honey
  • 1 can (355ml) beer of choice, room temperature
  • 5 tbsp melted unsalted butter, divided

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9×5″ loaf pan with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter. Set aside.
  2. Sift the flour into a large bowl, then whisk in the baking powder and salt.
  3. Pour in 2 tablespoon of the melted butter, honey, and beer. Stir all the ingredients together until just combined.
  4. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and brush the remaining melted butter on top.
  5. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5-10 minutes, then remove the bread to cool on a wire rack.

Notes

Beer bread can be stored tightly wrapped in saran wrap or in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days.

How to freeze:

Beer bread can be frozen once completely cooled. Double wrap in saran wrap and place in a freezer-friendly ziplock bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and warm up in the oven or slice and warm up in the toaster.

Substitutions:

  • All-purpose flour – You can use whole wheat pastry flour instead or half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour, which is what I often do. You can also use self-rising flour and just omit the baking powder and salt.
  • Baking powder – If you don’t have baking powder, you can substitute it with 1 tsp baking soda instead.
  • Honey – Can be replaced with the same amount of granulated sugar. If so, add the sugar in with the salt. You can also use maple syrup if you’re a maple syrup fan.
  • Butter – You can substitute the melted butter with avocado oil, EV olive oil or vegetable oil.
  • Beer – You can use any type of beer you like. I personally prefer a light beer, but if you like dark beer, go ahead and use it. It will give the bread a bolder taste. You can also use plain club soda or seltzer water if you don’t like beer.

Add-ins:

This beer bread is delicious as is, or with a pat of butter, or toasted and buttered. But, if you want to change things up, feel free to add a cup of your favorite shredded cheeses and/or a tablespoon of seasoning spice or herbs to the batter. Here are some of my favorite combinations:

  • 1 cup cheddar cheese and 1 finely chopped jalapeno pepper
  • 3/4 cup cheddar cheese and 3/4 cup cooked crumbled bacon
  • 1 cup smoked cheese and 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 cup spicy cheese and 1 tablespoon Mexican seasoning

Please note that the add-ins will extend the bake time.

Recipe adapted from An Italian In My Kitchen.