Beer Bread Recipe

A warm slice of this easy Beer Bread Recipe will be welcomed at any table. It has a buttery, pleasantly yeasty flavor, making it perfect for dunking with soups and chilis, toasting and smearing with butter, or for whipping up when you want to use that last can of beer in your refrigerator.

Why You’ll Love This Easy Beer Bread Recipe

Simple Ingredients. Beer bread is a savory quick bread that uses the carbonation in beer for leavening. Like other quick bread recipes, you make beer bread without yeast, a shortcut that makes it especially easy to prepare.
Top-Notch Texture. This beer bread recipe is buttery and moist. The inside crumb is sturdy but tender, similar to Irish soda bread. The outside is lightly craggy. One of my favorite parts about eating beer bread is picking off that textured top!
Dangerously Easy. The easy beer bread batter comes together in ONE bowl and takes fewer than 10 minutes to stir together. It requires no kneading and no rising time. You won’t believe how little effort it takes to make something so incredibly delicious!

A slice of beer bread on a plate with butter

Does Beer Bread Taste Like Beer?

The short answer is yes, beer bread tastes like beer. The stronger the beer, the more intense the bread.

The alcohol does cook off when you bake the bread. If you’d feel better not using alcohol at all or want to omit it for religious reasons, you can certainly swap it for an alcohol-free beer.

What is the Best Beer to Use for Beer Bread?

You can use 12 ounces of any kind of beer for this beer bread recipe. 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.

Mild Beer Bread. Use a plain, ultra light beer like Miller Light. (If you live in Wisconsin and want an upgrade, try New Glarus Spotted Cow.)
Go Seasonal. Try making beer bread with pumpkin ale, a nutty brown winter ale, or even a hard cider.
Beer Lover’s Choice. Use a fully flavored beer. I adore IPA in my beer bread.
Middle Ground. Amber beers strike a nice balance. The beer flavor is present and pleasant, but not as pronounced as a beer bread made with IPA.
Irish Beer Bread. For a St. Patrick’s Day recipe, use an Irish beer. Guinness Beer Bread or an Irish red ale such as Smithwick’s would both be festive.

load of no yeast beer bread made with a simple recipe

How to Make the Best Beer Bread Recipe

The Ingredients

Flour. Making this beer bread with all-purpose flour and white whole wheat flour adds a nutritional boost. In place of white whole wheat flour, you can use regular whole wheat flour or additional all-purpose flour. To make beer bread with self-rising flour, replace the whole wheat and all-purpose flours with the same amount of self-rising flour. Omit the baking powder and salt.
Beer. The star of the show! Beer reacts with the flour and leavening agent (baking powder) during the baking process to help the bread rise. I recommend using a beer you like drinking for the most enjoyable flavor.
Garlic Powder. An optional but truly delicious mix-in. It gives the bread a savory touch.
Honey. For a hint of sweetness that pairs wonderfully with the beer flavor. While it adds a touch of natural sweetness, it will not make this a sweet beer bread recipe. If you’d like your beer bread to have a kick, you can use hot honey instead of regular honey.
Butter. A drizzle of melted butter over the top of the bread batter results in an exceptionally scrumptious crust and gives it a beautiful color.

The Directions

Add the Dry Ingredients to a Bowl. This is a one-bowl recipe, so use a large bowl.

Stir in the Wet Ingredients. Now is the time to add those mix-ins!

Batter of simple beer bread in a loaf pan

Bake the Bread. Top the bread with the melted butter, then bake beer bread at 350 degrees F for 38 to 42 minutes.
Let Cool. It’s time to dig in!

Recipe Variations

Cheese Beer Bread. Fold in 2/3 cup shredded cheese. Cheddar beer bread is classic, pepper jack will make the beer bread a little spicy, and fontina or gouda is fun for an Italian twist.
Herb Beer Bread. Fold in 2 teaspoons dried herbs or 1 tablespoon fresh. Try rosemary, basil, or thyme.
Parmesan Beer Bread. Fold in 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (great combined with herbs and garlic).
Garlic Beer Bread. Stir 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder in with the dry ingredients. (Spread a clove of Roasted Garlic on your slice to really take things over the top.)
Spicy Beer Bread. Fold in 1 diced jalapeno and 2/3 cup pepper jack cheese. Drizzle with hot honey.
Gluten-Free Beer Bread. I have not tried making this beer bread recipe with gluten free flour, but you could experiment with it. Swap the flours for a 1:1 GF baking flour. Note that you will also need to find a gluten free beer.

Storage Tips

To Store. Store bread in a paper towel-lined airtight storage container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To Reheat. If you enjoy serving your bread warm, you can gently reheat leftovers in the microwave.
To Freeze. Freeze bread in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Storage Tip

I like to individually wrap my bread slices in plastic wrap or aluminum foil before freezing so that I can easily thaw them as needed.

Leftover Ideas

Turn beer bread into toast by topping it with a fried egg, cheese, and Oven Baked Bacon for a delicious open-faced breakfast sandwich. Instead of cornbread, pile Pumpkin Chili on top of a slice of beer bread. Or, dunk your leftovers into some Cheese Fondue.

What to Serve with Beer Bread

Soup. From Healthy Turkey Chili to Potato Cheese Soup, this beer bread recipe is the perfect soup companion.
Salad. Beer bread is a delicious side for a big salad like Cobb Salad, Harvest Salad, or Steak Salad.
Meat. Pair this bread with Instant Pot Ribs, Air Fryer Steak, Crockpot BBQ Chicken, or Grilled Pork Chops.
Comfort Food. This comforting bread is a perfect match for a big bowl of comfort food! Try Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese or Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings.

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe

Loaf Pan. Perfect for making this quick bread recipe!
Instant Read Thermometer. The easiest way to check your bread for doneness.
Mixing Bowls. Ideal for mixing the beer bread recipe ingredients.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Don’t Overmix. Overmixing the batter can cause the bread to turn out tough or crumbly. Stir gently and stop as soon as the flour disappears (and any mix-ins are incorporated).
Customize Your Bread. This isn’t a beer bread mix, so you can have fun with it! Utilize some of the mix-in suggestions in the “Recipe Variations” section above, and make this bread your own.
Use an Instant Read Thermometer. If your beer bread is doughy, it may not be cooked through yet. Check the internal temperature to see if it needs to bake longer. A thermometer is an excellent way to check your bread for doneness without having to guess or cut into it. When the bread reaches 200°F, it’s done.