Learn how to make a quick bread classic with this homemade beer bread recipe. Using just 6 ingredients and one mixing bowl, this rustic loaf is easy to make for game day or a cozy snack.
Back in college (more years ago than I care to admit!), one of the first breads I made in my tiny apartment kitchen was Beer Bread. It was an easy recipe that didn’t require proofing or kneading, and my friends always devoured it.
With its lightly-sweet flavor and buttery, craggy crust, beer bread is a classic loaf. I keep the recipe in my back pocket for when I need a fuss-free and delicious bread for snacking or casual entertaining.
What You’ll Need From the Pantry
With only 6 ingredients, Beer Bread is one of the simplest breads you can make. You’ll need all-purpose flour, baking powder, table salt, sugar, beer, and melted butter. That’s it!
What Kind of Beer Is Best for Beer Bread?
The type of beer you use is entirely up to your personal preferences and how much you want to taste it in the baked loaf. My friends and I prefer lighter-tasting, crisp, lager-style beers and Belgian-style witbiers in bread.
I find that more strongly-flavored beers, or those that are very hops-forward, can overpower the loaf when baked. In some cases, they can also make the bread taste too bitter. With that in mind, I tend to stay away from brews like IPA’s and strong stouts for this recipe.
Want to learn more about bitterness in beer? This article from Craft Beer Joe, Hoppy vs. Bitter: Understanding the Difference, is an interesting read!
I’ve made beer bread with everything from craft beers (Allagash White, Moosehead, etc.), to commercial beers like Heineken, Miller Highlife, and Samuel Adams Boston Lager (which we found lends more of a pronounced aroma than others on the list, and didn’t make our favorite loaf).
For the mildest beer flavor in your bread, use a light beer, such as Miller’s Lite, Coors Light, or Bud Light.
For a twist from the classic, you can also make this beer bread recipe using seasonal brews. We have fun in the fall making loaves with pumpkin ale and hard cider.
Really, the best way to determine the beer you like best for your beer bread is to jump in and try a loaf with your favorite bottle! If the flavor is too strong, bitter, or fruity, you’ll know that you need to move to a different brew.
Tips for Making The Best Beer Bread
Making beer bread is about as easy as it gets: 1.) whisk together the dry ingredients, 2.) mix in the beer, 3.) pour melted butter over the batter in a loaf pan, and 4.) bake.
While beer bread has a dense and chewy crumb by nature, I’ve had loaves that sadly turned out too tough. Over the years, I’ve found that a few tips will ensure the best textured (and best tasting) loaf.
- Sift the flour. I always use a “spoon and sweep” method for measuring my flour (i.e. spoon the flour into the measuring cup and sweep the top with the straight edge of a butter knife). For beer bread, I find that sifting the flour before measuring it out creates the best crumb.
- Use room temperature beer. It will give you a better rise and baked texture than a bottle straight out of the fridge.
- Don’t over-mix the dough. When you add the beer, you want to just mix it in enough so the dry ingredients are moistened and everything is incorporated. (This usually takes about 5 or 6 turns in the bowl with my wooden spoon or spatula.) A few dry streaks are okay. Overworking the dough will yield a too-dense loaf.
Common Questions About Beer Bread
Q. Can I use other sweeteners instead of granulated sugar?
A. Sure! I’ve made this loaf with light brown sugar, honey, and maple syrup (especially delicious with a pumpkin ale during the fall).
Just as with the granulated sugar, add anywhere from 1 to 4 tablespoons of any of these natural sweeteners, to your personal preferences.
Q. Why do you specify a range for the sweetener quantities?
A. So you can customize the loaf! You can make beer bread with just a hint of sweetness or more, depending on the flavor you like best and how you’re going to serve it.
For instance, you might want to make the bread a little less sweet to serve with a soup or stew than if you were going to have the slices on their own, as a snack.
The amount of sweetener can also depend on the type of beer you’re using. Some beers (or hard ciders) have more of a natural sweetness to them that will need less added sugar in the bread.
Q. I see a lot of recipes that call for self-rising flour. Can I use it here?
A. Yes. I don’t typically keep self-rising flour in my pantry, so I wrote the recipe using all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. To substitute self-rising flour, omit the baking powder and salt.
Serving and Storing Beer Bread
I like to serve beer bread just slightly warm with a smidge of softened or whipped butter (usually salted). When I’m going for a sweet treat, I’ll add a drizzle of honey, or use honey or maple butter.
Savory beer bread is great with chili on game day (we love it alongside Instant Pot Texas-Style Chili or this meat and bean Spicy Chili recipe), a hearty bowl of soup, cut into cubes to serve with dips, or just on its own for an easy, home-baked snack.
I do find that beer bread is best the day it’s made. It can get a little heavy on day 2 and beyond.
That said, if you’re going to store leftovers, wrap the loaf tightly in plastic wrap (make sure they’re cooled fully) and store at room temperature to enjoy on a second day. For the best texture and flavor, I like to re-warm the loaf in the oven at 350 degrees F, wrapped in foil.
My friends and I haven’t liked the texture of beer bread that had been frozen. This is a recipe that we prefer to make and serve it fresh.
Classic Beer Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur) , 350 grams (measured with the spoon-and-level method after sifting)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder , (12 grams)
- 1 teaspoon table salt , (6 grams)
- 2 to 4 tablespoons granulated sugar , (25-50 grams), depending on how sweet you like your bread
- 12 ounce bottle of beer , room temperature
- 2 tablespoons butter , melted (28 grams), plus additional for greasing the loaf pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 1 pound (8 1/2" x 4 1/2" x 2 3/4" high) loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Pour in beer and stir just to combine. For a tender bread, don't over-mix. Batter will be thick and won't have a totally smooth appearance.
- Spoon batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it out so it reaches all four corners. Drizzle with the melted butter.
- Bake for 35-55 minutes, until the top is golden and a cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. (Baking time will depend on the heat conductivity of the pan you're using, as well as your oven; my loaves most often take 40-45 mintues.)
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 5 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack. Slice the bread when it's just slightly warm or room temperature and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Please note that our recipes have been developed using the US Customary measurement system and have not been tested for high altitude/elevation cooking and baking.
Bread was delicious. Followed recipe exactly. Family loved it. Came out light and tasty.
I made this as directed with 2 T sugar. I think sifting the flour and having the beer at room temp were important little tweaks. For me, the biggest contributor to the flavor was using a cherry wheat beer. It turned out fabulous. Just the slightest hint of cherry sweetness in the final product. Yum!
I meant to give this 5 stars! Ooops!
We had a few cans of Bud Light left from summer camp trips. This would be great for quick easy camper cooking. We love it.
I love Beer Batter Bread. Your comments on ingredients, helpful hints, and tips are great. All help me make a better loaf. My husband is a home beer brewer. I am a non (alcoholic) drinker. I make my loaf with Ginger Ale soda-pop (not diet). Everyone is happy. Kat.
Thank you for this recipe! It’s delicious and super easy once the flour is sifted. Made one with a bottle of Stella Artois and another with Miller High Life, we liked the high life better……champagne of beers!!! lol. I did use honey in place of the sugar (2T) and put just a touch of garlic in with the melted butter, soooooo wonderful. This is a keeper. Thanks so much for sharing.
Is there a specific kind of beer you recommend?
Hi Aimee, if you scroll up to the blog post above the recipe card, you’ll find a section, “What Kind of Beer Is Best for Beer Bread?” where Amanda gives recommendations. There’s also a link to this in the “Notes” section of the recipe card that will jump you right to it.
Always a great recipe everyone loves at potluck. I use both my glass and metal bread pans.
Do you prefer baking this in a glass or a metal bread pan?
Hi Brigid, I like the crust that develops in my metal loaf pans for this recipe.
This classic beer bread is so delicious. I used a very stout beer, and it turns out better if you weigh the ingredients because that’s what I did the second time I made it and it turned out so much better ° but either way, it turned out great!😋😋❤️
it was a hit at potluck recently so made it again…yummy and easy
I’ve made this bread for years. so easy and goes so well with soup and chili.
I butter and toast in a skillet. It is so good with homemade jam.
Do you think this would taste OK without sugar? I made it with the recommended amount and I thought it tasted way too sweet although I am sensitive to sugar.
My family finds that omitting sugar from this recipe results in a loaf that’s a bit bland and one-note in terms of the beer flavor. That said, if you are sensitive to sugar, you might enjoy the flavor of an unsweetened loaf. You could also try reducing the sugar to 1 tablespoon.
May I ask what beer you used? 2 tablespoons of sugar to 3 cups of flour should’ve only imparted a mild sweetness to the bread, unless the beer itself was on the sweeter side.
I’ve tried several beer bread recipes and love this one the most! I added some garlic powder and dried rosemary. You.could easily add any herbs or shredded cheese. Everything bagel seasoning on top would also be great! I make muffins out of mine ❤️ makes portion sizes great and freezes well too!
This is the absolutely hands down best beer bread I have ever had! Easy to make delicious, what left overs? You will never find that at my house, makes great toast too.
Love this recipe! I used to work for a catering company years and years ago and beer bread was a staple on our bread boards. I have been trying to find a good recipe like it and this is it.
I have used a lot of different beers and it always works.
Usually make as a loaf, but have made in silicone muffin liners too.
Great as it is, or we add some grated sharp cheddar and sliced green onions to the dry ingredients and top with flakey salt before going in the oven.
Thank-you!
Made this last night instead of biscuits for our “breakfast for dinner night”. It was a huge success and everyone loved it! It was so easy to make too. Delicious right out of the oven slathered in butter! This will become a regular addition to many meals in the future.
I love this bread. Everytime I make it, it’s a treasure in my house. I also get requests for it. I add tequila and jalapenos to it and our Landscapers love, love it. Amazing recipe. thank you 💞