This Beer Bread is made with just a few simple ingredients and incredibly simple to make too. Perfect for an easy snack or side dish!

A loaf of beer bread resting on a wood cutting board to cool.

Over the years I’ve shared a few of my favorite sweet quick bread recipes like my homemade banana bread and blueberry lemon bread. But today I wanted to do things a little different and share a more savory version with this homemade beer bread recipe.

This simple beer bread is made with just 6 ingredients and takes less than 10 minutes to mix together. It’s also slightly sweet and has a beautiful buttery crust that just can’t be beat. I love to slice this bread up and serve it with a little bit of butter or even some honey on top. You can also serve this as a side dish along with dinner or just enjoy it plain.

I’ve also included an option to turn this recipe into a cheddar beer bread. If you love quick and simple recipes that only require a few ingredients, then this is one recipe you need to try!

The ingredients needed to make beer bread displayed on a rustic gray surface in a variety of bowls and cups.

Ingredients For This Recipe

To make this recipe, you’ll need just six ingredients – all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, unsalted butter, and beer. Here’s a quick break-down of each ingredient and why it’s important to this recipe:

  • All-Purpose Flour: There are 3 cups of flour in this bread. When measuring your flour, make sure to spoon and level it so that your bread turns out soft and not dense.
  • Granulated Sugar: There’s only 1/4 cup of added sugar in this bread to slightly sweeten it. 
  • Baking Powder: There’s one tablespoon of baking powder to help it rise nice and tall.
  • Salt: The salt helps to enhance the flavors.
  • Unsalted Butter: This is what gives this bread extra flavor and makes it buttery too. You’ll melt the butter and stir part of it into the batter, then pour the rest of it on top of the batter in the pan before you bake it.
  • Beer: The star ingredient of this recipe! It’s best to use room temperature beer and I suggest using a beer that you like the flavor of for this recipe.

All of the ingredients mixed together in a glass bowl with a metal whisk.

How To Make Beer Bread

To make this beer bread recipe, you’ll start out by whisking together your all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt until well combined. I suggest using a larger mixing bowl for this step too because the beer will foam up at first when you add it.

Then, you’ll add 1/4 cup of your melted butter and the room temperature beer and stir everything together until the batter is nice and thick like the picture above.

A metal loaf pan holding the beer bread batter with extra butter being poured on top.

Next, scoop the batter into a greased 9×5 loaf pan and spread it around into one even layer. Then, pour the remaining two tablespoons of melted butter right on top of the batter. The extra butter will help give the top of the bread a nice buttery flavor.

Once the batter is in the pan, place the loaf pan into the oven and let it bake at 350°F (177°C) for about 40-45 minutes. Once it’s done, let it cool slightly in the pan, then remove it and let it cool completely or slice it into pieces and enjoy.

A loaf of beer bread sliced on a wooden cutting board showing the breads texture.

FAQ’s

Does this bread need to be refrigerated?

You can store this bread at room temperature for up to 4 days. If you need to store it longer, you can refrigerate it for a couple more days or freeze it for up to 3 months.

What’s the best kind of beer to use in this recipe?

I tested this recipe with a honey brewed beer and a brown ale, both worked really well! If there’s a certain beer that you like, I would suggest using that.

What can I replace the beer with if I don’t have any?

If you don’t have any beer or don’t want to use it, you should be able to replace it with an equal amount (12 ounces or 1 and 1/2 cups) of plain seltzer water. Just keep in mind that if you don’t use beer, it won’t have quite the same flavor.

A slice of beer bread laying on a wooden cutting board torn in half with the rest of the loaf in the background.

Baking Tips

  • When measuring your flour, make sure to stir it around, spoon it into your measure cup, and level if off with the back of a knife. This will give you a nice, soft loaf of bread versus a dense bread.
  • Make sure to set your beer out ahead of time so that it can come to room temperature. 
  • For an extra buttery crust, brush a little extra melted butter on top of the bread once it comes out of the oven.
  • Want a cheddar beer bread? Stir 1/2 to 3/4 cup of shredded cheddar into the batter before you scoop it into the loaf pan.
A loaf of beer bread sliced on a piece of parchment paper.

Beer Bread

5 from 1 rating
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
This Beer Bread is made with just a few simple ingredients and incredibly simple to make too. Perfect for an easy snack or side dish!

Ingredients

Servings: 1 loaf
  • 3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose flour spooned & leveled
  • ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons (90 grams) unsalted butter, melted and divided
  • 12 ounces (360 ml) beer, room temperature

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9x5 loaf pan well with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
  • Whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add ¼ cup (60 grams) of the melted butter and the beer to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
  • Scoop the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and spread it around into one even layer. Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 grams) of melted butter on top of the batter.
  • Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
  • Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then carefully remove from the pan, and transfer back to the wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Store bread bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Freezing Instructions: Bread will freeze well in a freezer bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw to room temperature before serving or reheat frozen slices in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.
Unsalted Butter: I recommend using unsalted butter to control the amount of salt in the recipe. If using salted butter, reduce the salt in the recipe from 1 teaspoon to 3/4 teaspoon.
Beer: Feel free to use any flavor of beer that you like! I tested this recipe with a honey brewed beer and brown ale, both worked great. If you don't have any beer, you can replace it with an equal amount (12 ounces or 1 and 1/2 cups) of plain seltzer water.
Cuisine: American
Course: Side Dish, Snack
Author: Danielle Rye
Did you make this recipe?Mention @livewellbakeoften on Instagram or tag #livewellbakeoften.