Honey Beer Bread — The easiest beer bread ever! No kneading, no yeast, and guaranteed soft and fluffy results every time!
Quick Beer Bread Recipe
I hate beer. But I loved this bread. You will too. And it’s ridiculously easy.
Hate may be too strong of a word about my feelings for beer, but not really. In college, if the choice was drink beer at a party because it’s all there was or stay sober, I stayed sober. I was the built in designated driver.
I really don’t know what it is about beer that I despise so much. I love wine and champagne, but not beer, which is odd because I dig yeasty, cultured, and vinegary things. I like to ferment, pickle, and make homemade kombucha and kefir.
Beer does wonders for this bread, and the bread does not taste like beer. If it did, I wouldn’t love it so much.
And let’s cover this since I know I’ll be asked. Most of the alcohol bakes off and what you’re left with is wonderfully textured bread, with great depth of flavor.
The bread is one of the best sandwich-like breads I’ve ever made, either quick bread or yeast. I have others that are very good, but they’re yeasted breads and require rising, kneading, and you’re looking at a 4+ hour event with lots more work.
The bread is about as sweet as storebought honey-whole wheat sandwich bread. Although there’s no whole wheat flour in the bread, it has a wheaty, nutty quality which I love, courtesy of the beer.
I used one teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg, as well as a dash of molasses, all of which add warming undertones and little bursts of comforting flavors.
They’re very subtle, but present. It’s the nutmeg that I notice most, and it plays wonderfully off the honey and maple.
This honey beer bread is ridiculously soft and moist. It’s on the denser side, as is to be expected without using yeast, but it’s not a crusty bread, which is music to my ears.
I baked it late one night last week, and woke up to photograph it, only to find it was raining and continued to rain all day. Horrible weather for food photography, but great weather for curling up with soft, squishy bread.
It’s total comfort food. I’m not even that much of a bread eater, and I loved it.
Effortless, goofproof, and tastes amazing. Cannot ask for anything more!
What’s in Honey Beer Bread?
To make this easy beer bread, you’ll need:
- Vegetable oil
- Molasses
- Honey
- Pure maple syrup
- Ground cinnamon and nutmeg
- Salt
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Beer
How to Make Honey Beer Bread
The honey beer bread is so simple to make you’ll think you’re doing something wrong.
You combine all the ingredients in one bowl, pour beer over them, stir, and that’s it. You cannot mess this up.
My one suggestion is to let the homemade beer bread cool completely before slicing it. The bread needs time to set up.
Ways to Use Beer Bread
As a sidebar recipe, I made bread pudding with it. In a medium bowl, I beat 1 egg with about 1/2 cup milk, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and then put 3 slices of bread (torn apart) into the egg-milk mixture and let it soak for 10 minutes.
Then I pressed it into an 8×4 pan and baked at 350F for 17 minutes. It was some seriously good bread pudding.
Or use the bread for Pumpkin Cinnamon Overnight Pull-Apart French Toast or in place of the Hawaiian bread in Hawaiian Bread and Maple Banana Baked French Toast.
What’s the Best Beer for Beer Bread?
Since I’m not a beer drinker, I stood in front of the beer case forever and had no idea what I was grabbing.
I finally settled on Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale because pumpkin anything sounds good. But no, the bread doesn’t taste like pumpkin, although I wish it did.
I really don’t think there’s a wrong beer for the bread. I want to make more of it, trying a variety of beers to see how they effect the taste. Since I don’t know one from the other, it’ll be random potluck. Sounds fun.
Tips for the Best Beer Bread
I used honey from Trader Joe’s. If you have fancy honey and want to use it, go for it.
If you don’t have real maple syrup, no biggie. Use what you have, and that goes for the beer, too. Just make sure to use pure maple syrup, NOT pancake syrup.
If you plan to make sandwiches with the bread or dip it with chili or soup, or let it go stale and make croutons with it, or use it as the dipper for hummus or on a cheese platter, you may want to either omit or dial back the cinnamon and nutmeg.
You could also go savory with the spices, adding a pinch of garlic or onion powder, curry, oregano, dill, or whatever flavors you like.
Pin This Recipe
Enjoy AverieCooks.com Without Ads! 🆕
Go Ad Free
Honey Maple Beer Bread
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons light, mild, or medium molasses (not blackstrap)
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 12 ounces beer (I used Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the first 9 ingredients (through baking powder). Tip: Measure the oil in a 1/4-cup measure, filling it halfway (there’s 4 tablespoons in 1/4-cup, so halfway is 2 tablespoons). By adding the oil first, it coats the measuring cup so the subsequent sticky ingredients (molasses, honey, maple) will slide right out.
- Slowly pour beer over the top. It will bubble and foam. Stir until combined. Batter is thick, gloppy, and dense.
- Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
- Bake for about 40 minutes, or until top is domed and set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
- Allow bread to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Slice using a serrated knife.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
©averiecooks.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
More Easy Bread Recipes:
Homemade Soft Pretzels – These jumbo pretzels are soft, chewy, and just like the IRRESISTIBLE ones at your local mall’s food court!
Soft and Fluffy Sandwich Bread — This sandwich bread is soft, fluffy, light, and moist. It’s made with a secret ingredient that keeps it moist and fluffy — oatmeal! It’s the perfect bread for a PB&J or grilled cheese sandwich!
30 Minute Honey Whole Wheat Skillet Bread — Skillet breads bake quicker than bread in loaf pans, so you get to enjoy this bread sooner rather than later. It’s soft, fluffy, chewy, and lightweight with a moist crumb that reminds me of the texture of a moist muffin.
Outback Steakhouse Wheat Bread — This bread is a copycat version of the Outback Steakhouse bread that I just adore. If you’ve never made yeast-based bread, this is an easy one to tackle.
Honey Butter Pumpkin Dinner Rolls — Big, soft pumpkin bread rolls brushed with honey butter are the best! Everyone loves them and they disappear so fast!
Soft & Fluffy Sweet Dinner Rolls — Lightly sweetened from the honey in the dough and brushed with honey-butter prior to baking!! These dinner rolls are made from scratch and are baked to golden brown perfection!
I just love how easy this bread is, and the flavor profile sounds amazing! Isn’t it funny (and yet utterly wonderful) how beer can add such great underlying flavor to just all sorts of things!?!? It really is so great in breads!
Truly amazing what it lent to this bread! I am a believer now!
I made a chedder beer bread once that was awesome! This looks fantastic to dunk into chili on a cool Sunday! Love it!
I want to try a cheddar one next – my hubs would love it :)
I tried a beer bread recipe twice and hated it both times. It tasted “beery” and I’ve never liked beer. But … since YOU like this bread, maybe I’ll have to break down and try it.
Not ‘beery’ at all. If it was, I would have pitched it! But the spices and sweeteners used totally masked any of that!
I applaud you on your non-beerness. I never understood people who said that they had to ‘acquire’ the taste. Why bother? I loved the stuff from my first sip, but if I hadn’t (like I don’t with hard liquor), I wouldn’t have bothered drinking it again. Think of all the money I’d have saved.
Anyhow, in the same way I love beer, I love breads that use beer. This looks and sounds fantastic. Even our daughter will be tickled at the the thought that she’s ‘eating’ beer. :)
“never understood people who said that they had to ‘acquire’ the taste. Why bother? ” — AMEN! That is so well said! I’ve heard the same thing about many things in life from kale smoothies to sushi and there are just certain things that aren’t meant for everyone and I am not a beer drinker, but I am a beer baker now :)
And that’s a great way to put it ‘eating’ beer :)
I was always told that beer was just a loaf of bread in a bottle. I cannot promise that all the beer will get into the recipe when I make this. It may take a 6 pack for 12 ounces to end up in the bread.
It may take a 6 pack for 12 ounces to end up in the bread. <-- Love that! And that beer was just a loaf of bread in a bottle - now that you say that, I can see it!
I love beer bread! Love, love, love it! The flavors of this sound so good and it’s so simple. There is just not one thing not love. Gorgeous Averie!
I linked your beer bread too b/c it looks so good and such a short ingredients list too!
Ok, first off, love Blue Moon’s Harvest Pumpkin. I mean, it’s pumpkin right ;-) I haven’t made a beer bread in ages. I might have to change that one soon. This looks perfect.
That’s crazy I picked a beer you love – it was like throwing darts blindfolded for me. No idea what I was grabbing. If you like beer bread, I think you’ll love this one!
I’m not a fan of beer either buy beer bread has always been a fave. I hate wine but love champagne and don’t mind a nice glass of bourbon or vodka. Sometimes it helps me relax. Love the idea of making bread pudding with this! Pure comfort.
Oh it was pure comfort. And I def prefer champagne to wine but wine is okay since most people/places dont routinely serve bubbly….but beer, gah, no. Bourbon or vodka – yes but I can’t just drink them from a glass. I need a mixer with them. You’re bold! :)
I love beer bread! I also love beer. :) Great looking recipe.
I SO want to make this bread! My husband and I are really into craft beer (and we homebrew beer too), and I am also always looking for baking recipes that involve beer… This one totally looks like a winner. Beer, maple syrup, honey?! Count me in!
That is awesome you home-brew!!! Wonderful! and that means you have a TON of beer – this is the perfect way to use it!! Please LMK if you try this and what you think!
Will def let you know! And yes, we always have so much beer in our house – we never go thirsty ;)
When I’m in a really active phase of kombucha brewing, I always have SO MUCH. It’s coming out of the woodwork! So ikwym! And yes, LMK what you think if you try it!
I’ve been seeing these beer bread recipes and definitely need to give yours a try! I love honey and maple flavors together! :)
I’m not a beer drinker either but it sure is good mixed with flour! I love the maple syrup and spices in it and the color is wonderful! I usually make beer bread with New Castle or Blue Moon because those are my husband’s favorite, but experimenting would be fun, especially with seasonal beers. I’d love to bake this in my cast iron skillet too. What a great, solid recipe!!
Paula this is YOU all the way. Thought of you 100 times while I was making, photographing, editing images, etc. It has your name written all over it! Please LMK when you make it – b/c I know you will :)
I love the honey maple flavour. Delicious!
This bread look so moist. I haven’t made beer bread yet but clearly I need to get on it. I am making soup this weekend and this would be a perfect pairing.
YES it would be!
Fabulous beer bread loaf, Averie! As you know, I just adore beer bread. (Just recently posted my Gluten Free White Cheddar & Herb Beer Bread.) Beer breads make tasty croutons for dressing and stuffing recipes, too…whether vegan or for stuffing turkeys! That yeasty flavor of the beer comes thru and shines. LOVE the look of your crumb with this loaf and cannot wait to bake some! Thanks for sharing, girl! Pinning!
Didn’t know you were a beer bread fan. I am officially converted, too!
The funny thing is when you cook with beer it seems to reduce that fermented bitterness most people do not like. I guess thats why kids like it. I always though a little bit of booze still stayed in the food if you cook with it? or does that not apply to baking?
I have been obsessed with honey . I made two things with honey roasted sweet potato because I am so addicted. The use of pumpkin ale sounds perfect in this honey bread. That crumb looks SO tender!! Love your idea for using it bread and butter pudding, that would be so delicious!
Just did some research and if you cook something for say 1 hour, 25% of the alcohol will remain.
https://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blalcohol12.htm
So that’s 25% of the alcohol from 1 bottle of beer that remains, divided over 12 slices, about 2% of the alcohol from 1 bottle of beer per slice. I think you get more from how much vanilla extract I add to desserts :) Not to mention, you’re washing your 2% down with lots of carbs. I think it’s so small it’s negligible but I am not an expert and to each her own!
I have researched the alcohol in food thing a few years ago. It still stays in the food. The myth that alcohol mysteriously evaporates from food instantly is well… a myth.
Remember in many countries children are given small glasses of alcohol. In the USA, this is a huge no-no but considered normal in other parts of the world. Whether they should have it or not? Personal choice. Whether there is enough alcohol in the bread to actually affect children? I doubt it. I would bet artificial dyes and flavors in the junk food kids get probably affects them more.
I agree whole-heartedly with your last statement and I stick by what I said in the post, most of it bakes off – and also make no claims about who to feed this bread to or not. As with anything or any other choices in life, to each her own!