Happy St. Patricks Day week! If you are looking for a fun baking project to try out I just love this One Bowl Beer Bread. It has easy ingredients that you probably have on-hand and I like to amp up the flavors with some cheddar cheese and chives. 

If you are new to baking or just want to try something fast, this is about as good as it gets! You just get to stir everything together in a big bowl and then cook it and it’s perfect every time.

What Beer to Use for Beer Bread?

There are a million beers out there, but trust me when I say to save the IPAs for drinking! I wouldn’t use any super bitter beer if you can avoid it. It will give the bread a strange flavor. 

Instead go with a lighter beer like a lager or you can dry a smooth darker beer like a stout or porter. Personally, I like to use a lighter lager which has plenty of bubble and fizz. 

If you don’t have beer, you can also use soda water for this recipe!

Does Beer Bread Taste like Beer?

Mostly no. If you use a stronger beer like an IPA or something, you will have some flavor imparted in the bread. Mostly though the beer adds fizz to the bread and a little yeasty and caramel flavor.

But it definitely doesn’t taste like beer.

Making One Bowl Beer Bread

This is an incredibly easy bread to make. Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl and then add the cheddar and chives if you’re using them.

Beer Bread ingredients in a bowl

Stir everything together and you’ll find yourself with a rustic-looking batter!

Bread mixed together for beer bread

Believe it or not, this is looking great.

Transfer that to a lightly greased loaf pan (9×5 works well) and then pour the melted butter on top. You can leave off the butter, but it adds a lot of flavor and makes the topping of the loaf a really crispy, delicious texture.

Melted butter on beer bread

Bake the loaf for 55-60 minutes at 375˚F until it’s puffed and golden brown.

I was so excited to cut into this sucker!

The beer bread will need to cool slightly before you remove it and slice it. It has a soft texture with crispy exterior crust. You can add butter to it but it’s great with no toppings.

One Bowl Beer Bread with Cheddar and Chives

What to Serve with Beer Bread?

I like to serve this as a hearty breakfast bread maybe with a drizzle of honey. 

A slice of this good beer bread, warmed in a skillet or toaster oven, is a great breakfast. You could also serve it as a side to stews, chili, or soups!

Sliced beer bread on a plate

How to Store the Bread?

I store this bread in the fridge wrapped in foil or in an airtight container. It’ll keep great for a week, at least. Then slice and reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat or in a toaster oven!

You can also freeze this loaf without issue. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap once it has cooled down and freeze it, or you can freeze the sliced bread. It’ll keep fine in the freezer for three months and then you can thaw it slowly on the counter or in the microwave if you are in a hurry.

One Bowl Beer Bread slice

One Bowl Beer Bread with Cheddar and Chives

One Bowl Beer Bread Recipe
Print Pin
4.25 from 4 votes
Author: Nick Evans
Servings: 6 Servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
This easy beer bread is a great baking project if you are at home. You don’t need eggs or milk to make it, just pantry staples and beer! If you happen to have some cheddar and herbs sitting around, it helps, but isn’t essential!

Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese, optional
  • ¼ cup minced scallion or chives, optional
  • 12 oz. can lager beer
  • ⅓ cup butter, melted

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375˚ F. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cheddar, and chives or scallions. Stir together well and then pour in beer.
  • Stir the batter together until there is no dry flour. Dough should be quite thick.
  • Transfer batter to a greased 9×5 loaf pan that has been lightly greased.
  • Pour melted butter over the loaf and bake for 55-60 minutes in a 375˚ F oven.
  • Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan and serving.
  • Leftover bread stores great in the fridge for up to a week. Slice and reheat in a skillet or oven for a few minutes. A toaster oven also works great for reheating.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 439kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 807mg | Potassium: 100mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 505IU | Calcium: 266mg | Iron: 3mg
Course: Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Side Dishes
Cuisine: American

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @crunchtimekitchen

Here are a few other easy baking recipes!