March 11, 2013

Buttery Honey Beer Bread with Honey Butter

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This easy buttery honey beer bread is completely addicting! It’s soft and chewy on the inside, crispy on the outside and filled with undertones of your favorite beer. And just 10 minutes of your time required. Dairy free / vegan options included.

A sliced loaf of Buttery Honey Beer Bread in a bread basket with plates on the side.

This buttery honey beer bread with honey butter was originally published in March 2013. The post has been updated as of April 22, 2019 with new photos, text and improved recipe instructions.

Turn on those ovens, grab a whisk and let’s bake this easy honey beer bread!

Soft and slightly chewy on the inside, crispy on the outside and filled with notes of your favorite beer, it is pretty darn hard to resist.

ESPECIALLY when slathered with some homemade honey butter all warm from the oven.

Yep, it’s some major carb love. ♡♡♡

But wait. Lemme sweeten up the deal even more. All you need to make this bread?

A large bowl, a few pantry staples and 10 minutes or less of your time.

It just doesn’t get much better.

Now. I’ve enjoyed plenty of beer bread over the years, especially after my mom gifted me several boxes of the Tastefully Simple mix back in the day.

But let me tell you. This homemade version is just as easy to make and has way better flavor thanks to the honey.

A touch of sweetness, plenty savory and of course filled with flavor thanks to the beer, I have a feeling this is going to become your go-to quick bread recipe.

A glass bowl with beer bread batter partially and then fully mixed together.

How To Make

So. First, we whisk together some flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. We pour in some honey and a bottle of beer, then mix it all together until well combined.

The batter gets spread in a loaf pan, drizzled with some melted butter and is then baked off to golden perfection!

Can I Make This Dairy Free / Vegan?

Absolutely! To make this bread dairy free, just use your favorite dairy free butter in place of the regular butter for drizzling over the loaf.

To make it vegan, use maple syrup in place of the honey and your favorite vegan butter for drizzling.

I usually don’t make the compound honey butter when keeping this dairy free / vegan, but you could probably try mixing in some honey or maple syrup to your favorite non-dairy butter.

{My personal favorite dairy free / vegan butter is from Miyoko’s Creamery. <— Not sponsored, just what I love and use.}

Buttery Honey Beer Bread in a white ruffled loaf pan.

What Are The Best Beers For Beer Bread?

First and foremost, my biggest piece of advice is to use a beer that you actually like as you will taste undertones of whatever you use in the bread.

Now, with that said, let’s talk about this a little further (keeping in mind that this will all really depend on your personal preferences).

I’ve made this beer bread with all kinds of beer at this point – lagers, ales, stouts, IPAs, seasonal flavors like pumpkin.

And while you really can’t go wrong, I’ve found that we enjoy it best with either a lager or an ale – i.e. something that has that maltiness with a touch of bitterness.

On the flip side – my husband is a big IPA drinker but we find we don’t love them as much in this bread since they can be pretty hoppy / bitter and that comes through in the final product (and depending on the specific IPA, it can be a bit overpowering).

But again, this is super personal so play around with what you like best!

{Side note – while I haven’t tried it myself, I’ve had several readers make this bread with club soda or hard cider and say they work just as well as beer. In case either of those are more your style.}

Two slices of Honey Beer Bread on white plates with a knife and butter on the side.

Tips & Tricks

  1. First things first. Let’s talk about the flours. Fluff them in their bags / containers, then scoop into your measuring cup with a spoon and level off. If you dunk the cup directly into the flour bag, you’ll likely use too much.
  2. Now, while you can substitute all-purpose flour for the bread flour, I’d encourage you to stick with the combination of the two. The bread flour adds an extra bit of awesome chewiness to the final product that is just completely delightful.
  3. Let’s talk about the sweetener. If you don’t want to use any granulated sugar, you can use all honey instead (so 4 tablespoons honey). Alternatively, if you don’t have honey on hand, you can use all granulated sugar. The recipe is pretty forgiving.
  4. Make sure that you grease your loaf pan well – the bread will likely stick a bit if you don’t.
  5. And finally, this beer bread will slice best once it’s completely cool. Butttt I prefer it warm so I just dig right in after about 15 minutes (knowing that it may not slice perfectly).  

How To Store

Let the loaf cool completely then slice and store in an airtight container. Alternatively, you can just cover the loaf tightly with aluminum foil and leave it directly in the pan. It will keep like this for about two to three days at room temperature.

However, keep in mind that beer bread is best enjoyed the same day. If you’re enjoying leftovers, I suggest heating back up briefly in the oven or a toaster oven.

A slice of Buttery Honey Beer Bread on a plate smeared with butter.

Additional Bread Recipes You Might Enjoy:

Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.

This easy buttery honey beer bread is completely addicting! Soft and chewy on the inside, crispy on the outside and filled with undertones of your favorite beer! And just 10 minutes of your time required! Vegan & dairy free options included.

Buttery Honey Beer Bread with Honey Butter

Yield: 1 (9x5 inch) loaf
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

This easy buttery honey beer bread is completely addicting! It’s soft and chewy on the inside, crispy on the outside and filled with undertones of your favorite beer. And just 10 minutes of your time required.

Ingredients

For the beer bread:           

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup bread flour*
  • 1 tablespoon pure cane sugar or granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3 tablespoons honey**
  • 1 bottle (12 ounces) beer***
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly****

For the honey butter:

  • ½ cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at soft room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

For the beer bread:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray or butter. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together both kinds of flour, the sugar, baking powder and salt. Add in the honey and beer and mix until just combined. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan, then drizzle the melted butter over the top of the batter.
  3. Transfer the pan to the oven and place a rimmed baking sheet on the lower rack to catch any butter that may drip from the pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean and the top of the loaf is golden brown. Remove from the oven and set the pan on a wire rack to cool for at least 15 to 20 minutes.

For the honey butter:

  1. Add the butter, honey and salt to a small bowl and mix until well combined. Taste and adjust the honey / salt as desired. Serve slathered on a piece of warm beer bread!  

Notes

*If you don’t have bread flour, you can use all-purpose flour instead.

**To keep this vegan - use maple syrup instead of the honey.

***To keep this dairy free / vegan - be sure to use dairy free / vegan beer.

****To keep this dairy free / vegan - use dairy free butter instead of the regular butter.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 310Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 415mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 1gSugar: 9gProtein: 5g

Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.

© Ashley / Cook Nourish Bliss
Cuisine: American / Category: Breads
Appetizers, Breads, Condiments, Dairy Free, Game Day, Recipes (ALL), Seasonal, Side Dish, Vegan, Vegetarian
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