Beer Bread {No Yeast and No Knead!}

You don’t need any baking skills to enjoy a fresh loaf of homemade bread hot from the oven! This no-knead, no-yeast 5-Ingredient Honey Beer Bread recipe is the quickest, easiest, and tastiest loaf that you will ever prepare. Warm, moist, and buttery, the bread is delicious with dip for a party-friendly appetizer, or tasty alongside a bowl of soup or chili for a cozy dinner!

Easy Beer Bread Recipe

The term “beer bread” refers to any bread that has beer included in the dough mixture. This particular 5-ingredient recipe is made with no yeast, so it’s a quick bread that rises with the help of the leavening agent in the self-rising flour and the beer. Best of all, it comes together in about 5 minutes, so it’s a great last-minute option when we need a simple side dish or a delicious appetizer with minimal effort.

What does beer bread taste like?

The slightly sweet beer bread has a rich, full-grain flavor, making it perfect with savory dishes like soup and chili, and equally tasty when toasted with butter and jam for breakfast. The beer gives it a “yeasty” flavor, without overpowering the loaf. The alcohol cooks off in the oven, so kids can freely enjoy the bread, and no — it won’t make you drunk!

Ingredients

This easy beer bread recipe comes together with 5 basic ingredients, which you can keep in your pantry for any last-minute cravings! As always, specific measurements and complete step-by-step baking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.

• Self-rising flour: this flour includes baking powder (a leavening agent that helps the bread rise) and salt. If you prefer to make your own self-rising flour at home, see these helpful instructions to start with all purpose flour.
• Beer (at room temperature): light beer, non-alcoholic beer, and stronger, darker beer will all work. The beer flavors the bread and helps it rise.
• Honey: enhances the flavor of the bread, adds sweetness, and keeps the bread moist. You can substitute with sugar instead of honey, but I find that the texture of the bread is best with honey.
• Salt: the self-rising flour already includes some salt, but I like to add a little bit more to balance the sweetness of the honey.
• Butter: melted butter on top of the bread helps it brown in the oven, adds rich, delicious flavor, and gives it a crisp exterior (while the inside stays moist and tender). We prefer the salty contrast of salted butter, but unsalted butter is fine too.

The Best Beer for Bread

You can alter the style and taste of your bread by changing the type of beer that you use in the dough. For instance, I’ve shown a very mild, light beer here, which creates a light, subtle loaf of bread that’s appealing to young kids. If you prefer a more pronounced beer flavor, use an IPA (pale ale) for moderate flavor, or a stout or dark beer for a stronger taste. Essentially, the bread will taste like a more mild, toned-down version of whichever beer you choose to use.

How to Make Beer Bread without Yeast

This easy recipe comes together with about 5 minutes of prep. There’s no yeast, no kneading, and no rising time required!

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Stir together the self-rising flour, honey, beer, and salt in a large bowl, just until combined. Do not over-mix.
3. Transfer the shaggy dough to the prepared loaf pan.
4. Pour the melted butter over the top of the batter.
5. Bake for 40-45 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean).
6. Serve warm, or cool on a wire rack before slicing.

How to Eat Beer Bread

There are so many ways to enjoy this versatile loaf of bread! Hosting a party, tailgate, or cocktail hour? Serve the bread with spinach dip, crab dip, pimento cheese, or shrimp dip.

Spread butter on top and drizzle your slice of bread with extra honey. It’s great on its own, delicious as toast for breakfast, tasty for hearty sandwiches at lunch, or perfect as a simple side dish at supper. Here are some entrees that go with beer bread:

• New Orleans Red Beans and Rice
• Crock Pot Potato Soup
• Split Pea Soup with Ham
• Senate Bean Soup
• Bean Soup or Easy Ham and Bean Soup
• Frogmore Stew or Irish Stew
• Southern Chicken and Pastry or Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry
• Chicken and Dumpling Soup, Chicken and Noodles, or Chicken Gnocchi Soup
• Creamy Vegetable Soup
• Cheeseburger Soup
• Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
• Beef Chili, Slow Cooker Chili, or Texas Chili
• White Bean Chicken Chili or Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
• Farmhouse Chicken and Rice Soup or Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
• Chicken Vegetable Soup or Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup
• Grandmother’s Hamburger Soup or Crock Pot Cabbage Soup with Hamburger
• Dutch Oven Beef Stew, Crock Pot Chicken Stew, Chicken Stew, or Corned Beef and Cabbage in the Oven
• Creamy Cauliflower Soup or Creamy Mushroom Soup
• Aunt Bee’s Crab Bisque
• Broccoli Cheese Soup or Crock Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup with Ham
• Roasted Butternut Squash Soup or Creamy Pumpkin Soup
• Shrimp Soup
• Brunswick Stew
• Steak Salad

How to Store Homemade Beer Bread

Wrapped tightly with plastic wrap, the bread will stay fresh at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

How to Freeze

To freeze the bread, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then again in aluminum foil, and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw on the counter overnight.

Recipe Variations

• Cheese Beer Bread: Add 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese (or another flavorful shredded cheese of your choice). A teaspoon of garlic powder, 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh chives, or chopped jalapenos would also be delicious savory additions!
• Add fresh herbs or dried herbs like rosemary, basil, parsley, or thyme.
• Mix in diced bacon or ham.
• Irish: Use Guinness stout or another similar Irish beer for a robust, full-flavored loaf of bread.
• Sweet: Double the honey in this recipe to ½ cup. You can also mix in raisins, dried currants, or dried cranberries for a loaf that’s similar to Irish soda bread.

Tips for the Best Beer Bread Recipe

• Properly measure the flour. Always spoon and level the flour or weigh it on a kitchen scale — do not scoop it out of the package. Incorrectly measuring the flour packs it too tightly into the measuring cup and results in a dense, dry loaf of bread.
• Use a beer that you enjoy. Light beer is fine, non-alcoholic beer is fine, and a darker, more robust beer works well if you like a more prominently flavored bread.
• Do not over-mix the dough. Stir until just combined — a few lumps are fine. Over-mixing will result in a dry, dense, tough loaf of bread.
• Make sure that your self-rising flour is fresh. If the leavening agents in the self-rising flour are no longer effective, your bread will not rise.
• Pouring melted butter over the batter helps it brown, adds flavor, and gives the bread a buttery crust. We like the salty contrast of salted butter, but unsalted butter will also work (whichever you prefer).

More Homemade Bread Recipes to Try

• No-Knead Bread
• Persimmon Bread
• Best Ever Banana Nut Bread Recipe
• Jalapeno Cheddar Bread
• Irish Soda Bread
• Garlic Bread
• Focaccia Bread
• Easy Homemade Bread
• Honey Wheat Bread
• Soft Dinner Rolls
• Homemade Crescent Rolls

This recipe was originally published in December, 2017. It was updated in February, 2022.