Beer Cheese Bread: A Cheesy Twist on a Classic

Beer Cheese Bread requires few ingredients and is ready for the oven in minutes. It’s perfect buttered alongside a bowl of chili or cut into cubes and dipped in ranch. 

I Love Bread!

I know too much of a good thing can be bad for you, but, come on, it’s bread! Something about a warm roll, or thick slice off of a hearty loaf is just so satisfying. I like pretty much any kind of bread in any situation!

And, bread is delicious in so many ways. Cover in a warm garlic butter topping, spread some herbed cream cheese on top or add it to charcuterie boards. So many options.

The other great thing about bread, is that although you can find many great, innovative and different types of bread at your local bakery or grocery store, it’s also pretty easy to make yourself. There are a lot of homemade bread recipes out there to try.

In this case, I did want an easy bread recipe that would take few ingredients and wouldn’t be that hard to make. So, I decided to go with a quick bread recipe.

What is the Difference Between a Quick Bread Recipe and Regular Bread Recipe?

The difference between a quick bread recipe and a regular bread recipe is what you use for a leavening agent. Simply put, leavening is the air that causes baked goods to raise when put into an oven. The leavening agent produces a gas and that gas causes the dough to rise.

A typical leavening agent is yeast. When using yeast, you have to wait for the bread to rise before baking. This can actually take a long time before you are ready to bake.

​Quick bread recipes typically use baking powder as the leavening agent. Using baking powder allows you to make the bread batter and put directly into the oven without having to wait for the dough to rise (hence, quick bread!).

For this cheesy beer bread recipe I’m using baking powder. I use baking powder because it is working both when mixing the batter as well as when baking and gives me just the right consistency I’m looking for in this bread.

Making the Beer Cheese Bread

Can I just say that this is probably the easiest bread I have ever made? This is a great recipe if you’re a novice baker or if you’re short on time but still want some delicious beer bread.

There are no fancy ingredients here. Except for the cheese, it’s all pantry ingredients and if you’re like me, you probably always have some cheese on hand as well. If you don’t have cheddar available, you can use most any cheese you do have on hand.  

Pepper jack, swiss or monterey jack are great substitutes. Even grated parmesan works if that’s all you’ve got available.

Now, you basically throw everything into a large bowl, mix it up and you’re done. There’s no rising time. So, you can pop it into the oven right away and before you know it, you have a delicious quick bread to serve with whatever you’re having for dinner.

Does the Type of Beer Matter?

I do think the type of beer matters. I know there are a lot of craft beers out there as well as your big sellers like Miller, Bud, and Corona, as well as your own favorite beer. So, lot’s of choices, right?

For me, I prefer a lager or even a light beer. I want a beer flavor without it overpowering the overall beer cheese bread recipe.

I think beers like an IPA tend to bring too much bitterness to the recipe and dark beers and stouts bring a color to the bread I just don’t think is appealing! Other beers with strong flavor profiles can also over-balance their taste with the cheese.

If you’re not into cooking with alcohol, I would suggest using a non-alcoholic beer. The flavor of the beer will still be there, which is what gives this bread its distinctive flavor.  

So, all-in-all, I suggest staying with beers that have a lighter taste profile.

Can You Freeze Beer Cheese Bread?

You can freeze this beer cheese bread. Once the bread has baked, let the bread cool, cover tightly in plastic wrap and put into an airtight container or freezer bag. Place in the freezer.

You can freeze this bread for up to 3 months. When you are ready to serve, take it out of the freezer and allow it to thaw completely. You can cut it up and serve at room temperature.

If you want it warm, the best thing is to place the thawed loaf in a preheated 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes. Take it out of the oven, slice it up, grab a bottle of beer and a snack and enjoy!

What to Serve with Beer Cheese Bread?

My favorite thing to have with this beer cheese bread is chili. The bread is slightly sweet, so it’s a great compliment to the spiciness of chili. It’s also a delicious accompaniment to a steaming bowl of soup (try this one or this one!).

Beer cheese bread also makes a great appetizer or snack. I love to cube it up and dip it in ranch. Because just about anything is better when it’s dipped in ranch!

​Enjoy!

Tips and Tricks

• If you prefer not to cook with alcohol, you can substitute non-alcoholic beer.
• The recipe can easily be doubled to make two loaves.
• If you don’t have cheddar cheese on hand, you can substitute pepper jack cheese, which will also give the bread a little spicy kick. Other good substitutions are Swiss, Monterey Jack or grated Parmesan.
• I like to either serve this sliced and slathered with butter or cubed and served with a dipping sauce, such as ranch dressing, marinara or for extra cheesiness, queso cheese sauce.

Ingredients Needed to Make Beer Cheese Bread

Full instructions can be found below in the recipe card

• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Sugar
• Olive oil
• Shredded sharp cheddar cheese – You can substitute Swiss, Monterey Jack or grated Parmesan.
• Beer – I suggest a lighter beer such as a lager. You can substitute non-alcoholic beer.

How to Make Beer Cheese Bread

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spray loaf pan with cooking spray.
• Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl.
• Stir in oil until well combined with dry ingredients.
• Stir in cheese.
• Pour beer into mixture. Stir until well combined and you have a wet batter.
• Pour into prepared loaf pan.
• Bake for 45-50 minutes.
• Allow to cool slightly before removing from pan.

More Quick Breads to Try

• Irish Soda Bread
• Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
• No Knead English Muffin Bread
• Cherry Quick Bread
• Honey Cornbread

 

Enjoy!