Homemade Whole Wheat Beer Bread contains just a few ingredients and has no refined sugar. It requires no yeast or rising time, so it’s a quick and easy weeknight recipe!  Enjoy this moist and deliciously satisfying bread with your favorite fall and winter soups, stews, and chilis.

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While organizing my recipes before our recent move, I came across a recipe for beer bread that was buried in an old recipe binder. I had completely forgotten about this delicious bread which is shocking because I love me some beer!  

The recipe came from my friend Leslie when we lived in Germany 25 years ago. Finding the recipe brought back so many sweet memories of cooking with my beautiful friend.

I clearly remember sitting in her kitchen and watching her make the bread. I had never heard of beer bread and was amazed at how easy it was to make with just a few ingredients and how delicious it was. Of course, I left her house with the recipe and most likely the leftover bread. 🙂

Last week, I was experimenting with a new soup recipe for the blog and knew the beer bread would be perfect alongside the creamy broccoli soup. Since the original recipe called for self-rising white flour and sugar, I did some tweaking to eliminate the refined ingredients.

I swapped the self-rising flour with whole wheat flour, baking powder, and salt. Instead of sugar, I used just a few tablespoons of pure maple syrup. The bread came out just as yummy as I remember. It’s nice and crusty on the outside and moist on the inside.

Tammy’s Tips For Making Whole Wheat Beer Bread

Beer – The beer aids in leavening the bread and gives the beer light yeasty flavor. The kind of beer you use does affect the flavor. A lighter beer will give the bread a lighter flavor while a darker beer will give it a more pronounced deep flavor.

Will you get drunk eating beer bread?  According to my research, only about 25% of the alcohol remains after the bread is baked for an hour. Sorry, no buzz from eating this bread. 😉

Mix-ins – This bread is delish on its own, but don’t be afraid to experiment with some additions. Here are some ideas.

Cheddar and Jalapeno

Minced Garlic and Herbs –  If you do not have fresh herbs on hand, dry will work. Some of my faves are oregano, thyme, or rosemary.

Smoked Gouda and Cilantro 

Kalamata Olives, Italian Seasoning, Minced Fresh Garlic – Brush warm bread with olive oil.

What Should I Serve With Beer Bread?  This beer bread is perfect served alongside soup, chili, or stew. Try it with my Simple Healthy Slow Cooker Chili, Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore, Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili, or Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Cheers to this amazing whole wheat beer bread! 

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Whole Wheat Beer Bread

Homemade Whole Wheat Beer Bread contains just a few ingredients and has no refined sugar. It requires no yeast or rising time, so it's a quick and easy weeknight recipe!  Enjoy this moist and deliciously satisfying bread with your favorite fall and winter soups, stews, and chilis.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Ingredients

• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 4 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 12 ounce beer

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9 inch loaf pan.

2. In large mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour in syrup and beer. Mix until everything is combined and forms into a dough. (dough will be lumpy and moist)

3. Transfer dough into prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. Bake 50 - 60 minutes until top is golden brown and cooked through. Serve warm! Cheers!

Recipe Notes

We recommend using organic ingredients whenever possible.