Sheesh, I know what you guys are thinking. That with all the alcohol-laden recipes I’ve been posting lately, I must be a secret raging alcoholic! Well, I promise I’m not. While I will take a sip once in a while, I generally dislike it on several levels. Besides the taste, and abstaining for scriptural reasons like not wanting to cause a brother to sin against their conscience (1 Corinthians 8:9-13), I’ve seen firsthand the effect it can have on a person’s health and on a family if abused, and I steer clear of alcohol so that I don’t continue that legacy.
However, while I have a personal distaste for it in its pure state, I do have quite a fondness for adding it to my baked goods. A little bit can really intensify the flavor in a recipe, and the baking (and cooking) process eliminates the alcohol content so that it will not have an intoxicating effect on your body. Win-win!
Because of my fondness for baking with it, you really might think I had an alcohol problem if you took a look in my cupboard! I’ve got rum, bourbon, and brandy upstairs (great for so many things, including a fantastic fruit cake recipe I’ll be sharing come October–it takes two months to make), and I keep a few beers in the basement. Beer is my least favorite alcohol, but I make sure I always have a few on hand because one of my favorite breads happens to be beer bread. Go figure.
Beer creates magic when you put it in a quick bread, supplanting a yeasty flavor that quick breads lack, and it’s just so delicious! I’m very excited about my newest variation on beer bread (I can not believe this is my fourth beer bread post! Stop the madness!) because it is not only delicious, but healthy!
My favorite beer bread has white flour, butter, and white sugar in it, but I wanted something more wholesome this time so I used white whole wheat flour, canola oil, and honey. I was so delighted when I sliced into this loaf and took my first bite! I couldn’t believe how soft, tender and moist it was, and the flavor was incredible. Very yeasty, with a mild sweetness. I think that honey and beer were meant to come together in bread!
You may remember the leftover Guiness I was going to throw out because I’d already made cupcakes and brownies and couldn’t take it any more. I’m so glad I decided to use the last of it to make this bread because it added a much more intense yeasty flavor to the bread than what I usually get from the lighter colored beers I use and it was quite lovely! But if you have a lighter beer, don’t make a special trip to the store, it will work just fine here and your bread will be much lighter in color (if you use white whole wheat flour like I did), and you might fool healthy-phobic people into thinking it’s white bread.
And lest you think that the beer-haters in your family won’t dig this, just remember I hate beer, and it literally makes my husband gag to even smell it. (Remember when he threw up after I served him vodka sauce on his spaghetti? Yeah, alcohol and him do not mix!) But we both love this bread. I think you will too.
Honey Whole Wheat Beer Bread
Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture
3 cups white whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder, such as Rumford
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
¼ cup canola oil
1/3 cup honey
12 oz. (1 1/2 cups) beer
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter or oil a loaf pan and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a smaller bowl, beat the egg until uniform in color, then whisk in the oil, honey, and beer. Pour into the larger bowl and whisk well to combine. Pour into prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool for at least 15 minutes prior to cutting. Wrap leftovers in plastic wrap or keep in a Ziploc bag with the air pressed out. This bread freezes well too, just slice it before you freeze it and you can take it out slice by slice, as you need it.
A Veronica’s Cornucopia Original
Veronica's Cornucopia 
I”m with you, I only drink when it’s in food! I just don’t like the way I feel after drinking, I can drink one wine cooler at a party or something and my cheeks get warm and I can feel it. Plus, it’s so not worth the calories, especially if you don’t enjoy it. I had a beer about 10 years ago at a restaurant with my husband on our anniversary. I ordered a steak (which I hardly ever eat) and for some reason I felt like beer. I do however keep a few beers in the house for guests and for delicious recipes like this! I know my family would love this and I love how easy it is! Thanks!
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And the butter won’t run over the top of your pan like the other did! lol
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Did you know there’s honey beer. Not sure who makes it but, I have seen it before. I can vouch for your beer bread that’s some good stuff! :)
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Oh, I think that might have crossed my radar at some point but I didn’t take much notice. You probably wouldn’t need as much honey if you used a honey beer.
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I love your passion for beer bread! I was going to make the one with the smoother texture you posted about a while back, but I can’t keep going back to the original one I tried and loved. I’ve made it more times than I can count now, and this is someone who doesn’t repeat a ton of recipes. =)
And I have to say, a glass of red with some brie is my FAVORITE appetizer. But there’s no question that alcohol can add a great flavor to cooked/baked goods, for those who refrain from the straight-up drinks like you guys.
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LOL, I know how hard it is to try a new recipe when you love the one you’re making so much. I keep saving chocolate chip cookie recipes because supposedly every single one is THE BEST one, but so far I haven’t been able to move past my fave.
I’ll leave the wine and brie to sophisticated people like you, and I’ll sip on some iced tea. :)
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The directions say to add the butter but there is no butter in the recipe, I’m assuming it should say to add the oil? Thanks
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Oops, thanks for pointing that out. It should say oil–I’ll fix it.
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Yep, love beer bread! My step-son used to buy me those Tastefully Simple beer bread mixes – you basically just added a bottle of beer to the mix – love that I have a recipe for it now! :D
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That’s what started me on beer bread, I got a mix for Christmas one year. Then I looked at the short list of ingredients and was like, hey, I can make this from scratch! Bah, who needs a mix? :)
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That looks delicious, I like beer breads because they are so simple but have so much flavor!
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Amen!
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I recently made beer bread for the first time and I loved it! Your version with honey sounds delicious — I bet the honey’s sweetness gives it the perfect balance!
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I’m pretty stoked to hear you made beer bread! I hope to see it on your blog! And yes, honey is a great balance for the beer flavor.
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I LOVE that you managed to make this bread more wholesome! Love it! I agree with you on the spirits…I’m not much of a drinker…I like a cocktail now and again, but honestly I could take or leave it. Now in cooking and baking…YES! I keep wine around just to cook with and even bought a bottle of Grand Marinier ( sp? IDK!) when I told the guy at the liquor store I was buying it to bake with…he poo pooed me and said it was such a waste…drink it in a shot he said, and I was like…ewwwwww…are you kidding me? haha
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They think I’m a freak at our liquor store. I go through trying to find the smallest bottles I can and when I’m buying stuff like mini bottles of Bailey’s Irish cream for cooking, I get some funny looks. lol
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Wow—you do have the stash! I will add that bitter beer makes really awful bread. I like to stick with the wheats.
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Thanks for the tip! I guess Guiness is made with barley but it was good in this bread. I forgot to mention I also have vodka in the basement (for vanilla extract…and making Dennis puke).
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I am pretty sure you could also use non-alc beer, if the only thing you need is the taste. I am totally going to make this next week when I am on vacation and have time to eat loads of bread! ^^
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I bet the beer would add a real kick into it – right now I will be happy with apple juice but in 2 years defintie must try for real :D
It looks sooo fluffy!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
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I’m SO not an alcohol drinker either, except in cooking and baking. Especially baking. I have leftover guinness as well and now I know what it’s destined for! This loaf looks awesome!
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