If you are intimidated by gluten-free baking then this extra easy recipe for gluten-free beer bread is the perfect place to start! With only 6 simple ingredients and 5 minutes prep, cheddar beer bread is a gluten-free recipe anyone can handle with ease!

Easy recipe for gluten-free beer bread
Before transitioning to a gluten-free diet, I turned to a quick beer bread recipe when I needed an emergency loaf to serve with meals, soups, or a satisfying, comforting snack.
Just like highly-rated banana bread made with gluten-free flour or gluten-free biscuits, gluten-free beer bread uses a handful of readily-stocked ingredients, requires no yeast or kneading, and always results in an incredible moist and delicious texture.
Since beer is off limits for those with celiac or gluten sensitivities, I didn’t think it would be a possibility to enjoy my favorite bread recipe any longer. But, fortunately times have changed and there are many gluten-free beer brands to make this quick bread possible again!
Below I will show you just how easy gluten-free beer bread is to make, along with many expert tips, mix-in ideas, and modifications to make this recipe work flawlessly every time!
Ingredient Notes
Just like all the recipes shared on the site and in my gluten-free cookbook, I always strive for affordable and easily accessible ingredients. Gluten-free beer is the exception to this, but below I share other options for using beer in bread.
- Gluten-free flour blend – Traditional wheat flour recipes use self-rising flour, such as Bisquick, but I like to avoid having to buy expensive speciality ingredients whenever possible. Use your preferred gluten-free all purpose flour, but I highly recommend Cup4Cup GF flour for best taste, texture, and a moist crumb.
- Sugar – Adding a bit of sweetener enhances the overall taste. Honey may also be substituted.
- Cheddar Cheese – For the cheese flavor to shine through, I recommend freshly grated extra sharp cheddar. However, any cheese may be used. For a dairy-free recipe, omit the cheese and increase the amount of salt by 1/4 teaspoon.
- Gluten-Free Beer – Since the market and availability has expanded in recent years, I’ve created an entire gluten-free beer list resource, including which popular brands are low gluten or GF.
- Butter – Melted butter drizzled on top before baking adds a little fat to increase moisture of the bread and a nice golden, buttery crust.
how to make gluten-free beer bread
(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)
Unlike this recipe for soft gluten-free sandwich bread or gluten-free dinner rolls, beer bread requires no rising before baking. Simply mix, pour in a loaf pan, and bake for freshly baked bread with minimal effort!
Begin by preheating the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9X5 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray or butter.
In a large mixing bowl whisk together the dry ingredients – gluten-free flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Stir in the grated cheese. Freshly grated cheese from the block is best because it is free from anti-caking ingredients which can dry the bread out.
Next, pour in 12 oz of gluten-free beer. Stir to combine until no flour pockets remain and you have a stiff dough.
If you would like to make gluten-free cheddar beer bread without beer, see the alternative options listed below.
Finally, pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. It will be a stiff dough and spread evenly. Drizzle the melted butter on top before placing in the preheated oven.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a long skewer or knife comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing from the pan and placing on a cooling rack.
Spread slices of fresh bread with a bit of butter and dunk in a steaming bowl of gluten-free soup!
Alternatives for Gluten-Free Beer to use in bread
Gluten-free beers may be expensive or hard to locate in your area. Or, you may still want to enjoy this recipe with what you have on hand. Fortunately, there are many options to replace beer in bread!
- Use an equal amount of soda or seltzer water. Since you will be eliminating that yeasty beer flavor, I suggest adding dried herbs, such as 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning or cheddar cheese with cooked and crumbled bacon stirred in.
- Make a sweeter tasting bread. Increase the sugar (or honey) to 1/4 cup and replace the beer with lemon-lime soda, such as Sprite or Mountain Dew.
- Make an orange loaf by replacing beer with an equal amount of orange pop, adding 1 tablespoon orange zest, and increasing sugar to 1/4 cup.
- Replace the beer with another preferred carbonated beverage, such as ginger ale or hard cider. See the linked resource for a helpful list of gluten-free hard ciders!
Variations and mix-ins
Along with some of the alternative versions mentioned above, there are several options to compliment the beer flavor.
- Cheesy herb – Use sharp cheddar or a mixture of cheddar and parmesan. Stir in 1 teaspoon each rosemary, basil, and thyme to the dry ingredients.
- Bacon- Add 1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon with the cheese.
- Garlic Parmesan – Stir in 1 tablespoon minced garlic and 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan instead of cheddar.
- Spicy – Use pepper jack cheese or cheddar and stir in 1 finely chopped jalapeno.
Making this recipe dairy-free / vegan
If you are looking for a dairy-free gluten-free beer bread recipe either omit the cheese or replace with a dairy-free alternative. If you are omitting the cheese, increase the salt to 3/4 teaspoon.
For the melted butter, replace with a plant-based vegan butter. Please note, the recommended flour, Cup4Cup, does contain milk powder, so you’ll want to substitute a gluten-free all purpose flour without allergens.
How to check if bread is done baking
Insert a long skewer or knife in the middle to double check the bread is cooked through and not wet in the center. A small toothpick can be deceiving because it doesn’t go down far enough.
Personally, I like to take the guesswork out of knowing when gluten-free breads are done. Often golden brown exteriors can be deceptive, while the inside is undercooked and gummy.
Therefore, I also use an instant read thermometer. When inserted in the middle it should read 190-200ºF. I rely on this method from quick breads, yeast breads, to gluten-free breadsticks.
Storing and freezing tips
For best results, let the bread cool at least 15 minutes before slicing. After it has cooled completely, store in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature up to 2 days.
To freeze, store completely cooled bread in a ziplock freezer bag with air removed, up to 3 months. You may also slice the bread before freezing to store, but I recommend using within 1 month.
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Cheddar Gluten-Free Beer Bread (Quick Recipe)
Ingredients
- 3 cups gluten free all purpose flour I use and highly recommend Cup4Cup gluten free flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (or honey)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 12 ounces gluten-free beer
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9X5 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray or butter.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the dry ingredients – gluten-free flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. If using honey instead of sugar, pour that in with the beer. Stir in the cheddar cheese.3 cups gluten free all purpose flour,2 tablespoons granulated sugar,1 tablespoon baking powder,½ teaspoon salt,1 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
- Pour in the beer and stir to combine. The dough will be thick and should show no dry flour pockets. Spread evenly in the prepared loaf pan. Pour the melted butter over top.12 ounces gluten-free beer,2 tablespoons melted butter
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a long skewer or knife comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing from the pan and placing on a cooling rack.
- DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?? DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE FEEDBACK AND/OR CLICK A STAR RATING ON THE RECIPE CARD!
Equipment Needed
Recipe Notes
Variations and Mix-Ins
- Cheesy herb – Use sharp cheddar or a mixture of cheddar and parmesan. Stir in 1 teaspoon each rosemary, basil, and thyme to the dry ingredients.
- Bacon- Add 1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon with the cheese.
- Garlic Parmesan – Stir in 1 tablespoon minced garlic and 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan instead of cheddar.
- Spicy – Use pepper jack cheese or cheddar and stir in 1 finely chopped jalapeno.
storing and freezing
For best results, let the bread cool at least 15 minutes before slicing. After it has cooled completely, store in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature up to 2 days. To freeze, store completely cooled bread in a ziplock freezer bag with air removed, up to 3 months. You may also slice the bread before freezing to store, but I recommend using within 1 month.Nutrition
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Andrea says
Hi I am wanting to try this but with out the cheese. In your post you mentioned to omit the cheese to increase the salt by 1/4 teaspoon. But then later on in your post you state to increase salt to 1 teaspoon. Which measurement is correct? I am loving your recipes. Thank you for sharing and helping me on my new journey of going gluten free.
Melissa Erdelac says
Oh Andrea, thank you for catching this! Increase the salt to 3/4 tsp if you aren’t adding cheese. I fixed the mistake. I’m glad you are finding the recipes helpful!
Best,
Melissa
Donna says
Just wondering if I could use this same recipe for nonGF Cheddar Beer Bread? Would I just substitute the GF Flour with regular AP Flour in the same amount? It just looks like a really good recipe. I only need GF recipes when my son comes for a visit from out of state. Thank you.
Melissa Erdelac says
Hi Donna,
With this recipe, I think that would work fine. Enjoy!
Best,
Melissa
Ellen says
So good and so easy! Perfect for super bowl Sunday. I didn’t have cheddar cheese so I used a pre-shredded blend. Added the rosemary, thyme and basil. I think it would be even better with the straight cheddar but I’m already thinking of all the different variations I will try and will definitely try to make rolls. It’s even better than the no-knead buckwheat bread I make which I love not my kids won’t touch. Thanks!
Melissa Erdelac says
Great ideas, Ellen! This can easily become a cheddar herb bread! Or cheddar garlic? Glad everyone enjoyed it!
Best,
Melissa
Sharon says
I have made this using ginger ale instead of beer and it is great! I wonder how it would be making 12 muffins/rolls instead? Has anyone tried it?
Melissa Erdelac says
Hi Sharon,
Ginger ale is a great idea too! I’m not exactly sure how many muffin cups it would fill, but I would fill each greased tin to 2/3 full. I would guess they would take about 25 minutes to bake, so I would start checking around then.
Best,
Melissa