Today I’m excited to share with you the recipe for this savory and delicious Cheddar & Herb Beer Bread! Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, this rustic quick bread comes together in a snap and would be perfect for your St. Patty’s menu. I think your whole family will love it!

There’s just something about freshly baked bread, isn’t there? Anytime I make bread, all four of the boys seem to magically appear in the kitchen, sniffing around and asking the age-old question, ‘What’s for dinner, Mom?’ When I served up this warm and cheesy loaf with dinner tonight, even my pickiest eater ate every last bite of his slice and asked for seconds. I’d call that a major win!

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The Beauty of Quick Breads

Unlike a yeast bread, quick breads require no kneading and no rising time. Using leaveners like baking powder or baking soda, they rely on the chemical reaction between these leaveners and liquids to create gas bubbles and the resulting lift. Without them, the result would be more brick and less bread. Beer’s fizzy little bubbles boost this reaction even further.

The Cheese & Herbs

My twist on this Irish pub classic is equal parts delicious and nutritious. I have always had a soft spot for cheese (of most any kind) and fresh herbs. Though you don’t have to go extra-sharp with your cheddar, do be sure to get a good quality brand that is actually aged. We love Tillamook for this very reason.

As for herbs, you can really get creative here! This time, I kept it simple with some minced chives, but you could use any number of different herbs! Fresh parsley, rosemary, and thyme would all be lovely, just to name a few!

Better for You

Whenever I can, I like to take a recipe and tweak it to make it just a little bit healthier. What can I say? I’m a dietitian! But that doesn’t mean I do so at the expense of taste or texture. It’s all about finding the right balance, no? So let me share with you the changes I made.

To add the power of whole grains, I substituted part of the white flour with whole grain flour. When doing this, I always start by replacing about 1/3 of the white stuff and see how that goes. If the end result isn’t overly heavy, I up it to 1/2 white and 1/2 whole the next time. Though I was quite happy with how this loaf turned out, I think you could definitely try the 50/50 ratio with your flours and get a delicious loaf.

I also decreased the butter and sugar by about half, compared to most recipes I came across. Knowing that I would be adding cheddar cheese to the mix (which would add both fat and moisture), I was confident this change wouldn’t be noticeable. And it wasn’t.

Finally, I made the call to go with a “light” beer for a couple reasons. Though it does lower the calorie count a little bit, that wasn’t the main reason. Knowing I’d be serving this to the kiddos, I worried that a more strongly flavored beer might not be appreciated by their little taste buds. So I opted for a good ole’ fashioned American lager, Bud Light. If you’ve got something else on hand you’d like to try, go for it! Just know it might alter the flavor and color of the end product a bit.

The Perfect Beer Bread

The end result is a wonderfully soft and slightly chewy bread that is ever so moist and delicious. Cozy and filling, each bite rewards you with a bit of gooey cheese and savory goodness that pairs equally well with a simple soup or a steak dinner. The crust has the just right amount of crispy crunch and there’s a perfect balance of sweet, salty, and savory. Our whole family loved this bread and I think yours will, too!

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Cheddar & Herb Beer Bread

Your family will love this cozy and filling quick bread made with cheddar, herbs, and of course, BEER! Pairs perfectly with a simple soup or steak dinner and comes together in a snap!

Course Appetizer, Bread

Cuisine American, Irish

Keyword Beer, Cheddar, Herbs, Quick Bread

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 15 slices

Ingredients

• 2 cups unbleached white flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 3 Tbsp fresh herbs, minced (e.g. chives, parsley, rosemary, thyme)
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
• 12 oz light beer (or your beer of choice!)
• Cooking spray for loaf pan

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, combine the flours, salt, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Then add the grated cheddar and fresh herbs and stir again.
• Add the remaining ingredients to your bowl–the sugar, butter, and beer–and stir well to combine, but don’t over-mix. Your batter won’t be perfectly smooth.
• Spray a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan with cooking spray and then scrape your bread batter into the pan. Smooth to even out the top and then pop into your pre-heated oven.
• Bake for 45-55 minutes or until finished baking. The loaf will be lightly browned in places and when you knock on the side of the loaf, it will sound hollow. Mine was done in 45 minutes.
• Cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing and enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition information per serving (1/15 of loaf): 135 calories, 4 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 19 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 5 g protein

Did you try this recipe for Cheddar & Herb Beer Bread? Let me know how it went down in the comments!

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