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This small beer bread is soft, flavorful, and ready in under an hour. Made with simple ingredients, it bakes up golden with a light malty taste and tender crumb, perfect to enjoy on its own or alongside your favorite meal.
Featured Comment
“This recipe is so good, I made it 3 times to use up my bottle of beer and pound of sausage. I love it sliced, heated, and with a little butter for breakfast.”
– Debbie
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make: Just a few ingredients and simple steps.
- Bold, Savory Taste: Sausage, cheese, and beer blend for a flavorful bite.
- Works Anytime: Enjoy for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
- Fast: Ready in under an hour.
- Perfect Portion: Baked fresh for one.
I love making this small beer bread because it’s so quick and satisfying. Instead of yeast, the beer helps the bread rise and gives it a light malty flavor with a tender, moist texture.
It’s fantastic on its own, but I especially enjoy it with a comforting bowl of tomato soup or chicken tortellini soup for one. For something lighter, it pairs perfectly with a crisp Italian chopped salad. With simple ingredients and a single serving size, it’s the perfect bread to enjoy fresh anytime.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small beer bread recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour. If using self-rising flour, omit the baking powder and salt.
- Sugar: Use granulated sugar or honey.
- Baking powder: Works with the beer to help the bread rise.
- Garlic powder (optional): Adds extra flavor.
- Beer: Provides flavor and helps the bread rise. Use a beer you enjoy drinking. See the FAQ section for tips.
- Shredded cheddar cheese: Any shredded cheese works. Try Monterey Jack, pepper jack, or gouda. Leftover cheese can be used in mini squash casserole, chicken tetrazzini for one, or shrimp and grits for one.
- Cooked sausage: IUse a mild breakfast sausage like Jimmy Dean, Johnsonville, or Owens. Extra sausage can be used in a single biscuit and gravy.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Variations
Change up the flavor with these simple ideas:
- Classic Cheese Beer Bread: Omit sausage and use 1/4 cup shredded cheese such as pepper jack, gouda, fontina, or sharp cheddar.
- Herb Beer Bread: Add 1/2 teaspoon dried herbs or 1 tablespoon fresh (basil, rosemary, or thyme) plus 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan.
- Spicy Beer Bread: Add 1 teaspoon (or more) chopped jalapeños and 1/4 cup shredded pepper jack cheese.
- Traditional Beer Bread: Omit sausage and cheese.
How To Make Beer Bread
These photos and instructions help you visualize how to make sausage and cheese beer bread. See the recipe card below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Cook the Sausage: Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat (a few drops of water should sizzle and evaporate when ready). Crumble sausage into the pan, breaking it up with a spatula. Cook until browned and fully cooked. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Preheat Oven & Prepare Ramekin: Heat oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly butter a 10-ounce ramekin.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and garlic powder.
- Add Wet Ingredients & Mix-Ins: Stir in beer, melted butter, shredded cheese, and cooked sausage until combined.
- Fill Ramekin: Spoon batter into the ramekin.
- Top with Butter: Drizzle melted butter over the batter.
- Bake: Bake 30–35 minutes, until golden on top. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Helpful Tips
- Beer Substitutes: Use seltzer water or ginger ale if you don’t have beer.
- Buy Single Bottles: Many stores sell individual bottles if you don’t drink beer.
- Alcohol Content: Most, if not all, of the alcohol cooks out, leaving the flavor behind.
- Avoid Overmixing: Stir just until combined to keep the bread light.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use seltzer water or ginger ale as a substitute, though the flavor will be different.
Use a beer you enjoy drinking. Lighter beers give a mild flavor, while darker beers add a richer taste.
Absolutely. Just ensure it’s carbonated.
Most, if not all, of the alcohol cooks out during baking, leaving the flavor behind.
It’s best eaten the day it’s baked but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1-2 days.
Yes. Wrap it tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Yes. Double the ingredients and bake in either two 10-ounce ramekins or one 5×5-inch baking dish.
More Quick Breads To Try
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this easy beer bread recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Small Loaf Beer Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 ounces cooked sausage
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅓ cup beer
- 1 tablespoon salted butter -divided
- ¼ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Crumble sausage into the pan, breaking it up with a spatula. Cook until browned and fully cooked. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Heat oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly butter a 10-ounce ramekin.
- In a medium bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and garlic powder.
- Stir in the beer, half of the melted butter, shredded cheese, and cooked sausage until combined
- Spoon the batter into the ramekin.
- Drizzle melted butter over the batter.
- Bake 30–35 minutes, until golden on top. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Beer Substitutes: Use seltzer water or ginger ale if you don’t have beer.
- Buy Single Bottles: Many stores sell individual bottles if you don’t drink beer.
- Alcohol Content: Most, if not all, of the alcohol cooks out, leaving the flavor behind.
- Avoid Overmixing: Stir just until combined to keep the bread light.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I made Beer Bread and Curried Butternut Squash Soup for lunch. Awesome!!! This is going to make 3 meals and the soup 2 meals for me. I going to be making more of your recipes. The biggest problem I’m having, is wasting food. You are teaching me with your suggestions about using leftover ingredients, freezing, what to serve with the recipe and long it will keep. I am eating foods that I have never ate before. Great job you are doing!!!
Jane, thank you so much for your kind note. I’m so happy to hear that you are enjoying the recipes. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know.
This recipe is so good, I made it 3 times to use up my bottle of beer and pound of sausage. I love it sliced, heated, and with a little butter for breakfast.
It’s a good thing this only serves two. My boyfriend and I are trying to cut down our bread intake. This was so good, we would have eaten an entire loaf with no trouble.
So glad you both enjoyed the recipe! Thank you so much for letting me know!
what is the significance of the beer to the recipe? I do not drink it and would have a wasted can of beer if i were to use 1/3 cup for this recipe, what can be substituted, is it the carbonation that is essential/beneficial?
Hi Gina, The yeast in the beer interacts with the sugar to help the bread to rise.
Although I haven’t tried it, others have said that they use soda instead of beer. You just have to be careful to not use a soda that’s too sweet otherwise it will change the flavor of the bread.
Joanie, what meal does this beer bread go with?
Jane, I could eat this beer bread all by itself. It’s also wonderful with soups and stews.
This looks like it would be an easy meal to prepare for breakfasts
This is an easy bread to prepare for breakfast!
This bread is really good!
Can bacon be used instead of sausage, or will it get too dry?
Hi Tina,
I’ve never tried using bacon but I would think cooked bacon in the beer bread would be delicious. If you make it this way, please let me know how you liked it.
Have a great weekend!
Joanie
This bread is terrific, I made it with cooked bacon instead of sausage.