Double Chocolate Beer Bread

About this recipe:

Beer bread is something my family has been making my whole life. It’s quick, easy and cheap, so basically it’s perfect. It’s also a great staple, because thanks to the yeast inside of the beer you don’t need to let it proof. So you get bread in less than half the time it would usually take. I wanted to take this staple in my house and create a “dessert” version. That’s how this double chocolate beer bread came into existence.

To be honest chocolate bread does sound a little strange, but the combo of a dark beer and rich chocolate is both decadent and delicious. The bitterness in the two play well off each other, almost surprisingly so. This isn’t a super sweet bread, which is why I love it so much. You can also make it more or less dessert like by using it in bread pudding, or my personal favorite eating it with vanilla ice cream and Nutella. 

There is one aspect of this I have to point out. Beer bread is a lot denser and at times drier than regular bread. The darker the beer, the richer the flavor, but it will also make the bread more dense. If this isn’t your preference you can definitely use a lighter beer in this recipe. 

The other more dessert like aspect that makes this bread so good is the chocolate glaze. That’s where the “double” in the chocolate bread name comes in. This also allows the bread to retain moisture and add in some of its own. Pair that with the vanilla ice cream I mentioned before and you have yourself something close to chocolate cake, but more complex. You can also easily change the glaze to create new flavor combos, like white chocolate or peanut butter!

Beer Bread Step by step:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9×5 pan with baking spray. It can be either metal or glass. In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Beat the butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy. It’s important to make sure this part is as smooth as possible. Scrape the edges of the bowl, then mix in the egg.

Add beer and mix for 30 seconds, just enough to break apart butter mixture into the beer. It will look broken, this is normal.

Slowly add dry ingredients in with the wet ingredients, mixing gently in between. When all dry ingredients have been added, mix until just combined, when dry ingredients are no longer visible. Do not over mix!

Gently fold in chocolate chips, then pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a tester comes out clean with a few moist crumbs. I like to start checking it at 30 minutes, just in case. Every oven is different so use your best judgement. 

Let bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the glaze:

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips. Cook, stirring constantly, until the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth. Do not allow it to bubble. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla. Cool slightly before drizzling over a cake. If you want to make this ahead, it can be cooled and reheated in the microwave

Once bread has cooled, spread glaze on top of bread and top with more chocolate chips, if desired. The bread can be stored in a sealed container and kept on the counter for up to 5 days.

Double Chocolate Beer Bread Video Tutorial

Double Chocolate Beer Bread

Megan Lowery

This dark and delicious bread makes a great snack or dessert! It's rich but not too sweet and is great with ice cream or Nutella!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course Bread, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 1 loaf

Equipment

• 9-inch loaf pan (glass or steel)

Ingredients

  

Chocolate Bread:

• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips , optional
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter , softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar , packed
• 1 egg
• 1 cup beer* , see notes

Chocolate Glaze:

• 1 (14) ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips , can substitute for white or other chocolate
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

 

For the bread:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×5 pan with baking spray.
• In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt,. Set aside.
• Using a stand mixer (or hand mixer, or your trusty hands/whisk), beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape the edges of the bowl, then mix in egg. Add beer and mix for 30 seconds, just enough to break apart butter mixture into the beer. It will look broken, don't worry.
• Slowly add dry ingredients in with the wet ingredients, mixing gently in between. When all dry ingredients have been added, mix until just combined, when dry ingredients are no longer visible.
• Gently fold in chocolate chips, then pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a tester comes out clean with a few moist crumbs. Let bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the glaze:

• In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips. Cook, stirring constantly, until the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth. Do not allow it to bubble. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla. Cool slightly before drizzling over the loaf. If you want to make this ahead, it can be cooled and reheated in the microwave.
• Once bread has cooled, drizzle glaze on top of bread. Bread can be stored in a sealed container and kept on the counter for up to 5 days.

Notes

* The darker the beer the richer the flavor but also the denser/dryer the bread. I treat this bread as a “dessert” so I eat it with ice cream or Nutella. Because of this I don’t notice the “dryness” so I use a dark beer like Guinness.  If you want a lighter bread I recommend a light beer like Coors.

Keyword american, beer, bread, chocolate, dessert