My recipe for Jalapeño Cheddar Beer Bread pairs garlic, fresh herbs, jalapeño and sharp cheddar with beer to yield a dense, moist loaf that highlights savory heat and hearty texture.
I’m obsessed with how a bold loaf can flip a snack into something worth bragging about. Imagine Garlic Cheddar Beer Bread energy but louder, with pockets of shredded sharp cheddar and sneaky bits of jalapeños that pop when you bite.
It’s not just spicy for the sake of spice, there’s a savory thread that keeps pulling you back for one more slice, and yeah sometimes I overdo it because I cant help myself. If you like Beer Breads that surprise, or a Jalapeño Cheddar Beer Bread that shows up to the table confident, this one will make you rethink what quick bread can do.
Ingredients
- Self rising flour: Provides carbs and some iron, makes bread rise and gives structure.
- Sharp cheddar: Adds protein and calcium, it’s salty and tangy, melts into gooey pockets.
- Jalapeños: Bring heat and vitamin C, they’re slightly fruity when fresh, can be mild seeded.
- Garlic: Punchy savory flavor, has antioxidants and potential health benefits, not sweet.
- Beer: Adds moisture, light malty sweetness and tiny bitter notes, helps bread texture.
- Butter: Rich in fat, gives golden crust and richness, brush on top for gloss.
- Fresh herbs: Brighten flavor, add minimal calories, parsley adds fresh green note.
- Sugar: Adds subtle sweetness and quick carbs, balances heat and savory flavors.
- Black pepper: Tiny kick and aromatic oils, rounds savory notes, almost imperceptible heat.
Ingredient Quantities
- 3 cups self-rising flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 to 2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or mixed fresh herbs)
- 12 fl oz beer (one can or bottle, lager or pale ale)
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
How to Make this
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan well with butter or oil.
2. In a large bowl whisk together 3 cups self-rising flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
3. Shred 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar. Toss about 1 cup of the cheddar with 1 tablespoon of flour so it doesn’t sink, and reserve the remaining 1/2 cup for the top. Mince 2 cloves garlic, seed and chop 1 to 2 jalapeños and chop 2 tablespoons fresh parsley. If you want milder heat and garlic flavor you can quickly sauté the jalapeño and garlic in a teaspoon of oil then cool before adding.
4. Pour 12 fl oz beer into the dry mix and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined, the batter will be lumpy so don’t overmix.
5. Fold in the floured cheddar, the reserved 1/2 cup cheddar, minced garlic, chopped jalapeño and parsley until evenly distributed.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Melt 2 tablespoons butter, reserve 1 tablespoon for after baking and brush the top with the other tablespoon, sprinkle a little extra cheddar on top if you want.
7. Bake on the middle rack for 45 to 55 minutes until the top is deep golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If the top is browning too quickly loosely tent with foil after about 30 minutes.
8. Remove from oven, brush immediately with the reserved melted butter, cool in the pan for 10 minutes then turn out onto a rack and cool another 15 to 20 minutes before slicing so it sets up.
Equipment Needed
1. 9 x 5 inch loaf pan, well greased
2. Large mixing bowl
3. Measuring cups and measuring spoons
4. Box grater for shredding the cheddar
5. Whisk and a wooden spoon, you’ll use both for different steps
6. Sharp knife and cutting board for jalapeño, garlic and parsley
7. Pastry brush (or small silicone brush) to brush melted butter on top
8. Oven mitts and a wire cooling rack for resting and slicing later
FAQ
Garlic Herb Jalapeño Cheddar Beer Bread Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Self-rising flour: swap for all-purpose flour + baking powder + salt. For this recipe use 3 cups AP flour + 4 1/2 tsp baking powder + 3/4 tsp salt, and then cut the recipe’s 1 tsp kosher salt down to about 1/4 tsp so it doesn’t get too salty.
- 12 fl oz beer: use 12 fl oz nonalcoholic beer, or 12 fl oz club soda for the same lift without the beer taste, or 12 fl oz buttermilk if you want a richer, tangier crumb (same volume).
- Shredded sharp cheddar: swap with Monterey Jack for milder melt, Pepper Jack for extra kick, or aged Gouda for a nuttier, deeper flavor. Any semi-hard melter works fine.
- Jalapeños: use serranos if you want more heat, poblano for milder, canned diced green chiles for convenience and low heat, or roasted red bell pepper for color and no spice. Remove seeds if you want less burn.
Pro Tips
– Pick your beer wisely and let it warm up a bit. A light lager or pale ale adds flavor without overpowering things. Very hoppy IPAs can make the bread taste bitter, and using a room temperature beer helps the batter rise better than a cold one.
– Handle the jalapeños and garlic to taste. Remove seeds and membranes for milder heat, or keep some for extra kick. Quick-sautéing the garlic and jalapeño in a teaspoon of oil smooths their bite and keeps raw pockets of strong flavor.
– Keep the cheese from sinking and clumping by grating it cold (you can chill or briefly freeze the block first) and tossing the shreds with a little flour. Also try mixing in a milder cheese with the sharp cheddar if you want a creamier, less aggressively sharp bite.
– Watch the bake and the cool. If the top is getting too dark, loosely tent with foil partway through. Right out of the oven brush with butter, cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out so it doesnt steam and get soggy. Wait until it cools most of the way before slicing for cleaner slices.
Garlic Herb Jalapeño Cheddar Beer Bread Recipe
My recipe for Jalapeño Cheddar Beer Bread pairs garlic, fresh herbs, jalapeño and sharp cheddar with beer to yield a dense, moist loaf that highlights savory heat and hearty texture.
8
servings
312
kcal
Equipment: 1. 9 x 5 inch loaf pan, well greased
2. Large mixing bowl
3. Measuring cups and measuring spoons
4. Box grater for shredding the cheddar
5. Whisk and a wooden spoon, you’ll use both for different steps
6. Sharp knife and cutting board for jalapeño, garlic and parsley
7. Pastry brush (or small silicone brush) to brush melted butter on top
8. Oven mitts and a wire cooling rack for resting and slicing later
Ingredients
-
3 cups self-rising flour
-
1/4 cup granulated sugar
-
1 teaspoon kosher salt
-
2 cloves garlic, minced
-
1 to 2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
-
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
-
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or mixed fresh herbs)
-
12 fl oz beer (one can or bottle, lager or pale ale)
-
2 tablespoons melted butter
-
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan well with butter or oil.
- In a large bowl whisk together 3 cups self-rising flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
- Shred 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar. Toss about 1 cup of the cheddar with 1 tablespoon of flour so it doesn't sink, and reserve the remaining 1/2 cup for the top. Mince 2 cloves garlic, seed and chop 1 to 2 jalapeños and chop 2 tablespoons fresh parsley. If you want milder heat and garlic flavor you can quickly sauté the jalapeño and garlic in a teaspoon of oil then cool before adding.
- Pour 12 fl oz beer into the dry mix and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined, the batter will be lumpy so don't overmix.
- Fold in the floured cheddar, the reserved 1/2 cup cheddar, minced garlic, chopped jalapeño and parsley until evenly distributed.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Melt 2 tablespoons butter, reserve 1 tablespoon for after baking and brush the top with the other tablespoon, sprinkle a little extra cheddar on top if you want.
- Bake on the middle rack for 45 to 55 minutes until the top is deep golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If the top is browning too quickly loosely tent with foil after about 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven, brush immediately with the reserved melted butter, cool in the pan for 10 minutes then turn out onto a rack and cool another 15 to 20 minutes before slicing so it sets up.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 122.5g
- Total number of serves: 8
- Calories: 312kcal
- Fat: 9.48g
- Saturated Fat: 5.73g
- Trans Fat: 0.13g
- Polyunsaturated: 0.63g
- Monounsaturated: 2.38g
- Cholesterol: 27.2mg
- Sodium: 243mg
- Potassium: 82mg
- Carbohydrates: 42.75g
- Fiber: 1.41g
- Sugar: 6.5g
- Protein: 9.44g
- Vitamin A: 75IU
- Vitamin C: 5.4mg
- Calcium: 137mg
- Iron: 0.59mg
