Whole Wheat Beer Bread Mix – Quick Inexpensive Jar Gift (With or Without Alcohol)
Whip up a batch of this mouth watering beer bread mix with whole wheat in minutes for a recipe that is not only quick, but also packed with extra nutrients. Give this jar gift to a friend or family member who loves to bake along with a bottle of beer (or non-alcoholic beer or soda water) – all they need to add is a brushing of butter to enjoy their warm, homemade bread. Plus, the downloadable tags are included, too!
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Are you looking for a unique and fun gift for a beer lover or bread lover? Give them a whole wheat beer bread mix along with their favorite beer (or non-alcoholic beer), or plain soda water for those who’d simply enjoy warm, homemade bread without a beer flavor.
Not only is this gift in a jar easy to make, but when you give it along with a bottle of beer or soda water, your family and friends have all they need to make delicious home-baked treat – nothing else is required, except a brushing of butter (and yes, it’s required, lol, though you can use any type of butter you prefer if it needs to be dairy free).
Made with beer, the bread is slightly chewy with a hint of the beer flavor. The yeast in the beer interacts with the sugar to help the bread to rise along with the baking powder that helps keep it the crumb light instead of heavy.
While there is a bit of yeast in beer, there’s not enough to raise bread on it’s own, so it’s paired with baking powder.
However, because of the baking powder, the bread will rise and be light and fluffy even with plain soda or seltzer water, so there are options for everyone.
Along with the recipe and a few tips to make the beer bread mix, you’ll also find custom labels to print, cut out and attach to your jar to make your gift even more special.
Like the idea of bread mix in a jar? Here’s a yeast-based no-knead rosemary focaccia mix in a jar you may like, too. And you can combine either of these with a jar of Red Beans and Rice for a full meal!
Detailed quantities and instructions for the mix are included in the full recipe box below, but here are a few extra tips for gifting and printing the tags:
Ingredients for Jars
Here’s what you’ll need to make the bread mix gifts:
- Quart size jars with lids – any kind will work, even recycled jars though you’ll want to make sure the lids are gift-worthy (spray paint them, maybe?).
- Whole wheat flour – you can use regular whole wheat, white whole wheat, or even whole wheat pastry flour since this is a baking powder bread (versus a yeast bread).
- Unbleached all purpose flour – I prefer unbleached, but regular all-purpose will work, too (a bit of this is added to keep the bread texture light).
- Brown sugar – I prefer brown sugar, but regular cane sugar will work, too.
- Baking powder – this provides the rise when combined with the beer or soda water.
- Salt – just regular size sea salt.
How to Make Beer Bread Mix Jar Gift
Simply mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and then add to your quart jar (I use a large canning funnel, which makes it e.a.s.y.).
Tie on the label and combine the jar with a 12-ounce bottle of beer, non-alcoholic beer, or plain soda water in a gift bag or basket. You can also bake a loaf and give it to them along with the mix for them to make later.
If you know the recipient would appreciate a loaf pan (or they don’t have one), that would be fun to add, too. This is my all-time favorite loaf pan.
Printable Tags for Jars
Click on the image of the tags below to open in a new window and download to your computer. (Or click here to open.)
How to Print and Cut Out Tags
- Use a heavyweight paper or light cardstock for best results.
- Use a hole punch in an upper corner for the tag hole, thread with twine or a ribbon and tie around the top of the jar.
- The backs of the tags are blank so you can add “to and from” there so there’s no need to add another tag. TIP: add a date on the back, too, so they can remember how old it is if they don’t use it right away.
How to Make Beer Bread with Mix
Pour the contents of the jar into a large bowl. Add 12-ounces of beer or soda water and stir until combined. Dough will be thick and a bit lumpy.
Scrape the dough into a buttered 8.5×4.5 inch (1 pound) loaf pan and press into corners and sides with wet fingers. Drizzle melted butter on top.
Bake loaf for 45 to 55 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or with a few crumbs clinging to it (about 195-200 degrees on an instant read thermometer).
More Inexpensive Jar Gift Ideas
Looking for more gift mixes recipes? Here are a few favorites (or you can see all the published gifts in jars here):
- Oat & Whole Wheat Snickerdoodle Cookie Mix Jar Gift (+ Printable Tags)
- Cranberry Nut Muffin Mix Jar Gift with Printable Tags
- Red Beans And Rice Gift In A Jar (+ Free Printable Tags)
- Gift in a Jar: Cinnamon Oat Pancake-Waffle Mix
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Whole Wheat Beer Bread Mix Recipe
Equipment
- quart size jar
- large funnel
Ingredients
For Each Jar:
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar or cane sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
To Add Later:
- 1 12 ounce bottle of beer (or unflavored soda or seltzer water)
- 1/4 cup butter, melted OR oil for dairy free
Instructions
For Jar Gift:
- Combine all the jar ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Pour into a quart jar using a funnel and attach a lid.
- Print and cut out a label to attach to the top of the jar with ribbon or twine. Add To and From on the back, as well as the date (the jar will be good for 4-6 months when fresh ingredients are used to make it).
- Package the jar along with a 12 ounce bottle of beer or plain soda/seltzer water and they will have all they need to make a loaf of bread.
To Bake Later:
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 1 pound loaf pan (8.5×4.5 inches).
- Add the contents of the jar to a large mixing bowl. Pour in the beer or soda water and mix well with a wooden spoon (it will be slightly thick and lumpy).
- Press the dough into the prepared pan evenly. Pour half of the melted butter (2 tablespoons) on top.
- Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or an instant read thermometer reaches 195-200 degrees. Immediately brush with remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
- Let cool in pan for 10 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool another 30 minutes. Slice and serve warm or cool completely and toast individual slices.
Notes
- Jar mix will last 4-6 months on a shelf.
- Baked bread will last 3 days at room temperature, 1 week in the fridge, or 2-3 months in the freezer.
Nutrition
FAQs
Yes, most of it does cook off, though there will be a tiny amount left. To avoid it completely you can use non-alcohol beer or plain soda water.
Any beer you like to drink, basically. If you like the flavor of hoppy beers like IPAs, you will enjoy the flavor it imparts to the bread – and visa versa if you don’t. Darker, strong flavored beers will result in a dark, strong flavored bread and pale ales will produce a lighter bread.
Non-alcohol beers work just as well in the beer bread, as well (that’s what I used for the loaf pictured).
While you might get a slightly better rise from room temperature beer, you can use either cold or warm beer with this mix.
This mix will last as long as the flour and baking powder. If you start with fresh ingredients then the mix will last as least 6 months on the shelf.
Thank you! Saved Christmas for our neighbors.
Wonderful!!
Thank you so much for this quick and easy project. My adult kids and I agreed this year would be a “Handmade Holiday” – and then, I got sick. As the days ticked by, it was looking pretty sad. Luckily, I spotted this idea. It was super fast and easy with just limited ingredients, and it all went together in a snap. I do echo your recommendation to use a canning funnel. I didn’t have one and so fashioned an alternative from a cookie sheet mat; a wide mouth funnel would be a good investment to make it even easier!
I’m so very glad to know this, Liz! Makes me so happy to know it helped you give you handmade Christmas. 🙂
As I type this, I am baking my fourth loaf of this bread since the recipe first popped into my inbox 5 days ago. When my German husband requested a new loaf this morning, he asked that I simply bake a new one every time the previous loaf is gone. Earlier this year, I tried to impress my husband with authentic German Bauernbrot, using a recipe that required work over 3 days. He was underwhelmed with the results, pronouncing it “not authentic.” But he LOVES this beer bread, which takes literally minutes to put together. I’d call that a win, wouldn’t you? I simplify a bit and omit the last 2 tablespoons of butter brushed on the bread after baking since we eat it with butter or cheese, anyway. 🙂 Thanks, Jami!
Wow, this is high praise indeed, Nancy – I love it!! And simpler is definitely a win. 🙂
Should the beer be room temperature or can it be cold from the refridgerator?
Either – you’ll find more on this in the FAQ section. 🙂