Irish Guinness Brown Bread (Eggless, Dairy-Free)

Name: Irish Guinness Brown Bread (Eggless, Dairy-Free)
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 360 g wholewheat flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon sea salt; 60 g walnuts (roughly chopped ); 50 g rolled oats (plus extra for topping); 40 g sunflower seeds (plus extra for topping); 40 g pumpkin seeds (plus extra for topping); 60 g molasses (*note 1); 25 g dark brown sugar (*note 2); 30 g vegan butter (melted); 120 ml vegan buttermilk ((half batch)); 240 ml guinness (*note 3)

Inspired by the Guinness and walnut bread commonly served at restaurants in Ireland, this easy quick bread uses dairy-free buttermilk, crunchy seeds, and chewy oats. It has a rich, soft crumb and a crunchy crust.

Just like my chocolate Guinness cheesecake, this delicious bread is perfect for any time of year (not just St Patrick's Day!).

🧾 Ingredients

Here's everything you need to make this vegan brown bread recipe:

Ingredient Notes

Find the complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Guinness: This Irish stout (a type of ale/dark beer) has a deep, malty taste with subtle notes of coffee and chocolate, which intensifies the delicious flavor of the bread.
Molasses: I use blackstrap molasses, which has a dark color, an intense flavor, and a thick consistency. You can swap this for regular cane molasses, black treacle, or homemade vegan honey for a more subtle flavor.
Vegan Buttermilk: You'll need half a batch of this homemade buttermilk recipe, or 1.5 batches if you plan on making it without Guinness.
Whole Wheat Flour: This loaf is made solely using wholemeal flour rather than a blend of whole wheat and all purpose flour or bread flour.
Baking Soda: This is a leavening agent, perfect for quick breads made without yeast.
Rolled Oats: Also known as old-fashioned oats, they add a slightly chewy texture to the bread.
Seeds: While optional, pumpkin and sunflower seeds add gorgeous toasted flavor notes and crunch to this homemade brown bread.
Walnuts: Skip these to keep your brown bread nut-free.
Dark Brown Sugar: I use dark muscovado, but you can swap this for coconut sugar.
Vegan Unsalted Butter: For tenderness and moisture, if you can't find dairy-free butter, you can use margarine or olive oil instead.

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🔪 Instructions

Here are step-by-step images showing how to make this Irish brown bread. Please refer to the detailed printable recipe card at the end of this page for full measurements and written instructions:

wet ingredients for brown bread whisked in a bowl.

Step 1: To a medium bowl, add the brown sugar, molasses, and melted butter and whisk. Whisk in the non-dairy buttermilk and Guinness Stout.

dry ingredients in a large bowl with a well in the center filled with the wet ingredients.

Step 2: In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients (wholemeal flour, baking soda, sea salt, chopped walnuts, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds). Make a well in the middle of the bowl and pour in the wet ingredients.

Step 3: Fold the ingredients using a rubber spatula until there are no visible pockets of flour, but be careful not to overwork the dough.

brown bread in a lined pan with a strip of butter down the center.

Step 4: Transfer the bread dough to a prepared pan, and smooth out the top with an offset spatula.

guinness bread loaf topped with oats and seeds before going into the oven.

Step 5: Top the loaf with extra oats and seeds and bake in a preheated oven until risen and golden brown.

a freshly baked loaf of guinness bread topped with oats and seeds on a cutting board.

Step 6: Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack.

💭 Recipe Tips

Create a parchment sling. Lightly grease the loaf pan with oil and leave a slight overhang of parchment on either side to make it easy to lift out the bread once baked. Also, run a knife down the sides before lifting out the bread.

Add a thin strip of butter on top of the bread before baking. This will promote a crack in the center of the loaf.

Crisp up the edges. If the crust is slightly damp, pop it back in the oven for 5 minutes to help the edges crisp up.

Cool the bread completely before wrapping it. Otherwise, the steam from the hot bread will cause the crust to go soggy. If you need to transport the bread while warm, pierce some holes in a paper bag or leave one side open so that the steam can escape.

💬 FAQs

How to store this Guinness bread recipe?

Once cool, transfer the loaf to a bread bin and store at room temperature for 3-4 days. Alternatively, store it in a paper bag or wrap it in parchment paper and keep it on the counter. For longer storage, you can wrap the bread in plastic wrap and freeze it for 2 months. Rather than defrosting it, heat the bread back up in the oven before serving.

Can I make this brown bread without beer?

Absolutely, you can increase the amount of vegan buttermilk to compensate, but bear in mind that the bread will have less depth of flavor this way. You could also swap the stout for zero alcohol Guinness instead.

Can I make it with gluten-free flour?

I'm afraid not, since a gluten-free wholewheat flour does not exist, and Guinness is also not gluten-free.