Healthy Bran Muffins You’ll Love
Forget everything you think you know about bran muffins. This recipe breaks the dry- and-dreary mold, yielding muffins that are irresistibly moist, tender and just sweet enough naturally. It’s an actually craveable breakfast.
Fueled by warm cinnamon and the nutty scent of toasted wheat bran, these muffins have a hearty texture tempered by rich buttermilk, applesauce or banana and a subtle mixture of honey and brown sugar. Each bite marries comfort, nourishment and flavor in equal measure.
An ideal way to refuel for the day or satisfy your snacking needs — these muffins walk the line between decadent and healthy. They’re easy to make, fun to eat and certain to find a home in your kitchen.
Bran Muffins — Ingredients in the Highlights
White Whole Wheat Flour
This healthful flour serves as the muffin’s base, lending a mild nutty flavor, tender crumb and added fiber without the density found in traditional whole wheat.
Wheat Bran
Wheat bran, toasted for darkness, adds grit and earthy depth. It’s the ingredient that transforms these muffins from blah to boldly nourishing.
Brown Sugar & Honey
A natural pairing that adds warmth and balance. Brown sugar adds moisture and a touch of molasses, and honey gives a little floral sweetness.
Unsalted Butter
Melting into the mix, butter delivers richness and keeps every muffin bite moist and tender.
Eggs
Essential for structure, eggs hold the ingredients together while adding to the soft, cakey texture.
Applesauce or Banana
These fruit purées provide natural sweetness and moisture, keeping the muffins tender without requiring much fat.
Buttermilk
The mild tang of buttermilk deepens flavor and interacts with the leavening agents to provide the muffins’ lift and lightness.
Ground Cinnamon
A warm, spicy note that rounds out the flavor and brings a little cozy spice to every bite.
Bran Muffins: Moist and Wholesome
Bran muffins don’t always steal the show at the breakfast table, but this recipe sure does. These muffins are soft and tender and sweetened naturally with honey and applesauce or banana. The toasted wheat bran provides a kind of nutty perfume, and the buttermilk guarantees that each bite delivers a good amount of moisture and satisfying chew. Great for breakfast or snacking, they make an ideal grab-and-go bite that’s healthy and tasty.
Recipe Tips
Don’t Skip Toasting the Bran
Powdering toasted wheat bran is not only an additional step, but it’s also a flavor changer. It amplifies the bran’s natural nuttiness and eliminates any raw, bitter edge. Bake until fragrant and pale golden. Because over-toasting leads to a nasty burnt flavor, watch closely during those final minutes in the oven.
Use Buttermilk for Tender Texture
The acidity in buttermilk interacts with baking soda and baking powder, getting the muffins to rise, with a light and tender crumb. If you don’t happen to have buttermilk, you can make a substitute by mixing a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar into regular milk and letting it sit for 5–10 minutes before using.
Avoid Overmixing the Batter
When the dry ingredients meet the wet, stir just until you no longer see streaks of flour. Overmixing will activate the gluten in the flour and result in dense and chewy muffins. Soft, light texture will be maintained by gentle folding with a silicone spatula.
More breakfast muffin recipes to try:
Fresh Fruit or Yogurt Parfait
Serve these muffins alongside some fresh berries or a fruit-and-yogurt parfait for a balanced breakfast. The tartness of yogurt, and the sweetness of seasonal fruit, make for an excellent contrast to the nutty, spiced flavor of the muffins.
A Smooth Cup of Coffee or Tea
These muffins make a terrific companion to a warm drink. A lightly brewed black tea or a smooth cup of coffee with a splash of milk highlights the subtle sweetness in each bite. They’re also lovely with a chai latte or cinnamon-spiced herbal blend.
A Spread of Nut Butter
For an added protein punch, spread a warm muffin with almond butter or peanut butter. Its creamy texture and rich, roasted flavor round out the muffin’s wholesome ingredients and make it a heartier snack or breakfast choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Are bran muffins able to be stored in the freezer?
Yes, these muffins freeze beautifully. Once cooled completely, store it in a freezer bag or container for up to 2 months. To serve, thaw in the microwave at room temperature, or heat up for 20–30 seconds.
Q2: Can I use regular whole wheat flour in place of white whole wheat flour?
You can, but the flavor will be more robust and the texture a little more dense. White whole wheat flour has a milder flavor and produces a softer crumb, which works well in balanced, moist muffins.
Q3: What can I substitute for buttermilk?
If you don’t have buttermilk, combine ¾ cup of milk with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar. Allow it to stand for 5–10 minutes to curdle a bit, and then use it as a 1:1 substitution.
Q4: How can I tell when the muffins are baked?
Check for doneness after 5 minutes at 425°F and another 10–13 minutes at 350°F by inserting a toothpick into the center of one muffin. If it comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs, they’re done, ready to cool and enjoy.
Moist, flavorful and nutritious in the right balance, these bran muffins are a breakfast staple worth revisiting. They’re simple to prepare, even simpler to adore, and enough to win over the staunchest muffin skeptic.
Bran Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups 180 grams white whole wheat flour
- 1 cup 60g wheat bran
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅓ cup 77g light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup 113g honey
- ⅓ cup 70g unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ¾ cup 140g unsweetened applesauce or ¾ cup (170g) mashed very ripe banana
- ¾ cup 180ml buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Toast the wheat bran
- Spread the wheat bran in a single layer on a baking sheet. The parchment paper will help with the transfer, but I don’t find it necessary to line the sheet. Toast in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring halfway through, until nutty aroma is released. Be careful not to brown too much. Let it cool a little on the tray, while you prepare the batter and muffin pans.
- Prepare the muffin pan
- Increase the oven temperature to 425°F (220°C). Grease the tops of two standard muffin tins lightly with nonstick spray. To encourage airflow and even baking, line every other well with paper liners.
- Mix the dry and wet ingredients together
- In a medium bowl, whisk the toasted wheat bran, white whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon.
- In another large mixing bowl, mix the light brown sugar, honey and melted butter together with a whisk until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping well after each addition. Add the applesauce (or banana), then stir in the buttermilk and vanilla extract.
- Mix the batter
- Using a silicone spatula, fold the dry mixture into the wet ingredients. Gently fold briefly or just until no streaks of flour are visible — be careful not to overmix. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin liners, filling each nearly to the top.
- Bake the muffins
- Put the muffin tins into the oven and roast at 425 ˚F (220 ˚C) for 5 minutes. Without opening the door of the oven, lower the temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake for 10 to 13 minutes more. The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
