Healthy Bran Muffins are baked perfectly in liners in the muffin tin. They look moist, soft and packed with raisins.

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: This quick and easy Healthy Bran Muffins Recipe will give you over a dozen wholesome muffins that are moist, filling, and provide a great serving of fiber with their healthy wheat bran and whole wheat flour. Molasses, brown sugar, and raisins bring the flavor with just the right touch of sweetness.

Wheat bran is one of the best sources of insoluble fiber, the type of fiber that doesn’t break down in water. Insoluble fiber helps with digestion, heart health, and blood sugar control.
Fruits, vegetables, and nuts are another excellent source. To add even more fiber to these muffins, add a half-cup of diced apple, grated carrot, or a quarter-cup of chopped walnuts.

Muffins and bread made from whole grains are not just good for you; they’re deeply satisfying with their robust texture and earthy taste. For other hearty baked goods with whole wheat or oat bran, check out Flourless Irish Oat Bread Recipe, Digestive Biscuits, and Homemade Whole Wheat Bread for Sandwiches.

What are Healthy Bran Muffins?
Tools You Need
Key Ingredients and Why
How to Make Healthy Bran Muffins
Can I Make Healthy Bran Muffins in Advance?
How to Store Healthy Bran Muffins
FAQs
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
More Muffin Recipes

What are Healthy Bran Muffins?

Healthy Bran Muffins are made with wheat bran and a mix of whole wheat and all-purpose flour. Molasses, dark brown sugar, vanilla, and raisins blend to give them a deliciously complex subtle sweetness.
These quick-to-make muffins (just 15 minutes to prep!) are ideal for a speedy breakfast or a grab-and-go healthy snack.
The move to eating healthier, homemade foods in the 1970s led to the popularity of bran muffins—a baked good that tastes delicious and is nutritious as well.

Tools You Need

Muffin pan (two pans, or re-use one pan)
Paper liners
Mixing bowls
Measuring jug
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Whisk
Spatula
Wire rack

Key Ingredients and Why

Buttermilk
- Buttermilk is a tangy, acidic dairy product made by adding bacteria culture to milk.
- Buttermilk adds a wonderfully tangy flavor and makes the muffins tender.
- Learn how to make your own buttermilk substitute, and you won’t have to worry about running out.
Vegetable oil
- Oil is all fat: it doesn’t contain water. That lack of water means there will be less gluten development and a more tender texture.
- Oil provides fat to retain air, which keeps muffins extra moist and light and helps prevent the muffins from going stale.
Apple sauce
- Apple sauce not only adds moisture to muffins to keep them tender but also binds ingredients together.
- Naturally, apple sauce sweetens bran muffins, reducing the need for added refined sugar.
- Moreover, apple sauce imparts a very subtle fruity flavor, enhancing the overall taste of bran muffins.
- You can easily make it at home using my recipe for Homemade Applesauce.
Dark brown sugar
- Dark brown sugar sweetens the muffins.
- With a 10% molasses content compared to light brown sugar’s 3.5% content, dark brown sugar has a bolder taste than light brown sugar.
- Dark brown sugar adds to the moistness of the muffins.
Eggs
- Eggs enrich the flavor and emulsify the ingredients, binding all ingredients homogeneously,
- Here are some quick tips to get your eggs to room temperature so they will blend smoothly and efficiently.
Molasses
- The robust, earthy sweetness of molasses gives these bran muffins a distinctive flavor.
- Molasses gives the muffins their moisture and keeps them from drying out. That’s because molasses is hygroscopic, which means it attracts and retains moisture.
Vanilla extract
- Vanilla enhances the flavors in this recipe and adds a lovely warm note.
- You can make vanilla extract at a fraction of the store price using our Homemade Extracts Recipe.
- Vanilla paste is a great option here. Learn about the difference between vanilla extract and vanilla paste and how to make it in our guide Vanilla Extract vs Vanilla Bean Paste vs Vanilla Essence.
Wheat bran
- Wheat bran gives the muffin its nutritious high-fiber content.
- The bran gives the muffins their distinctive pleasantly coarse and robust crumb.
Whole wheat flour
- Whole wheat flour gives the muffins a pleasantly nutty, earthy flour.
- It contributes additional fiber and nutrients to the muffins.
- Both whole wheat flour and wheat bran have moisture-retaining properties, which keep the muffins from being dry.
All-purpose flour
- All-purpose flour has 9-11% protein content, which is the perfect amount for giving the muffins structure while still having a pleasing light and tender texture.
Baking powder
- Baking powder gets activated immediately when mixed with wet ingredients. This is why it’s important to bake the muffins right after the batter is mixed.
- Baking powder contains the dry acid “cream of tartar,” so it can get activated with any liquid that doesn’t have to be acidic to leaven baked goods.
Baking soda
- Baking soda doesn’t contain acid, so it activates only when mixed with acidic ingredients like buttermilk and yogurt.
- Baking soda reacts with acid from buttermilk and yogurt also eggs to release gas, which creates air pockets to make muffins rise.
Salt
- Salt adds depth to the muffins’ flavor and balances the sweetness.
Raisins
- Raisins add fruity sweetness and textural interest.

How to Make Healthy Bran Muffins

Prep: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line 18 muffin cups with paper liners.
Make the muffins: Whisk the buttermilk, oil, brown sugar, eggs, molasses, and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, combine wheat bran, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir the wet mixture and the dry mixture together until just combined, and fold in raisins.
Bake the muffins: Fill the 18 muffin liners with batter. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes until a skewer inserted in one of the muffins in the center of the muffin tin comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, and then remove to wire rack.

Can I Make Healthy Bran Muffins in Advance?

Yes, you can make Healthy Bran Muffins in advance.

This batter is best baked as soon as it’s mixed. To save time on baking time, you can combine the dry ingredients ahead of time.
You can also freeze the baked muffins, well-wrapped, for up to six weeks.

How to Store Healthy Bran Muffins

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days.

FAQs

Can I make these Healthy Bran Muffins egg-free?

Yes, you can make these muffins egg-free.

- There are great suggestions in my guide, 12 Best Egg Substitutes for Baking and How to Use Them.
- Applesauce, banana, a flax egg, or a chia egg are all good options in this recipe.
How do I make sure my muffins don’t come out flat?
- First, always check your baking powder and baking soda to make sure they’re not expired.
- Be sure you pre-heat the oven. Temperature change can hinder the rise.
- Don’t overfill or under-fill the muffin cups, as this can affect the rise.

Gemma’s Pro Chef tips

If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make homemade buttermilk here!
Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature for the best results.
This recipe uses wheat bran flour, not bran cereal (bran flake breakfast cereal). This can usually be found where other flours are sold at the grocery store.
Instead of raisins, you can use an equal amount of any other dried fruit (chopped if large), coconut flakes, or chocolate chips.
Try serving these with apple butter, my Strawberry Jam or my Orange Honey Compound Butter!

More Muffin Recipes