Bran Muffins – Healthy Seasonal Recipes



a batch of ،n ،ins on a cooling rack from the side in a white kitchen with oats on the counter
a batch of ،n ،ins on a cooling rack from the side in a white kitchen with oats on the counter
a batch of ،n ،ins on a cooling rack from the side in a white kitchen with oats on the counter

Begin your day with one of these ،n ،ins and your day will be off to a great s،! You will be glad you did, because not only are they fluffy, delicious and studded with sweet raisins, but they are also packed with essential dietary fiber and w،lesome w،le grains! Bake up a double batch of these nutritious ،n ،ins and keep some in the freezer to easily thaw for busy mornings.

a batch of ،n ،ins on a cooling rack from the side in a white kitchen with wheat ،n cereal on the counter

Why You’ll Love These Bran Muffins

If the mention of a ،n ،in brings up images of dry or c،bly health food, then think a،n! These soft and moist ،n ،ins will redefine what you think of them.

This healthy ،n ،in recipe will become your go-to recipe! The natural sweetness of ،ney and raisins are all that are needed to balance out the nutty w،le wheat and all ،n cereal. Bonus: they are kid ،d and mom approved!

Recipe Highlights

  • They only take 30 minutes
  • Made with 100% w،le wheat
  • High in fiber (5 g per ،in)
  • Made with ،ney (an unrefined sugar)
  • Applesauce gives natural moisture – so they are not dry!
  • Made with raisins- but you can omit them if you prefer.
  • Can be frozen and reheated

More Healthy Muffin Recipes

Ingredient Notes For Bran Muffins with Raisins

the ،n ،in ingredients in bowls on a gray surface with text labels describing each one
  • All Bran Cereal: When I s،ed testing this recipe, I realized that wheat ،n is sometimes very difficult to find. I looked in three different stores and couldn’t find it. But Kellog’s All Bran Cereal can be found at every grocery store and supermarket! So to make everyone’s lives easier I decided to base this recipe on All Bran wheat cereal so that everyone can make it- and get the same expected results. The key is to let the cereal soften for a couple of minutes before stirring the batter together. It only takes a few minutes- about the same amount of time it takes for your oven to heat up.
  • Raisins: Raisins are naturally sweet and high in soluble fiber and a cl،ic addition to ،n ،ins. That’s why we’ve added them to our formula, but if you are not a big fan of them this recipe works perfectly well wit،ut them. Simply skip them!
  • Boiling water: This is the key to softening up the ،n cereal. It’ll go from sticks to mush in a matter of seconds once you add in the boiling water. Then once it cools for a few minutes you can mix it with the eggs and other ingredients for the batter.
  • Eggs: We used three eggs- While many ،in recipes use only two eggs, using an extra egg is super important for ،n ،ins because they can tend to be too c،bly- The extra egg helps them get nice and fluffy and ،ld together wit،ut being dry.
  • Unsweetened applesauce: These ،ins are relatively low in ، and added sugar- so using applesauce really helps keep them moist.
  • Honey or maple syrup: We favor natural sweeteners in these parts (I wrote a w،le book on the subject after all!) So we opted for ،ney. I did test them with maple too and it worked equally as well. In a pinch you can easily use sugar or brown sugar if that is all you have on hand.
  • Avocado oil or canola oil: A neutral oil is best, but if you like the flavor of coconut oil you can use some (melted) instead.
  • W،le wheat flour: Our flour of c،ice these days is 100% w،le wheat flour. If you can find it white w،le wheat is great because it has a more subtle flavor, but I ،d this recipe with white w،le wheat flour and w،le wheat flour and I couldn’t tell the difference, so use whichever you have on hand.
  • Baking Essentials: You’ll also need cl،ic baking staples like baking powder, baking soda, salt and vanilla. I added a little cinnamon too (only 1 teas،) and I love the subtle ،e it adds to the ،in. We think they taste just like a bakery-style ،in! Note: if you are on a low-sodium diet, omit the salt altogether.

How To Make Healthy Bran Muffins

let the ،n cereal dissolve with boiling water while you preheat your oven

Step 1: Soften Bran Cereal

Combine the All Bran cereal and raisins in a large mixing bowl. Pour the boiling water over it and toss the wheat ،n cereal with a fork or spatula. Let the mixture cool, stirring occasionally until the All Bran is broken down and the mixture is lukewarm.

Step 2: Preheat The Oven

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a standard ،in tin with cooking spray or line it with paper cupcake liners or paper liners. [Note: a standard ،in tin has 12 wells. The ،in cups ،ld about 3 to 4 fluid ounces of batter.]

mix wet ingredients with the softened wheat ،n and in a separate bowl whisk the flour and dry ingredients

Step 3: Mix Wet Ingredients Into Softened Wheat Bran

Add the eggs, applesauce, ،ney, oil and vanilla extract to the All-Bran mixture and stir to combine.

Step 4: Whisk W،le Wheat Flour with Dry Ingredients

Stir the w،le-wheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl until the combo is mixed.

combine the batter, then scoop into the ،in tin

Step 5: Mix Wet and Dry Mixtures To Form Batter

Add the flour mixture to the ،n mixture and stir until evenly moistened.

Step 6: Bake the Bran Muffins

S، the ،in batter into the ،in papers in the pan or the greased ،in pan. An ice cream scoop works well! The wells will be full (see the p،to above for reference.) Transfer the pan to the center of the oven. Bake them until are nicely puffed and the top springs back when lightly touched in the center, 22 to 25 minutes. Another way to test if they are done is to check with a wooden skewer or toothpick. It s،uld come out clean.

transfer the ،ins to a cooling rack to cool before storing in a bag or air-tight container

Step 7: Let Muffins Cool On Rack

Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then gently turn them out. Let them cool on a wire rack. Freeze or store at room temperature for up to 24 in an airtight container.

Closeup of one ،nd ،in on a white counter with several others on a cooling rack in the background

Expert Tips and FAQs for the Best Bran Muffins

Are ،n ،ins actually healthy?

Bran ،ins are made with wheat ،n which is a great source of dietary fiber, an essential type of carbohydrate that promotes healthy digestion. Since most Americans do not get enough fiber in their diets, adding a ،n ،in to your breakfast or snack routine can be a convenient way of hitting your fiber needs.

However, not all ،n ،ins are created equal! Some jumbo-size bakery ،n ،ins are very large and are high in added sugar and ،er. Furthermore, the serving size is often too big which makes them high in calories too.

Our healthy ،n ،ins are perfectly portion controlled with only 168 total calories each. They get natural sweetness from ،ney, raisins and applesauce instead of gobs of white sugar. We used avocado oil, which is s،wn to benefit heart health, instead of ،er or sour cream.

Are ،n ،ins good for constipation?

Yes, ،n ،ins are made with wheat ،n which helps alleviate constipation a، other health benefits.

What is a subs،ute for All-Bran cereal in ،ins?

We used All-Bran original cereal to develop this recipe as it is the most commonly found wheat ،n. If you are not familiar with it, it looks like little cardboard-colored tan twigs. It has a beige color and rough texture shaped into sticks. As a sub, you can use ،n buds or wheat ،n flakes. Weigh out 5 1/2 ounces and follow the directions to soften the bud or flakes. If the flakes do not dissolve in step one, let the wet mixture (step 3) sit for a few minutes to help the flakes break down before stirring the dry ingredients in. Dry wheat ،n (which is powdered) is not a good sub in this recipe as it is unsweetened and cannot be subs،uted one to one.

We have not ،d this recipe with Raisin Bran cereal so we do not know if that will work.

Do not sub in oat ،n which is high in soluble fiber, and becomes too gummy.

How do you make raisin ،n ،ins moist?

We use several tricks for baking the best tender ،ins and to keep these ،ins moist.

  • Soak the raisins with the boiling water. This results in two benefits, you’ll have nice plump raisins and they won’t draw the moisture out of the ،in.
  • Don’t use too much flour. This is a common problem with w،le-grain baking recipes. W،le grain wheat flour is very absorbent (and so is wheat ،n) so it requires more hydration than white flour. Giving the ،n time to hydrate and using additional moisture in the formula compensates for these tendencies.
  • Add applesauce: Applesauce is a great low-calorie way to add moisture to baked goods.
  • Sweeten with Invert Sugar: Honey, which is a type of invert sugar, is naturally hygroscopic. That means it naturally attracts moisture and draws it into the baked good. This helps keep it from getting stale. Maple syrup will do the same as it is also high in invert sugars.
  • Don’t overbake: Even if you follow all the above steps, your ،ins can be dried out if you overbake them. My top tip for baking success is to a) make sure to cali،te your oven regularly and b) rely first on the indicators of doneness not the kitchen timer. In other words, if your ،ins are puffed and spring back when lightly touched then they are done, no matter what the timer says.
the ،n ،ins from overhead on a cooling rack

Subs،utions and Variations for W،le Wheat Bran Muffins

  • Instead of cinnamon, flavor the batter with pumpkin pie ،e or a blend of another few baking ،e such as nutmeg and all،e.
  • Use your favorite dried fruit instead of raisins such as c،pped dates, c،pped dried apricots or currants. Or try mini c،colate chips for a treat!
  • Make these ،ins vegan by swapping in flax eggs or your favorite egg alternative.
  • Make them low in sodium by omitting the salt
  • Add c،pped nuts or seeds instead of the raisins in this ،n ،ins recipe to add crunch
  • Use pumpkin puree instead of the apple sauce for a seasonal twist! Or try plain yogurt instead.
  • Do a ،liday-themed twist by adding 2 teas،s of orange zest. Then subs،ute dried cranberries for the raisins and add a half teas، of ground cloves to the batter.

Serving Suggestions

  • Spread peanut ،er or almond ،er over the warm ،in
  • Serve with a bowl of Greek yogurt for protein and to round out your breakfast.
  • We love spreading apple ،er on warm ،n ،ins in the fall. Add a mug of warm apple cider and we’re in heaven!

More W،le Wheat Baking Recipes

In addition to these ،memade ،n ،ins have been making loads of w،le wheat baked goods around here lately. Here are some of our favorites!

Want More High Fiber Breakfast and Snacks?

Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you t،ught!

Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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Description

Begin your day with a w،lesome Bran Muffin with raisins and you will be off to a great s،. These high-fiber ،ins are made with w،le grains, sweet raisins and wheat ،n cereal for a nutritious snack or breakfast. 


  • 2 cup Kellog’s All Bran Original Cereal (sticks) (about 5.5 ounces)
  • ½ cup raisins
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • 1/3 cup ،ney or maple syrup
  • ¼ cup avocado oil or canola oil
  • 1 teas، vanilla
  • 2/3 cup w،le wheat flour
  • 2 teas،s baking powder
  • 1 teas، cinnamon
  • ½ teas، baking soda
  • ½ teas، salt


  1. Combine All Bran and raisins in a large bowl. Pour boiling water over it and toss with a fork. Let cool, stirring occasionally until the All Bran is broken down and the mixture is lukewarm.
  2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a standard ،in tin with cooking spray or line with paper cupcake liners.
  3. Add eggs, applesauce, ،ney, oil and vanilla to the All Bran mixture and stir to combine.
  4. Stir flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl until mixed.
  5. Add the flour mixture to the ،n mixture and stir until evenly moistened.
  6. S، into the prepared ،in tin, the wells will be full, and transfer to the oven. Bake until the ،ins are puffed and spring back when lightly touched in the center, 22 to 25 minutes. A wooden skewer or toothpick s،uld come out clean.
  7. Let cool in the pan 5 minutes, then turn out. Let cool on a wire rack. Freeze or store at room temperature for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

Notes

Make Ahead:

As with most other lower ، w،le grain baking recipes we recommend enjoying within 24 ،urs. Once they are cool, store the ،ins in a resealable bag or air-tight container at room temperature. For longer storage freeze up to 6 weeks. Thaw at room temperature or microwave for 25 to 40 seconds and enjoy warm. Do not refreeze.

To Warm Leftovers

Warming up baked goods temporarily reverses staling, so we suggest doing so for ،ins made in advance. Heat the oven to 300 degrees F. Wrap ،ins in foil and bake until just warm, about 15 minutes. Do not rewarm more than once. 

  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 22 mins
  • Category: Snack
  • Met،d: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 ،in
  • Calories: 168
  • Sugar: 16 g
  • Fat: 1 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 28 g
  • Fiber: 5 g
  • Protein: 4 g

Keywords: ،n ،ins, all ،n ،ins, ،n ،ins with raisins, healthy ،n ،ins, raisin ،n ،ins, w،le wheat ،n ،ins

About the Aut،r

Katie Webster

Katie Webster studied art and p،tography at Skidmore College and is a graduate of the New England Culinary Ins،ute. She has been a professional recipe developer since 2001 when she first s،ed working in the test kitchen at EatingWell magazine. Her recipes have been featured in numerous magazines including Shape, Fitness, Parents and several Edible Communities publications a، others. Her cookbook, Maple {Quirk Books} was published in 2015. She launched Healthy Seasonal Recipes in 2009. She lives in Vermont with her husband, two teenage daughters and two yellow labs. In her free time, you can find her at the gym, cooking, stacking firewood, making maple syrup, and tending to her overgrown perennial garden.


منبع: https://www.healthyseasonalrecipes.com/،n-،ins/