+of+copy+3+ayib.JPG "The Year is over, but we're still baking!")
Back Into Bran Muffins: My Best Bran Muffin Recipe With 100% Whole Grain & No Sugar
Quick & Easy Cranberry Orange Bran Muffins Are Tasty Anytime
January 2008 Update: You might also enjoy my 100% Whole Grain Ginger Pear Bran Muffin Recipe
You might think that a girl who once packed up all of her belongings and moved, sight unseen, a couple of thousand miles away to a place where she had no job, no family, and no real idea of what she was doing would be quite an adventurous eater—always anxious to try something new, never ordering the same thing twice. And while I'm sure that girls like this do exist, I am definitely not one of them. The pursuit of good, honest food may be the central theme around our farm and in my life, but the truth is that I am the type of person who will happily fall into a very deep food rut.
The only reason I don't have coffee ice cream every time I visit my favorite ice cream parlor is because they have a rotating menu of homemade flavors, and coffee is not always available. Ordering my first scoop of chocolate almond took several agonizing minutes of deliberation and an extraordinary amount of courage.
I don't find it tiresome to eat the same dinner four or five nights in a row, and I happen to believe that one of the tastiest things in the entire world is homemade leftover anything.
These are handy qualities to have if much of your food comes from the farmers' market or the garden, as I have come to realize that the true definition of eating seasonally means you devour something for so many meals on end that you don't even want to think about it until next year.
At breakfast time, my routine pattern of eating extends well beyond a rut; it's more like a bottomless pit. It's a good thing I don't live anywhere near a Chinese bakery since I could happily eat a warm baked pork bun every morning for the next 20 or 30 years.
Because life on a farm is defined by a never ending series of surprises, you really cannot plan ahead or count on much of anything. This, of course, is what makes it so interesting. It also means that I find a great deal of comfort in something as simple as knowing exactly what my morning meal will be for the next several months.
For a while I was stuck on oatmeal, cooked slowly on the stove with extra bran, a handful of wild blackberries from the freezer tossed in at the last minute. A bowl of hot oatmeal with a splash of cold milk, a dash of vanilla, and a sprinkle of cinnamon made for dozens of wholesome and invigorating breakfasts.
Next I hit upon bran muffins. My first creation called for making up large quantities of a complicated mix of dry ingredients ahead of time, thus allowing you to stir together the actual batter in seconds flat. Then I came upon a banana bran muffin recipe and latched onto it.
The muffins were tasty, but they always made a mess of the pan. It took me longer to wash the muffin tin than it did to make the actual muffins. And using paper liners didn't help, as ridiculous amounts of muffin would stick to them. Of course none of this kept me from consuming a couple hundred of them—or motivated me to come up with a non-stick version.
After the bran muffins came that classic American breakfast staple, cold cereal with milk. I found an organic, whole grain variety I liked and began purchasing it in quantity whenever it went on sale. To each bowl of cereal I would add small scoops of organic oat bran and wheat bran as well as a handful of dried cranberries or raisins.
Not long after purchasing 11 boxes of this cereal, a hankering for bran muffins appeared in the most incessant way. I could think of nothing else, but I refused to go back to those annoying pan stickers. I set out to create an entirely new bran muffin, and, perhaps because I was so determined, it did not take long to come up with one that I considered scrumptious.
My long held pet peeve regarding bran muffin recipes is that they almost always include some type of bran cereal. This, to me, is ridiculous. Why make muffins from scratch using overpriced (and often overprocessed) cereal when pure organic bran is available for a couple of pennies per serving? I recently came across a recipe that had the nerve to call for two different kinds of cereal.
If one of your New Year's resolutions was to increase the fiber in your diet, this is your lucky day. These bran muffins are made from 100% whole grains, including plenty of both wheat bran and oat bran (giving you soluble and insoluble fiber at once), and yet they don't taste like sawdust or have the consistency of little bricks.
I baked up a batch of the blueberry bran version during my foodie mother's most recent visit, and she declared them to be the best muffins she had ever tasted. The honey and molasses add moisture and flavor and are better for you than granulated sugar. (Update: my mother has since become Queen of the Bran Muffins, baking them for everyone from the staff at her dentist's office to visiting houseguests. Her current favorite version is mixed berry.)
You can start with the basic plain version or go straight to one of the variations listed at the end of the recipe (which I think taste even better the second day). The blueberries will deliver copious amounts of antioxidants along with their little bursts of juicy flavor. Adding mashed bananas to the batter will give you a very moist muffin.
My favorite way to eat these muffins is cut in half and spread with peanut butter and jam. Add a glass of milk, and I am good to go for four or five hours. They make an excellent breakfast on the run or afternoon pick-me-up snack for both kids and adults. The very best thing about them is that they freeze beautifully, which means you can always have some on hand.
This is health food of the highest order—disguised as simply good tasting food. When you serve these muffins there is no need for justification or explanation. No one needs to know that you are packing them with nutrients and possibly increasing their life span—only that you baked them with love.
I have some ideas for other muffin flavor variations (such as a carrot and raisin version made with cooked carrot puree instead of grated raw carrots), but for now I'm more than set. Check back with me in a couple of years.
Chock Full Of Blueberry Bran Muffins—Say Goodbye To Storebought
Farmgirl Susan's Basic Bran Muffin Recipe
Makes about 9 large muffins
It doesn't take long to whip up a batch of these delicious, healthy muffins. This is not a temperamental batter, so feel free to experiment by stirring in whatever fruits or nuts or other things you like into the basic recipe—or try one of my other versions listed below. You can also check the comments section below for more variations from Farmgirl Fare readers.
I've included the weights of each of the ingredients, so if you have a digital kitchen scale (I love my $49 Oxo Good Grips 9-pound scale) you can simply place your bowl on the scale and pour stuff in without having to mess with measuring cups. Just be sure to zero out the scale after adding each ingredient.
Liquid ingredients are listed by weight—not fluid ounces—so you can pour them straight into the bowl on the scale, too. When adding the baking soda, baking powder, and salt, I recommend weighing in grams or using measuring spoons, as most home kitchen scales are not precise enough to accurately weigh such tiny amounts in ounces.
As always, I urge you to seek out organic and local ingredients whenever possible. Organic wheat bran, oat bran, and whole wheat flour are bargain priced when purchased from the bulk bins at natural food stores. Organic milk and yogurt are available nearly everywhere (you might even try making homemade yogurt
which takes wonderful and is really easy). Look for interesting flavors of honey at farmers' markets.
Every summer I buy 5 gallons of fresh blueberries from a nearby organic grower and freeze them in one-gallon zipper bags to be enjoyed all year long. An outing to a pick-your-own farm is a wonderful way to spend the day with kids and take home some delicious bounty. Click here to locate one in your area (includes listings in several countries).
2 cups (3oz / 86g) wheat bran
1 cup (5oz / 141g) oat bran
1 cup (6oz / 170g) whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons (12g) baking soda
1 teaspoon (6g) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (4g) salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup (5oz by weight / 156g) milk
2/3 cup (5½ oz / 156g) yogurt
1/3 cup (2¼ oz / 65g) canola oil
1/3 cup (3¾ oz / 108g) sweet molasses or cane syrup
1/3 cup (3¾ oz / 108g) honey
1 teaspoon (6g) vanilla extract (optional)
Place oven rack in middle of oven and heat oven to 375°. Grease a standard size muffin pan (I use canola oil and a silicone pastry brush) or line cups with paper liners (which makes cleaning up a breeze).
Combine wheat bran, oat bran, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set aside. Combine eggs, milk, yogurt, canola oil, molasses, and honey in a small bowl and mix well. (Note: you can use all honey or all molasses instead if desired.)
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula just until combined.
Generously fill muffin cups with batter. I use stainless steel scoops, which are also great for portioning out cookie dough.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool muffins in pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then carefully remove from pan and serve warm, or let cool on a wire rack.
Enjoy them plain, drizzled with a little honey, or spread with peanut butter and a slather of your favorite jam (apricot is very nice, as is strawberry—right now I'm loving Trader Joe's Organic Reduced Sugar Preserves). Store muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze. (I think they taste even better the second day.) Defrost muffins at room temperature, or in the microwave if you're in a hurry.
Blueberry Bran Muffins
Makes about 10 large muffins. Follow Basic Bran Muffin recipe, but gently fold 1-1/2 cups (7-1/2oz/214g) fresh or frozen blueberries into the batter. There is no need to defrost frozen berries, but do quickly rinse off any ice with cold water. Note to blueberry lovers: I made a batch of these yesterday and, using my MoreMoreMore philosophy, crammed 2 cups of big fat blueberries into the batter—yum.
Blueberry Banana Bran Muffins
Makes 12-14 large and very moist muffins. Follow Basic Bran Muffin recipe, but stir mashed very ripe banana (2 small bananas, about about 9 oz/255g including peel) into wet ingredients. Then gently fold 1-1/2 cups (7-1/2oz/214g) fresh or frozen blueberries into the finished batter. Baking time may need to be increased to 25 to 28 minutes.
Cranberry Orange Bran Muffins
Makes about 10 large muffins. Follow Basic Bran Muffin recipe, but replace the 2/3 cup milk with 2/3 cup orange juice and omit the vanilla extract. Stir 1 cup (4-1/2oz/127g) orange flavored dried cranberries (I recently discovered these at Trader Joe's and think they are absolutely wonderful) or regular dried cranberries to finished batter. For muffins with more orange flavor, stir 1 teaspoon finely chopped or grated orange zest into the wet ingredients.
Other sweet recipes on Farmgirl Fare:
100% Whole Grain Ginger Pear Bran Muffins
Heavenly Lemon Coconut Quick Bread
Easy Orange Yogurt Loaf Cake
Blueberry Breakfast Bars
Just Peachy Blueberry Breakfast Bars
Apple Blueberry Crumble Bars
Mexican Monkey Cake
Cranberry Christmas Scones
Spicy Pumpkin Pecan Raisin Muffins
Really Raspberry Tartlets
Emergency Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Babycakes
Choco-Oat-Butterscotch-Coconut Crazy Cookies
Molasses Ginger Spice Snaps
Chocolate Biscotti For Beginners
Toasted Almond Chocolate Chip Biscotti
Yip Yap Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Banana Snaps
Easy Baby Shortbread Bites with Mini Chocolate Chips & Toffee Bits
Still hungry?
You'll find links to all my sweet & savory Less Fuss, More Flavor recipes in the right sidebar under Previous Posts: Food Stuff W/ Recipes. Enjoy!
© Copyright 2007 FarmgirlFare.com, the fiber-filled blog where Farmgirl Susan shares recipes, stories & photos of her crazy country life on 240 remote Missouri acres—and sometimes we throw breakfast caution to the wind and start our day with a hunk of chocolate cake and a large glass of ice-cold milk instead of muffins.
The only reason I don't have coffee ice cream every time I visit my favorite ice cream parlor is because they have a rotating menu of homemade flavors, and coffee is not always available. Ordering my first scoop of chocolate almond took several agonizing minutes of deliberation and an extraordinary amount of courage.
I don't find it tiresome to eat the same dinner four or five nights in a row, and I happen to believe that one of the tastiest things in the entire world is homemade leftover anything.
These are handy qualities to have if much of your food comes from the farmers' market or the garden, as I have come to realize that the true definition of eating seasonally means you devour something for so many meals on end that you don't even want to think about it until next year.
At breakfast time, my routine pattern of eating extends well beyond a rut; it's more like a bottomless pit. It's a good thing I don't live anywhere near a Chinese bakery since I could happily eat a warm baked pork bun every morning for the next 20 or 30 years.
Because life on a farm is defined by a never ending series of surprises, you really cannot plan ahead or count on much of anything. This, of course, is what makes it so interesting. It also means that I find a great deal of comfort in something as simple as knowing exactly what my morning meal will be for the next several months.
For a while I was stuck on oatmeal, cooked slowly on the stove with extra bran, a handful of wild blackberries from the freezer tossed in at the last minute. A bowl of hot oatmeal with a splash of cold milk, a dash of vanilla, and a sprinkle of cinnamon made for dozens of wholesome and invigorating breakfasts.
Next I hit upon bran muffins. My first creation called for making up large quantities of a complicated mix of dry ingredients ahead of time, thus allowing you to stir together the actual batter in seconds flat. Then I came upon a banana bran muffin recipe and latched onto it.
The muffins were tasty, but they always made a mess of the pan. It took me longer to wash the muffin tin than it did to make the actual muffins. And using paper liners didn't help, as ridiculous amounts of muffin would stick to them. Of course none of this kept me from consuming a couple hundred of them—or motivated me to come up with a non-stick version.
After the bran muffins came that classic American breakfast staple, cold cereal with milk. I found an organic, whole grain variety I liked and began purchasing it in quantity whenever it went on sale. To each bowl of cereal I would add small scoops of organic oat bran and wheat bran as well as a handful of dried cranberries or raisins.
Not long after purchasing 11 boxes of this cereal, a hankering for bran muffins appeared in the most incessant way. I could think of nothing else, but I refused to go back to those annoying pan stickers. I set out to create an entirely new bran muffin, and, perhaps because I was so determined, it did not take long to come up with one that I considered scrumptious.
My long held pet peeve regarding bran muffin recipes is that they almost always include some type of bran cereal. This, to me, is ridiculous. Why make muffins from scratch using overpriced (and often overprocessed) cereal when pure organic bran is available for a couple of pennies per serving? I recently came across a recipe that had the nerve to call for two different kinds of cereal.
If one of your New Year's resolutions was to increase the fiber in your diet, this is your lucky day. These bran muffins are made from 100% whole grains, including plenty of both wheat bran and oat bran (giving you soluble and insoluble fiber at once), and yet they don't taste like sawdust or have the consistency of little bricks.
I baked up a batch of the blueberry bran version during my foodie mother's most recent visit, and she declared them to be the best muffins she had ever tasted. The honey and molasses add moisture and flavor and are better for you than granulated sugar. (Update: my mother has since become Queen of the Bran Muffins, baking them for everyone from the staff at her dentist's office to visiting houseguests. Her current favorite version is mixed berry.)
You can start with the basic plain version or go straight to one of the variations listed at the end of the recipe (which I think taste even better the second day). The blueberries will deliver copious amounts of antioxidants along with their little bursts of juicy flavor. Adding mashed bananas to the batter will give you a very moist muffin.
My favorite way to eat these muffins is cut in half and spread with peanut butter and jam. Add a glass of milk, and I am good to go for four or five hours. They make an excellent breakfast on the run or afternoon pick-me-up snack for both kids and adults. The very best thing about them is that they freeze beautifully, which means you can always have some on hand.
This is health food of the highest order—disguised as simply good tasting food. When you serve these muffins there is no need for justification or explanation. No one needs to know that you are packing them with nutrients and possibly increasing their life span—only that you baked them with love.
I have some ideas for other muffin flavor variations (such as a carrot and raisin version made with cooked carrot puree instead of grated raw carrots), but for now I'm more than set. Check back with me in a couple of years.
Chock Full Of Blueberry Bran Muffins—Say Goodbye To Storebought
Farmgirl Susan's Basic Bran Muffin Recipe
Makes about 9 large muffins
It doesn't take long to whip up a batch of these delicious, healthy muffins. This is not a temperamental batter, so feel free to experiment by stirring in whatever fruits or nuts or other things you like into the basic recipe—or try one of my other versions listed below. You can also check the comments section below for more variations from Farmgirl Fare readers.
I've included the weights of each of the ingredients, so if you have a digital kitchen scale (I love my $49 Oxo Good Grips 9-pound scale) you can simply place your bowl on the scale and pour stuff in without having to mess with measuring cups. Just be sure to zero out the scale after adding each ingredient.
Liquid ingredients are listed by weight—not fluid ounces—so you can pour them straight into the bowl on the scale, too. When adding the baking soda, baking powder, and salt, I recommend weighing in grams or using measuring spoons, as most home kitchen scales are not precise enough to accurately weigh such tiny amounts in ounces.
As always, I urge you to seek out organic and local ingredients whenever possible. Organic wheat bran, oat bran, and whole wheat flour are bargain priced when purchased from the bulk bins at natural food stores. Organic milk and yogurt are available nearly everywhere (you might even try making homemade yogurt
which takes wonderful and is really easy). Look for interesting flavors of honey at farmers' markets.Every summer I buy 5 gallons of fresh blueberries from a nearby organic grower and freeze them in one-gallon zipper bags to be enjoyed all year long. An outing to a pick-your-own farm is a wonderful way to spend the day with kids and take home some delicious bounty. Click here to locate one in your area (includes listings in several countries).
2 cups (3oz / 86g) wheat bran
1 cup (5oz / 141g) oat bran
1 cup (6oz / 170g) whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons (12g) baking soda
1 teaspoon (6g) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (4g) salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup (5oz by weight / 156g) milk
2/3 cup (5½ oz / 156g) yogurt
1/3 cup (2¼ oz / 65g) canola oil
1/3 cup (3¾ oz / 108g) sweet molasses or cane syrup
1/3 cup (3¾ oz / 108g) honey
1 teaspoon (6g) vanilla extract (optional)
Place oven rack in middle of oven and heat oven to 375°. Grease a standard size muffin pan (I use canola oil and a silicone pastry brush) or line cups with paper liners (which makes cleaning up a breeze).
Combine wheat bran, oat bran, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set aside. Combine eggs, milk, yogurt, canola oil, molasses, and honey in a small bowl and mix well. (Note: you can use all honey or all molasses instead if desired.)
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula just until combined.
Generously fill muffin cups with batter. I use stainless steel scoops, which are also great for portioning out cookie dough.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool muffins in pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then carefully remove from pan and serve warm, or let cool on a wire rack.
Enjoy them plain, drizzled with a little honey, or spread with peanut butter and a slather of your favorite jam (apricot is very nice, as is strawberry—right now I'm loving Trader Joe's Organic Reduced Sugar Preserves). Store muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze. (I think they taste even better the second day.) Defrost muffins at room temperature, or in the microwave if you're in a hurry.
Blueberry Bran Muffins
Makes about 10 large muffins. Follow Basic Bran Muffin recipe, but gently fold 1-1/2 cups (7-1/2oz/214g) fresh or frozen blueberries into the batter. There is no need to defrost frozen berries, but do quickly rinse off any ice with cold water. Note to blueberry lovers: I made a batch of these yesterday and, using my MoreMoreMore philosophy, crammed 2 cups of big fat blueberries into the batter—yum.
Blueberry Banana Bran Muffins
Makes 12-14 large and very moist muffins. Follow Basic Bran Muffin recipe, but stir mashed very ripe banana (2 small bananas, about about 9 oz/255g including peel) into wet ingredients. Then gently fold 1-1/2 cups (7-1/2oz/214g) fresh or frozen blueberries into the finished batter. Baking time may need to be increased to 25 to 28 minutes.
Cranberry Orange Bran Muffins
Makes about 10 large muffins. Follow Basic Bran Muffin recipe, but replace the 2/3 cup milk with 2/3 cup orange juice and omit the vanilla extract. Stir 1 cup (4-1/2oz/127g) orange flavored dried cranberries (I recently discovered these at Trader Joe's and think they are absolutely wonderful) or regular dried cranberries to finished batter. For muffins with more orange flavor, stir 1 teaspoon finely chopped or grated orange zest into the wet ingredients.
Other sweet recipes on Farmgirl Fare:
100% Whole Grain Ginger Pear Bran Muffins
Heavenly Lemon Coconut Quick Bread
Easy Orange Yogurt Loaf Cake
Blueberry Breakfast Bars
Just Peachy Blueberry Breakfast Bars
Apple Blueberry Crumble Bars
Mexican Monkey Cake
Cranberry Christmas Scones
Spicy Pumpkin Pecan Raisin Muffins
Really Raspberry Tartlets
Emergency Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Babycakes
Choco-Oat-Butterscotch-Coconut Crazy Cookies
Molasses Ginger Spice Snaps
Chocolate Biscotti For Beginners
Toasted Almond Chocolate Chip Biscotti
Yip Yap Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Banana Snaps
Easy Baby Shortbread Bites with Mini Chocolate Chips & Toffee Bits
Still hungry?
You'll find links to all my sweet & savory Less Fuss, More Flavor recipes in the right sidebar under Previous Posts: Food Stuff W/ Recipes. Enjoy!
© Copyright 2007 FarmgirlFare.com, the fiber-filled blog where Farmgirl Susan shares recipes, stories & photos of her crazy country life on 240 remote Missouri acres—and sometimes we throw breakfast caution to the wind and start our day with a hunk of chocolate cake and a large glass of ice-cold milk instead of muffins.
Labels: baking, blueberries, muffins scones and quickbreads, recipes, whole grain breads
posted by Farmgirl Susan at 9:46 AM
79 Comments:
These look awfully good... I think I feel a need for muffins this weekend! Do you think it would still work if I reduced the salt in this recipe? I have to watch my sodium intake.
Thanks!
Ok, this I really have to try. I should eat more fiber - and these look delicious.
I need a muffin! Now! I generally stay away from muffins of any kind because they're high in calories, but these are calling to me! Send one, pretty please!
Gorgeous -- and good tips, all along. Definite food for thought and food for, um, tummy.
your muffins look quite yummy.bran muffins remind me of my mom and being a kid. is'nt funny how stuff you thought of as being yucky when growing up seems sentimental and wholesome as a big kid! I make my carrot cake from cooked mashed carrots. A great recipe from ,The Silver Palate.The carrot peels are mixed in with my ponies grain for a yummy treat for them!
Another stellar post! Your honesty about your eating habits (eating standing up at the counter, moaning while eating) leave me hooting. I'll try these asap - but no oat bran, please. Tastes like....something tinny, teeth-on-edge setting.......
I was looking for recipes using blueberries on Technorati and found your blog. You are too cool - I'd love to be out in the country. Keep up the good work...and don't forget blueberries are yummy on their own (I pour a little organic cream, sprinkle with cinnamon, and nosh on them for breakfast). Cheers!
These look wonderful and I'm going to make them on this chilly weekend as they will be a welcome way to ward off the cold.
Thank you for another wonderful recipe! I can hardly wait to try it.
Your pita recipe was so good!
Thank you very much.
P.S. I am hoping I don't have to wait a couple of years for your carrot and raisin muffin recipe. Using a carrot puree sounds good!
Thanks again.
Oh goody . . . I just finally decided I've had enough of scones for breakfast (for a while). I used to love bran and banana muffins, when I was a kid. These sound perfect.
I always wondered how many characters you could squeeze into a comment...
Muffins look great! I know I should eat breakfast, but I don't. Having something I can grab on my way out might solve that.
Bless you for including the weight in grams Susan!
Now that a friend of mine offered me mesuaring cups, you give us the measures in weight!!!
A big hug for all these recipes of muffins.
Do you ship? Or better yet, can I reserve a table in your kitchen?
Hi, Farm Girl! I LOVE your site!! The muffins sound amazing, but...I'm a vegan...could I sub soy milk, etc...for animal products? THANKS for the fab site!
Hi Marty52,
I think these muffins would probably come out fine if you reduced the salt from 1/2 teaspoon to 1/4 teaspoon. If that works, you could try it with just a pinch--or even none at all. If you do make a lower sodium version, I'd love to hear how they come out.
Hi Anne,
This is a truly delicious (and painless) way to eat more fiber. Really. : )
Hi Flights Of Fab Fashion Fancy,
I haven't done the actual figuring, but I don't think these muffins are super high in calories. A lot of recipes I've seen have much more oil or butter and lots of sugar--both of which pack on the calories. I'd send you one, but really, you should just make up a batch yourself so you can try one warm out of the oven. : )
Hi Alanna,
Thanks!
Hi Martha,
I love The Silver Palate cookbooks. I'll have to look that carrot cake recipe up. I don't peel my carrots anymore--just scrub them--so Donkey Doodle Dandy doesn't get any peels (though I do give him whole organic carrots sometimes--he loves them).
Hi Kat,
Always nice to hear that I can make somebody hoot just by revealing details about my eating habits, LOL. Not an oat bran fan? The best thing to do with this recipe would probably be to use an extra cup of whole wheat flour in place of the oat bran. Since the original only calls for 1 cup of whole wheat flour, I think you'd need something more substantial than another cup of wheat bran. Do let me know if you make them without the oat bran.
Hi Jen,
So glad you stumbled upon my blog. Oh yes, I am well acquainted with the yumminess of plain blueberries. When I first pick up my annual five gallons from the nearby grower I usually end up eating bowl after bowl after bowl of them with my fingers.
Hi eddybles.com,
Good idea--there's nothing like a kitchen full of warm muffins to ward off a winter chill. : )
Hi Esther,
Great to hear you had success with my pita bread recipe! I've been thinking about the carrot puree bran muffin idea, but it probably is gonna be a while before I get around to trying it--several dozen more blueberry bran muffins at least, LOL. But I did warn you. : )
Hi Jade,
You know I love scones, too. There's a reason I only make one batch at a time--because if there are 8 or 10 in the freezer I will eat one a day for the next 8 or 10 days in a row, so if there were, say, 30 or 40 in there. . . I should probably come up with a healthier scone that will fill me up longer.
These bran muffins are good with just the banana added--nice and moist. Great with peanut butter.
Hi Melissa,
I can be bad about eating breakfast, too. That's one of the reasons I like bran muffins so much--if one is waiting for me on the counter I have no excuse to skip breakfast. I usually take one or two out of the freezer at night, put them in a little plastic container, and they're ready to grab and eat by morning. They also make great on the go snacks--if we're headed off the farm for a while I'll pack one or two along.
Hi Joe,
One of these days I'll get around to adding the weights in ounces and grams to the rest of my recipes, too. Using a little scale really does make baking a breeze--though I have found it a bit difficult to remove honey or molasses from the bowl of ingredients if you pour in too much, LOL. : )
Hi Mijo,
Always so nice to hear from you! See? All you had to do to finally get me to convert to metric was to find yourself some measuring cups. : ) Hold onto them, though--I know you'll find them handy.
Hi Pablo,
You can reserve a table in my kitchen, but I'll probably serve you cereal--somebody has to eat those 11 boxes. : )
Hi Michelle,
Wow, I love your enthusiasm. I think you could definitely use soy milk in place of the milk in this recipe (especially since I made the cranberry orange version using orange juice instead of milk and it came out fine). As for the yogurt, is there some kind of non-dairy yogurt you could use--something thicker than soymilk? If not, I would just try soy milk in place of the milk and the yogurt. As for the eggs--I am guessing you have some kind of substitute in mind for them, as I don't think you could just leave them out. If you come up with a successful vegan version of these bran muffins I'd love to hear about it.
Thanks, everybody, for taking the time to write. Happy baking!
Hi, Susan. Love your site and would dearly like to know how you did it. I recently started a food blog here in Washington, DC.
Regards,
Ed Bruske
www.theslowcook.com
Hi Susan!
Delurking (from Forsyth,Missouri!) for a minute to tell you how much I love your blog. I've already got a batch of these in my oven and you must have read my mind...been looking a for a GOOD bran muffin without cereal for years.
Thanks! Can't wait to try them.
Bran scones!
Can't wait to try these; well maybe after the mexican monkey cake! I wanted to thank you for the recommendation - I have started looking for a copy of Raising Sheep the Modern Way!
Unfortunately, the 3rd ewe we had lost 1 of her triplets (good news is that we were able to save her and the remaining twins). I am currently bottle feeding them however, as she's not got enough milk (nothing like 2am feedings). I hope to get them off the bottle soon by using a bucket w/nipples which we are going to try this weekend.
Two more ewes to go - I think they are going to have triplets by the size of them!
Thanks again for your online help and of course the recipes!
ps - the hand held blender - best tool ever for mixing the lamb's milk replacement formula!
I am going to make these on Sunday! Thanks for the recipe!
I love cooking with bran. Muffins, cookies even breads. There's something so filling about them. I should really get around to posting some of my own multigrain/high fibre recipes on CassiesKitchen.com .
Awesome blog and your sheep are so cute. :) Baaaaah!
Count me as another who can eat the same thing over and over. While I do love to cook and try new things, I will also eat the same breakfast or lunch, day after day. Most of my family does not share my love of leftovers, but they do like baked goods. I'll be making these muffins for them. I love your blog!
I can't remember the last time I made bran muffins. Guess it's cause I'm on a smoothie kick. With all of your delicious suggested combos, I have no excuse now. Thanks!
I made these, with blueberries, the day I read it on your site. I didn't have an extra muffin tin, [(the other got burned in a bizarre cooking mishap- don't ask!!! ;)] so I made 6 muffins, and a loaf- both of which turned out extremely well. YUM!
We try not to indulge in too much dairy, so I substituted soy/rice milk for the milk, and a silken soft tofu for the yogurt. They turned out just fine!
Up next..... cranberry orange.
Thank you!
Yum! I made the blueberry version last night. They are very good and moist. This morning I had one with butter and honey and my coffee while reading the paper. Great start to the day, Thanks!
Your muffins look terribly tasty!
And I don't stop by here nearly enough for either good mental or physical health!
XR
I made the blueberry bran ones yesterday for some friends. Really good! I'll be making these quite a bit, methinks.
Thanks for the recipe :-)
I recently went through DBF's grandmother's recipe box, and was both amused and disappointed to find a couple dozen Kellogg's recipe cards from the 1940's, which gave me numerous ways to use their cereals in recipes ranging from All-Bran muffins to Corn-Flake encrusted salmon. Not exactly the "old family recipes" I was hoping for! But your muffins look delicious...mmmmm...now I need a muffin...
I *big puffy heart* bran muffins and coffee ice cream at the same time, we are two peas in a pod!!
xxoo
Riana in France
I am so fricken sold on these it's amazing I haven't run right out of the office to go home and bake some RIGHT NOW.
No, I will wait. But not long. This weekend, baby, I'm making some muffins.
Then, of course, I will post photos, boast unmercifully and crown you the princess of all yummy things.
BTW: do people really have a resolution to eat more fiber? Funny...
Been lurking for a while and I love your blogs (for food, gardening, and the critters). Made these today and they are so yummy! Can't wait to try with Trader Joe's Cashew-Macademia Butter! For the vegan poster earlier, Nancy's Yogurt makes an all-vegan cultured soy (just google for a link).
I love these!!! Lightened the recipe a bit, and added more oj, and this will now be the only bran muffin recipe I make. I'm going to try the cranberry variation next... or the blueberry...
As a follow up to my previous semi-stalkerish comment, I would like to tell you that I have, fiiiiiinally (it felt like forever), baked up a batch of these muffins.
Yeah, yummy.
I've had to reign myself in to eating no more than two at a time. You know, because of The Bran Effect.
Up until now, I have not been able to comment due to a typo error on changing over to the new blogger, it is fixed, thank goodness.
Thank you very much for the fantastic EASY Bran Muffin recipe, they are truly the best I have eaten.( and I have eaten one or two every day since making the first batch) I did make one small change, in that I used applesauce instead of oil as I have to watch my calorie intake. They were just as moist.
I tried this recipe, and while they were quite good, I'm wondering if the baking soda and baking powder quantities are switched? There doesn't appear to be nearly enough acid in the yogurt and molasses to neutralize that much baking soda.
I have made a few batches of these muffins (just with raisins so far), and everyone who has tried them loves them! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe. I started reading your blog a couple weeks ago and this is my first comment... to say... I'm really enjoying reading about your farm and your food! My parent's experimented with having a sheep 'hobby farm' when I was young and all the lamb and sheep pictures bring back memories and make me smile. I am relatively new to the whole world of food... well, not to the eating part... but to the cooking/baking/growing/etc parts and it's wonderful to have stumbled upon your blogs!
Thanks so much for this recipe! I tried them this weekend and they're great - even my husband (Mr. "if it's healthy it can't taste good") likes them.
I stumbled across this gem of a site....thx for sharing your secrets farm girl. I really like the fact the recipes can be altered...that is how i cook, what ever I have is what goes in.
I exchanged the honey and molasses for demerara sugar, noticed it was too dry and decided to stir in 3 ripe bananas...and wowzas.
from a mom of 4... thx for the healthy treats.
I made the plain bran muffins last night to have for breakfast this a.m. and have to say that these are delicious! I used a little pomegranate molasses along with the honey and regular molasses (i was running out of the latter), and also substituted coconut oil in place of canola. Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Everybody,
Thanks so much for your feedback and for taking the time to write. I'm tickled that so many of you are enjoying this recipe. And it's wonderful to hear all the delicious little changes you've made to make it your own. Happy baking!
Anne,
The baking soda and baking powder quantities are correct.
What I've never been able to figure out regarding baking powder and baking soda is this: if baking soda needs to be combined with acid ingredients to work, what is the acid ingredient in chocolate chip cookies--or nearly any cookie recipe for that matter? Because they nearly all call for baking soda. I've asked a few foodie experts, and so far nobody knows the answer. Anybody? : )
What good fortunate to find your site and recipe when I googled "best bran muffins". I was looking for a recipe that used all natural ingredients - no processed packaged ingredients. I substituted organic rolled oats (ground to flour iin my coffee grinder) for the oat bran and used organic stone ground spelt flour in place of the whole wheat. I also replaced the canola oil with grapeseed oil and used half the amount of molasses but topped up the quantity with honey (NZ Manuka). Other than that I used exactly the same ingredients and process. The end result is PERFECTION! Thank you!
I was eavesdropping on another comment from Michelle, a vegan, and read your response. I have good news regarding eggs in quick-bread recipes: they can usually be left completely out with little effect on the turnout, or replaced with flaxseed meal and water if you really want to put something in their place. My mother is an excellent cook, and though we aren't strictly vegan we avoid eggs and dairy for health reasons, and have great results. I'll try augmenting the recipe and see what happens (I love playing around with recipes...)
I'll post another comment when I have success.
~Alice
These muffins are a breath of fresh air! The recipe turned out amazingly and I am NOT a skilled baker in the least! I halved the recipe for my first go and used a 10-grain flour in place of ww flour (buckweat, oat, rye, spelt, quinoa, chickpea etc) and they turned out wonderfully.
As an athlete, I consume a huge volume of food, and am always on the lookour for breakfast ideas (sans sugar, sans anything non-naturally occurring)that are nutrient-dense and portable. I hit the jackpot with these muffins! Fibrous, filling and fabulous! Thanks for sharing :)
Hi, I just tried your recipe and they are delicious! I added some frozen berries to part of the batch (I ended up making 12 plain, and had enough for 6 more berry ones!) I didn't have but a cup of wheat bran, so I substituted the other cup with bran flakes cereal!! I know, not exactly gourmet, but they are still yummy.
Thanks for the recipe- I can't wait to try the ginger pear ones after my next trip to Trader Joe's (also one of my fave places!)
These look wonderful! Better than the ones I whipped up today. I'll try one of your recipes next and will recommend you as a resource. Cheers!
Your mom is so right; these are the best muffins ever! I made a batch of the cranberry-orange variation for breakfasts this week and am loving them.
Recently enjoying Trader Joe's muffins has motivated me to try to simulate what I consider a perfect bran muffin. I was very eager to try your recipe and had great success!
I made the Banana Blueberry variation but used skim milk and egg substitute (egg beaters). I also used a 6oz container of vanilla yogurt and omitted the vanilla extract. I reduced the molasses to 3T because I used 2 1/2 very small bananas but this proved too moist. I recommend omitting some oil (use 3T) or using peanut butter or applesauce in its place when making this variety.
I have posted about them with all the adjustments on my blog: Peanut Butter Boy. By the way, these are great topped with peanut butter or my cinnamon currant variety. I'll be making these again soon with further adjustments. Thanks for sharing!
Do the blueberry bran muffins taste really unsweet without sugar? The recipe I have used for bran muffins has no sugar but my husband says it is not sweet enough.
Yummy, these are great! With blueberries, this recipe made 18 regular sized muffins. Very good smeared with apple butter. This recipe is a keeper!
I just wanted to let you know that I created a very different flavor, one that I highly recommend: Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter & Peach. They are absolutely wonderful, I enjoyed them much more than even the banana blueberry ones (2 of my favorite fruits).
I actually replaced all of the oil with peanut butter, peach puree and peach applesauce. You really need to give these ones a try. Thanks again for this base recipe!
Thanks so much for the awesome recipe! I love them! I was able to calculate the nutrition facts for the basic muffins with orange juice instead of milk.
For 1/16th of the batter.
Calories 131
Total Fat 1.7g
Cholesterol 27mg
Sodium 178mg
Potassium 178mg
Total Carbohydrates 25g
Dietary Fiber 2g
Sugar 10g
Protein 3g
These are the best bran muffins I have ever eaten! I subbed applesauce for the yogurt and added a few handfuls of raisins/craisins. I bought some dried blueberries to try next week. Thank you!
Hi,
Just made these and they are awesome! I have a huge batch in my freezer, which my husband and I are quickly making our way through.
I posted your recipe on my blog, alexandra's kitchen. I hope that's OK with you ... I linked to your blog as well. The actual post can be read here: Whole Grain Muffins Round Two.
I am loving reading your blog!
ali
I made these muffins according to the recipe a couple of weeks ago, and they were great. Today I made them again, but I added chopped hazelnuts, cocoa powder, and chocolate chunks. THEY ARE SO GOOD!!!!!!
FG,
I made these muffins today after looking for a better bran muffin recipe.... They are FAB-U-LOUS. Moist, delicious, body but not heavy. I put some apricots in them.Thanks for sharing.
I have to share a story, my now hubbie and I dated long distance for many years. I sent him home one time with a dozen bran muffins, about 2:1 bran to ww flour. I WARNED him not to eat more than 1 or 2 on the 8 hour drive home..... But of course being the macho man he is, he ate more than half of them in the first two hours of his trip.... Well, he hit every rest area he passed for the rest of the trip. He told me he thought I was kidding!!! Men... Anyway, now he listens when I say ONE MUFFIN.
Ellen
Amazing recipe! Thanks so much for posting this!
Here's my experience making these amazing muffins!
This a great bran muffin recipe, and I've tried many. I used oatmeal instead of oatbran... and
maple syrup instead of honey.
They are excellent w/ pecans and
dried bluberries!!
This is exactly what I'm looking for! It's one of my pet peeves too that all the bran muffin recipes call for bran cereal and an exhorbitant amount of sugar. I'm going to try these out this week.
This recipe for bran muffins looks delicious and just what I'm looking for. Our local Whole Foods stopped making the big bran muffins and that's all for the best because now I can make my own. I have marked your blog as a 'favorite' so I will be back to check on your farm life!
Joan
Love your story and love this recipe. It is similar to one I have in my secret collection of absolute favorites - with very few differences.
I myself recently moved from CA to the country life of Idaho, and being 28, I can relate to your story. I am loving it so far and also loving your blog! I'll be back!!
I, too, have the same quibbles about cereal in my muffin recipes. Why not source bran from... bran?
Thanks for a fabulous alternative. I baked this recipe up and wrote about it on my blog. I linked back to this page - hope that's okay!
I've eaten three or four muffins a week for the past year. So I decided to try your recipe to make them myself for the first time. As a member of a food co-op, I was able to find the ingredients easily.
They taste great. Very rich and hearty. Nice to know what a genuine bran muffin tastes like. The canola oil made cleaning up the pan very easy. I'm looking forward to trying the banana version...
Thanks!
Love these muffins! Thanks for posting the recipe as I especially love that it's not made with cereal. I keep changing up what I'm adding to the basic mix and currently that is 1 t. cinnamon, 1/2 can drained crushed pineapple and a mixture of chopped prunes, raisins and orange cranberries rolled in a bit of the flour. If I have buttermilk on hand, I'll substitute that for the nonfat milk for a bit of tang.
My M.D. even received a basketful of fresh bran muffins at my last week's appointment. She LOVED them!
I cooked these muffins a second time - this time with banana. (No blueberries.) They came out well again.
I am sort of an amateur baker, so perhaps this next bit of advice won't be helpful:
I used an organic sea salt. Sea salt is stronger than regular salt so the muffins came out salty. With honey they get better, but definitely cut back on the salt if you use sea salt or an organic salt.
Next time!
Thanks for a yummy recipe. I made the banana and blueberry ones. I love how they aren't sugary!
I've been looking for a muffin like this for a long time. In Oregon a place called Coffee People used to make these. I made them with raspberries and used almond extract instead of vanilla. Delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Brenna
I'm a recent college grad who grew up on a farm in WV. I think what you're doing is so cool. I went to school far away, and I miss the farm like crazy; your blog is a nice "country fix" for me when I'm having a particularly homesick moment.
I stumbled upon this recipe while searching for a recipe for muffins so I could get rid of a box of bran cereal I had lying around. That batch was so good that I was inspired to buy straight wheat- and oat-bran and the second batch turned out exponentially more delicious! I will NEVER buy all-bran again. :)
Hi,
Can you tell me how many grams of soluble and insoluble fiber are in each muffin? Some one said 2GRAMS, but that seems like too little.
Abby650gmail.co,
im going to try this out someday...they look too good and delicious to eat!
I made these muffins and thoroughly enjoyed them. I made some substitutions (ricotta cheese instead of yogurt, water instead of milk), but the ratios were spot on! Muffins were moist and delicious. Thank you!
Made the blueberry version last night. I haven't made bran muffins before and have to admit I was dubious. They're fantastic! Really really tasty and just sweet enough. Thanks to you and your mom!
Great recipe! Made several different versions and all were great; zucchini walnut and carrot are awesome options to replace blueberries or banana's. I made them in bulk and froze them for about an hour once they cooled, then used a "foodsaver" and shrink-wrapped them, then stored them back in the freezer. Take them out about 2 hours before you want to eat them and they taste great. Thanks for the recipe!
Everyone seems to love the idea of these muffins and some have actually tried them with good reviews, but did they follow the grams or the ounces? The quantities seem reversed between the two systems.
Hi Jennifer,
You're very welcome! Thanks for coming back and letting us know you enjoyed them.
Hi Mandy,
I'm so glad you're having such fun with this recipe! I have a zucchini/carrot/raisin version I've been meaning to write about for ages - and I just found a couple of forgotten packages of frozen shredded zucchini in the freezer. It must be a sign. : )
Anonymous,
I've made this recipe numerous times following all three measurements - volume (cups, etc.), ounces, and grams. There shouldn't be any problem with the quantities.
When I first created the recipe, I used volume measurements, and to get the weights I measured out each ingredient, placed it on the scale, recorded the amount in ounces, and then hit the kg/lb button which then gave me the weight in grams.
The only way you might see a difference is in the weights of your ingredients - for example, one cup of the oat bran I use weighs 5 ounces, or 141 grams. But if your actual oat bran is lighter, then a cup of yours might only weigh 4½ ounces.
The weights of dry ingredients especially can vary wildly depending on everything from the weather to the milling process, which is why professional bakers rely on weights rather than volume measurements when baking.
I've fallen back in love with bran muffins.
Thank you for the great recipe!
I've never liked bran muffins before, but I have trouble keeping fiber in my diet and I always find myself hungry after breakfast... solution? Bran muffins! I spent hours looking for a recipe like this, and I'm so glad I found it. They are delicious!
MMMMMMM!!! I just made these and they are so super tasty! I've also been totally annoyed at bran muffin recipes calling for store-bought cereals. This recipe is FANTASTIC - muffins turned out so moist and delicious. I used melted butter instead of canola oil, and added fresh cranberries, flax seeds and walnuts. Thanks farmgirl!
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