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Bran Muffins

5 from 460 votes

These super healthy bran muffins are extra soft, moist, and perfect for breakfast!

The Best Homemade Bran Muffin Recipe

Homemade bran muffins are so delicious and easy to make from scratch, you’ll never need to spend money buying a box mix again.

The wholesome recipe is packed with fiber and nutrition!

And you can freeze leftovers for later, which means the healthy muffins are also a really great option for breakfast meal prep.

Also try these Black Bean Brownies

Egg Free Vegan Bran Muffins

The best bran muffin recipe

Fluffy good-for-you bran muffins, with no buttermilk required!

The easy classic muffin recipe can be low fat, oil free, vegan, gluten free, soy free, cholesterol free, nut free, high in fiber, and dairy free.

Plus, they use up pantry staple ingredients that you can always keep on hand, no eggs needed. Serve them for breakfast, pack into a lunch box, or prepare the muffins as a kid friendly healthy snack.

Serve them plain or topped with almond butter or peanut butter and strawberry jam, mashed banana, vegan cream cheese, apple butter, or your favorite butter spread.

Bran Muffin Ingredients

Healthy bran muffin ingredients

The flour: The recipe works with spelt flour, white flour, or oat flour. If you’d prefer flourless muffins made with almond meal, try these Keto Muffins.

The bran flakes: Pretty much any bran flake cereal will work here. I buy Whole Foods brand, because it’s free of high fructose corn syrup. All-Bran flakes or Trader Joe’s Organic Bran Flakes are also fine to use.

For gluten free muffins, corn flakes work instead of bran cereals. I haven’t tried buckwheat flakes yet. Oat bran flakes can be used for wheat free muffins.

The sweetener: You can use your favorite granulated sweetener here, including regular sugar, coconut sugar or date sugar, or granulated erythritol for sugar free muffins.

To add nutrition and flavor, I use blackstrap molasses as the liquid sweetener, which is high in iron and calcium. However, you can sub pure maple syrup, agave, honey, or keto syrup if desired.

The yogurt: This actually doesn’t need to be yogurt. I’ve made them with applesauce, roasted mashed sweet potato, vegan yogurt, or mashed banana (really good!).

Or turn them into carrot bran muffins by substituting an equal amount of cooked and then mashed carrot, or make pumpkin bran muffins with canned pumpkin.

The add-ins: The most popular choice is to add half a cup of raisins for raisin bran muffins. Or throw in a handful of shredded coconut, 1-2 tbsp flax or chia seeds, or press a few blueberries into the top of each muffin before baking.

Trending right now: Vegan Banana Bread

Easy Bran Muffins For Breakfast

How to make bran muffins

Start by gathering all of the ingredients.

In a large mixing bowl, cover the bran flakes with the milk of choice, and let it sit for half an hour. This softens the flakes so your finished muffins will be nice and soft.

Line a muffin tin, and preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Add all remaining ingredients to the large bowl with the bran flakes and milk, and stir to form a muffin batter.

Portion the batter evenly into the lined muffin tin, and bake on the oven’s center rack for 20 minutes or until the muffins have risen and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out mostly clean.

Let cool. If you cover them loosely overnight, the muffins are sweeter and have a better texture the next day. Thanks to some of the moisture evaporating, the liners peel off easily the next day too (even in the low fat and oil free version).

Many people believe bran muffins are a good choice to help with weight loss or promoting good digestion and preventing constipation, thanks to the insoluble and soluble fiber.

I just like them because they are delicious and their neutral flavor goes well with sweet or savory breakfast options, from scrambles to smoothies (like this Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie).

Healthy Bran Muffins

Muffin Storage Tips

The bakery style muffins can be left out for a day, loosely covered so extra moisture has a way to escape, ensuring the baked goods won’t get soggy.

For optimum freshness after a day, I like to store the muffins in the refrigerator, in a single layer in an airtight container lined with paper towels. They usually last for three to four days this way.

For longer storage, leftovers can also be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for a month or two. Store in a single layer, or put a layer of parchment in between layers so the bran muffins don’t stick together.

Thaw frozen muffins before eating, either by defrosting overnight or by warming in the microwave or oven.

This yummy eggless muffin recipe will remind you of the old fashioned bran muffin recipe your grandmother used to make!

Above, watch the bran muffin recipe video

Bakery Style Bran Muffin Recipe

The recipe was adapted from my Banana Muffins and Oatmeal Muffins.

Pin it now to save for laterPin Recipe

Bran Muffins

These super healthy bran muffins are extra soft, moist, and perfect for a wholesome breakfast!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Yield 12 bran muffins
5 from 460 votes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups bran flakes (for gluten free option, see note above)
  • 3/4 cup milk of choice
  • 1/2 cup yogurt, applesauce, pumpkin, or mashed banana
  • 2 tbsp oil or additional milk of choice
  • 2 tbsp molasses (or sub pure maple syrup, honey, or agave)
  • optional 1 tbsp ground flax, for added nutrition
  • 1 1/4 cup spelt, white, or oat flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar (see note above for sugar free)
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • optional 1/2 cup raisins

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, soak bran flakes in the milk for half an hour. Then preheat the oven to 400 F. Whisk all remaining ingredients into the bowl to form a batter. Portion into lined muffin tins, and bake on the center rack for 20 minutes. The muffins taste even better the next day, and liners peel off easily after a day as well.
    View Nutrition Facts

Notes

The muffins are a great breakfast with this Avocado Smoothie.
 

Have you made this recipe?

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The Best Easy Healthy Applesauce Muffins

Applesauce Muffins

Published on October 6, 2021

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Reader Interactions

85 Comments

Leave a comment or reviewLeave a rating
    • Karen Becker says

      5 stars
      I just made these today using All Bran Original cereal and they turned out great. I used my kitchen scale to get the correct amount (74 grams).

  1. Shirley @ gluten free easily says

    Just a note that regular corn flakes (Kelloggs) are NOT gluten free because they contain barley in the form of malt flavoring. EnviroKidz, Erewhon, and Nature’s Path all make gluten-free corn flakes though. One would also have to ensure that the oat flour used is made from certified gluten-free purity protocol oats.

    Shirley

  2. Maddie says

    5 stars
    These bran muffins were delicious! We had some for breakfast this morning and are looking forward to more tomorrow 🙂

  3. Pat says

    5 stars
    I’m really excited to try this recipe. The problem is I can’t find vegan bran flakes anywhere. They all contain D3. Do you have a brand that you use that’s vegan?

  4. Lynn says

    5 stars
    I know it’s probably not common to get excited about bran muffins -they are not as interesting as peanut butter chocolate chip streusel muffins or strawberry banana muffins or something else fun -but after making these and loving them, I found myself craving bran muffins again the next day. Like, really craving them way more than you’d think anyone could get excited over a bran muffin recipe 😂😂

  5. Sarah Jean says

    Hey there! I currently use a less healthy version of a bran muffin recipe but what I love about it is that I can leave the extra batter in my fridge for days and up to weeks! Have you tried storing this batter in the fridge between batches days later? Just wondering if my buttermilk version is why it can handle being stored this way. If I can’t do the batter then I would probably just bake them all up and freeze the baked muffins…

  6. Debbie says

    5 stars
    These muffins are really good! I took a guess and used 1 cup of Oat Bran cereal in place of the bran flakes to make them gluten free. I was wondering if that is the right amount of oat bran to substitute for bran flakes?

  7. Jill says

    5 stars
    Very tasty right out of the oven! I reduced the spelt flour to 1 cup and substituted 1/4 c flaxseed for the remaining amount. I used banana and reduced the sugar to 1/4 c. I love how versatile this is. I look forward to trying pumpkin and adding some fall spices to my next batch. I topped the muffins, some with raisins, some nuts, some blueberries. I’ll be putting this on the breakfast rotation. Thanks for sharing!

  8. Joy says

    5 stars
    Delicious! A fun & forgiving recipe. I kept w/in the boundaries of ‘wet ingredients’ by using a banana and some home made yogurt & honey. I also added some dried cranberries and a squish of vanilla bean paste. I did follow the recipes amount of flour/salt/baking powder. The only thing I strayed from is I baked it in a glass bread pan (because I hate making muffins & all the batter sticking to the cups) it came out perfect after adding 10 mins to bake time. I love this recipe! I wish I could post a picture.

  9. Laurie says

    5 stars
    Wonderful recipe! I never made bran muffins myself so wasn’t sure if I would be good at it but the recipe was easy to follow.

  10. Susan K Hicks says

    5 stars
    This recipe is awesome! I was wondering if you could use wheat flour instead? Have you experimented with different flour?

    • CCK Media Team says

      Hi, we have tried spelt flour, white flour, or oat flour. Katie doesn’t often bake with whole wheat flour or pastry flour, but you can definitely experiment. Be sure to report back if you do!

  11. Nancy says

    5 stars
    Tried this recipe tonight and we love them! I used raisins and added Chopped walnuts. Can’t believe they’ll be better tomorrow!

    • LS Nelson says

      5 stars
      The cereal is what makes them taste the way they do, more than any other ingredient. I tried making bran muffins with just wheat bran and chickpea and oat flour. They don’t taste like bran muffins aside from the fiber the bran adds! I’ve also tried using spelt flour without any bran and it comes much closer, so there’s something about the wheat in the cereal that gives them their distinctive flavor.

      Try adding 1 c grated carrot too. Major moisture/flavor improvement when adding the carrot. This is a very forgiving recipe, so experiment all you want.

    • CCK Media Team says

      Thank you so much for making them! Full nutrition facts are linked at the bottom of the recipe box under the ingredients/instructions 🙂

  12. Catherine Maxey says

    5 stars
    Great recipe. I used applesauce. Put a strawberry flavor packet into the milk to soak the cereal in. One of those dry flavor sticks designed to flavor a 16oz bottle of water. Reduced sugar slightly since the strawberry flavor is sweet. Added 1tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp dry mustard. 1/4 tsp black pepper.

  13. Amanda says

    5 stars
    You know they’re good when your kids DEVOUR them when all they ever want is pancakes or high-sugar muffins. Definitely going to make a few batches to freeze (and then hide a batch for myself because if I don’t, I won’t get any!).
    Great recipe!

  14. Katherine says

    5 stars
    Yum; what a great recipe! I’ve made these a few times so far. I like making mini muffins, instead of full size. I was not able to get bran flakes alone; you know, supply chain issues… The cereal I got had almonds and sweetened raisins already added. I decreased the amount of sugar because of the raisins. This recipe is so versatile; I’ve used yogurt, pumpkin and a mix of the 2. I’ve also subbed dates and dried cranberries for raisins. So tasty and good for digestion.

  15. Amy Botticello says

    5 stars
    I have been making the muffins regularly! I bake in a muffin top pan. The recipe is very versatile indeed. I usually include banana, but have done plain yogurt and it is good, too (but I especially like the banana flavor!).

    I usually add an egg, but one time when I was out I tried it without (like the recipe says) and was pleasantly surprised that it rose nicely.

    I generally use Heritage Flakes cereal from W. Foods (you really need to mash these hearty flakes or you will get some really hard bits in the muffins), but have also used Wheaties.

    Any way I make them, they turn out craggy and comforting! I think at this point I can say that this is a tried and true recipe. I highly recommend it! Thanks for posting.

  16. Angela Flores says

    5 stars
    Oh my goodness!! I made these really for my son, he’s 4 years old and has had issues with constipation. I wanted to incorporate more fiber recipes in his diet. Honestly these are better than any loaf I have had at Starbucks! I served it to my son for a night snack with a little butter warmed up and he loved it! I had some too 😊 thank you for sharing

  17. Katie says

    5 stars
    Just made this recipe with applesauce, maple syrup, sugar and wheat flour and dried cherries. It is a winner. Delicious and way better than the cereal box bran flake recipe! I will be making this again and again. Well done

  18. Amy Horton says

    5 stars
    I made these, added chocolate chips, and within 30 minutes our family of 4 had devoured 8! They are a huge hit. I also used all bran cereal, as others have done.

  19. L.A. says

    Hi this looks like a great recipe! I wanted to find a way to use up some of my extra boxes of bran flakes. Can I use honey or maple syrup instead up sugar?…maybe 1/4 cup?
    (Just made CCK Chocolate Banana Bread….it was a winner with my family!)….Love all of your recipes!
    Any suggestions would be great!

  20. Elana says

    5 stars
    Sooooo good! I made with pumpkin, honey and a little bit of cinnamon. I also added dried cranberries. Amazing breakfast. Thank you!

  21. Juliana Kauer says

    5 stars
    These are so versatile and really, really great tasting. I used applesauce instead of yogurt and honey rather than molasses. Added raisins. The recipe made 6 large muffins. So dense, moist and flavorful, like a bakery muffin.

  22. Laura says

    5 stars
    My muffins turned out very good although a little dense and too moist. Do you have any ideas to fix this? I used the applesauce and added flax seed but otherwise followed your recipe. I also baked them 5 minutes longer. I made them twice this way and they turned out the same way both times.

    • CCK Media Team says

      Hi Laura, so glad you liked them! We very much prefer soft and moist muffins, but you can definitely play around with using less applesauce if your personal preference is for drier muffins. Also in general, using applesauce instead of oil in baked goods will always yield more dense results, so you could try that version and see if you like it better as well.

  23. Pat Mc says

    5 stars
    Love these!! Omg I didn’t think a bran muffin could be so good! Instead of bran flakes I used 1 1/4 cups of course wheat bran, and only used 1/4 of sugar bec we have to cut back on sugar here. I diced apple really small & finely chopped pecans & added those instead of raisins. I used buttermilk as the milk. These are just the best…my second time making them…thanks for the fabulous recipe! I wonder if these cld be made gluten free?

  24. Laurel says

    5 stars
    I made these in place of oatmeal bars and took one to work for my after breakfast snack before lunch. I was a little concerned because I’m a hungry person and didn’t want to dislike them. I say at my desk smiling while I ate this muffin. It was so good. I used coconut oil, banana, maple syrup, an egg, oat flour, and poked blueberries into a few of them at the last minute. The berries literally popped in my mouth. I love this recipe so much. I’m making my 2nd batch now. Thanks so much for posting it.

  25. Stephanie says

    5 stars
    Delicious, and I love that I could make them cholesterol free and vegan by choosing those ingredients. I used apple sauce, maple syrup, oat milk, Coconut oil, Brown sugar, and regular flour. I wouldn’t mind them being less sweet so I may try decreasing the sugar next time.

  26. Janine Tacey says

    5 stars
    Made these and love them! Wish I could post a picture. Used molasses, apple sauce and made oat flour. Also made strawberry “cream cheese.”

    • CCK Media Team says

      Thank you so much for making them! We had a photo sharing option in the past but it was making the blog slow to load so we had to get rid of it. Hopefully we can find a better option in the future, because we love seeing reader pictures of the recipes!

  27. Erin Kerby says

    5 stars
    These are LEGIT. I’m talking super duper good. I used mesquite and oat flour, applesauce, and added cinnamon and ground flaxseed. These will be made weekly around here!

    • CCK Media Team says

      Hi, sorry if we are confused, but isn’t that just a brand of bran flakes? If it is a flake cereal made out of bran, it should work just fine.

  28. Beth Borchers says

    Hi, I am getting ready to make these muffins. Super excited because I am eating as healthy as possible so this is going to be my sweet satisfaction instead of the gluten-free cookies I was going to make.
    I also wanted a recipe that I had most of the ingredients on hand, which I do. Love that you use blackstrap.
    If it works for me as a substitute I’m going to post on Cooking Lessons For My Daughter, my YouTube channel, attributing the recipe to this blog of course.
    FYI-Trader Joe’s has discontinued the cereal you mentioned so I bought Organic Heritage Flakes. They also had an All-Bran option but I hadn’t yet read the comments from another reader.
    I post a rating later. Thanks.

  29. Heidi says

    5 stars
    Hello,

    I’d like to eliminate the granulated sweetener altogether. Given that I’m not an experienced baker, can you please tell me if I should reduce one or more of the wet ingredients to account for the 1/2 cup reduction of the sugar?

    Thanks, in advance!

  30. Juliana says

    5 stars
    I made these twice now because they disappeared so fast the first time! This is such a great recipe with so many different options to kind of tailor the recipe to your own diet. I don’t like raisins so I sprinkled some pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds on top before baking added nuts to the mix. They are delicious and really get better the next day (like the recipe says). I will definintely make these again and again.

  31. Julie says

    5 stars
    Instead of using Bran Flakes can I sub with Fiber One cereal (less sugar)?, if so do you know if it would equate to 2 cups of flakes?

    • CCK Media Team says

      Hi there, sorry we have never tried with fiber one so really can’t say. If you experiment, be sure to report back!

  32. Grandma says

    5 stars
    We made this bran muffin recipe with our grandson as a fun healthy breakfast activity this morning. He ate two so I guess that means they were a success! We liked them too 🙂

  33. Melinda says

    5 stars
    For a veteran baker or a new learner, these are easy to make. I did use almond milk, pumpkin and wheat germ instead of gr flax. I also exclusively use King Arthur white whole wheat flour, which Target sells. They taste great.

  34. Linda says

    5 stars
    I’ve made these several times. I add 1/2 cup of blueberries to them and they are so tasty. I keep half the batch in my freezer. Pop one in the microwave for 30 and I have with my morning cup of coffee.

  35. Tori says

    5 stars
    Fantastic muffin recipe! My kids wanted donuts and I wanted something healthy. I added chocolate chips to half and raisins to the other half of the bran muffins and they loved them!

  36. Maria T says

    5 stars
    I found the bran muffin recipe! Followed the recipe using applesauce, skim milk, oil, molasses with 1/2 cup raisins and 1/2 chopped dried apricots. Moist and delicious! Will be making again.

  37. Karen says

    Could I add Protein powder to this recipe? I’m looking for a high fibre, high protein muffin. Thanks

  38. Amanda says

    5 stars
    Our family approves! As a mom of 3 (soon to be 4) little boys, I am always thrilled for healthy recipes that they will happily eat! Love this website!!

5 from 460 votes (408 ratings without comment)

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