Don’t judge this muffin by its cover. I know it doesn’t look like much. No matter what angle, lighting, or props I used, I wasn’t able to come close to showing you with a photo how deliciously healthy and moist these bran muffins are.
If you are a baker, you probably have a few favorites that you make so often that you no longer need to look at your recipe. For me, Buttermilk Pancakes and these Molasses Bran Muffins are two things I make on autopilot. Most weeks, I bake a batch of these muffins to have on hand for school lunches and quick breakfasts.
When my two girls were little, I was searching for healthy snacks when I came upon this recipe on the back of the Bob’s Red Mill wheat bran package. There isn’t any white flour nor white sugar in the recipe and very little fat. I thought it must be too good to be true. Surprisingly, the muffins are plenty sweet and incredibly moist. Years later, after experimenting with other recipes, I settled on this as our standby with just a few small adjustments.
Like all baked goods, these are best within a day of baking them. However we keep our batch of bran muffins on the counter in an airtight container for 3-4 days and they stay yummy. They last in the refrigerator even longer and freeze well.
As I finish this post, I’m slightly concerned I’ve oversold these bran muffins as a decadent treat. Are they as delicious as cake-like fresh blueberry muffins or a streusel-topped cinnamon coffee-cake muffin? Well… I’d put them in different categories. These Molasses Bran Muffins are the winner of a healthy everyday muffin that isn’t a cupcake in disguise.
A few tips: I LOVE my silicone muffin “pan.” No oil or spray needed and they always pop right out. However, you do need to bake it on a baking sheet because it is hard to get the floppy silicone tray filled with batter in and out of the oven otherwise. Also, mixing the raisins into the dry ingredients is a great way to keep them from clumping together and it helps them distribute more evenly throughout the muffins. Finally, these make big muffins. Sometimes I use this recipe to make 12 regular sized muffins plus a bunch of mini muffins that I bake at the same time for half the baking time. Enjoy!
Moist Molasses Bran Muffins
Makes 12 large muffins.
Adapted from Bob’s Red Mill recipe.
1 cup wheat bran
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins
3/4 cup unsweetened, natural applesauce
1 cup milk
1/2 cup molasses
2 Tablespoons canola oil
2 eggs, slightly beaten
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 12 muffin cups or use paper liners.
In a mixing bowl, combine wheat bran, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine. Stir in raisins and mix to coat.
In a separate bowl, combine applesauce, milk, molasses, canola oil, and eggs. Whisk to combine.
Stir the wet and dry ingredients with a wooden spoon or spatula, just until combined. Fill muffin pan and bake for 16-18 minutes or until center is just set and springs back when touched.
Let cool for 15 minutes or so before removing from the pan and eating. Wait until completely cool to store them. Keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days, refrigerate for up to a week, or freeze.