Want to know what I’ve been dreaming about baking for weeks? Here it is! Old-fashioned bran muffins, rich with molasses flavor and bursting with walnuts and plump raisins.
A little different than my usual baking expeditions, agreed. Let me explain…
The fixation started when I bought a bran muffin in the cafeteria where I work. And then another. And then another. It became a daily habit I knew I needed to quit. I mean, ‘Yay!’ for fiber and flavor, of course. But it’s definitely a ‘Boo!’ for spending too much money on something I *knew* I could make better, and for way less coin, on my own.
I started my quest by searching through a million bran muffin recipes online. I was looking for an authentic recipe, the kind that uses wheat bran, not All-Bran cereal or a similar imposter. Finally, I came upon a basic bran muffin recipe I could work from, and work I did.
Making four batches in the past few weeks, I tweaked this and that, working hard to get texture and flavor just right. I wanted it to be hearty but not heavy; sweet but not sickeningly so. There was a lot of taste-testing. And boy did it work!
I tell you – I’ve never been more regular.
About my breakfast habits, I mean. 
Now my daily wake-up includes not just my beloved cold-brewed coffee, but these killer bran muffins. It’s a beautiful, flavorful morning every day!
What’s the big whoop about bran muffins?
Bran muffins reside in a category all their own, their popularity spanning decades. They were the darling of the breakfast set long before microwaved egg sandwiches, enormous chocolate chip muffins, and $4 coffees were the norm. They even pre-date the invention of chocolate chips!
More importantly, bran muffins are from an era when treasured recipes came from your grandmother, not from some (clever, chatty, and sassy) stranger on the Internet And today these little treats still have a following. Why? Maybe it’s the deeply satisfying molasses flavor or the fact that they’re so filling. But maybe it’s because they simply test like nothing else.
So, back to my quest. In the end, did I make a bran muffin that was IMHO better, and for less money? Absolutely yes! They’re light yet hearty, packed with molasses flavor, and deliver big on nutrition. (Update: this bran muffin is so fabulous, it was featured on a popular website!)
While I don’t usually crunch the specific numbers for my recipes (it’s time consuming!), I did in this case, as I was curious.
Dietitians are just mathematicians who love food.
Each muffin has 240 calories, 5 grams fiber, and 5 grams protein. That’s a mighty fine nutrition profile that I’d gladly pit against ANY store-bought muffin anywhere!
They also have just 2 teaspoons of added sugar. How do I know that? Because I know there’s 16 tablespoons in a cup, and there are 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon. There was only 1/2 cup of added sugar (=>8 tablespoons => 24 teaspoons) of total added sugar in the recipe, thus divided by 12 muffins, that’s just 2 teaspoons per.
OK, math class is over 🙂 If you’re thinking now it’s time to add bran muffins to your own daily wake-up, scroll down to the recipe. Be sure to check out my recipe tips, too, for a couple of short cuts and variations.
Old-Fashioned Bran Muffins
These old-fashioned bran muffins make for a great breakfast or snack. The molasses and spices come through for great flavor in a hearty muffin with a suprisingly tender crumb.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 3/4 cup milk cow's milk, soy, almond – any variety of milk will do
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 7 tablespoons canola oil about 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon
- 1 cup wheat bran
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 cup raisins optional
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts optional
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Position the rack in the center of the oven. Prepare a standard muffin tin either by 1) coating each well with a generous layer of spray oil, or 2) lining each well with a cupcake liner. Set aside.
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In a medium bowl, add the brown sugar, molasses, applesauce, milk, eggs, and oil. Stir with a whisk or large spoon until well combined.
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In a separate bowl, combine the wheat bran, pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Stir with a fork until well combined. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. If you are using raisins and walnuts, add them at this point as well. Stir together everything just until all dry ingredients are incorporated. Do not overmix.
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Fill each well nearly full (about 80% full). Dot the tops with a few raisins and walnuts, if desired. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
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The muffins are done when the top is no longer wet and is set. Be sure to check their doneness by touch (Hot! Be careful!) as the batter is dark brown and, thus, it's difficult to tell doneness by sight. Allow the muffins to rest in the pan for a few minutes, before removing them to continue cooling on a rack.
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Once they're completely cool, store in an airtight container. They're best eaten in the first few days, but will stay fresh for up to a week. You can also freeze them for up to 6 months.
Recipe Notes
*You may substitute all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour for the pastry flour called for in the recipe. The texture will be slightly different with each, but not noticeably so.
*Consider keeping individual servings (I call them ‘snack packs’) of unsweetened applesauce in your pantry for baking purposes. They have a long shelf life, and prevents you from needing to buy a jar of applesauce which, uneaten, will turn moldy in the refrigerator in just a matter of weeks.
*Try adding fresh or frozen blueberries in place of the raisins and walnuts for a delicious twist!
Ok, full confession, I haven’t made these yet. I was thinking the other day about the delicious bran muffins I used to buy in the 80s from a bakery next to my first salon job after finishing beauty school. They were very dark, moist but not too dense, lightly sweet, and definitely had molasses in them. Tonight I started Googling and was disappointed to see recipe after recipe where the muffins looked too light. Then I found yours. After reading your story and your recipe, I’m certain these are very close to what I remember, and I can’t wait to make them tomorrow! Thank you for posting this!
Eric! So glad you landed on my recipe. Yes yes yes, that is exactly why I made my own recipe. It needed to have molasses and real wheat bran. I got tired of finding recipes made with bran flakes or all-bran. Cheap imitations! The good stuff is in the molasses. P.S. Try the recipes with blueberries instead of raisins/walnuts – it’s divine!
This was delicious following the recipe exactly. 2nd time, I changed it up. 1-cup oat bran, 1-cup wheat bran, 1/2-cup whole wheat flour. Used avocado oil, and instead of sauce I grated 1 large apple (cored) – still delicious!
Thumbs up for fresh apple! I have used ground flaxseed or oat bran with great results, too, when I ran out of wheat bran. Definitely a flexible recipe that way. Glad you’ve enjoyed it.
Can I use regular molasses instead of blackstrap and also, could shredded carrots be added to this recipe?
Ooh yes both adjustments sound great. There is not much difference between blackstrap and regular molasses. Shredded carrots will add a great flavor and texture.
Thank you for the recipe and your tip on the apple sauce! I have been a victim of the moldy apple sauce in the fridge- lol!
You’re welcome! It has saved me from that problem many times over 🙂
I am not a big fan of wheat, and prefer the flavor of O t Vean. Can I substitute Oat ran in this recipe?
Katie
Hi Katie – Yes, I’m sure oat bran would work just as well for you. Thanks for checking in and let me know how it turns out for you with that swap.
I don’t have applesauce, can I make bran muffins anyway?
Yes absolutely. Good substitutions would be an equal amount of mashed banana or mashed canned pears or pumpkin. You can skip it altogether, too, but I can’t say if you’ll like the texture as well – will likely be a little drier and less tender.
Yes, Mary! You could substitute with equal amount of mashed banana or canned pumpkin or mashed canned pear. It is to add moisture without too much liquid.
What kind of wheat bran do you use? What brand is it? Having a hard time finding just wheat bran that is not a cereal, even tried Whole Foods. Thank you.
Hi Joanna – The brand I find most consistently where I shop is Bob’s Red Mill wheat bran. I’m in New England, where we have a lot of Market Basket and Stop and Shop stores. I also see Bob’s Red Mill products at our local Ocean State Job Lots, which is a nice find because it’s usually a little less expensive. Hodgson Mills is another well known bran, though I don’t see that as often.
Thank you, Julia!
Is it essential to use canola oil, or can another oil be substituted? What, if anything, can be substituted for oil?
Olive oil or corn oil or even melted butter or coconut oil could be used in its place. Results wouldn’t be exactly the same, but should only cause minor differences in texture.
I used buttermilk, coconut oil and coconut sugar. The only comment I have is that I think maybe a little less baking powder might be better. There are very light
Thank you, Alicia, for giving them a try. I appreciate your feedback about the baking powder. Wheat brown and whole wheat flour can be so heavy, I felt it was necessary to give it some lift. Might try cutting back some though, next time I make them.
Can I use buttermilk?
Absolutely yes!