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Easy and healthy Bran Muffins! Packed with fibre-rich wheat bran, low sugar, and high flavour.
I love me a solid healthy muffin recipe! I have a tough time getting through each week putting processed food into my kids lunch boxes that I’ve slowly been rotating different healthy muffin recipes, quick breads, and other snacks.
This Bran Muffin recipe is our latest favourite. It’s kid-approved (by all 3 kids, a small miracle if you ask me) and it comes together in about 10-15 minutes (100% depends on if you let your kids help make them or not).
Plus, it’s got fibre rich wheat bran in it. This means these little tasty muffins will keep you (and your kids) full for longer.
I took a lot of adapting a few different recipes across the internet, although at the end of the day, I adapted this recipe for this post. It’s speedy, requires no special equipment beyond a spoon, bowl, and muffin tin.
These bran muffins retain a wonderful crumb and the perfect level of sweetness in a hearty muffin – just enough to make the flavours come together. It is not your typical bakery muffin loaded with sugar and butter.
I used unsweetened apple sauce and some coconut oil to replace the vegetable oil component and I heavily reduced the sugar quantity. Part of the reason for reducing the sugar is that the recipe I adapted from originally used a TON of sugar – it’s completely unnecessary in a recipe like this.
The apple sauce gives moisture and acts as binding agent as well. I find apple sauce generally sweet so replacing most of the oil with apple sauce helped with the sugar reduction as well.
Where are the blueberries?! Or raisins?! I know. These bran muffins must seem “plain” until you taste one.
If you need to add a little something extra lots of options exist form blueberries (fresh or frozen), raisins, or even orange zest with dried cranberries. Lots of ways to change up this recipe if anyone ever tires of it.
Have oat bran and no wheat bran? Simply switch at the same measurement for a perfect oat bran muffin.
More healthy muffin recipes we love and bake often:
- School-Safe Mini Muffins – 5 ways
- Healthier Chocolat Zucchini Muffins
- Mini Blueberry Buckwheat Muffins
- Savoury Quinoa Frittata Muffins
Healthy Bran Muffins
Easy and healthy Bran Muffins! Packed with fibre-rich wheat bran, low sugar, and high flavour.
Course:Snack
Cuisine:American
Keyword:best bran muffins, bran muffin recipe, bran muffins, easy bran muffins, healthy bran muffins
Servings: 12 muffins
Calories: 119 kcal
Author: Samantha
Ingredients
- 1 1/2cupswheat branor oat bran
- 1cupbuttermilk*** or plant-based buttermilk
- 1/4cupunsweetened apple sauce
- 2tbspcoconut oilor other vegetable oil such as canola
- 1largeegg
- 1/3cupbrown sugar
- 1/2tsp vanilla extract
- 1cupall-purpose flouror whole grain flour
- 1tspbaking powder
- 1tspbaking soda
- 1tsp cinnamon
- 1/2tspsalt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375° F and grease or line with muffin liners a standard 12 cup muffin tin.
Mix together wheat bran and buttermilk, let sit while preparing other ingredients.
In a large bowl, whisk together apple sauce, oil, egg, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add bran/buttermilk mixture.
Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir until just combined**.
Spoon batter equally into muffin tin and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a tester (toothpick) comes out clean.*
Recipe Notes
* muffins will last 5-7 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
** if you’re a diehard raisin fan, here’s where you would add 1/2 cup. Dried cranberries would also be yummy with a teaspoon of orange zest added in as well. Or in the warmer months, Blueberries (fresh or frozen) would be a dream!
*** I simply add 1 tsp of lemon juice and top with milk to make 1 cup (250 ml) of buttermilk. Let sit for 5 minutes for the lemon juice (acid) to activate. This can be done with swapping out unsweetened soy or almond milk for the dairy milk. I don’t often buy buttermilk unless a recipe calls for it in large quantities.
Nutrition Facts
Healthy Bran Muffins
Amount Per Serving
Calories 119Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Cholesterol 20mg7%
Sodium 218mg9%
Potassium 176mg5%
Carbohydrates 21g7%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 59IU1%
Calcium 54mg5%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Enjoy! xo
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FAQs
But that doesn't make bran muffins healthy. Most of the muffins you buy in stores are high in sugar and fat, more like cupcakes than old fashioned muffins. Bran or other muffins are okay as an occasional treat, but not good as a regular part of a healthy diet.
How healthy are bran muffins? ›
Bran Muffins
Yes, you'll get a decent dose of fiber thanks to the bran, but larger versions can have more than 400 calories and contain around 13 grams of fat. Also, many store-bought bran muffins actually contain more white flour than fiber-rich bran, while packing unwanted sugar and sodium as well.
Are bran muffins good for your heart? ›
The oat bran and flaxseed meal contained in these muffins are a great way to lower cholesterol. The flaxseed meal will also give you an omega-3 boost, which may help to prevent heart disease. The muffins are also high in fiber. To increase their fiber content, you can also substitute wheat bran for the oat bran.
Are bran muffins OK for cholesterol? ›
Here's the problem with the bran muffin: Although bran can help lower LDL cholesterol, the butter, sugar and eggs aren't doing your LDL levels any favors. While this bran muffin may not raise your cholesterol, it certainly won't help you lower it. And lowering harmful cholesterol levels is what most of us need to do.
Is All-Bran good for your bowels? ›
All-Bran original would indeed be our best product for helping with constipation as it contains the most amount of wheat bran fibre (which has been proven to increase stool transit time), however, our bran flakes still contain a sufficient amount of fibre to help with any digestive issues you're having.
What does eating bran do to your body? ›
It's rich in soluble and insoluble fiber. Wheat bran has laxative effects that can increase stool volume and bowel frequency. It also contains proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. People use wheat bran for constipation, hemorrhoids, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Can Type 2 diabetics eat bran muffins? ›
There are four main categories that you want it to include in your diet while planning for a diabetic diet food list, especially for breakfast. It must contain: Fiber like whole grain bread, whale wheat, bran muffins, and oatmeal varieties. Lean protein like eggs, beans, fish, or nuts.
Why are there no bran muffins anymore? ›
There are several things that happened to them. First, was they didn't really taste all that good to most people. Second, bakeries started tinkering with them to make them taste better to a wider range of people. Third, people wanted more changes.
What is the healthiest bran? ›
At over 40 per cent fibre, wheat bran has the highest fibre content and is rich in insoluble fibre. It is a good choice for a healthy digestive system and is best at preventing constipation.
Is bran good for high blood pressure? ›
Oatmeal is a great breakfast choice if you have high blood pressure, but oat bran can provide even more health benefits, since it's higher in fiber, which can help to lower blood pressure and improve digestive health. Oatmeal also contains soluble fiber, which has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels.
Oat bran is linked to many health benefits, such as improved blood sugar control, healthy bowel function, and lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Here are 9 health and nutrition benefits of oat bran.
Do bran muffins keep you regular? ›
Because it's a great source of insoluble fiber, wheat bran helps keep you regular and promotes digestive health. It's also been shown to reduce symptoms of bloating and discomfort and increase healthy bacteria in the gut, as it's rich in prebiotics (which are the food for the beneficial probiotic bacteria).
What is the best cereal to lower bad cholesterol? ›
1. Porridge. Porridge is our top choice for a heart-healthy breakfast, made with low-fat milk or water. All porridge oats are wholegrains and they contain a soluble fibre called beta-glucan, which can help lower your cholesterol level if you have 3g or more daily, as part of a healthy diet.
What is the best cereal to lower cholesterol? ›
Oats. An easy first step to lowering your cholesterol is having a bowl of oatmeal or cold oat-based cereal like Cheerios for breakfast. It gives you 1 to 2 grams of soluble fiber. Add a banana or some strawberries for another half-gram.
Which bran is best for lowering cholesterol? ›
Oatmeal, oat bran and high-fiber foods
Soluble fiber can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream.
Is it OK to eat bran cereal everyday? ›
While fortified raisin bran can be a good source of various vitamins and minerals, it's not the healthiest option overall for an everyday breakfast cereal. Still, it can be a part of a healthy diet as an occasional choice.
Is eating bran everyday good for you? ›
10g of wheat bran fibre per day helps reduce digestive transit time. ALL-BRAN contains at least 3-6g wheat bran fibre per serve. Enjoy as part of a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
Is it good to eat bran cereal everyday? ›
Bran flakes
Wholegrains are good for your digestion and your heart. While these cereals are healthier than low-fibre cereals, they often have extra sugar and/or salt added. For an even healthier start to the day, swap to a shredded whole wheat, wheat biscuit or no added sugar or salt muesli (see above).
