Bran muffins. With lots of raisins. So last century, right? Not at all. These are fabulous, nutritious, loaded with fiber, easy to make, delicious and super moist muffins. Make them ahead and freeze so you have something ready in minutes for hectic mornings!
For most of you, it's back to school, the end of summer, the let's-get-organized time of year when lazy days are no longer an option. Were they ever really?
Anyway, let's talk about this great recipe for raisin bran muffins.
They are great for grabbing breakfast on the go because they last for about 2 days at room temperature and can also be frozen.
Or for those, like me, who don't eat much in the morning. I keep them frozen and reheat them briefly while the coffee is ready, and boom, I get to have an actual breakfast.
What is wheat bran?
It's the outer layer or shell of the grain, in this case, the wheat kernel.
It's stripped from it during the milling process when they make flour, for example, so it ends up being a byproduct of flour milling.
Wheat bran is a source of dietary fiber, and some claim it has weight loss properties. Refer to medical and nutritional pages for more info.
It looks like dull, light brown flakes that take up space and usually comes in large bags that don't weigh much.
So look for smaller bags unless you plan on making many batches of these breakfast muffins or other recipes containing this ingredient.
Back when bran muffins were the thing to eat for a healthy breakfast - hello 80's and 90's - this recipe appeared as one of the best.
Being a supreme fan of Nancy Silverton - bread baker and pastry chef extraordinaire - I wonder what took me so long to try them, finally. I bought her books 20 years ago, but somehow I got sidetracked with other, more modern recipes as we food bloggers usually do.
Ingredient list
- Wheat bran: not to be mistaken with oat bran. Wheat bran flakes come in different levels of coarseness, and I the very or medium one. It gives the muffins the texture which I find to be essential.
- Raisins: I use dark or light raisins, and sometimes add cranberries if I have some lying around.
- Brown sugar: light or dark.
- Flours: besides all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour is used in this recipe. I am partial to superfine which is similar in texture to white flour. We already have the bran to give texture.
- Oil: you can use any type you like, from coconut oil to sunflower, even olive oil if you feel like trying something different.
- Buttermilk: it makes the muffins tender and counteracts the sweetness. What if you don't have buttermilk? You can buy buttermilk powder and prepare it as you need to. Or make homemade buttermilk that is super easy (see Notes in the recipe card).
- Orange: it's the flavoring of these muffins as it pairs amazingly well with the rest of the ingredients.
- Eggs: fresh, large.
How to make bran muffins
They have three easy steps: the bran mixture, the raisins, and the final muffin batter.
Don't be intimidated by the different components; they are super easy to prepare. They add so much to the final moist muffin (the perfect breakfast muffin, as I call them sometimes) that it's worth taking the time.
- Toast the bran and let cool before using. Be careful and watch it like a hawk because it burns in a minute! This step adds a lot of flavor to the muffin, but I have made them many times without toasting the bran because I didn't have time. They are amazing too.
- Boil the raisins with the water until almost evaporated. You can process it to a paste, or not. I don't because I like to have the pieces of raisin when I bite.
Combine the bran with the buttermilk first in a large bowl. It will moisten it a bit but look very dry.
Add raisins with the leftover liquid, the vanilla and the orange zest.
Add the wet ingredients and mix well before adding the dry ingredients.
The final batter is thick and wet. Scoop it in the muffin liners, dividing evenly.
Vintage Kitchen tip: leave a useful hint here, like let the grill run for 4-5 minutes to burn off any remnants, then clean it. I like to use this bristle-free barbecue brush (affiliate link) for cleaning the grill.
Baking bran muffins
These muffins don't rise much or have domed tops.
So bake until the tops are dry and a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. This is a dark batter, so it'll be hard to tell if they're turning golden brown.
Don't overbake, or they'll start to dry out.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Wheat bran: not to be mistaken with oat bran. Wheat bran comes in flakes with different levels of coarseness, so choose a medium one. It gives the muffins the texture which I find to be essential.
- Raisins: I use dark or light raisins, and sometimes add cranberries if I have some lying around. Make sure they are seeded.
- Oil: I use coconut oil, which is not in the original recipe. It really makes them so moist and light at the same time. I will never go back to a regular vegetalble oil for these bran muffins. Alternatively, I use a light olive oil. Yes, olive oil. It is fantastic, but I use it a lot in baking so I'm used to it.
- Flours: besides all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour is used in this recipe. For a better result you have to use superfine which is similar in texture to white flour. We already have the bran to give texture. You can also use only white flour (all purpose flour) and the total amount will be ¾ cup.
- Flavorings: you can add vanilla extract which will give it a sweeter all-around flavor. Spices, like ground cinnamon or a spice mix. You can omit the orange zest though I think it gives it a good bitterness to counterbalance the sweetness of the raisins.
- Storing: they keep well for 2 days at room temperature, always covered in plastic wrap or a bag or in an airtight container. After that I like to refrigerate or freeze them, always well wrapped to prevent drying out.
And this is an exceptional raisin bran muffin recipe. Take note.
Related recipes you might like:
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Bran Muffins with Raisins
Bran muffins. With lots of raisins. So last century, right? Not at all. These are fabulous, nutritious, loaded with fiber, easy to make, delicious and super moist muffins. Make them ahead and freeze so you have something ready in minutes for hectic mornings!
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups (100g) wheat bran
- 1 cup (120g) raisins, no seeds
- 1 ½ cups water
- ½ cup buttermilk
- Zest of 1 orange
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup coconut oil (or another oil, like sunflower, canola, light olive oil)
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 egg white, room temperature
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup fine whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 325ºF / 170ºC
- Have ready 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
- In a small saucepan bring to a boil the raisins and 1 cup of the water. Let it boil very slowly for about 15 minutes, until there is almost no water left.
- Process the raisins, as smooth or a bit chunky, whatever you like. You can skip this step.
- Toast the wheat bran for about 5 minutes in the oven, careful not to burn. Move it around so it toasts evenly. Careful it burns quickly if you don’t watch it, much like coconut.
- In a large bowl mix buttermilk with the ½ cup remaining water, the toasted bran, raisins, orange zest and sugar. Mix well.
- Add coconut oil, egg, egg white and mix everything.
- Add both flours, baking powder, soda and salt (I sift them directly over the oil mixture) and mix quickly and only until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
- Divide between muffin cups and bake for about 25 minutes, until a tester comes out dry. They don’t raise much.
- Let cook on a wire rack.
Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Wheat bran: not to be mistaken with oat bran. Wheat bran comes in flakes with different levels of coarseness, so choose a medium one. It gives the muffins the texture, which I find to be essential.
- Raisins: I use dark or light raisins, and sometimes add cranberries if I have some lying around. Make sure they are seeded.
- Oil: I use coconut oil, which is not in the original recipe. It makes them so moist and light at the same time. I will never go back to regular vegetable oil for these bran muffins. Alternatively, I use light olive oil. Yes, olive oil. It is fantastic, but I use it a lot in baking, so I'm used to it.
- Flours: besides all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour is used in this recipe. For a better result, you have to use superfine, which is similar in texture to white flour. We already have the bran for texture. You can also use only white flour (all-purpose flour); the total amount will be ¾ cup.
- Flavorings: you can add vanilla extract, giving it a sweeter all-around flavor. Spices, like ground cinnamon or a spice mix. You can omit the orange zest though I think it gives it a good bitterness to counterbalance the sweetness of the raisins.
- Storing: they keep well for 2 days at room temperature, always covered in plastic wrap, a bag, or an airtight container. After that, I like to refrigerate or freeze them, always well wrapped to prevent drying out.
- Homemade buttermilk: mix 1 cup of milk (preferably whole milk) with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes at room temperature until it thickens and slightly curdles. Stir it once more, and measure it again before using.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/12
- Calories: 204
- Sugar: 13.6 g
- Sodium: 228.3 mg
- Fat: 10.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 28.6 g
- Fiber: 5.1 g
- Protein: 3.9 g
- Cholesterol: 16.6 mg
Keywords: raisin bran muffins
Adrienne says
A-MA-ZING !!!
★★★★★
Paula Montenegro says
So happy you loved them! I feel the same lol
Harry says
I made these, but had to make a couple of changes. First, it calls for 1 1/2 cups of water, but the only place in the directions for water is one cup for the raisins. So I made the milk one full cup. Used dried cranberries and added pecans. Also used one cup all purpose flour. Used two eggs instead of one plus a white. Made them in greased muffin tins and they were delicious.
★★★★
Paula Montenegro says
Thanks for the heads-up Harry! Glad they turned out well.
Aline says
I looooooove raisins literally on everything!! Haha I'm definitely adding this to my list, as we love and need breakfast on the go all the time! Thank you!
★★★★★
Paula Montenegro says
I'm a HUGE raisin fan also!
Jo says
muffins with bran...looks absolutely Delicious. An incredible breakfast to start the day with. Looks hearty and delicious!
★★★★★