Bran muffins. With lots of raisins. So last century, right? Not at all. These are fabulous, easy to make, super moist and yummy muffins. Make them ahead and freeze so you have something ready in minutes for hectic mornings!
Whether it's back to school, the end of summer or the let's-get-organized time of year when lazy days are no longer an option (were they ever really?), what we all need are simple but hearty recipes for hectic mornings.
In comes 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. Similar to these moist morning glory muffins or quick and easy banana blueberry muffins.
For those like me who don't eat much in the morning, they can be kept frozen and reheated briefly while the coffee is getting ready, and boom, you get to have an actual breakfast.
And this is an exceptional raisin bran muffin recipe. Take note.
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.
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.
Ingredient Notes
- Wheat bran: not to be mistaken with oat bran. Wheat bran flakes come in different levels of coarseness, including very or medium coarseness. 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.
- Flours: this recipe uses whole wheat flour in addition to all-purpose flour. I am partial to superfine flour, which is similar in texture to white flour. We already have the bran to give it texture.
- Oil: you can use any type you like, from coconut oil to sunflower, even olive oil if you want to try 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 needed. 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.
Quantities are listed in the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
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.
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.
Back when bran muffins were the thing to eat for a wholesome 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.
Related recipes you might like:
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Bran Muffins with Raisins
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Ingredients
- 1 cup raisins, seedless
- 1 ½ cups water
- 2 cups wheat bran
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon orange zest, about 1 medium orange
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup coconut oil, sunflower, canola or light olive oil
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1 egg white, at room temperature
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup whole wheat flour, finely milled
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325ºF (170°C).
- Have ready 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
- In a small saucepan bring to a boil 1 cup raisins and 1 cup 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 also skip this step.
- Toast 2 cups wheat bran for about 5 minutes in the oven, careful not to burn it. Move it around so it toasts evenly. It burns quickly if you don’t watch it, much like coconut.
- In a large bowl mix ½ cup buttermilk with the ½ cup remaining water, the toasted bran, raisins, ½ teaspoon orange zest and ½ cup brown sugar. Mix well.
- Add ½ cup coconut oil, 1 egg, 1 egg white and mix everything.
- Stir in ½ cup all purpose flour, ¼ cup whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda (sifted) and ½ teaspoon salt. 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.
Lynda says
Hi Paula, I have never been confused by a recipe before but. In the recipe it says 2 cups of bran but in directions it say nothing about the 2 cups just 1/2 cup. Please answere as I have everything started.
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Lynda, it's 2 cups of wheat bran. Sorry about the mistake. There was a glitch in the recipe card that didn't pick up the right ingredients, but it's all corrected. Let me know how they turn out!