As most of you know, I’ve been busting out healthy muffin recipes on the internet since 2011. Call me the muffin queen or just the muffin woman. Whatever the name, there’s no such thing as too many muffins.
While muffins are my specialty, they also so happen to be my Grandma Gloria’s favorite thing to bake. Before my Grandfather passed away a few years ago, she used to always bake him batches of muffins for snacking. They were two peas in a pod. We still miss Grandpa to this day but remember him through little things and by keeping his memory alive.
My Grandfather’s absolute favorite muffins were banana nut, but he also LOVED my Grandma’s famous healthy bran muffins. I asked her for the recipe a few years ago shared them on the blog, so you know I had to bring them back for you. They’re tall, hearty, full of flavor and the ultimate muffin to spread with whatever topping you like. Grandpa loved honey and butter, but I adore peanut butter and jam.
For those of you who don’t know the infamous Gloria, she’s my wonderful spirited, sassy grandmother. She’s Puerto Rican, so much of the food she cooks tends to be Spanish inspired. My Nana (Great Grandmother) taught her how to cook everything from scratch when she was a young girl. Ever since then, it’s been one of her favorite things to do.
When my Grandma isn’t making homemade pozole, empanadas, and arroz con pollo, she is usually baking muffins the size of my face. Seriously give her a half hour and she’ll make you an incredible meal, but provide her with a couple of hours and you’ll have a masterpiece to eat. She treats every meal she makes with affection, putting the utmost love into her creations — it’s an extraordinary quality. She pours her soul into stews and she throws her spice for life into spanish rice. Cooking is like an expression to her, and everything is always made with love.
Fall in love with nutritious bran muffins
I mean, what could be more classic and nostalgic than a soft, fluffy bran muffin? Not only are they delicious and baked with love, but they also pack:
- 5g of fiber
- Nearly 5g of protein
- And 10% of your daily iron needs!
Ingredients in these healthy bran muffins
You’re going to LOVE all of the nutritious, wholesome ingredients in these bran muffins. Plus, they’re incredibly easy to make. Here’s what you’ll need to make them:
- Flour: you’ll need whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour to give the muffins their perfect fluffy texture.
- Wheat bran: what makes these bran muffins, of course, is wheat bran! Some bran muffin recipes call for bran flakes, but wheat bran keeps them super hearty and filled with fiber. I think oat bran would work well, too.
- Applesauce: this helps to add moisture to the muffins.
- Eggs: you’ll need 2 eggs to help the muffins bake up properly.
- Milk: feel free to use any milk you’d like! I like to use unsweetened vanilla almond milk.
- Sweetener: we’re sweetening these brand muffins with brown sugar and the flavor queen — blackstrap molasses. I didn’t realize how nutritious blackstrap molasses was until I started using it a few years ago. In fact, it’s the healthiest form of molasses and contains the most vitamins and nutrients. Plus, the blackstrap molasses adds so much delicious flavor to these muffins — they almost taste like gingerbread muffins. Did you know that 1 tablespoon of molasses provides nearly 20% of your daily iron needs + a good amount of potassium and magnesium? I’m NOW obsessed.
- Coconut oil: I love using virgin coconut oil for flavor and to keep this recipe dairy free.
- Baking staples: you’ll need both baking powder and baking soda, plus cinnamon and salt.
- Apple cider vinegar: the apple cider vinegar helps to activate the baking powder and soda to give the muffins extra fluff.
Optional ingredient swaps
I highly recommend sticking to the recipe as written to get the best results possible, but there are a few ingredient swaps that will work out well:
- For the wheat bran: I think that oat bran would also work well in place of the wheat bran.
- For the brown sugar: coconut sugar is a great swap.
- For the coconut oil: feel free to use melted vegan butter or, if you’re not dairy free, melted butter.
- For the applesauce: I think using mashed banana would also work well. Just be sure to measure it to be 1/3 cup.
Can I use a different flour?
While I cannot suggest a gluten free alternative to the whole wheat pastry flour, I do think you could sub all purpose flour. You may need to add a few extra tablespoons or regular flour for additional density.
Can I make them vegan?
Sure! Feel free to swap the 2 eggs for 2 flax eggs. Learn how to make flax eggs here.
Have fun with delicious mix-ins
I LOVE jazzing up these bran muffins with yummy mix-ins! Here are some things you can add to make them your own:
Don’t forget to top them a little butter or your fav nut butter on top for a super healthy filling snack.
Storing & freezing tips
- To store: place these bran muffins in an airtight glass container or reusable silicone bag at room temperature for one day, then I recommend storing them in the refrigerator. Feel free to warm them up in the microwave before eating.
- To freeze: allow the muffins to cool completely then put them in an airtight container or reusable silicone bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Once ready to reheat, you can thaw at room temperature, or heat up in the microwave in 30 second intervals.
Our fav tools for baking muffins
Don’t forget to check out all of our favorite kitchen essentials.
More healthy muffin recipes to try
- Skinny Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Healthy Lemon Poppyseed Muffins with Lemon Blueberry Glaze
- Power Flax Chocolate Chip Banana Oatmeal Muffins
- Good Morning Healthy Blueberry Zucchini Muffins
- Chunky Monkey Zucchini Banana Muffins
I hope you love these bran muffins and bake them for someone you care for. They won’t last long! If you make this recipe, be sure to rate the recipe below and leave a comment below! You can also upload a photo to Instagram and use the hashtag #ambitiouskitchen.
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Grandma's Healthy Bran Muffins
Ingredients
- Dry Ingredients:
- 1 cup wheat bran
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- Wet ingredients:
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (or sub coconut sugar)
- 1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of choice)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil (or melted butter or vegan butter)
- Optional mix-ins suggestions if you like:
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with only 10 liners and spray the inside of them with nonstick cooking spray -- DO NOT SKIP THIS.
- In a separate large bowl mix together dry ingredients: wheat bran, whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large bowl mix together brown sugar, molasses, applesauce, eggs, almond milk, apple cider vinegar until well combined, smooth and creamy. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix with a spatula until just combined. Stir in melted and cooled coconut oil (or butter), mixing again until just combined. Stir in any mix-ins you'd like.
- Divide batter evenly into 10 muffin liners and bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Cool muffins for 5 minutes then remove and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Muffins are best served warm with a little butter on top.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on March 26th, 2018, and republished on March 12th, 2023.
215 comments
the muffins you have made look so wholesome and just the meal for breakfast you need to start a good, fresh, healthy morning! The good thing is that your recipe will make so many to last me a few days at the very least!
Yes absolutely! They’re perfect on-the-go and for snacks 🙂
I’ve been waiting weeks for this recipe!! I’m so happy you started muffin week with this one! Can’t wait to try this at home 🙂
SUPER excited to try these muffins our! (Hopefully tonight after I’m done studying) 😂🙏also super excited for this challenge tc
Hope you guys love these!!
Hope you love these!! Had to kick off muffin week with a family favorite 🙂
These sound great..I haven’t had a good Bran Muffin in a very long time.. Just need a couple of ingredients..
These are truly the best! Hope you get a chance to make them.
Oh my yum! I am SO PUMPED for AK muffin week! My pops is coming into town this weekend to visit for Easter and I am definitely going to have to make some batched of muffins 🙂 I’m excited to see whats in store the rest of the week before I get bakin Friday! Love the story behind these bran muffins too with you grandma, baking truly just soothes the soul in my opinion 🙂
Perfect timing! You’ll have to make him a few different kinds 🙂 Baking is soul-soothing to me, too!
Seriously so excited to try these! Such a sweet story about your grandparents- the best recipes are the ones passed down for sure! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Agreed 🙂 hope you love these ones!
These look delicious! Is it easy to substitute oat bran for wheat bran here? Also, could you use regular molasses over black strap?
Thanks 🙂
Yes you can swap for both! Enjoy!
Yum! I love recreating family recipes with a healthy spin =) I have also been craving and baking muffins quite a bit so I can’t wait to get more inspiration from you this week!
They’re my favorite recipes to make! Tons of muffin inspo coming this week – hope you find some new favorites 🙂
The muffins came out perfect. I added raisins, walnuts and a little bit of fresh pineapple. So moist and delicious, they won’t last long.
Thank you for the great recipe!
YUM love your add-ins! Enjoy 🙂
just made these with fresh blueberries and they are so perfect! thank you Monique & Gloria 😉
Delicious!! We’re glad you loved these 🙂
Just made these and we love them. I actually used olive oil instead of coconut and added a little shredded carrot. This might be my new favorite recipe of yours. Thank you, and thank Grandma Gloria too ❤
Love the idea of carrot in here! Gloria and I are both happy you guys love them 🙂
These came out really well. I used wheat germ instead of the wheat bran and they’re springy, moist, not-too-sweet and have been a big hit 🙂 Thank you!
Perfect! So glad they’re a hit!
I left a comment earlier, but I just had to come back and rate this recipe. I made them last night and seriously these are some dank muffins! I’m obsessed with them- they’re chewy and not dry at all. If I could give this more than 5 stars, I would.
Amazing! So happy you’re loving these – dank is right 😉
I don’t ever eat muffins, like ever. Yet I am a huge fan of this blog, and I made these and THEY ARE….dank Like the other commenter says, I am just hoping dank means THE SH*T! Grandma, I love you, your healthy bran muffins are so awesome!!! They are PERFECTION! — now off to get everything for the lemon ones and the orange ones, gotta keep up!
Today is your WEEK for muffins Denise! 🙂 So happy you’re loving them!
These are so good! It was hard to eat just one at a time! Ambitious Kitchen is one of my favorite blogs. I used WWW flour and added raisins and drizzled some almond butter on top. These brought me back to my childhood, bran muffins were one of the few “sweets” my Dad would eat. I will definitely be keeping this recipe!
I’m so happy you found these! The raisins + almond butter drizzle sound incredible.
How much sodium is in a muffin ?
I didn’t calculate sodium content, so I’m not sure!
I really wanted to make these but didn’t want to leave the house. So I used oat bran instead of wheat bran, regular vinegar instead of cider and …get this…I had no muffin tin or paper cups. 😒 So I used a donut pan. They turned out great. Added the raisins as well. These are so yummy (and versatile).
These as donuts sound amazing!! Love adding raisins too 🙂
Awesome muffins, so delicious and wholesome – I added some orange zest and vanilla extract to the batter and baked in a bundt pan for exactly 30 minutes. These are simply the best bran muffin recipe I have come across. Thanks for another outstanding recipe!
Amazing! I’m all about orange zest 😉 These sound incredible in a bundt pan!
I used wheat germ instead of wheat bran on mistake! They were still delicious! do you think the bran makes it taste different than germ for future times I make? 🙂 thank u
I’m glad they were still delicious! I haven’t used wheat germ before, so I’m not sure. They’re just different parts of the wheat!
Can you recommend a no added fat version?
These are the only way I bake my grandma’s bran muffins!
Is there any reason dairy milk wouldn’t work in place of almond milk? Just trying to simplify ingredients based on my typical groceries 😊
Dairy milk should work!
Just tried these this morning as I was looking for a healthier recipe and this is it!! Delicious with a slightly sweet taste! My add-ins were blueberries, walnuts and dates!
Perfect!! Glad you loved these – blueberries, walnuts and dates sound delicious.
Love these, and love ALL the muffin recipes on your site! I make muffins at least twice a week, and yours are some of the best. Thanks for your emphasis on whole grains and fruits and veggies. The only sub I find myself making is to up the fat–especially in a recipe like this where applesauce is called for. The sugar from applesauce is actually less healthy than fat, which our bodies need much more of than was thought during the whole Low Fat Lie. But again–your recipes rock and so does this blog; thank you for all you do!
Thanks so much Jenny! As you can probably tell, muffins are one of my favorite recipes to share. I do opt for unsweetened applesauce in recipes like this one, and a spread of nut butter on top is a great source of healthy fat too 🙂
Made these muffins while my 8week old slept and they did not disappoint. I don’t have a lot of time these days, and I’m dairy free while breastfeeding, but these were easy and so tasty.
So happy to hear that Emily! These are such a great snack while you’ve got your hands full <3
Way too many pics !
Is there any substitute for molasses in this recipe?
Thanks
Unfortunately no, the molasses is what helps to give flavor to the muffins!
These are super yummy and are a great accompaniment to my morning smoothie.
They cooked PERFECTLY and reheat very well.
Thank you so much!
Sounds like the perfect breakfast! Glad you love them 🙂
Wow best muffin ever !!! I used 1/4 cup coconut oil , I didn’t have appple sauce I replaced it with mashed banana I increased a little more banana to replace the coconut oil that I decreased , I didn’t have enough banana so I added mashed avocado maybe 2 tbs I wanted to make sure I had enough moisture . 1/2 cup raisins and 1/2 cup toasted walnuts . I didn’t add the entire 3/4 cup of milk maybe 2/3 the mixe was thin …they taste like Tim Horton in Canada their dates and bran muffin !!! Next time I will add dates instead oof raisins . Thank you
Glad those swaps worked out! Fav bran muffins 🙂
Hi came across your website and had to make these Bran muffins, which I added 1 1/2 cups of raisins and only cooked for 14 minutes. I really don’t like to over cook muffins or scones. Followed your recipe to the T and got 12 sizable muffins. Thank you for the recipe. Both my wife and daughter love these. A fan from New Jersey! :0) Thank you. HL
Hi Howard! Perfect 🙂 I’m glad you all loved them!
CAN I LEAVE THE MOLASSES OUT?
No it’s essential to the flavor of the muffins!
Did half the muffins with just raisins and half with blueberries and while both were really great, preferred the ones with the blueberries, they were really moist inside while the raisins turned out a little dry inside (though still great tasting).
Blueberries sound delicious in here!
Those were absolutely scrumptious. I was unsure but….they were great!
So happy you liked them! There’s something special about my grandma Gloria’s recipe – the best!
How long will the muffins last in a sealed container on the counter?
These should last 1-2 days on the counter, but you can also freeze them for up to 3 months or store them in the fridge for 4-5 days.
This recipe is really good! I used unbleached all purpose because I couldn’t find the one listed. I used coconut palm sugar and coconut oil and added raisins. Very flavourful and satisfying! They freeze really well and I’m going to make many more
Glad those little swaps worked out! And great idea to freeze for later – yum!
This Grandma’s Bran Muffin recipe has been wonderful. I have made it with chocolate chips, fruit, nuts, and my kids love sit best when I substitute in oatmeal but will eat them either way. We really appreciate the extra fiber such a delicious recipe offers. Thank you for this one!
On another note, I am wanting to make a gingerbread cookie cake so that I can cut out the makings of a house and I wondered if you have any suggestions about that. Happy Holidays!
So happy you love these! Hmmm I haven’t made a gingerbread cookie cake yet, but these gingerbread cookies might do the trick 🙂
These blew my mind! The molasses is such a game a changer, I added 1 cup frozen wild blueberries which put me at 20mins even for cook time. These make a l substantial breakfast or snack, I was pleasantly surprised with the large size of the muffin. Will edit when I see how they freeze as I won’t be able to eat all ten this week!
Love that! So glad you enjoyed and great idea with the blueberries 🙂
I have been trying a variety of bran muffin recipes and this one is just right. Crispy on the top, soft in the center. Lots of bran.I will reduce the cinnamon to one teaspoon next time and I added half cup of walnuts. Delicious.
So glad you found this one! Love the idea of adding walnuts, too. Enjoy!
Bran muffin recipe outstanding!
Glad you love it!
How do you cool the coconut oil? Should I put it in the fridge after microwaving? How long should it stay in there?
I suggest just leaving it on the counter until it cools down so that it doesn’t harden!
Ok, so first time commenting on an recipe. These bran muffins are excellent. I made the recipe exactly according to the directions. I did use the coconut oil substitute and I did add the raisins and nuts. As a bonus there was enough batter to make a dozen large muffins (the paper cups full to the top). I had the exact needed ingredients because I have tried many recipes most of which I trashed.
Amazing! So happy to hear that and I’m glad you found this one. Thanks for your comment!
Haven’t made these yet, but plan to soon, using white whole wheat flour and wheat bran. For the person asking about alternative flours, I wonder if it would work using oat flour and oat bran in place of the wheat components?
I think that would work well… you *might* need to reduce the liquid just a little bit. Let me know if you try it! I love oat bran 🙂
These were delightful! I modified slightly with a little extra cinnamon and by adding shredded carrot (1.5 carrots) and orange zest with the wet ingredients to add a little flavor and texture. These are going to become a staple in my household!
Just made these. They are awesome! Taste just like store-bought. Thanks!
Absolutely! Glad you loved them!
Can you use bran cereal for the wheat bran?
I wouldn’t recommend it as the texture won’t be quite the same!
These are my favorites! I add fresh blueberries. Really good taste and healthy! Thanks for a great muffin recipe!
I’m so glad! Great idea with fresh blueberries – YUM.
im gonna make these today! im excited- i LOVE bran muffins <3
also guys DANK means DAMP AND COLD
ahaha
I hope you love them!!
If you hadn’t even made them before posting your 5 star review, how do you know it was worth 5 stars? Kind of deceiving for those of us looking for honest input, via how many “stars” a recipe has received
Delicious muffins, high fiber, not too sweet perfect for my pediatric patients ! Substituted 1/2 c wheat germ and 1/2 c All bran for the wheat bran. Used flax eggs to keep them vegan. Going to try the marble chocolate zucchini bread as the kids will surely love it ! Thanks for the healthy recipes that are vegan friendly.
Amazing! So happy you’re finding recipes here that make great snacks for the kiddos 🙂
These turned out so so good! Such a perfect breakfast or snack. I realized once I was halfway through mixing the batter that I didn’t have any applesauce or almond milk (oops) so I used 1/2 cup grated zucchini to substitute the applesauce and buttermilk instead of the almond milk+vinegar and it still turned out perfect!
I’m glad that worked out well!!
These were absolutely amazing! I was craving bran muffins. And this recipe did not disappoint! I didn’t have whole wheat pastry flour, so I used whole wheat all-purpose flour. I used the coconut oil instead of butter. And I baked in a cupcake pan instead of a muffin tin. I got 20 cupcake size muffins, and they were baked perfectly at 12 minutes. THANK YOU for sharing this amazing recipe!!
I’m glad that worked out well!!
I halved the recipe and added golden raisins and orange zest. Baked in a mini muffin tray and topped with raw sugar. Wow these muffins are amazing! Fantastic recipe, will definitely bake many more times! Thanks for all best recipes Monique XO
That sounds amazing! Glad you enjoyed!
Best bran muffins I’ve ever eaten. Easy to prepare too!
So happy to hear that!
I am sending a billion virtual hugs your way for this recipe, this recipe is EXACTLY what I was looking for! I am obsessed with the bran muffins from a really popular, local bakery. I’ve been eating those muffins since I was a little girl! Fast forward to this year: I set myself the daunting goal to find a recipe that would yield the same amazing bran muffin! And by a stroke of luck (and digging through many recipes haha) I found this one! I didn’t nail it the first time though, but that was entirely my fault! I used Grandma’s Original Unsulphered Molasses (because I didn’t have the Blackstrap kind) but it was waaaaaay past the “Best by” date! The muffins still tasted amazing, but I could tell the the flavor was muted. So I tried it again, this time with my new Molasses haha and it was SPOT ON! I used vegan butter (Earth Balance) instead of coconut oil & I also added 6 oz, of fresh blueberries & 1/3 cup of pecan halves (: Oh! This was also personal preference, (because the local bakery does it this way too lol) I brushed the muffin tops with maple syrup once baked! I cannot thank you and your Grandmother enough! Please try this recipe out, it’s the ONLY one you need! 🙂
Amazing! So happy you found this one! My fav, too 🙂
Made these for the first time without the optional add-ins and probably should have in hindsight. Tasty on their own but they’re missing that extra something that an add-in would really bring together. Definitely would make them again with the modification though!
Glad you thought they were tasty! Let me know if you give them a try with some add-ins 🙂
My kids & I have made these several times. We LOVE them. I always add in blueberries and they are just fabulous. I love bran muffins and these are some of the best. I always just use butter and they turn out great. Worth finding good bran and the molasses to make them amazing!
Loved the recipe……used buttermilk and added in frozen blueberries. Just a question I have…..why is it necessary to spray the paper liners? Could you not just spray the muffin tin and forget the liners?
Perfect! The batter can get pretty sticky so I always recommend doubling up 🙂
Can anyone tell me if I can leave out apple cider vinegar in the bran muffins recipe??
Feel free to use lemon juice instead, but yes, you can leave it out and it should be fine!
Any recipe for baking should include weights of the ingredients. More precise. I like the recipe and will try to convert the dry ingredients.
Delicious, flavourful muffins! Perfect for a quick breakfast with peanut butter and yogurt.
A few swaps I made: barley malt extract instead of molasses, olive oil instead of coconut oil, wholewheat plain flour instead of wholewheat pastry flour, and cow’s milk instead of almond milk.
I’m glad that worked out well! Such a great breakfast 🙂
So good and I love the molasses in the recipe. These are so moist vs the bran muffins I grew up eating!!!
Absolutely! Glad you loved them!
Best bran muffins I’ve made, actually, had! Moist (yup, I said it) and a great depth of flavour, while being healthy. Thank you!
Oh and I should mention that I used oat bran as it is all that I had and it worked lovely as a replacement for wheat bran. Could be a good option for someone who is GF perhaps
Amazing! Great tip on the oat bran. Glad you loved them!
This recipe was SO GOOD! Some of the best muffins I’ve ever had. I love the addition of the molasses, it adds a great flavour.
I did not have blackstrap molasses so I substituted with cooking molasses instead and it worked well. The molasses flavour was definitely stronger than I’m used to in most recipes, but I loved it, however if you are not a huge fan of molasses I am not sure this recipe is the right fit, or maybe try using fancy molasses as I think it has a more subtle flavour? Not sure.
Anyways, SO SO delicious, and stayed that way for 3 days – usually I find after day 2 muffins usually start getting a bit meh – before they started getting a bit stale.
So glad you love these ones! Perfect breakfast or snack 🙂
I doubled this recipe the first time I made it, and im so glad I did. Its a new household favourite. Flavourful and perfect texture. I used silicone liners and they came out clean.
So happy to hear that! Perfect breakfast or snack 🙂
This is a GREAT recipe. I have made it many times. Easy and versatile. Works well with both hard and soft bran, blackstrap or fancy molasses. For variety, cinnamon can be increased by 50% and 1/2 lemon juiced can substitute the cider vinegar. All purpose flour works perfectly in place of pastry flour with the results still being super light, fluffy and tender. Any oil works. I like to go shy on the sugar and get sweetness from extra raisins (1 cup = sweetness in bursts = better perceived sweetness). Tip on raisins: soak them in the wet ingredients at least 10 minutes to open up the flavour. Costco is easiest source for the vanilla almond milk.
I’m glad those swaps all work out! Easy and delicious 🙂
Thank you for this recipe. The muffins turned out very nice. They came out of my silicon muffin tray very easily. I used a mashed banana instead of apple sauce. I also pushed a couple of walnut halves, date pieces and bit of dark chocolate in the center of each muffin for extra excitement.
You’re welcome, Haidee! So glad the banana worked, and those additions sound really delish 🙂
Thanks for posting this. 👍
May I suggest soaking the bran in the milk for 10-20 mins before blending? It gives a better texture. I also find buttermilk instead of milk. (Chef here) Ta very much! 🙂
Thanks for these suggestions! 🙂
These were wonderful muffins. Great with a cup of coffee or tea and a dot of honey. The only change I made was using buttermilk instead of almond and used Grandma molasses since I did not have blackstrap. Would it make a difference?Also added 1/4 cup each of pecans & walnuts . Definately gonna make them again but maybe add some chopped strawberries. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
I’m so happy to hear you loved these, Agatha! I love blackstrap molasses but I think either should work just fine in here 🙂 Here’s an interesting article comparing the two if you’re interested in learning more.
This is my go to muffin recipe. I love that it’s called grandmas too, because that’s what it reminds me of. Simple, yet delicious and always a winner! I bake these up in mini muffin tins and keep them in a to go bag for easy pop in your mouth snacks.
Another great recipe. I didn’t have molasses so I did double the brown sugar. I’m sure they would be better with molasses but they were still really good. Oh I also used bran buds and just soaked them in the wet ingredients before mixing. Still turned out great. And lastly I made them in silicone liners and they popped right out after and worked great
Awesome, so happy that all worked out well and that you enjoyed these!
Just made these with the addition of dried cranberries and they are delicious!
Oooh such a great addition! So happy you loved them 🙂
I have made these muffins with fresh or frozen cranberries every November since 2018 when Monique posted this recipe. They are SO good and have a nice autumn feel with the cranberries. They make a great Thanksgiving morning snack or light breakfast, too!
Such a great addition!! Glad to hear you love these 🙂
My first attempt at muffins, inspired by a batch that was given to me. These are fantastic. I added all the extras: blueberries, raisins, and walnuts. They have perfect texture and taste. I’ll definitely be making these again.
Awesome! So glad to hear you loved these. Good call on adding all those mixins–YUM 🙂
This is an amazing recipe! I didn’t have applesauce on hand so I used zero fat zero sugar greek yogurt and left thr apple cider vinegar out. They came out perfect! Thank you for this recipe it’s a family hit!
** Also a little tip is to use parchment paper muffin cups so you don’t have to add cooking spray ;>
Can I use regular milk if I don’t have almond milk?
Absolutely!
There is something so satisfying about these muffins. I love the subtle molasses flavor and texture. I opted for dried cranberries and walnuts as mix-ins. So, so good slathered with butter!! I love all of your muffin recipes. I always freeze them and then have a quick breakfast ready to go in the morning. Thank you!
I’m SO glad to hear you’re loving them, Courtney — thank you! 🙂
Love these! I added raisins and omitted the brown sugar for my toddlers. The texture was perfect and I really enjoyed the flavour added by the molasses. I’ve been looking for a muffin recipe that I can make without refined sugar for the kids as an alternative to our usual banana. I’ll definitely make these again!
I’m so glad you’re loving these, Erin! Thank you!
I tried to make this recipe as gluten-free as possible due to my AFIB even though the wheat bran kind of defeats the purpose, Maybe I’ll try oat bran next time. Anyway, I exchanged the whole wheat pastry flour for organic brown rice flour, added 1 tsp of xantham gum, used flax milk instead of almond milk, & coconut sugar instead of brown and the muffins came out delicate & fluffy. Nice recipe!
I’m glad those subs all worked well for you! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I used half wheat bran and half oat bran; substituted Einkorn flour for whole wheat flour; local raw Blackberry honey for brown sugar; homemade unsweetened black plum sauce (which I made last summer) for the applesauce; red skinned walnuts and Hunza raisins (less sweet than regular raisins). I made the substitutions to use what I had on hand. I find products made with Einkorn do better if the batter rests for 5 minutes before baking. I prepped the muffin tins while waiting those 5 minutes. No cupcake papers, so I buttered and floured the tins. Baked for 15 minutes in a 400 deg F oven per instructions. The muffins popped right out of the pan. Yummy! Moist and tender. Definitely making these again. Next time, I might try my homemade peach sauce or homemade pear sauce (not a fan of applesauce). Thank you for posting this recipe.
Thanks so much for sharing all of this, Maggie! Happy you enjoyed them 🙂
I love your recipes but I also like hearing about your grandparents!
Aw thank you! They’re the best 🥰
Should you pack the brown sugar?
Yes, I always pack brown sugar! 🙂
Dang! These hit the spot! I Adoore bran muffins, and for some dumb reason never made them. These are stellar! May add raisins next time. Followed exactly using butter flavored coconut oil, and they’re moist and just the faintest bit sweet unlike store bought. I got 12 out of the recipe, but will overfill next time for some fatties. Amazeballs with sweet butter! Thank you!
So thrilled to hear they came out amazing! YAY! Love a lil fatty muffin top 😏
These were fabulous! Didn’t change a thing. My 6 year old with a sweet tooth loved them too!
Love to hear it! Thanks, Liz!
I have made these multiple times and would say they are the best bran muffins ever! Healthy, not too sweet and easy to put together. I add the nuts, raisins and blueberries as well as additional nutmeg and cinnamon! Delicious
I’m so happy to hear that, Heather! Thank you!
These are delicious! I’m making a lot of different muffins to freeze for after my baby is born in a few weeks. This recipe is a keeper.
I substituted a date caramel for the sugar and molasses (will probably try honey next time). Added 1 tsp of vanilla since my almond milk wasn’t flavored. And I added a few more mix-ins (nuts, chia seeds, collagen powder, and hemp seeds).
These are the best muffins I’ve ever made! I’ve made them umpteen times! My family’s favorite!
I am a Christian and would like to ask you if you have ever trusted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? The Bible says “But as many as received him to them gave he the power to become the sons of God, to them that believe on his name. “St John 1:12
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house.” Acts 16:31
Is 1 tablespoon of baking powder a typo. Not a teaspoon. I’m in the middle of baking!
Hi! The recipe is correct as written 🙂
We loved the great flavor of these muffins. I used All Bran cereal because that is what I had. I melted the butter and cooled it, but the wet ingredients congealed due to the butter. It was not a nice smooth, creamy mix. Once I mixed in some of the dry ingredients, it was fine.
Excellent Bran muffins!!!! I did add the blueberries and walnuts and those were a yummy addition! Would love to see more variations of these bran muffins in the future like a Breakfast Bran Banana Nut Muffin or something that has some greek yogurt in them and maybe even a little flaxseed meal like you put in a lot of your other muffins. Thanks for all the fun muffin recipes and keep em’ comin!
I’m not a fan of bran, because I find that it tastes like cardboard. I made these muffins for my dad because he loves bran and he’s a health nut. Anyway, I was surprised by how delicious these muffins turned out!! They do not taste like bran at all. They taste so light and delicious. I will definitely continue to make these. Thanks, Monique!
Awesome! So glad you and your dad are loving these muffins, excited to hear they turned out great for you!
A keeper!! I was conerned about the Tablesooon of baking soda and the apple cider vinegar, but was blown away when I finally connected the chemical reaction to make light.
I had unbleached flour so I use 1 cup of that and a half cup almond meal flour. For my add ins I used yellow raisins, chopped dates, and walnuts.
These were devine warm with butter, but I used restraint and had 2 without butter, still yummy.
I can’t wait to share with my friend who requested my old recipe and try other add ins like pomegranate seeds or zucchini.
Thank you.
Sounds absolutely delicious, glad they turned out great for you, hope everyone loves them ❤️
Hi!! May I sub out some of the flour for vanilla protein powder? If so, how much would you recommend please? 😊
Hi – I haven’t tested this recipe with protein powder so I am not sure how it would turn out, so sorry.
hi Monique was wondering whether I could use 3/4 cup all purpose flour and 3/4 cup whole wheat flour as I don’t have any whole wheat pastry flour on hand. also could I add in some chopped up apple and some chopped up dates??
My husband loves these! The only change I made is I used flax eggs. Super moist and not overpoweringly sweet. You can actually taste all of the flavors!
YUM! I am so glad these turned out great and you are loving them 🙂
These were delicious! I used a medium banana in place of applesauce and added 1 teaspoon of Cardamom. Sooo good!
Yum! So glad these turns out great for you ❤️
Your grandma is one smart cookie! These are really delish! I followed the recipe as written, adding frozen blueberries, and I could barely fit the batter into 12 muffin cups, so 10 must make some really big muffins! I baked for 17 minutes and the toothpick came out clean but when I cut into one it still seemed moist in the middle, so I stuck them back in for another 3 minutes. They are very satisfying and comforting. I will definitely save this recipe to make again! Grandmas are the best! ♥️
I couldn’t agree with you more ❤️ So glad you’re loving this recipe and it turned out great for you!
I juuuust made these and they are delicious! I only had about 5 paper cups left so I used silicone muffin cups and they are great because you don’t need to spray them with oil! (I didn’t spray 2 of them just in case the batter would stick and it didn’t!)
Yum! Sounds amazing, Dania! I am glad these turned out great for you, they are one of my faves!
Can I substitute banana in place of the applesauce? Or how can I safely incorporate banana into this recipe?
Sure you could sub 1/3 cup of mashed bananas in place for the applesauce.
These muffins are delicious! I subbed apple sauce with mashed banana and they turned out great.
YUM! Happy these turned out amazing for you!
coconut sugar is not a good swap for sugar for pre diabetics
Hi Jesse! I used coconut sugar to incorporate a non-refined sugar in this recipe. Check out my low carb recipes here for some lower sugar options 🙂
This is just the bran muffin recipe I’ve been looking for! I recently bought a flour mill, meaning I have lots of bran from recipes that call for high extraction flour (and thus need most of the bran sifted out). Most bran muffin recipes have a paltry amount of bran, and almost none are brave enough to use whole wheat. Most importantly, the results are outstanding! Miles away from others I’ve been experimenting with. The texture is as light and moist as promised. This recipe works beautifully with finely ground home-milled flour! Subbing home-milled flour often yields great flavor but heavy texture. I’ve made this multiple times, sometimes subbing bananas for the applesauce, always with excellent results. Thank you!
Amazing! So glad you found this one!
Not sure how to rate.as I feel I goofed somehow. These muffins did not rise at all. Still could see the mounds of dough that I added with cookie scoop.Tasty but very dense. Used WWWF. Used Buttermilk and a touch of vanilla instead of milk and vinegar and homemade applesauce which is more solid than watery store bought glop. Sure don’t look like my normal white flour muffins.
Very strange! Did you make sure to add melted, cooled coconut oil as well? I would also make sure your baking soda is fresh and to not overmix the batter, as those things can create much denser muffins!
Used melted and cooled butter. I don’t keep things around that I am not going to use like phony milk and coconut oil. I know my baking soda is good The suspect ingredient here would be baking powder. Also I probably overmixed because the ingredients did not come together well. Muffins ended up in the trash. I may try again sometime as every one seems to love them.
I wonder if the thicker applesauce could’ve been the culprit, too. I. might suggest adding a bit more milk, or going with regular milk and apple cider vinegar as written in case the buttermilk somehow changed the texture!
Perfect recipe. Failproof! I have made them a few times now, and they always come out perfectly. I have used many bran muffin recipes over the years and these are the best, they are flavorful and moist. I added in the optional raisins and some coarsely chopped dried apples. Now, I say failproof because the first time I made them I inadvertently left out the oil. I put the oil in the microwave to melt and completely forgot to add it when I mixed the wet and dry ingredients. Guess what happened without the oil? They were still good! Honestly. You cannot go wrong with this recipe. I dress up the tops with some sugar, oat flakes tiny chopped pieces of dried fruit, and nuts. I will be making these frequently.
Thanks for sharing this great recipe.
So glad they still worked out! One of my all-time favs 🙂
Made this today and it is phenomenal! Didn’t have molasses so used a mixture of honey & maple syrup. Also didn’t have muffin liners so made into a loaf pan and added 10 additional cooking minutes (pregnancy cravings can’t wait for the grocery store to open!)
Can you use bananas?
I haven’t tested this recipe with bananas so I’m not sure!
I’m not sure what I did wrong but I found these muffins very dry. I ended up not being able to eat them.
I’m sure I must have made a mistake somewhere?
Very strange! I would double check your measurements to make sure everything was measured correctly. Be sure to also use the spoon and level method when measuring flour so that you don’t accidentally pack it, and remember to not overmix the batter!
Made these this morning and used a banana to replace the eggs and added in blueberries. Love them (I’ve eaten 3!!), but next time will leave out the blackstrap molasses as it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.
I’m glad that worked out well! Great idea to add blueberries 🙂 The blackstrap molasses should be nice and sweet in here – I’d suggest trying out a different brand!
The best wholesome muffins I’ve had yet!
I put dried cherries and chopped walnuts in and they were so delicious! I’m sharing them with my son wife and grandchildren!
Thank you so much for this recipe!
I’m a Christian and always include a Word of Truth: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. Acts 16:31
The best wholesome muffins I’ve had yet!
I put dried cherries and chopped walnuts in and they were so delicious! I’m sharing them with my son wife and grandchildren!
Thank you so much for this recipe!
I’m a Christian and always include a Word of Truth: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. Acts 16:31
These are wonderful! 5 stars! I used a the substitution you suggested such as replacing the whole wheat flour with all purpose as I did not have whole wheat flour. I added in golden raisins as well. One site I looked at for bran muffins suggested refrigerating the muffin mix for an hour before putting in muffin cups in order to help muffins from spreading all over the tin, and to cook the muffins at 420 degrees for 7 minutes and then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees for the remaining time, They came out perfectly!
Perfect! So glad you loved them!
I was looking for a recipe not using buttermilk, came upon your recipe. Tried it for the first time tonight. It came out really nice and plump I got 12 muffins.
Forgot to give you a 5 star. Ingredients you used were really good. I used spelt flour as I didn’t have the flour you used. Think spelt flour is also wholewheat flour.
So glad that worked out well!!
10 minute prep time for a professional. 1/2 hour for a beginner like me LOL, but it was worth the effort! These muffins are just sweet enough, they do’t fall apart ad are about as wholesome as muffins can be.
So glad you loved them! These will get easier and faster to make the more you make them, too 🙂
These muffins are IRRESISTIBLE! They are so so fluffy and just the right taste! Everything about them is perfect! They are both delicious and healthy!!! And fast 🙂
Absolutely! So glad you love them!
I am just wondering if the 1 TABLESPOON of baking powder is a typo and it is actually 1 tsp? I have tried these muffins and they are quite tasty but I added less baking powder incase it was a typo.
It’s correct as written!