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Our easy Bran Muffins combine buttermilk-soaked wheat bran and whole wheat flour with molasses, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Make them with or without raisins.
Delicious Homemade Bran Muffins
My husband Jack’s all-time favorite muffin variety is Bran Muffins. There’s just something he adores about the hearty texture and sweet molasses flavor with plump raisins in every bite.
Sadly, our local muffin shop stopped selling his favorite bran muffins a while ago, so he set out to create his own homemade version. It took a little trial and error to get these muffins just right – but this recipe makes some of the best bran muffins we’ve had!
Why you’ll love Bran Muffins
- These muffins are perfectly sweet and moist with sweet raisins throughout.
- They are very easy to make – perfect for serving freshly baked muffins on any morning. No stand mixer is needed, and these take only about an hour from start to finish.
- You can make them with or without raisins – the choice is yours.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Wheat Bran – We used Bob’s Red Mill brand.
- Buttermilk – Buy regular buttermilk, not low fat for this recipe. Or make your own homemade buttermilk following this recipe.
- Eggs
- Vegetable Oil
- Molasses – We used Grandma’s brand unsulphured Original flavor.
- Brown Sugar – Either light or dark brown sugar can be used.
- Vanilla Extract
- Flour – We used a combination of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour for a nicely balanced texture.
- Baking Soda
- Table Salt
- Ground Cinnamon
- Raisins – Regular or golden raisins can be used or leave them out if you prefer.
Special Tools Needed
- Various Measuring Cups and Spoons – Including a 1-cup and a 2-cup liquid measuring cup.
- 12-cup Muffin Tin
- Standard Cupcake/Muffin Liners and Tulip Cupcake/Muffin Liners – We double up on the liners when baking to prevent the bottoms of the muffins from browning too quickly.
- Large Bowl
- Medium Bowl
- Heavy Silicone Spatula
- Whisk
- Ice Cream Scoop – To portion the batter into the muffin liners.
- Cooling Rack
- Toothpicks – To test for doneness.
How do I make Bran Muffins?
- Combine wheat bran with buttermilk in a large bowl and set aside to soak.
- Measure wet ingredients in a 2-cup glass measuring cup or a small bowl.
- Measure dry ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add wet ingredients to the bowl with the wheat bran and buttermilk.
- Add dry ingredients into wheat bran mixture and mix well with a sturdy spatula.
- Stir in raisins, mixing evenly throughout the batter.
- Line a muffin pan with small paper liners, then place tulip liners inside the small paper liner.
- Spray the inside of the tulip paper with Non-stick cooking spray.
- Divide the batter between the 12 cups using the ice cream scoop.
- Bake until cooked through – use the “toothpick test” to check for doneness.
- Cool on a cooling rack.
Tips & Tricks
Doubling up on the paper liners in the muffin tin will prevent the bottom half of the muffin from baking up darker than the top. When serving, you’ll discard the regular liner and only serve the muffins in the tulip liner.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make the Bran Muffin recipe ahead of time? Yes, you can bake them the night before and serve at room temperature in the morning.
- How do I store leftovers? Store at room temperature in an airtight bag or container for up to three days. Store refrigerated if you want then to last an extra day or two.
- How do I reheat leftovers? These can be gently warmed in the oven or microwave.
- Can I freeze? Yes, these muffins freeze very well sealed in a container or freezer bag with the air squeezed out to prevent freezer burn.
You might like these other Muffins Recipes:
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Bran Muffins
Our easy Bran Muffins combine buttermilk-soaked wheat bran and whole wheat flour with molasses, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Make them with or without raisins.
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups wheat bran (we used Bob’s Red Mill)
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 whole eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup molasses
2/3 cup brown sugar (if you like a sweeter muffin, change this to one cup)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup raisins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F with rack in the center of the oven.
- Line a 12-cup muffin pan first with regular muffin paper then with tulip papers. This double paper will prevent the bottom of the cooked muffins from getting too dark.
- Spray Non-stick cooking spray in each tulip paper.
- In a large bowl, measure in the wheat bran and the buttermilk. Mix with a firm spatula until combined. Let sit for 15 minutes while you work on the other ingredients.
- In the same 2-cup glass measuring cup, or a small bowl, beat eggs and add in oil, molasses, brown sugar and vanilla and beat to combine with a whisk.
- In a medium bowl, add wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and whisk to combine.
- Measure out the raisins.
- After the wheat bran has sat for 15 minutes, stir in the wet ingredients and then stir in the dry ingredients.
- Finally stir in the raisins.
- Use a large ice cream scoop and divide the batter evenly between the twelve prepared muffin cups.
- Bake for 15 minutes then turn the pan and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of a muffin and the tops bounce back when gently touched.
- Our muffins took exactly 29 minutes to bake but ovens vary.
- Place on a cooling rack for ten minutes then lift each muffin out of the pan and continue cooling on the cooling rack. These muffins can also be served right out of the oven.
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