This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see our privacy policy.
Super moist and delicious, these super easy One-Bowl Honey-Glazed Bran Muffins roll out of the oven with rounded, bakery-style, tops!
I found a little treasure, polished it up just a bit and couldn't wait to share it with you! These are the best bran muffins we've ever had and I love that they're decently healthy too.
A healthy breakfast option
If you check out the ingredient list for most muffins, you'll quickly discover that they're really (what I call) "cake in disguise". With 100% all-purpose flour, lots of sugar, and often a mountain of buttery crumble, there's minimal worthwhile nutrition.
On the contrary, these Buttermilk Bran Muffins have whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, lots of wheat bran, eggs, buttermilk, oil, raisins and a relatively small amount of sugar in the cast of characters, making them much more suitable for a healthy breakfast. The cool thing about these little guys is that, with all the fiber in these bran muffins, along with 3 eggs, I've found that they keep me satiated for hours.
A needle in a haystack
I've actually been looking for a good bran muffin recipe for a long time, but every time I've looked online, I've been disappointed with the results. Either the muffins look dry and/or flat or the ingredient list includes a stick of butter and/or very little bran.
This time I was determined to find a recipe that not only looked good but was also decently healthy. It took a while, but when I spotted these muffins and checked out the ingredient list, I thought I might have a winner. And when the post described that they were "easy, incredibly moist and that they never fail to produce "nice high "bakery shop" style muffins", I knew I had to try them.
A bran muffin dream come true
I whipped up a batch and could hardly wait to see the results. The aroma was wonderful as the muffins baked and, when I peeked into the oven to see if they were done, I did a little happy dance. Just as promised, the muffins had risen up with beautiful domed tops.
And the flavor? Even better than I had hoped; super moist and delicious with a bit of caramel flavor from the molasses and brown sugar.
An easy gourmet touch
For a pretty, shiny presentation and a touch of extra sweetness, I added a honey-butter glaze. It's super easy; just a dollop of honey combined with melted butter and brushed on the muffins as they emerge from the oven. The glaze is optional as the muffins will be delicious without it; but it does add a beautiful shiny (quite fancy) finish.
One last note... this recipe makes 16 average size muffins. If you prefer large muffins, just divide the batter between 12 muffin cups. Another option is to make a small loaf of bread with the extra batter. Just grease a mini bread pan, pour in the remaining batter and bake it alongside the muffins. This makes a wonderful gift to share with a friend, neighbor, co-worker, etc.
So, if you're looking for a treasure to add to your recipe collection, here it is! Whip up a batch of these One Bowl Buttermilk Bran Muffins and share in the comments below how you liked them. We always appreciate having reviews from readers!
Café Tips for making these One Bowl Buttermilk Bran Muffins
- Wheat bran is inexpensive and available at most grocery stores, but it can be a little tricky to find. Most stores that carry Bob's Red Mill products will carry it and will stock it near the oatmeal or in the flour section. Health food stores will often carry it in bulk. If you can't find wheat bran, check with your store manager or order it online and have it delivered to your door.
- No buttermilk? No worries! To make your own buttermilk, place 3 tablespoons of vinegar or fresh lemon juice into a 2 cup measuring cup. Add milk (I like to use whole milk, but use whatever you have) to measure 1 ½ cups. Stir the mixture and allow it to sit for 5 minutes, then add to the batter in lieu of buttermilk.
- These bran muffins freeze well. Allow the muffins to cool completely, then freeze on a sheet pan, uncovered, for 1 hour. Once frozen, place muffins in a ziplock bag or airtight freezer container. Pull out as many as you want and allow to thaw before serving.
- Golden raisins, dried currants or dried cranberries are all delicious substitutes for the raisins.
- Add a teaspoon of cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, and ¼ teaspoon ground cloves to the batter for a spiced bran muffin.
- This is a somewhat unusual muffin recipe in that you fill the muffin tins almost full rather than ⅔ or ¾ full like most muffin recipes recommend (if you're making just 12 muffins, fill the cups right to the top.)
- When you spray the muffin pan as you prep for this recipe, spray generously and also around the top edge of each muffin cup as well so they'll be super easy to remove from the pan.
- You can make this batter the night before, store it in the fridge then bake up the muffins in the morning.
- The honey-butter glaze is optional, but it's super delicious and only adds 10 calories per muffin. It will make enough to glaze the top of each muffin. If you want to glaze the whole muffin (it's delicious!) double the glaze amounts.
- If my raisins are dry, I like to plump them up before adding them to the batter. To plump, just combine the raisins with 2 teaspoons of water in a small microwave-safe bowl. Cover with a plate or with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove from microwave and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes, then proceed with recipe.
- In the market for a muffin pan? I LOVE this OXO Good Grip Muffin/Cupcake Pan. It's so well made and I've had mine for several year and they still look like brand new.
If you love bran muffins, you might want to also check out these Healthy Banana Bran Muffins. They're sans refined sugar and also have lots of delicious flavor!
And a fun and wonderful adaptation of these same muffins are our Honey-Glazed Blueberry Muffins, also SO good!
This Honey-Glazed Bran Muffin recipe was originally published in April of 2018. With well over 1200 recipes in the Café arsenal, this one was too good to be lost in the archives. So we spiffed it up and updated things a bit for your baking pleasure!
Thought for the day:
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess,
for he who promised is faithful
Hebrews 10:23
What we're listening to for inspiration:
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It's so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations and ideas for variations.
Scroll Down for the Recipe - or Save It to Your Inbox
We’ll email you the recipe so it’s easy to save, print, or share.
One Bowl Buttermilk Bran Muffins
Ingredients
For the muffins
- ½ cup mild-flavored oil, sunflower, grapeseed, canola, corn, vegetable, or avocado oils will all work
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1½ cups buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cup wheat bran
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup raisins
For the glaze:
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
For the muffins:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 16 muffin cups with non-stick spray for average size muffins OR grease 12 muffin cups (standard size) for large muffins. (Or see tip above for making a small loaf of bread in addition to 12 muffins.)
- Whisk together oil, sugar and eggs in a large bowl until well blended. Add molasses, buttermilk and vanilla. Stir to combine.
- Sprinkle bran, flours, baking powder baking soda and salt over the top. Stir just until all of the flour mixture is incorporated (do not overmix). Add raisins and stir to combine.
- Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins, filling almost to the top. Bake for 12-15 minutes until firm to touch and a tester comes out clean.
- Allow to sit in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then remove to a cool rack.
For the honey-butter glaze:
- Combine melted butter and honey in a small bowl. Stir well to combine. Brush mixture over the top surface of warm muffins.
Notes
Nutrition
The Café Sucre Farine is a participant in the Amazon Affiliate Program. Affiliate programs are designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products on Amazon. The price you pay as a consumer does not change, but if you make a purchase through one of our links, we receive a small commission - and we continue delivering delicious recipes to you!
Shop Our Café Loves
We’ve gathered our favorite kitchen tools, tableware, and entertaining treasures in one place, the Café Loves store. It’s a wonderful spot to find something special for yourself or the cooks and hosts you love!
I have been searching for the perfect bran muffin recipe and I finally found it after many other recipes tried and did not care for. This is healthy and earthy tasting!
Thank you for sharing your recipes with the world 🙂 Leslie
Hi Leslie, Thank you for the great review! We're so glad to hear that our recipe was the answer that you had been looking for - thanks for taking the time to let us know how much you enjoyed the flavor of these muffins!
Really good muffin recipe (and I even forgot the glaze!). No raisins on hand so I used some diced dates instead. Opted for 12 good-size muffins + a mini loaf. Baked muffins for 15 and loaf for 3o minutes - turned out great!
Thanks for the wonderful review, Debbie! We so appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with making this recipe. Diced dates sounds like a tasty substitution! So glad to hear how well these muffins turned out for you!
Made this exact except instead of raisins, i was craving chocolate, so i added a few large milk chocolate morsels. Deliscous, i also have bran cereal on hand and i put that through the blender for the bran , its not completely pulverized, so the muffins have great texture. One of the best recipes i've found.
Hi Jo, Thank you for your excellent review and for sharing your substitutions for this recipe! It's lovely to hear how much you enjoy the muffins - thanks for letting us know!
I have made these at least ten times. A simple recipe and delicious! The glaze makes all the difference in appearance, flavor and texture! Bravo!
Hi Shannon, Thank you for the great review! So glad to hear how well and consistently this recipe has turned out for you. We appreciate you taking the time to let us know!
Delicious muffins.
Thanks for your excellent review, James! So glad to hear how much you enjoyed this recipe!
I was excited to make these, after seeing them on the Pancake Princess Bran Muffin bake off. I, too, am a fan of bran muffins that are not like eating cake. too: I make muffins weekly, to have a quick healthy breakfast or snack to pack with me. I've been on a search for the perfect bran muffin for 3 successive winters.
I like the one bowl convenience. I followed the recipe exactly. I had everything; no substitutions necessary in the muffin recipe itself: though I had no honey for the glaze. I liked the texture very much.
But: they were rather ... bland. I used avocado oil. Would they have been better with butter? I used golden raisins, soaked and drained. Would brown raisins have been better? Would all whole wheat flour or all white whole wheat flour have been better? I used whole wheat plus all-purpose, as directed. Though they probably would not rise as much. with all WW. I did add the spices. Maybe it needed more: the last recipe I tried used 2 t of cinnamon.
Perhaps not using the glaze made a difference, though 2 T of glaze divided among 16 muffins shouldn't make that much difference in overall flavor.
I'll have to try your variations with coconut and cherries. I'm really sorry to not give these a perfect score.
Hi Linnea, try them with the glaze. Honestly, it takes them to the next level! The butter and honey adds so much flavor. Then come back and leave a rating! If you don't have honey, maple syrup will also work.
Great recipe, I substituted the sugar and molasses for 120g of honey, it need another table snoop of flour and I added in extra raisins but it came out great.
Hi Nick, Thanks for taking the time to let us know that this recipe turned out well for you - Enjoy!
This is the best muffin recipe I have ever used and I have tried many. I have discovered there is no need for three eggs. Two give the same moist, flavourful result. I no longer bother with the glaze; the muffins have are flavourful enough without it.
Thanks for the review, Jan!
Hands down the BEST Bran Muffin I’ve ever tasted! Delicious, moist and nutritious! Thank you for sharing!!!
Yay! Thanks for the review, Paula!
This is my go to recipe for bran muffins...sometimes I go rogue and put a little cinnamon, but usually not. These are delicious - please don't skip the honey butter glaze it kicks them up to perfection. Thanks!
Thanks for the review, Mandy!
Could I use crushed bran cereal flakes in this recipe? And can brown sugar or honey be subbed for molasses?
Hi Nisha, I haven't tried either of those subs so I can't say for sure. I will buy some bran cereal flakes next time I shop and give it a try. I would think the brown sugar or honey will work but, not having tested it, I can't give you assurance.
Soo delicious!! Had to try one before adding the honey butter and they are absolutely scrumptious - so moist with the perfect amount of sweetness! This is a keeper recipe and will definitely make more and freeze some to grab a quick breakfast for work or afternoon snack. Love your recipes and all the so very, very helpful information you include - you think of everything!
Thank you for the kind review, Carol!
Amazing. Best recipe for bran muffins around. These are my go-to bran muffins now. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Thanks for letting us know, Ally!
These are the best bran muffins for two reasons: 1. They are simply delicious, and 2. They are so easy to make. Thank you for sharing this recipe. ❤️
Thank you for the review, Georgie!
Late to the party but just made these muffins. The very best bran muffins ever. Don't bother with other recipes. These are simple and perfect.
Awesome! Thanks for the review, Caterina!
I love your recipes!!! Does it make a difference if I use Blackstrap Molasses versus regular Molasses?
Thanks!
Thanks so much, Emily! Regarding your question, blackstrap molasses will work but the muffins will have a stronger molasses flavor.
THE best bran muffins you will ever make and eat! Bakeshop quality. Add the spices as suggested. I used chopped dates instead of raisins. Moist, fluffy, with big tops! Thank you 😊
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Debb!
Just made your bran muffin recipe and will continue using this recipe -love the taste and texture. I used the spices as suggested, added golden raisins and made a dozen. My only variation was using maple cream in place of honey with melted butter for the glaze. Thank you and after reviewing other recipes on the site, I will be trying more.
Thank you for the review, Pat!
These are the best Bran Muffins I have ever made and now definitely my go to recipe. I made a batch to take in to a few members of our church who are in the hospital..because you know you need your fibre! Thank you!
Wonderful! Thanks for the review, Barbara!
I made these for my Mom and she said these were the best she's ever tasted. She rarely asks for recipes but she did for this one! I used frozen raspberries instead of raisins just to use them up. I didn't have time to make a butter-honey glaze but I will for sure try it next time! Thank you for such a lovely recipe.
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Brenda!
Made these for my mom who has been looking for a good bran muffin. Only change I made was using All Bran cereal since none of the stores in my town had wheat germ. I missed all the wet ingredients and let the cereal soak in there while I did everything else. Turned out very nice.
Thanks for letting us know, Sue!
Help! What does the little box next to some of the ingredients mean?
Hi Karin, I'm not sure what you mean. I just checked the recipe and all I see are the bullet points on the left hand side.
Thanks for this recipe! I added two tablespoons of BOURBON to this recipe and tweaked it a little. I substituted 1.25 cups of full fat Greek yogurt for the buttermilk since I love baking with it. I use inexpensive store brand plain bran flakes cereal and pulse it down in a food processor until I get it looking like crumbs. Then I increase the vanilla to a tablespoon and add a half teaspoon of orange extract. I love to add dried cranberries to this, rehydrating as per your instructions. I might even use 2/3 of a cup of them! I love this The honey glaze is delicious, plus it also functions as something to make large sugar crystals stick to the top for an added crunch!
Thank you for sharing your adaptations and review, Denise!
Snow storm, couldn't go out, so cooked up your muffins. Made 18 from this recipe & they are delicious 🙂
Awesome! Thanks, Jennie!
I have been baking these muffins for about 3 years.. I double the recipe and instead of raisins, I add Cranberries. I am diabetic and these muffins are so high fiber, and not much sugar.. they are great for a lovely breakfast with cheese and a coffee. I made them again tonight and I freeze them in bags of 12... I defrost in the microwave every morning... add a touch of butter (but they don't need them) and its a great start to my day.
thank you for all your great recipes!!
Thanks for your review, Donna! So glad you enjoyed these!
Thank you for sharing God’s Word with your recipes! That is awesome! He is our Light and Salvation. I made your maple pecan scones but used butterscotch chips and roasted salted almonds. So, so good!
Thanks, Natalie! That sounds like a great combo!
I make muffins at least twice a week and these are aong the tastiest and easiest. Mine needed17 minutes baking, but otherwise I followed the recipe. Thanks for a keeper!
Thanks for your review, Vivian!
These are just delicious! I was going to make your blueberry muffins but didn’t have oat bran so I made these instead. I substituted wild blueberries for raisins and they turned out perfectly. I like that these are less dense than most bran muffins I have tried!
That's great, Wendy! Thanks for letting us know!
These were delicious! And easy to make. The only thing I did differently was adding more raisins.
Wonderful! Thank you for letting us know, Linda!
I have made these muffins several times and they are delicious!! My husband asks me to make them several times a month. They are moist, sweet, and hearty. The only thing that I do differently is I brush the muffins with the honey butter twice while they are still warm. I love your recipes, I have made several. Thank you!!
I'm so glad, Elizabeth! Thanks for letting us know!
These are fabulous - the only change I make is that I use chopped dates instead of the raisins since I'm one of those who can't abide raisins! I double the recipe and then freeze them in ziplocks so we can take them out one by one; zap in the microwave for 30 seconds and they're delicious and warm - the same as fresh-baked.
Wonderful! Thank you for letting us know, Paddy!
Just as you promised... lovely rounded, delicious muffins. I used the honey butter topping and was glad I did. These are the raisin bran muffins I've been looking for... quite branny. Next time I will try adding the spices you suggest. So good.
That's great, Gwendolyn! Thanks for letting us know!
Wowowowow! Delicious. Easy! I made 12 muffins and one tiny loaf. Topped with a shake of cinnamon sugar and toasted sesame and pumpkin seeds before baking - a bit longer than 15 minutes. Used the butter-honey. Absolutely delicious. Thank you so much!
Thanks for letting us know, Jan!
This has become my go to bran muffin recipe. They’re very good. The salt is mentioned on the ingredients list but not in the directions. I can’t find bran in my local grocery store so I use all bran cereal. Might this be why my batter is thin? I pour rather than spoon it. Regardless, they turn out great. Thanks!
Hi Marian, so happy you've enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for the heads-up regarding the salt. Yes, subbing all bran cereal for the wheat bran could make your batter thinner as the wheat bran tends to soak up a lot of liquid.
Just made them this morning, followed recipe as written. They turned out fabulous. Will be my go to recipe for Bran muffins. They have a just enough sugar to add sweetness, but are not sugary tasting, the right balance. Great topped with Marmalade.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing your review, Kim!
This was by far the best bran muffin I tasted and I made it! I don’t normally love bran muffins but my husband does. I followed the recipe exactly ( although I added double the molasses) and it was incredibly good. I even LOVED it. My husband has probably tried every bran muffin option out there. This topped the charts for him. Thank you so much! Will be keeping this.
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Reva!
Now I know what everyone is praising.
These are the best tasting bran muffins I have ever made or tasted.
Thank you so very much for sharing this recipe.
Yay! Thanks for letting us know, Doreen!
I love the muffins --- but, decided this time I'm going to decrease the wheat bran to 1 cup ---- was running to the bathroom too often.
But, otherwise, so good!
Thanks, J. Ann!
Who doesn’t like a good bran muffin? I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out delicious! Thank you!
Awesome! Thanks, Barbara!
I made these at the recommendation of my dr, and they were delicious! I used currants, because I don't care for raisins, and I tossed them in flour first so they wouldn't sink. This is the best bran muffin I have ever eaten! So light and fluffy!!!
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Stacy!
I hate to rate a recipe I didn't follow exactly, but sometimes we have to make due with what we do (or don't) have in our kitchens. I didn't have molasses so I used an equal amount of honey (plus I wanted honey bran muffins!). I also thought I had whole wheat flour but didn't so used 3/4 cup AP and 1/4 cut flax meal in it's place. And lastly, I don't like raisins in my desserts so used chocolate chips instead.
Next time I will follow the recipe with the exception of the raisins, I think I will try nuts instead. This recipe is definitely adaptable and I will be making these over and over.
Thanks for sharing your results, Laura!
Awesome Recipe.
This recipe was perfect. I made some major substitutes however due to what I had in my pantry and it still worked out like a dream. Even the kids loved them (minus the raisins which I had to have.)
I used MCT Coconut Oil and that worked out. Also instead of Wheat Bran that the store was out of used Oat Bran.
Added some cinnamon also.
Thank you for my go to recipe now!
Thanks for sharing your results, Kam! So glad you enjoyed the muffins.
MADE THESE MUFFINS THIS MORNING FIRST TIME TRYING THIS RECIPE. WOW! WOW! THEY ARE DELISIOUS! VERY MOIST AND THE GLAZE ON TOP ADDS A GREAT TOUCH. THESE MUFFINS DO NOT HAVE LOTS OF SUGAR AND THAT IS PERFECT. THEY ARE A DEFINITE TRY. YOU WILL LOVE THEM.
THESE ARE A FIVE STAR PLUS
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Janis!
I have never been successful at making muffins … until today! I did have to bake mine about 10 minutes longer but they are SO worth the wait. Thanks to this recipe I can put muffins into my breakfast rotation guilt (and failure) free!
Yay 👏🙌👏 Thanks for sharing your results, Carol!
Ok
I reread recipe and it is both—-sorry.
But now I need to ask- could I use all purpose flour instead of wheat flour?
Thanks Chris
Hi Lou, you could definitely use all-purpose for the wheat portion. I like to use white whole wheat flour which makes them a little lighter but regular WW, white WW and AP will all work.
Hi Chris
Is it wheat bran or wheat flour?
Great recipe! Made these for breakfast with my daycare kiddos this morning and everyone loved it. They said "we get cupcakes?!" I didn't have molasses so I used pure maple syrup instead and we replaced the raisins with shredded carrots. Turned out great and healthy too!
I love that, Janelle! Thanks so much for letting us know!
Absolutely delicious!!! The honey-butter glaze takes it over the top!
Thanks so much for letting us know, Rosie!
OMG! Thank you SOOO MUCH for this recipe!🙏 These are the BEST Vran Muffins I have ever made or had from a Bakery.. This is my go-to recipe every time time now.. Im gonna try makibg them with kess fat and less sugar cuz Im trying to lose weight..
I'm so glad, Dianne!
Sooo very good. Hard to find the right balance of taste, texture and fat loftiness with a bran muffin and this was perfection. I did add a bit of spice and baked in jumbo cups (at 450F for first 5min to get the lift!) Definitely making these again, and often.
Thanks so much for sharing your review, Sharon!
This is my go-to recipe. I make these muffins almost every week…they’re that good. Super moist and tasty. This recipe comes out perfect every time. Every. Time.
I do make the following changes - reduce fat by cutting oil by half and subbing in unsweetened applesauce for rest and reducing sugar to 1/3 cup total when making a double batch. I once made a batch without any brown sugar… yup, not doing that again. Needs just a little sugar. Make sure to add in cinnamon, ground ginger and all spice for richness in flavour. I look forward to having a bran muffin as my morning snack daily. Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks so much for sharing your results, Sophia!
Okay, so I messed up. Got wheat germ instead of wheat bran. I decided to make them anyway. I also added a cup of chopped walnuts with the raisins. These are so good. My husband even liked them; boy was I surprised. Thanks for such a good recipe. It will be going in my box. I will get wheat bran next time.
Thanks so much for sharing your results, Linda!
They are both fantastic---BB Buttermilk Bran---and BBB Buttermilk Blueberry Bran! I tend to prefer the raisin vs blueberry, but both are keepers. Thank you for the big clue on wheat bran---excellent addition.
Sandra
Thanks so much, Sandra!
These are the best bran muffins I have ever made! I did not have all the ingredients on hand and I had to improvise. I had dried blueberries, peanut oil , and I reconstituted heavy cream powder with an added tablespoon of vinegar to make a buttermilk substitute. I also added a pan with some water to the oven, not sure if that helped but the muffins came out with a nice dome shape. Delicious!
Thanks so much for sharing your results, Dominique!
Delicious. Used chopped dates instead out of preference over raisins. They did not dome. I use convection and fresh leaveners. I think that is a common issue with many bakers that I'd love to figure out. I will try to bump initial temp maybe and use top of the oven next time. There will definitely be a next time. Easy and yummy! Thanks.
Hi Stephanie, thanks for sharing your results.
Try them next time on regular bake rather than convection. I've never made these muffins without them having a nice dome but I don't use convection as I feel a lot of readers might not have the same results as I do if I'm using convection and they're not.
So happy you enjoyed them!
Thank you for sharing this recipe Chris. I just want to ask if oat bran would work instead of wheat bran?
Hi Myrna, oat bran is denser than wheat bran. I haven't tried these muffins with oat bran but I'm afraid they wouldn't be the same.
This has been my "go-to" recipe for bran muffins for two years. I soak my raisins in dark rum overnight. When I'm ready to make the muffins, I drain the raisins and pour the rum into my measuring cup, add some sour cream, and then complete the buttermilk measurement with milk (or buttermilk if I have it). They are delicious!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing your results, Janette!
I don't usually have buttermilk would love to know how much sour cream milk ratio.
Hi Liezel, just do around 5 tablespoons of milk and then the rest sour cream. You just want to thin the sour cream with the milk. Enjoy!
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Melinda!
Chris, these were the most delicious bran muffins I have ever made! Thanks for your website!
I love a good muffin and this recipe is yummy!
I also appreciate all the tips!
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Suzanne!
Excellent recpe. I didn't change a thing and it turned out perfect! Thank you!
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Allison!
My wife and I agree these are the best bran muffins we have ever tasted! However, I couldn't resist trying two modifications to the recipe. To reduce the amount of oil, I used 1/4 cup of sunflower oil rather than 1/2 a cup, substituting 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce for the other 1/4 cup of oil. Also, I happened to have a freshly-purchased package of demerara sugar, and wanted to try it as a substitute for brown sugar -- this recipe seemed to be perfect for that little experiment. The result was superb! I'll make a double-batch soon -- likely tomorrow! Thank you for the recipe; I'll be back to try more!
Thanks for sharing your results, Tom! I'm so glad you enjoyed them.
Lovely muffins, and the one bowl method is great! I don't have wo medium muffin pans or a small loaf pan, so I made 12 regular muffins and 9 mini muffins (Baked those for about 9 minutes) and that worked out well. Thanks for a great recipe!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing your results, Vivian!
Just perfect! I made half in my popover pan for a more substantial breakfast. All are wonderful, wonderful.
Thank you, Chris!
I'm so glad, Sue! Thanks for letting us know!
Hi there! Excited to try this recipe! I am wondering if I could replace the oil with melted butter or applesauce?
Hi Kai, you could certainly try that although I can't guarantee the results. I am a huge butter fan but in this recipe, the oil keeps them really moist!
Hi Chris! I substituted the oil for butter and they came out fantastic and still very moist! I also added some chopped walnuts too. Even my brother who usually doesnʻt like bran muffins loved them. Thanks for a great recipe!
Thanks for letting us know, Kai!
I just made them, although the taste is great, mine burned in the bottom. I use butter spray on muffin pan and bake them at 385 for 20 min. 15 min i still had crumbs on the toothpick....help I really want to make them again
Hi Joanne, you may want to use regular non-stick cooking spray rather than butter spray on your muffin pan. Butter has a higher tendency to burn.
Another thought is that your oven may run a bit hot also. You could start out at 400˚F and then reduce the temp to 350˚F after putting the muffins in the oven.
Another thing that can cause muffins to burn on the bottom is if the oven rack is not at the center of the oven. Check that too.
If all else fails, you can place the muffin pan on a sheet pan when baking which will reduce the chance of them burning on the bottom.
One last thought - you may have just baked them too long, it's okay if your toothpick has crumbs, you just don't want to have wet batter on it.
This is a truly awesome recipe. My kids love these and I've made them four times in the last couple months. I do a few variations. I start out with the buttermilk and bran in the bowl, I find the longer the bran is in contact with buttermilk, the better. I up the buttermilk by 1/4 cup and also add 1/4 cup ground flaxseed and 1/4 cup hempseeds, just to increase the nutrition even more, and the kids dont notice. Add 1 cup of frozen wild blueberries. I start off the oven at 450 for 5 minutes, just cause I want to make sure the frozen fruit doesnt slow the rise down, then drop to 400 for 10 minutes. And I make a dozen big muffins. Again, awesome recipe! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing your results, Tracey!
Beautiful meaty muffin! I made 8 giant ones instead of 16 small (double the calories but what can you do:)) and I added a couple of tsps of spice for a bit of a kick. I may take them out a couple of minutes sooner next time - always forget that they keep baking a bit when you take out of oven...
Thanks for sharing your results, Shaz!
I made this recipe and the muffins were delicious. I made 6 large muffins and one small loaf pan. I had to cook both of them longer to ensure they were done. I added currents, raisins and fresh blueberries. Lovely, moist muffins. loved the rich taste with the molasses. Am now looking on your web site for other yummy recipes!
Thanks for letting us know, Jean!
Best bran muffin recipe I tried. Moist, and fluffy. The molasses adds a nice flavor, I added blueberries and a pinch of Allspice. The best part is you only need 1 bowl.
Awesome! Thanks, Lisa.
Just tried this recipe - love it - especially that it's a healthier version using more whole wheat flour & using wheat bran instead of sweetened bran flake cereal. I followed the recipe except for using only 4T molasses instead of 5. Used homemade "buttermilk" made with vinegar. I also added the optional spices. The additional flavor was very subtle - will probably add more next time. The batter is very wet but baked beautifully creating a high-domed muffin, crusty on the outside & moist on the inside. Filled the regular muffin tin to the top with batter which made a "Baker's dozen" for me, not 16. Baked the extra one in the toaster oven. Found the muffins attractive & sweet enough without using the glaze. Thanks Chris.
Thanks for sharing your results, Victoria!
Good Morning, Since the beginning of the pandemic I try and use what I have in the house instead of going to the stores every time (BTW I have powdered milk in the fridge and it is fantastic). My question: If i want to substitute BRAN FLAKES (the cereal) , how much should I use?
I honestly can't answer that question, Angelique, since I haven't tested the recipe with bran flake cereal. I know there are lots of bran muffin recipes that use bran cereal. You might want to go with one of those to guarantee that you will have success.
Definitely a keeper. Moist and delicious
Thanks, Karen! So glad you enjoyed them 😊
What a recipe! I made it three days in a row, sharing the muffins with neighbours and family. I am known to change recipes so the last batch had a grated carrot and dates as additions, I used half the amount of sugar and no topping, muffins were still delicious and sweet enough.
Chris, your recipes are the best. Icing on the cake for me are the verses and music you share, I eagerly scan to see what is shared.
Added to list to try. Thank you!
Enjoy, Sandy!
Have made these healthy muffins a few times now and we are enjoying them but I do find mine are not very moist ... I use all the ingredients exactly as listed ... the only thing I do different is I make 12 muffins and bake an additional 5 minutes ... any suggestions on how I can make them moister ?
Hi Lynn, you might be overtaking them. They shouldn't be dry. What type of oil are you using?
Wow, made the Bran Muffin and they looked lovely and tasted great. You might check the recipe....did not see when to add salt. Thank you for such a easy and delicious recipe. Are your oven temperatures based on convection ovens?
Wow! What happy looking puffed up light moist muffins!! Did not change one thing! Been baking for 70 yrs & this is the best bran muffin recipe ever! Thanks heaps!
Yay! Thank you so much for sharing your results, Pat. We're so happy you enjoyed the muffins.
I've made these twice now and both times came out amazing. I didn't have whole wheat flour so just used all purpose. I added walnuts along with raisins for a little extra crunch. I have a large size silicone muffin pan so I only got 12 muffins, so it took an extra 5 minutes to bake. I may try substituting apple sauce for the oil next time. This will probably be the only bran muffin recipe I will use. Hubby absolutely loves them.
Thanks for sharing your results, Heather!
Going to try these, they have all the ingredients I like (I currently have a great recipe but doesnt include molasses). Suggest soaking the bran in the buttermilk for 10 minutes. This bumps everything up a notch in flavour for some reason! (I do the same with banana bread - soak the bananas in buttermilk first - something happens so everyone comments on results!)
Hope you enjoy them Trace!
Trace, I believe I have the same recipe as you and do agree about soaking the bran in Buttermilk first. I am excited to try Chris" recipe as I have yet to be disappointed!! will soak my bran.
Just the best we all had to bring something when we go ice fishing these muffins were what they requested. Soo soo moist and yummy. THANKS.
Sounds like fun, Jeanninne! So happy you enjoyed them!
If I made 12 muffins & put remainder in loaf pan, how big is the loaf pan?
Hi Maureen, I use a small 3½x6-inch pan.
We ate these outside, for a 65th pandemic era birthday party, individually wrapped. They loved them.
Awesome, thanks, Franny!
These are just great made 12 large ones w/ this recipe.Thank you!
You're welcome, Monique! Thanks for sharing your review!
Thanks for the recipe. Mine were just a tad on the dry side but I used half the molasses so that probably affected the hydration. I also used half the sugar.
Thanks, Emily! Yes, decreasing the amounts of molasses and sugar could definitely make the muffins dry.
I used dates and walnuts instead of raisins and added 1/4 cup of ground flax seeds. Delish!!!
Yum, your version sounds wonderful, Anna! Thanks so much for sharing your results 💕
What could I use instead of molasses? Would honey or maple syrup work?
Hi Aliya, either one would work! The flavor will be a little different but still delicious!
Can you use normal flour in place of whole wheat flour?
Hi Amy, all-purpose flour will work fine.
These are the most delicious bran muffins ever. Followed the recipe to a T. Used golden raisins. My pans were a tiny bit more shallow than most and I made 21 filling to near top. Baked at 400 for 13.5 minutes. Used the honey butter glaze. Will be using this recipe from now on. Thank you so much!
Thanks so much, Marion! I'm so happy you enjoyed them! Thanks so much for sharing your review!
tried your recipe this morning using spelt flour instead if whole wheat and replaced one egg with flax [egg].best bran muffins ever; thank you for the recipe
You're welcome, David. I'm so happy you enjoyed these muffins. We love them too!
Yum! This is my first time baking with molasses. To be honest I don't know what it does for the recipe but these muffins are wonderful. Perfect texture, and that is hard to achieve in a muffin; not too sweet. I will be very happy to feed these to my kids for breakfast in the morning. It is blueberry season so I subbed these in and made 2 batches, one "spiced" (which I found cloves to be the most dominant flavour even though it was a tiny amount) and one regular, both are very good. This is also the first recipe EVER I have made that is 100% true to the quantity with less than a teaspoon of mixture remaining to scrape on the side of my bowl 🙂 Quick, easy and delicious. Thanks for the great recipe. Printed and saved!
Yay! I'm so happy that you had good success with these muffins, Tracey! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
I tried these muffins today, and they are absolutely amazing. I would suggest not leaving off the glaze it is awesome. With the glaze on I feel that I don't have to butter them, they taste buttery already. Love Love Love these. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
Thanks, Bev! We love the glaze too. It's so simple yet it adds so much!
So these will turn out moist like the grocery store ones? Or close to? I've tried a number of various recipes and I seem to get raisin filled doorstops. I don't want doorstops, I want bran muffins!!
Haha! We think these are way better than grocery store muffins. But you can judge for yourself 💕
Super easy and delicious. I followed this exactly. This is going to be a staple recipe in our house!
Awesome! Thanks, Melanie, for sharing your results 💕
Can I just use all purpose flour I don5 have whole wheat
Yes! They muffins will be wonderful. Maybe not quite as healthy, but delicious!
I don’t have whole wheat flour can I just use all purpose flour,
Yes! That will work!
I would like to to try this today. Can I make this into one regular loaf pan?
Hi Farzana, Yes, you can. The baking time will be longer but I can't tell you exactly how long since I haven't done it in a larger loaf pan.
Just made it but the sides overflowed.
Thanks for the quick reply I actually just made it but the sides overflowed a little. I followed the recipe exactly otherwise. Smells great (now that the burning smell has decreased in the oven LOL) can't wait to let it cool to try it I baked it at 375 for 1 hour. Next time I'll just make these into muffins.
The muffins come out great, Farzana!
The loaf is so delicious thank you! Next time muffins it is 😄
...made up these delicious bran muffins today. It’s such a lovely recipe. So healthy and so yummy. I used dried cranberries and chopped pecans as
add-ins plus a T. of flax seeds. Thank you for another great gift, Chris.
Thanks so much, Linda! Your rendition sounds wonderful!
Hi Linda, I'm so happy you enjoyed the muffins. Your version sounds delicious!
Made this muffins today and they turned out nicely. Nice and light . Haven't had a bran muffin in a long time & enjoyed one with my tea, warm
The only change I made was to add some frozen blueberries and omit the raisins as I didin't have any on hand.
Thanks so much for sharing your results, Patti. I bet they were wonderful with blueberries!
Chris, can these be made into mini-muffins? If so, what is the baking time. If mini-muffins are not an option, could I make this in a loaf pan?
Looking forward to trying this. Thank you.
Just baked these muffins in the form of mini loaves, turned out great. Thank you so much for such a wonderful recipe.
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing your results, Ayesha. I know that will be helpful to other readers.
Just tried these muffins after searching for bran muffins that weren't so dense. These were very tasty and moist. Thanks for the tip of making a mini loaf out of the rest of the batter. These hold up well to substitutions as well such as applesauce for 1/4 cup of oil,2 Tbls chia seeds, left off one egg for egg white, and added 1/3 cup walnuts, minus 1/3 cup raisins. Your version needs no substitutions but I always do this to most of the breads I make. Thank you!
So glad to hear you enjoyed these muffins, Carol! Thanks for sharing your substitutions
I was so glad to find a recipe for bran muffins that didn’t used hyper-sugared cereal! These were delicious! I made some substituons from available ingredients and preference. Yogurt for buttermilk; half the amount of sugar; chopped prunes for the raisins. (Prunes are more moist and flavorful.) I also added chopped walnuts. I didn’t use the glaze. Definitely making these again!
Thanks so much, Susan. Your rendition sounds wonderful!
These are definitely the best bran muffins I’ve ever made. Not dense or leaden like the usual bran muffins. I substituted spent grains from my hubby’s latest batch of beer making for the bran and they came out great! Thanks for the fabulous recipe!
Thanks, Cheryl! What a great idea about using the spent grains! I love it!
Hi! Can oat bran be substituted for wheat bran? I'm pretty sure the answer is "no". If so, by any chance do you have a healthy oat bran muffin recipe to share? Thank you!
Hi Ace, I haven't tried that although I think the texture would be quite different. If you do try it, let us know!
I just used 1.5 cups of oat bran and .5 wheat (that's all I had ) and they were moist and delicious!
These muffins are fabulous! A muffin I can enjoy that is healthy, satisfying and delicious. My three grandsons love these muffins as does my husband who can be a bit picky at times. He loves these muffins for his take to work breakfast. So easy to make too.
Jan
Thanks so much, Jan, I'm so happy that you have enjoyed these muffins as much as we do.
After searching years for “the one” bran muffin recipe, I have found it. The muffins made from this recipe always turn out moist and so tasty! I always follow the basic recipe, but sometimes I will change things up a bit by adding orange zest, and cinnamon, and swapping out the raisins for orange-infused dried cranberries purchased at Trader Joe’s. I keep a stash of these in my freezer at all times. AND, you are correct, the 6 calories from the honey and butter glaze are TOTALLY worth it.
Yay! I felt the same way the first time I tried these, Ruth! I love all of your adaptations, delish! Thanks for sharing your results!
I just made them for my colleagues at school tomorrow.
They came out nice, tender and so tasty.
You’re right, definately a winner.
Merci beaucoup Chris
Je t'en prie, Martine! I'm so happy you enjoyed these muffins.
These are my new go-to muffins to have on hand because my whole family including baby and toddler gobble them up! I make them with whole milk (for extra fat and calories), blackstrap molasses (for extra iron), and blueberries inserted of raisins (for extra sweetness), I skip the sugar or sometimes use 1/4 cup coconut sugar. They turn out great every time in my mini silicone muffin tins. Thanks so much for the recipe. As a busy mom its important for me to feed healthy snacks to my kids. These freeze well and are super handy to bring along on our outings.
Thanks, Madison - love your version!
A great little muffin! I increased baking powder and baking soda to one and a half tsp each. Nice flavour and texture.
Thanks, Shirley!
Worked pretty well for me. My Loaf wasn't done at the same time as the muffins themselves, and ended up getting a bit over-done around the edges before a toothpick would come out clean, but nothing catastrophic. Nice and tender with none of the sawdust texture store-brand bran muffins tend to have,and just sweet enough to satisfy. Used dried blueberries in place of raisins and that worked out well too. Might try the spiced version with chopped dates next time.
Thanks, Matt, so happy you enjoyed them. Dried blueberries sound wonderful!
Can you make the batter a day ahead? Looking to serve these for Christmas morning? Excited to try. Will be using 1/3c raisins and 1/3c shredded carrots as well. Many thanks.
Hi Bridget, yes you can definitely make the batter a day ahead, then bake in the morning!Merry Christmas!
I just made these and they are terrific. I made more of the butter / honey glaze because I ran out of glaze after 12 muffins, so I made another half tablespoon of each. next time, I will just double the glaze and be nice and generous on top of each muffin. These are just perfect. Thank you so much
You're welcome Donna, so happy you enjoyed them!
These muffins turn out exactly as shown in the picture. They are moist, tasty, not overly sweet or molasses-y. It's the recipe I've been looking for for many years.
Yay! So happy you enjoyed them, Maxine!
Just made these and they are good and taste very nice
Thanks so much for sharing your results!
Very nice muffin recipe. Will definitely try this. Thanks for sharing.
Just made these and they are good. After spooning most of the batter in the muffin tin, I noticed the raisins on the counter so I had to poke some in but they turned out and I got 18.
Haha, that sounds like something I would do! Thanks for getting back and sharing your results Claire!
I'm going to consider the Honey Glaze a necessity. I love how dressed up they look. I've shied away from bran muffins because they all looked dry as a chip. Yours look decadent, moist and I'm eager to try them.
I made these and used Craisins and added the cinnamon, ginger and cloves. I didn’t put nuts in the muffins, but put them in the batter for the mini loaf. I brushed the tops with the honey-butter mixture. They are delicious! I can’t stay away from them! My husband likes them too! They were just as beautiful as the picture you put on. Thank you so much! Absolutely LOVE your cite and your recipes! One of my all time favorites is the European Style 5-Minute Artisan Bread.
Thanks so much, Rita!
Chris these are by far the best bran muffins I have ever eaten I love them!!!! Thanks so mucch. I followed your suggestion abd put the batter in my loaf pan for us to enjoy at the office tomorrow with our tea and coffed
Vanilla mentioned in muffin directions but not in list of
ingredients. How much? please!
Thanks June, I think it's fixed now 🙂
I have a batch of these in the oven right now. They smell delicious and can't wait to tuck into one. A couple of notes on the recipe, as it is written: 1. the vanilla extract is listed under the ingredients for the honey butter glaze, but the instructions have it added to the batter. 2. the instructions do not include adding the raisins. I just thought you might want to know so the recipe is tidy and not confusing to any non-bakers. Thanks for sharing what looks like a delicious recipe.
Thanks so much, Ellen. We were on the road when I was trying to get this out. I think I have it fixed, appreciate you letting me know! Hope you're enjoying them!
They are delicious!! Moist and so flavorful.
Yay! So happy you like them, Ellen! 🙂
How easy are these?! Can't beat a one bowl recipe Chris. And bran muffins are one of my faves!
I use currants instead of raisins in my bran muffin recipe, which is very similar to your recipe.
I love currants!
Katie loves bran muffins so they're on my baking rotation! Can't wait to try your yummy version.
There's a problem in your recipe regarding the vanilla. Do I add it to the brand mixture or to the glaze or both. Your instructions aren't clear.
Hi Gary, thanks! I think it's fixed!
I NEED one right now. These muffins look wholesome, Chris.
Such delicious muffins, Chris! Love the honey butter glaze! 🙂
Looking forward to trying this recipe. So many bran muffins call for bran flakes cereal, and I'm thrilled to see that yours don't.
Yes, I feel the same way, Denise!
I love bran muffins and these look perfect! Would be great to have in the freezer for morning or afternoon treats!
Hi..I don't have molasses on hand is there something else I can use in its place?
Hi Nancy, the flavor will be a little different and the muffins will have a lighter color, but you could use maple syrup and they'll still be delicious!
I would love one right now please!:)
I love the sound of the honey glaze on these! I love to have healthy muffins in the freezer for busy mornings and these sound perfect, Chris!
We love bran muffins and often have requests for a good recipe! They look delicious and tasty and I bet they’d be good for any meal or snack. Yum!
love loce your citewhere did you get that beautiful stand thank you diana from toronto
Thanks Diana, here is a link for the cake stand: https://amzn.to/2JVflOw
What a wonderful recipe, I will definitely keep it in mind. I've never baked with wheat bran, but I can imagine how they would work in these muffins.
What do you use for the Natural Bran?
Hi Della, I use Bob's Red Mill bran but it is also sold under other names. There's a link up in the Café Tips so you can see what to look for.
Chris, do you (or anyone else) have any idea if one can use gluten-free flour in this recipe? In my older age I've developed an allergy to gluten but I love bran muffins and want to try these!
Hi Sunny,
I haven't tried this with GF flour but I would think that an all-purpose GF flour should work. If any of you readers try it, please let us know!
Wheat bran contains gluten to make these gluten free you would need to use certified gluten free oat bran as well as gluten free flour.
Thanks!
What about dates? Could that be a substitute? Never cooked with them before, so do you boil them first? What do you think?
Dates would be a wonderful substitute. You don't have to boil them, just removed the pits (if they're not pitted) and chop them up.