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Home » Applesauce Bran Muffins – gluten-free & vegan options

Applesauce Bran Muffins - gluten-free & vegan options

by Adrienne 6 Comments Published February 13, 2011 Updated: Oct 13, 2020

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These applesauce bran muffins are moist and delicious and not too sweet. It's an easy recipe with gluten-free and vegan options.

These applesauce bran muffins are a favorite in our family for a number of reasons. One of them is they are delicious. Another is that the recipe comes from a dear friend.

It's always fun when a recipe isn't just delicious, but it carries some memories or special meaning with it.

It could be a family heirloom recipe, or your favorite recipe from when you were a child (I still need to see if I can get my favorite childhood Irish Stew and Pasta Sauce and Meatball recipes somehow.....), or it could be something you had at a friend's house.

For example, this recipe for Chocolate Avocado Pudding has its roots in a lovely visit with one of my college housemates.

Margaret's Applesauce Bran Muffins

Margaret is a wonderful hostess who likes to cook simply and have people over often.

She will have you into her house even though it isn't perfect --and she doesn't expect yours to be either :).

In fact, Margaret and her husband, David, have been known to phone us while driving though our neck of the woods just to tell us that they are in town in the hopes that they can drop by.  Sometimes they have even called us from our driveway!

Now that's my kind of friend!  Well, unless I have plans. Then I really want advanced notice.....only because we love them so much and can't turn them down and then things get a little too chaotic for us.

Anyhow, Margaret is, like a lot of us, very busy--she has five children and she is very active in ministry. She doesn't like to cook much and so her recipes tend to be simple. And she doesn't make a fuss like cleaning her place like crazy when friends come over......like I said...my kind of friend!

She likes one pan meals like this Pakistani Kima (my recipe is based off of hers). These applesauce bran muffins are no exception to her simple cooking rules.

You will probably have much of what you need in your pantry to make these so you can whip up a batch at a moment's notice anytime. And enjoy these gluten-free bran muffins with company, which is one of Margaret's favorite things to do.

I remember having these with Margaret in her family's apartment when my husband and I were newly married. I still remember staying up too late, walking a lot (Margaret loves to walk and swim), and just enjoying simple whole food--and company.

Besides whipping up a batch on the fly, you could also choose to bake multiple batches because they freeze well, though muffin baking experts say that mixing more than 1-2 batches at a time will result in an inferior product because their texture depends upon not too much stirring of the batter.

I don't think I care. I care more about saving time than having the perfect muffin :).

They work great as regular or mini muffins, or you can try my favorite time saving method by baking them on a baking stone as muffin tops! That saves the time-intensive cleaning of muffin tins.

Side benefit - these muffins are loaded with healthy bran.

Regardless of what kind of bran you use, each has a benefit. For example, here are the benefits of eating oat bran.

Recipe Notes

  • If using gluten-free flour, increase baking powder and baking soda by 25%.
  • See this great homemade version of baking powder.
  • An egg substitute like this homemade one will work instead of an egg. Other alternatives are a flax egg or chia egg.
  • A healthy sweetener like organic sucanat or coconut sugar can be substituted for the xylitol in the muffins. 4 scoops stevia (see this post for helpful info on how to use it) can be used but add an additional 1/2 cup applesauce.
  • If you would like to make your own dairy-free milk, here are homemade versions for almond milk, coconut milk, or rice milk.
These applesauce bran muffins are moist and delicious and not too sweet. It's an easy recipe with gluten-free and vegan options.

Applesauce Bran Muffins

These easy applesauce bran muffins are moist and delicious and not too sweet. It's an easy recipe with gluten-free and vegan options.
Print Rate
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan

Ingredients

Muffins

  • 1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour (or whole grain gluten-free blend of your choice. Use almond flour for low carb)
  • 1 cup rice bran (toasted)
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1 egg (large--or substitute--see notes)
  • 1/2 cup xylitol (or substitute--see notes)
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil (melted)
  • 1 cup applesauce (unsweetened; use coconut oil or butter for a lower-carb version)
  • 1/2 cup milk (or milk substitute)

Topping:

  • 2 tsp xylitol (or alternative--see notes)
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

  • Mix first set of ingredients (flour through raisins) together. Mix second set of ingredients (egg through milk). Add dry ingredients to wet. Drop into 12 greased muffin cups. Sprinkle topping evenly over all.
  • Bake in 350-degree preheated oven for 20 minutes or until centers test dry with a knife or cake tester.
Tried this recipe?Mention @wholenewmom or tag #wholenewmom!

Enjoy these gluten-free bran muffins with a cup of tea, your family members or a friend or two, and make sure that you don't clean up too much before you invite a friend over to enjoy them!

What is your favorite kind of muffin?
What is a recipe you have that carries special memories with it?

 

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About Adrienne

Adrienne Urban is the Founder and Owner of Whole New Mom. She has a background in research, journalism, insurance, employee benefits, financial markets, frugal living, and nutrition. Seeking a better life for herself and her family, she uses research and consults with many physicians and other practitioners to find solutions to the variety of issues they have dealt with including life-threatening food allergies and thyroid and adrenal concerns. WholeNewMom.com is the result of her experiences and knowledge gained throughout the process. Posts are reviewed and verified by the Whole New Mom team.

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    Recipe Rating




     

  1. CJ

    February 08, 2020 at 10:00 pm

    I made these exactly. They looked great. But the taste was quite bitter. I checked my rice bran and it was not bitter, neither was the flour. Not sure what happened, but I had to toss them.

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      April 11, 2020 at 11:01 am

      Hmmmm...that is really odd! What type of milk did you use? I have no idea!

      Reply
  2. Emme

    March 13, 2013 at 2:56 pm

    Okay, I made these today. I used 2 1/2 cups gluten free flours, and no rice bran. They are really good, but even after doubling the cinnamon I can barely taste it. That's an easy fix for next time. I also needed to cook them several minutes longer.

    They were also a little dense/thick. That means I need more liquid, right? I think my dairy free milk is thicker than most; that could have affected it. I'm new to this gluten free baking thing, but I'm getting better!

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      March 13, 2013 at 4:18 pm

      I haven't made these is soooo loong. I love cinnamon so maybe I need to try them again and double it. If they're too thick, that's hard to say. I am not the greatest w/ these things, but maybe more leavening? Did you see my post on Gluten free baking?

      Reply
  3. Emme

    March 08, 2013 at 6:46 pm

    How important is the rice bran? Could a gluten free flour be substituted for it? I'm trying to stay away from rice products. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      March 08, 2013 at 6:59 pm

      I think you could, for sure. Let me know if you do!

      Reply
Please note: these comments do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of Whole New Mom.

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