These oat bran muffins are hearty, naturally gluten-free, and made without any flour. They’re a simple, healthy muffin recipe that can be made sugar-free, lightly sweetened, or even vegan depending on your needs.

Add as Trusted Google Source

They are soft and satisfying (not dry) and are perfect for quick breakfasts, snacks, or meal prep.

freshly baked oat bran muffins in a tray.

While I like to have my kids eat veggies for snacks as much as possible, I try to have other healthy snacks on hand as well.

While we really love these “Almond Joy” Bars, Pumpkin Snickerdoodles, Raw Chocolate Fudge Brownies, Bean Fudge, and Chocolate Truffles, we love these oat bran muffins for many reasons.

And I hope you will too.

You can see here that these oat bran muffins are soft and hearty—not dry.

In our household, we go back and forth between making these oat bran muffins sweetened and unsweetened. Either version is delicious.

This recipe is very forgiving and easy to adjust. In fact, the last time I made them I added too much liquid and added no sweetener or vanilla or cinnamon.

I had to cook them a bit longer since they were more moist, but my kids said that they tasted better than usual! And with no sweetener—imagine that!

This recipe is a revised version of one found on Whole Approach, a sadly now defunct website. That site was such a support to me when I first started dealing with what we thought was systemic candida in our household.

They're simple but have a very pleasant heartiness that is very satisfying.

In fact, once I made both these and my Baked Oatmeal (which I consider to be a really yummy treat) and my youngest asked for these instead of the cake pretty much every time he wanted a snack.

Why You’ll Love These Oat Bran Muffins

These oat bran muffins are sure to be a favorite in your home as they are in ours. This recipe is great because it's:

no flour needed
gluten-free
can be sugar-free
high fiber
freezer-friendly
flexible (muffins, mini, or muffin tops)
tastes as a savory muffin or sweet

How to Serve

These vegan oat bran muffins are great plain, with almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or pumpkin seed butter and sometimes a little sweetener like a bit of honey or yacon syrup.

They're also great with just butter or really any kind of spread.

In order to counteract the phytates in the oat bran, I typically plan to make these a day or half a day in advance and soak the bran overnight.

Recipe Variations

Here are some great ways to make variations on this oh-so-flexible recipe.

Add the following to 1 batch:

Pumpkin Puree (15 ounces: adds 1 carb to each muffin)
Applesauce (1.5 cups: adds 1.5 carbs to each muffin)
Banana (1 cup: adds 2 carbs per muffin)

Other possible add ins:

These muffins can also be made mini size (I love them this way!) or you can even skip the muffin tins with their fussy clean up and just drop some dollops on a baking stone or tray and make muffin tops!

mini oat bran muffins. — Mini oat bran muffins for quick snacks.

mini oat bran muffin tops. — Oat bran muffins made into muffin tops. No muffin tin papers or cleaning required!

Recipe Notes and Substitutions

Multiple Batches: Baking multiple batches at once is a great way to save time. In the case of these muffins, double or triple the recipe and mix the oat bran and liquids in a bowl (and sweeteners, if using), then add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or organic apple cider vinegar or about 1 teaspoon of vitamin C powder to the mix and let it all soak for at least 7 – 12 hours. Then proceed with the recipe.
Baking Powder: If you would like to make your own baking powder, see my Aluminum and Corn-Free Baking Powder.
Egg Substitute: My Powdered Egg Replacer is a great option for a homemade egg substitute.
Sweetener Options: This recipe was developed to work for the candida diet and initially called for vegetable glycerin as the sweetener. You can use another liquid sweetener if you like. Other low-carb options are keto honey, liquid allulose. You can also use a granulated sweetener, but you'll want to subtract about 1/8 cup water from each batch. See my post on How to Substitute Sweeteners for more information. This sugar-free maple syrup works great. This Sugar-free Simple Syrup is another great liquid sweetener option.
Coconut Oil: Butter, organic ghee, or organic palm shortening can be substituted for the coconut oil.

oat bran muffins in liner and cupcake tray. — oat bran muffins in muffin pan.

More Healthy Treats

Looking for other “sure to satisfy” recipes (all with special diet options)? How about:

– Baked Oatmeal such a great make ahead breakfast, snack, or treat
– Pumpkin Snickerdoodles a fun twist on a classic cookie
– Soft Pumpkin Cookies these taste interestingly like the Enjoy Life Brand
– Quick Whole Grain Drop Biscuits
– Buckwheat Crepes these are even great for “on the fly” sandwiches!

Oat Bran Muffins - gluten free with vegan options

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups oat bran
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2–1 teaspoon salt (start with 1/2 teaspoon and adjust to taste. Use less for unsweetened muffins.)
2 teaspoons cinnamon (optional; omit for unsweetened version)
2 eggs (or equivalent substitute)
3/4 cup water
4 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional; omit for unsweetened version)

Optional Sweeteners (choose one)

2 tablespoons honey (or maple syrup for lightly sweet muffins. Use up to 4 tablespoons, if desired)
2 tablespoons allulose syrup (or other sugar-free syrup. Use up to 4 tablespoons if desired. Add a pinch of stevia if desired for more sweetness)
1/3 cup vegetable glycerin (plus 1/16 teaspoon stevia extract [original recipe])

Optional Add Ins

1/4 cup nuts (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 °F.
Mix dry ingredients together and set aside.
Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl, including sweetener if using.
Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix to combine.
Let the batter soak overnight or for 24 hours if desired, for better digestibility.
Add nuts if using.
Spoon the batter into greased muffin tins (mini or regular size), or for a simpler option, drop onto a prepared baking sheet or stone.
Bake for 10–20 minutes, depending on size, until the centers are set and the tops are lightly golden.

Notes

Sweetener Options: The original recipe uses glycerin plus a small amount of stevia. Honey or maple syrup work well on their own. Sugar-free syrups are less sweet, so you can add a pinch of stevia if desired. I haven't tried it yet but 1/4 cups of a granulated sweetener should work, adding a bit of water as well, if needed.
Sweetness & Texture: These muffins are only lightly sweet, even when a sweetener is used. The unsweetened version is slightly more dense; for a softer texture, add 1–2 tablespoons of additional water or oil.
Oat Bran Note: Different brands of oat bran absorb liquid differently. If your batter seems too thick, add a little more water. If too thin, let it sit a few minutes to thicken. Be sure to use oat bran—not oat bran cereal.
Egg-Free Option: Use a powdered egg replacer or flax egg. The powdered version works best.
Oil Substitutions: Coconut oil can be replaced with butter, ghee, or palm shortening.
Soaking (Optional): For improved digestibility, soak the oat bran with liquid and a little acid (like lemon juice or apple cider vinegar) for 7–12 hours before baking.
Mini Muffins or Muffin Tops: You can bake these as mini muffins or scoop onto a baking sheet for muffin tops. Adjust baking time as needed.

Nutrition

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may vary depending on ingredient brands, substitutions, and preparation methods. Optional ingredients are not included. Net carbs are typically calculated by subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols (such as erythritol) from total carbohydrates. This information should not be relied upon for medical or nutritional purposes.

I'd love to hear what you think about these muffins!

139 Comments

Melissa says:

Jun 24, 2026 at 10:32 am

Great information! I am looking for the lowest carb muffin I can find! I can’t wait to try your unsweetened version. But I will miss my raisins I usually put in. Maybe I will add them when I achieve my ideal weight.

1. Adrienne says:
  
  Jun 24, 2026 at 9:59 pm
  
  Thanks Melissa! I hope you like these! I agree with raisins. I love them but they have a lot of carbs. You could try maybe some of these perhaps? https://wholenewmom.com/honey-bunches-of-oats-coconut-chips/
  
  I hope to have a post about sugar-free dried cranberries in the future. Those would be good as well!