Oat Bran Muffins (No Flour, Gluten-Free with Sugar-Free Option)
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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.
They are soft and satisfying (not dry) and are perfect for quick breakfasts, snacks, or meal prep.
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:
- Chocolate chips
- Coconut shreds
- Nuts
- Dried Fruit
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!
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.
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
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—4 tablespoons honey (or maple syrup for lightly sweet muffins)
- 2—4 tablespoons allulose syrup (or other sugar-free syrup; add a pinch of stevia if desired for more sweetness)
- 1/3 cup vegetable glycerin (plus 1/16 teaspoon stevia extract, for lightly sweet but lower carb)
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 any sweetener you’re using. (Add stevia here as well, 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.
- 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. Both work well.
- 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!
Do you have nutritional information for any of your recipes?
No – sorry I don’t. I have heard there are some good sites for that, though.
Vegetable glycerin?? Do you have a post on this product? I don’t know anything about this. Is it sweet? Is it a fat??
Tx!
Hi there. There’s a link to it in the post. It is sweet. Not a fat. Make sure to get food grade. Enjoy!
Hi, I have never used vegetable glycerine in recipes as it does not have a food label. I have the same product that your site links to on Amazon and have never even considered it for edible recipes – only for DIY skin care. Just ran into my bathroom closet to taste it and it is (to my surprise!) very sweet! What?! It even says it is considered Food Safe on the back! Totally have to research this further and find more recipes that use it to give it a try. Blown away by this little tid bit of information. Thanks! I’m going to try your recipe now (but can’t use my veggie glycerine as I don’t have enough of it). 🙂
Hi Elisa. So fun! I never knew either but when I started on the candida diet I tried every sweetener that they said was OK to use :).
Hello, do you think I can use regular oats in this recipe?
You can try – it will behave differently but might work :).
HI, just wanted to let you know they came out great with regular oats.
Thanks for the recipe.
Great to hear! Thanks!
Hi Adrienne,
These turned out amazing! thanks so much 🙂
I made a savoury version with peppercorns, will try a sweet batch net time. I also soaked the oat bran overnight with just the 3/4 cup of water and aople cider vinegar. When I made the muffins the next day I added just 1/4 cup more water to the batter just to get it to mix a bit better, if that helps anyone.
Thanks for your great site!
YUM – thanks!
I made these in a savory seasoned version with no sweetener. They turned out quite dry and perhaps 425 degrees is a bit too high, or the amount of water too low. However, all is not lost! Today I cut one of the muffins in small pieces and cooked it in a saucepan with more water, plus a few tablespoons of raw oat bran and the 4:1 ratio of water:bran to go with that. I simmered the “porridge” it until it was thickened and creamy. With something with that much fiber, best to have too much water rather than too little!
I’m sorry – we never had that problem – maybe all oat bran isn’t created equally???
Trying this for the first time as far as soaking the bran. I’m a detail person. I read the instructions about “mixing the bran and the liquids plus sugar if adding to a bowl…then add lemon juice, etc”…what liquids specifically from the recipe will I add to the bran to soak overnight? I’ll be adding the baking powder, salt, cinnamon, vanilla the next day? Is that correct? HELP! 🙂
Just add the water to the grains. I’ve read both ways about soaking with and without the sweeteners so you could pick either one. Add everything else the next day :). Enjoy!
You mentioned that this could be a vegan option. What egg replacer are you recommending> I was thinking apple sauce? I would like to know what you recommend for your recipe as I didnt see it listed.Thanks@
Thanks. I have since added a Powdered Egg Replacer to my blog. I just added the link. Flax or chia can be used as well. I should write a post about that :)!
When soaking the oat bran for this recipe do you combine it with the water, vegetable glycerine, vanilla, and coconut? Do you add something acidic? Sorry I’ve never done this before and I’m really confused! Thanks!
I just soak the bran w/ the sweetener and the water. Technically you are supposed to add something w/ phytase in it – something that I haven’t blogged about. It gets fairly confusing. I do 1/10 buckwheat flour and take out 1/10 oat bran. 🙂
Hey Adrienne! This was the most popular recipe this week on Healthy Vegan Friday! Thanks so much for submitting it 🙂
How fun! It’s an oldie but goodie!!! Hope you are well!
I always like it when delicious is healthy too! Your Oat Bran Muffins look great!
Healthy and delicious – my favorite combo!
I would love to have you join Wednesday Extravaganza – my Foodie Link Party and share this (and/or any other) recipe of yours!