Healthy Bran Muffins with Applesauce
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These Healthy Bran Muffins are a very simple recipe but that is also simply delicious. They're healthy applesauce bran muffins that are moist, hearty, and naturally sweetened for a satisfying breakfast or snack.
These 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 that it also 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 a reipe from a favorite restaurant.
For example, this recipe for Chocolate Avocado Pudding has its roots in a lovely visit with one of my college housemates at a precious restaurant that's sadly closed now.
Margaret's Muffins
Margaret is a dear friend who is a wonderful hostess. She likes to cook simple recipes so she can entertain often without a lot of fuss.
She will have you into her house even though it isn't perfect, and she doesn't expect yours to be either.
In fact, she's so spontaneous that she and her husband, David, have been known to phone us while driving through our neck of the woods just to tell us that they are in town in the hopes that they can drop by. Once they didn't even call us until they were in our driveway!
While basically every recipe on my site is gluten-free, these muffins are an all time favorite. The whole wheat pastry version is delicious, but they can be made gluten-free as well.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
As mentioned, these muffins are delicious, and also filling.
It's also made with simple ingredients, most of which you likely have in your pantry, and if you don't have them available, they're inexpensive ingredients, which is a huge plus.
The recipe is also flexible. I've made the recipe as is, but also have made it with gluten-free flour and alternative low-carb sweeteners. Every way we've made them, they've turned out great. You can use these gluten-free baking tips to make this recipe turn out just right should you try the gluten-free option.
They also freeze well, so you can make several batches and have them on hand for healthy snacking anytime. Yes, people say you should only make one batch of muffins at a time for optimal baking, but I'm busy and done is better than perfect.
This muffin recipe makes great mini muffins too, or you can try my favorite time-saving method by baking them on a baking stone as muffin tops so you don't have to even clean muffin tins!
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make these delicious healthy bran muffins.
- whole wheat pastry flour (See recipe notes for gluten-free option)
- wheat bran (use rice bran or oat Bran for gluten-free option)
- baking powder
- baking soda
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
- raisins
- egg (or alternative like this Powdered Egg Replacer)
- sweetener
- coconut oil (melted)
- applesauce (unsweetened; use coconut oil or butter for a lower-carb version)
- milk (or milk substitute like store-bought or homemade coconut milk or almond milk)
Topping:
- sweetener
- cinnamon
Recipe Notes
- Flour Options: You may need to play around with the amount of flour that you use for this recipe depending on the grain that you choose. The batter should be quite thick rather than pourable. For spelt (if you are eating gluten), you will probably need about 5 1/2 cups.
- For gluten-free flours, use 25% more baking powder and soda. You can use whatever gluten-free blend you like. I often use whole grain blends which should work well too.
- Egg Alternative: An alternative can be used instead of eggs. I really like using this Homemade Egg Replacer for muffins. Also, a flax, chia, or gelatin egg could be used. I haven't tried those with this recipe, however.
- Sweetener Options: You can use pretty much any sweetener you like for this recipe, but if you use honey or maple syrup, you'll need less due to them being sweeter than sugar.
- Homemade Dairy-free Milk: Here are homemade versions of both coconut milk and almond milk, which work great as milk substitutes.
Healthy Bran Muffins with Applesauce
Ingredients
Muffins
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (See recipe notes for gluten-free option)
- 1 cup wheat bran (use rice bran or oat bran for gluten-free option)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1 egg (large–See Recipe Notes for alternatives)
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar (or other granulated sweetener of choice)
- 1/3 cup coconut oil (melted)
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup milk (or milk substitute)
Topping:
- 2 teaspoons coconut sugar (or alternative: see notes)
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- If the bran isn't toasted, toast in a pan over medium heat or 200 degree oven until lightly browned.
- 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°F preheated oven for 20 minutes or until centers test dry with a knife or cake tester.
Notes
- Flour Options: Whole wheat pastry flour gives the softest texture, but regular whole wheat flour, spelt flour, or all-purpose flour also work. The batter should be thick, not pourable. For gluten-free muffins, use a gluten-free flour blend plus oat bran or rice bran in place of wheat bran.
- Egg Alternatives: Powdered egg replacer works well for vegan bran muffins. A flax egg or chia egg might work as well but I haven't tried that.
- Sweetener Options: Coconut sugar gives these muffins a warm flavor and color, but brown sugar, maple sugar, or granulated sugar-free sweeteners can also be used. If using honey or maple syrup, reduce the amount slightly and decrease the milk a bit to balance the extra moisture.
- Oil Options: Melted butter works well in place of coconut oil for a richer flavor.
- Gluten-Free Option: To make gluten-free bran muffins:
- use a gluten-free flour blend
- substitute oat bran or rice bran for the wheat bran
- increase the baking powder and baking soda slightly
- let the batter rest for 5–10 minutes before baking and bake at 325° instead.
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 know what you think about these muffins once you try them!
Very tasty! I used GF flour & rice bran, also used coconut sugar, and nuts instead of raisins. The muffins are a little dense as others commented, but were delicious warm with Earth Balance spread. Thank you for a healthy, tasty and adaptable recipe!
I’m so so glad you liked them. There’s a great woman behind these yummy muffins :).
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.
Hmmmm…that is really odd! What type of milk did you use? I have no idea!
The directions are a bit unclear. The recipe when printed says 1 1/2 cups GLUTEN-FREE flour to 2 teaspoons baking powder. The notes on the recipe however say that “If using gluten-free flour, increase baking powder and baking soda by 25%”. Does that mean then that the baker uses TWO test. baking powder or TWO AND ONE-QUARTER tsp?
Hi there. My apologies for not getting this reply out to you sooner. Totally inundated here. I just fixed the post – thanks for the heads up. I do hope you like them! I will be updating w/ new images soon!
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!
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?
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!
I think you could, for sure. Let me know if you do!