Best bran muffin recipe; and I really mean the best! Made with bran cereal, melted butter, Greek yogurt, and wheat germ. So good, yet so healthy!
It's time for another round of me gushing about how much I love someone on the internet. Aren't you glad we do this?
If you haven't heard of Heidi Swanson from 101 Cookbooks, I am here to tell you everything. Her food is so very important to me. I discovered her recipes when I moved to California, and have been cooking weekly from her books ever since.
Heidi taught me what refined, simple, local cooking really is. In fact, I hold Heidi on the same level as Alice Waters--without her, the food scene in our country wouldn't be the same. Heidi is a sort of idol to me. And not just because of this best bran muffin recipe.
Her food is 100% vegetarian; you should know this. The thing about most vegetarian recipes is that something is noticeably missing on the plate. But, not with Heidi's recipes; the meat is never missed. A vegetable or whole grain is the star of the dish, no apologies needed.
While her website is a gem, her books are old standbys in my kitchen. We cook out of them weekly. Her Otsu recipe from her book Super Natural Cooking is almost a weekly occurrence in our house. Her whole grain pancakes from Super Natural Everyday are always tripled and stacked in the freezer for quick weekday breakfasts. The Saag Paneer recipe in Near and Far was the first thing I made from the book, and have been making it ever since. She makes good-for-you food taste incredible.
Onto the best bran muffin recipe:
Today, I want to talk about her best bran muffin recipe. Her bran muffins have found a home in my Mom's Southern kitchen, which says a lot. Bran muffins can be boring, dense and dry. Heidi's are not; they have incredible soft texture and an addicting taste.
If you try them, I know they will find a permanent place in your recipe folder, and Heidi will soon become your go-to girl for healthy, inspiring recipes. In fact, when people ask me how I stay thin while baking and eating desserts all the time, I think the answer is that I cook Heidi's recipes. She is the yin to my yang; the coconut-kale salad to my mini chocolate eclair; the satisfying vegetarian grain salad to my mini chocolate cake for dessert. She's kinda my everything. Love that chick!
Heidi’s Bran Muffins
The best small batch of bran muffins that don't taste healthy at all!
Ingredients
- ½ cup bran flake cereal (aim for a low-sugar variety)
- 1 small container (5.3 ounces) plain Greek yogurt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup wheat germ
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons natural cane sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400, and line 6 cups of a muffin pan with paper liners.
- In a small bowl, combine the cereal, yogurt and melted butter. Stir together very well, and let the cereal soak while you prepare the muffins.
- Next, whisk together the flours, wheat germ, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar.
- To the cereal mixture, stir in the egg and honey. Finally, stir in the dry ingredients.
- Divide the batter between the muffin cups and bake for 18-22 minutes. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 1 minute, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 216Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 304mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 2gSugar: 12gProtein: 7g
JanP says
Your nutritional information is way off. I copied the ingredients into MyFitnessPal and it says 231/muffin, if this makes 6. Not 879.
Christina Lane says
Thanks, Jan! The calorie count is for the whole batch; I'll edit it to be just for 1 muffin.
penny says
Thank you for clarifying the muffin calorie count! I was about to say no way ! when i saw the 879calories lol, that's for the batch not the muffin..I'll make mini muffins to further reduce the calorie count, can't wait to try them!
Christina Lane says
I'm so glad, Penny! Thanks for catching it :)
Pali says
Can I replace the 1/4 cup wheat germ by increasing the bran flakes to 3/4 cup. thank you
Jackie Fitzpatrick says
😁 Thank you so much for sharing this very moist and perfectly sweet muffin. It’s a great last min woke up late throw together recipe , very delicious 😋 I will have to make double or triple next batch ☺️.