Old Fashioned Wheat Bran Muffins

These Old Fashioned Wheat Bran Muffins are, hands down, THE BEST bran muffins ever! I mean, these guys are the KING of the bran muffins! And that's no small feat since a good, much less GREAT, bran muffin is hard to come by. These muffins have even made bran muffin lovers out of the biggest haters! Chock-full of real and wholesome ingredients like butter, molasses, wheat bran, chia seeds, wheat germ, and walnuts, they make a great healthy breakfast or snack.

In my quest to find a really great healthy bran muffin over the years, I choked down a lot of really bad bran muffins. I did it for the fibre and health benefits, but the taste always left much to be desired. Then I was introduced to these healthy Bran Muffins... This Wheat Bran Muffin recipe is also ideal for the lunch bag or bringing along to a breakfast potluck!

🥘 Ingredient Notes

I have been eating one of these healthy bran muffins every day for breakfast for about the past 15 years. A healthy bran muffin is a great start to your day when it's chock-full of real and wholesome ingredients:

• Butter. Butter gives muffins a richer taste than oil and adds tenderness and structure. I use unsalted so I can control the salt in my baking. The content of salt in salted butter varies from brand to brand.
• Wheat bran. Wheat bran has many health benefits, including aiding in digestive health. But I've had a tougher time finding it in grocery stores over the last 4-5 years. Both Rogers and Bob's Red Mill are brands of wheat bran that I've been able to get, and I have found them at both Superstore and Co op.
• Chia seeds. Chia seeds add a ton of nutrients while adding very few calories. You can read more about the health benefits of chia seeds HERE.
• Wheat germ. Wheat germ adds nutrients, texture, and a nutty flavor.
• Molasses. Molasses adds moisture, color, a depth of flavor, and sweetness to this muffin.
• Walnuts. Walnuts give these muffins a nice texture and nutty flavor! Toast them before adding them for extra flavor!

📖 Variations & Substitutions

• Add-ins: You could add berries (ie, blueberries) to this recipe or use dried fruit or golden raisins
• Nuts: You can use a different nut. If I'm out of walnuts, I use pecans. 
• Buttermilk: You can use buttermilk, but you don't need to. I make my own by adding vinegar to milk (then I can use lighter milk). However, you could use whole milk or 2% milk instead of 1 %.
• Bran - If you can't find wheat bran, you can substitute bran cereal, but you'll want to pulse it a few times with a food processor so it has a closer texture to bran. You could also use Oat bran, but it will alter the taste and texture of the muffin.

🔪Step-by-Step: How to Make The BEST Wheat Bran Muffins

PREP: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/176 degrees C. Fill the muffin tins with paper muffin liners (these work the best in this recipe - I do not recommend making these muffins without using paper liners).

Step 1: Add 1 teaspoon vinegar to the milk and set aside.

This creates a homemade (lighter) buttermilk, which reacts with baking soda to give the muffins a light, fluffy texture.

Step 2: In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), cream butter with brown sugar.

Step 3: Beat in in oil and molasses.

Step 4: In a separate bowl, mix the flours, bran, wheat germ, baking powder, and chia seeds together.

Step 5: Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and mix well. You can use an electric mixer for this part.

Step 6: Add baking soda to milk and stir.

Step 7: Stir wet ingredients into dry mixture with a spoon.

Step 8: Stir in chopped walnuts.

Step 9: Fold in beaten eggs and stir only until combined.

Step 10: Spoon batter into paper-lined muffin cups and fill to the top.

Step 11: Bake in preheated oven for 20-23 minutes or until tester or toothpick comes out clean.

Step 12: Cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Cool for 5 more minutes and serve.

🥗 What to Serve with Old-Fashioned Bran Muffins

Bran muffins pair perfectly with a cup of coffee or tea, as well as fruit. If I'm serving them with a brunch spread, I like to include this Old Fashioned Fruit Salad. You can serve them alongside other finger foods like these Egg White Bites (shown), French Toast Pigs in a Blanket recipe, or Brunch Bites.

And if you're looking for even more breakfast potluck recipes, check out these Breakfast Potluck Ideas!

These healthy Wheat Bran Muffins also go great with jam or butter, but seriously, they are sooo good that you don't even need to add anything to them!

The muffins are very portable. I grab one every morning to eat on the go or at my desk when I arrive at work.

🌡️Storage

These muffins can stay in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 48 hours. However, I freeze them right away and keep them frozen for freshness and easy access. You can let them defrost in your lunch bag or pop them in the microwave for 30-ish seconds.

• Fridge: Store these delicious bran muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Freezer: They freeze really well in an airtight container or Ziploc freezer bag for up to 6 months.

👪 Servings

This recipe makes 24 muffins, but I always double the recipe. However, you can half the recipe or even triple it by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust. You will just need additional muffin tins.

🔢WW Points

You can reduce the WW points by replacing the oil with unsweetened applesauce, using non-fat skim milk and light butter. You could also leave out the walnuts.

❔Recipe FAQs