These Bran Muffins with molasses 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 muffins lovers out of the biggest haters!
In my quest to find a good 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 Molasses Bran Muffin recipe makes a great healthy breakfast, morning or afternoon snack!
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🥘 Ingredients
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 like:
- butter
- wheat bran
- chia seeds
- wheat germ
- molasses
- walnuts
I got this bran muffin with molasses recipe from my mother- in- law many years ago and she couldn't recall where it came from. She changed the recipe a little, then I changed it even a little more until I had achieved the perfect bran muffin.
💭Health Benefits of Chia Seeds
One of the things I changed was adding chia seeds to this healthy bran muffin. Chia seeds add a ton of nutrients, while adding very few calories. You can read more about the health benefits of chia seeds HERE.
📖 Variations
- 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 a lighter milk). However, you could use whole milk, or 2% milk instead of 1 %.
- Bran - if you can't find 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
🍽EQUIPMENT
You will need a medium bowl, a large bowl, an electric mixer or stand mixer, and a muffin pan for these buttermilk bran muffins. *See recommendation links and photos in recipe card
🌡️Storage
- 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 Ziplock freezer bag for up to 6 months
👪 Serving and serving size
- This recipe makes 24 muffins. I always double the recipe, then keep them frozen for freshness and easy access.
- They go great with jam or butter, but seriously, they are sooo good, you don't even need to add anything to them!
- They muffins are very portable. I grab one every morning to eat on the go or at my desk when I arrive at work.
If you've also been searching for the best bran muffin out there, I know you'll love these too. Unlike many other bran muffin recipes with molasses out there, they are a delicious moist muffin, with a subtle taste of bran and the molasses flavor is not overpowering. Enjoy!
And if you're looking for even more bran muffin recipe ideas, then check out this Round up of 15 Crazy Delicious AND Healthy Bran Muffins!
⭐ COMMENTS & REVIEWS
Did you know that commenting and rating recipes is one of the best ways to support your favorite recipe creators? If you loved this recipe, please comment and rate it in the recipe card or share photos on social media using the hashtag #foodmeanderings or tagging @foodmeanderings !
📋 Bran muffin recipe (with molasses )
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- ½ cup canola oil you can use any vegetable oil
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon molasses
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups milk I use 1% but you can substitute 2%
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 ½ cups natural wheat bran
- 3 tablespoon wheat germ
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 3 tablespoon chia seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Fill muffin tins with paper muffin liners (these work the best in this recipe - I do not recommend making these muffins without using paper liners)
- Add 1 teaspoon vinegar to milk and set aside
- In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) cream butter with sugar, then stir in oil. Add molasses.
- in a separate bowl, mix flours, bran, wheat germ, baking powder and chia seeds together.
- Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and mix well. You can use an electric mixer for this part.
- Add baking soda to milk and stir.
- Stir wet ingredients into dry mixture.
- Stir in walnuts.
- Fold in beaten eggs. Stir only until combined
- Spoon batter into paper liner filled muffin cups to the top.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until tester or toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.
- Cool for 5 mins then transfer to wire rack. Cool for 5 more minutes and serve.
Sue
Wonderful pics looks so yummy
Food Meanderings
Thanks, Sue!
Sue
Wonderful pics looks so yummy
Food Meanderings
Thanks, Sue!
theteacupoflife
Oh yum! These sound quite delicious. I think they would definitely make a great on the go healthy snack, too!
Food Meanderings
Thanks- yes, they are very tasty - I eat them everyday!
theteacupoflife
Oh yum! These sound quite delicious. I think they would definitely make a great on the go healthy snack, too!
Food Meanderings
Thanks- yes, they are very tasty - I eat them everyday!
My Kitchen Love
Love the addition of chia seeds to this! Perfect way to add omegas and plant-based iron to a muffin! I also totally love that you think butter is a wholesome ingredient - I couldn't be more on the same page as you! My mom used to make bran muffins ALL time. I always thought they were amazing which is strange since she was truly a horrible cook (our dog wouldn't even eat her dinners). I was partially horrified when I found out it was the QuakerOats Muffin Mix and she totally pretended for years that they were her "recipe". LOL.
Food Meanderings
That's hilarious, Samatha! When I had to stop eating flax for medical reasons, I discovered chia seeds - they are amazing little fellas... And yes, I say, ' let's bring butter back'! It's all about moderation, right? 🙂
My Kitchen Love
Love the addition of chia seeds to this! Perfect way to add omegas and plant-based iron to a muffin! I also totally love that you think butter is a wholesome ingredient - I couldn't be more on the same page as you! My mom used to make bran muffins ALL time. I always thought they were amazing which is strange since she was truly a horrible cook (our dog wouldn't even eat her dinners). I was partially horrified when I found out it was the QuakerOats Muffin Mix and she totally pretended for years that they were her "recipe". LOL.
Food Meanderings
That's hilarious, Samatha! When I had to stop eating flax for medical reasons, I discovered chia seeds - they are amazing little fellas... And yes, I say, ' let's bring butter back'! It's all about moderation, right? 🙂
Sue Slaght
These look delicious and agreed very healthy. Do you have any tips for chopping nuts easily? Just buy them pre-chopped? A food processor?
Food Meanderings
Hi Sue; They are sooo good! I buy my nuts at Costco for economy, so they are never chopped. A food processor is a good way to do it for sure, but I prefer to use my cleaver. It chops them up really fast and you don't have to clean your food processor. Less dishes is always my preference!
Sue Slaght
Right well its the chopping of the nuts that I likely need to work on. One chop and it seems every nut is running for its life straight off the cutting board.
Food Meanderings
Yes, Sue... those little guys can easily go rogue! If you put them in a ziplock and use a mallet, hammer or rolling pin (very heavy) to crush them, it keeps them in line! I use the rolling pin for rice krispies but I use a hammer or mallet for things that are harder to cut (like nuts) if I use this technique :): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_s5t6cInLI
Sue Slaght
Thanks so much!
Food Meanderings
No problem!
Sue Slaght
These look delicious and agreed very healthy. Do you have any tips for chopping nuts easily? Just buy them pre-chopped? A food processor?
Food Meanderings
Hi Sue; They are sooo good! I buy my nuts at Costco for economy, so they are never chopped. A food processor is a good way to do it for sure, but I prefer to use my cleaver. It chops them up really fast and you don't have to clean your food processor. Less dishes is always my preference!
Sue Slaght
Right well its the chopping of the nuts that I likely need to work on. One chop and it seems every nut is running for its life straight off the cutting board.
Food Meanderings
Yes, Sue... those little guys can easily go rogue! If you put them in a ziplock and use a mallet, hammer or rolling pin (very heavy) to crush them, it keeps them in line! I use the rolling pin for rice krispies but I use a hammer or mallet for things that are harder to cut (like nuts) if I use this technique :): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_s5t6cInLI
Sue Slaght
Thanks so much!
Food Meanderings
No problem!
Karen
Looks scrumptious
Food Meanderings
thanks!
Karen
Looks scrumptious
Food Meanderings
thanks!
Charlotte
I get tons of recipes from my (soon-to-be) mother-in-law as well! Always nice to have family recipes passed down.
Food Meanderings
Cherish them! My mother-in-law passed away 8 yrs ago and it's so nice to have her recipes, especially for my husband and her grandkids!
Charlotte
I get tons of recipes from my (soon-to-be) mother-in-law as well! Always nice to have family recipes passed down.
Food Meanderings
Cherish them! My mother-in-law passed away 8 yrs ago and it's so nice to have her recipes, especially for my husband and her grandkids!