Buy the Cookbook

Breakfast & Brunch | May 22, 2021

Best Buttermilk Bran Muffins

Our Best Buttermilk Bran Muffins are easy to make and so good for mornings when you want something filling but not overly sweet! This Bran muffin is substantial without being too heavy and is filled with a blend of ingredients to make this the best bran muffin ever.

Buttermilk Bran Muffins

Do you ever crave bran muffins? I do. I love a good bran muffin, and it’s hard to find a bran muffin in a bakery that is not made from a mix. If I am going to buy a muffin from a bakery, I want it to be made from scratch!

Homemade Bran Muffins

Last week, I was on the hunt for a bran muffin. After trying 4 bakeries or shops that should sell a bran muffin in the morning hours, I gave up and decided to go to the grocery store and buy the ingredients to make my own at home.

Easy Bran Muffins from scratch

After a couple of tries, I came up with this recipe for Buttermilk Bran Muffins. The result? A not too heavy, not too light muffin that has just the right balance of sweet, fiber and flavor.

Way better than anything sold on the shelf of a store! Oh, and unless you are buying from a local bakery, it was probably baked in Wisconsin. Not that I have anything against Wisconsin…

Freezing bran muffins for quick breakfast

The key to making a muffin that has a light texture is to mix the muffins by hand. I don’t ever use a mixer when making muffin batter! I have found that using a mixer will create too much of a chewy texture and can ruin muffins.

In this recipe for Buttermilk Bran Muffins, the dry cereal needs to be softened up a bit so the oil, cereal and buttermilk sit for a few minutes until the cereal gets soft and then the rest of the wet ingredients are added together.

Bran Muffin batter

Then, the dry ingredients are folded into the wet ingredients. Folding just means to use a spatula and in a scooping motion, turn over the batter until the wet and dry ingredients become one. No flour should be visible after the ingredients are folded together. This literally takes seconds.

Bran muffins made with All Bran Cereal

I always make a double batch of Buttermilk Bran Muffins. After eating a few of the muffins fresh the first day, I let them cool and freeze all fo the leftovers in a ziplock bag. When we want a muffin, I take them out of the freezer, wrap in a paper towel and microwave for about 30 seconds.

How to make Buttermilk Bran Muffins:

  • Preheat the oven.
  • Combine oil, cereal, buttermilk in a large bowl, let sit for 5 mins.
  • Add eggs, raisins, molasses, brown sugar and vanilla, stir.
  • Add flour to the bowl add remaining dry ingredients to bowl, folding together.
  • Scoop into greased muffin tins.
  • Bake, remove and enjoy!

This post originally published in 2012. Updated with new images and recipe information in 2021.

3.84 from 6 votes
Print

Buttermilk Bran Muffins

A Bountiful Kitchen
Course Breakfast, brunch
Cuisine American
Keyword bran muffins, breakfast, muffins
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 12

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup vegetable, canola oil or coconut oil
  • 1 1/2 cups All Bran cereal
  • 1 cup buttermilk*
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 3/4 cup golden raisins optional, but highly recommended!
  • 2 tablespoons molasses
  • 1/4 cup dark or light brown sugar packed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup white flour
  • 1 teaspoon soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Wheat Bran or Wheat Germ for sprinkling on top optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Grease twelve muffin cups or use paper liners.

  3. In a large bowl, combine oil, All-Bran cereal and buttermilk. Let sit for about 5 minutes.

  4. Add eggs, raisins, molasses, brown sugar and vanilla. Stir just until ingredients are incorporated.
  5. Add to the large bowl: wheat and white flours, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

  6. Fold into the wet ingredients.
  7. Scoop batter into greased muffin cups. Fill all cups evenly, as full as possible.
  8. Sprinkle with wheat bran or wheat germ (optional).

  9. Bake at 400 on center rack for about 15-18 minutes, or until muffin springs back when touched lightly.

Recipe Notes

  • These muffins are sweet, slightly from the cereal, sugar and molasses. The raisins also add sweetness. If you aren’t a fan of raisins, but would like to have the natural sugar, you may grind the raisins in a food processor and then add to the batter. Craisins also work well!
  • To make buttermilk substitute, pour 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into a measuring cup. Add milk to measure 1 cup. Let sit for 5 minutes on countertop.
  • 1/2 cup of Plain Greek Yogurt and 1/2 cup of milk also work well as a buttermilk substitute.  
  • If you do not have molasses, you may substitute 2 tablespoons honey or Pure Maple Syrup.
  • This recipe freezes well. Bake as directed and let cool completely. When cooled, wrap individually, freeze for easy take and eat while at school, work, etc. Or place in one large Ziplock bag in the freezer. To thaw quickly, place muffin on a paper towel, and microwave for about 30 seconds.

41 thoughts on “Best Buttermilk Bran Muffins

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




  1. These look great! Have you ever been up to Ogden to try the "Mormon Muffins" at the Greenery restaurant? They are amazing…especially with a little honey butter. Their recipe is online, too.

  2. These were so great! My little boy said, "Dese ah good, mom! Dey yook yike dey won't taste good, but den dey do." We did make them with chocolate chips instead of raisins though, so that may have swayed him a little:) You just have darn good taste in food, so thanks again for sharing!

  3. Loved them! Perfect for on the go breakfast or to grab right before the gym! Homerun again Si????????

  4. I love the “Mormon Muffins” at the Greenery in Ogden. (My favorite thing on their menu.) Also, Mimi’s has good bran muffins. But nothing like fresh out of your own oven. I’m totally trying these.

    1. If it’s a jumbo tin, I would bake for an extra 5? minutes. They will spring back when touched lightly with your finger when done. Hope this helps!

  5. Borrowed the neighbors muffin tin and baked up this morning. They are delicious ????. My husband likes his a little sweeter so he put honey on his.
    Thanks for a great recipe !!!

    1. How sweet of you to make muffins for your husband! Glad he loved this recipe. Thanks for reading ABK
      xo
      Si

  6. These muffins turned out great! I doubled the recipe and used Raisin Bran. I also used all whole white wheat flour. I cut back just a bit on the sugar. The muffins were moist, flavorful, and just right for a morning muffin.

    1. Good to know Bridget! i love this recipe too. i always make a double batch and freeze to keep some on hand in the fridge for busy mornings!
      Thanks for reading ABK!
      xo
      Si

    1. I’m so glad you enjoy this recipe. This delicious bran muffin can be dressed up by adding chopped nuts,
      shredded carrots, coconut, or Craisins. So many healthy flavor combinations!
      Thanks for using my recipe.
      xo,
      Si

  7. Hello si!
    Could I maybe do coconut oil instead of the canola oil in these? Thoughts?
    I LOVE your banana bread recipe with coconut oil so much!
    Thank you!

    1. Yes, I believe that would be an acceptable substitute! When substituting oils, you want to make sure the oil has about the same melting point for success. I recently had a reader tell me that my pie crust recipe didn’t work after several tries and following the recipe exactly…after asking questions, I found she was using coconut oil in place of Crisco. They have totally different textures and coconut oil melts when slightly above room temp! I think coconut oil is a good sub for almost any baked recipe which calls for canola or vegetable oil. The only consideration is the faint coconut smell, which I love.
      thanks for reading ABK!
      xo
      Si

  8. planning to make it this morning. Used to buy them at Duncan Donuts but they stopped carrying them. I’d rather make my own anyway so I know what’s in them and can control the ingredients. Thank you!

    1. Diana,
      You will love this recipe, it’s super easy to put together and will taste so much better than muffins at Dunkin Donuts, which most likely arrive at their store in a mix or frozen form.
      thanks for reading ABK!
      xo
      Si

  9. 4 stars
    Only gave 4 stars because this recipe did not make 12 muffins- I have an oxo good grips pan- cup size not overly big

    1. Hi Kim, you can substitute molasses for the same amount of dark corn syrup, honey or maple syrup. Thank you for asking!
      xo
      Si

  10. 5 stars
    Just made these! So moist!
    Very flavorful and not too sweet!
    I used 3/4 cup chopped apples and organic sugar instead.
    It’s a keeper!
    Thank you!
    Sueb in Corona CA

  11. 2 stars
    Yeah. These were pretty bland. Maybe some folks like that but I like sweetness and flavour. These were hardly sweet at all.

  12. This recipe reminds me of Rainbow Garden’s “Mormon Muffins” but without having to let the mixture sit. I think these are delicious and easy to throw together. I use buttermilk powder because I have it on hand for some cookie recipes. It works great.

  13. 2 stars
    Not very sweet. Okay, but I won’t make them again.
    I guess I like a more moist and sweeter quick bread.