These healthier bran muffins have wholemeal flour, banana in place of much of the oil and a nutritional boost from wheat bran and flax. They’re easy to make and perfect for a quick breakfast through the week.
Healthy breakfasts
Breakfast can be a bit of a sugar-fest, can’t it?
Pancakes are often doused in syrup and some of the cereals that pass as an acceptable breakfast would be more at home in the cake aisle.
Even the so-called healthy cereals are often laden with salt and sugar.
But I’ll fully admit that what they lack in nourishment they make up for with their convenience.
Some mornings, as I chivvy the children into their uniforms and we hunt for lost school shoes, I just don’t have the time to whip up a pot of porridge.
That’s where a bit of morning meal planning comes in handy. I try to plan our evening meals on a Sunday and pre-prepare what I can, but now I like to extend that to breakfast.
It doesn’t take long to make these tasty bran muffins, and the kids love to help. Sure, there’s a bit of sugar in them, but not a lot since the raisins and banana add a lot of natural sweetness.
Make-Ahead Breakfasts
Muffins are often just portable cakes, but not these ones.
I’ve used wholewheat flour, wheat bran and flax to give them a nutritional boost.
You could throw in a small handful of grated carrot or even parsnip to add a little more veggie goodness.
Other healthy kid-friendly make-ahead breakfasts include baked oatmeal, breakfast popsicles and fruity yogurt bark.
They're all easy to make, can be made ahead and will delight kids and adults at breakfast time.
Try them with a dollop of raspberry compote or mango compote!
Why you'll love this recipe
Each bran muffin has just 215 calories
Made with healthy wheat bran
These are banana raisin bran muffins
Mashed banana replaces most of the oil
Wholemeal flour and flax (optional) give a nutritional boost
Easy to make, and fun for kids to help
A healthier breakfast on the go
Variations
Turn these into vegetable muffins by adding grated carrot or parsnip
Make them into Carrot Cake Bran Muffins by adding 1 cup grated carrot, a little extra cinnamon and 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg.
For a tropical taste, add 1/2 cup chopped pineapple and 1/4 cup shredded coconut.
Storage and freezing
Storage: Store the muffins for up to 4 days in an airtight container lined with paper towel. If placing the muffins in two layers, place paper towel between the layers (this stops the muffins getting soggy).
Freezing: These muffins are freezable. Just allow them to cool completely then freeze in an airtight bag or container.
Muffin recipes
If you're looking for more great muffin recipes, then try these!
Spinach Muffins with Chocolate Chips
Kale Green Muffins
Blueberry Zucchini Muffins
Lemon Kale Muffins
Recipe
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out for you!
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Bran Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (75g) wheat bran
- 1 cup (250ml) buttermilk (or 1 cup/250ml milk with 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar stirred in and left to sit for 5 minutes)
- 1 ripe banana mashed
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup (65g) brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (75g) all purpose flour (plain flour)
- 1/3 cup (50g) wholewheat flour
- 1 tbsp ground flax (flaxmeal) optional
- 1 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2/3 cups (100g) raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F / 190C. Lightly grease a muffin tin or line with paper cases.
- Stir the wheat bran into the buttermilk and set aside for 10 minutes to soften the bran.
- In a large bowl, beat together the banana, oil, egg, sugar and vanilla, then stir in the buttermilk mixture.
- Sift in both flours, bicarb of soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt, and gently stir, taking care not to over mix. Gently fold in the raisins.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tin and bake for 15 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.
Saffy
Light and fluffy, just sweet enough. Turned out perfect first time. I'm not sure if these are freezable but I'm going to try.
Kate Hackworthy
Hi Saffy
I'm so pleased that you like them! They should be fine to freeze. 🙂
Sam - The Cook & Him
These look and sound incredible! Love grab and go breakfasts in our house for those rush rush mornings! Quick question, what do you grease your muffin tin with before putting the mixture in? I always use muffin cases as I don't trust the muffins will come out without being hacked to pieces, but they look so much nicer 'commando' 😅 Thanks in advance!
Kate Hackworthy
Ha ha - I love that they're 'commando'! I usually spray with a little spray oil. 🙂
Pam
Perfect healthy breakfast. And I like anything that you make one time and then have breakfast for several days.
Mike from Chili Pepper Madness
Muffins are perfect for the morning! These will definitely get the day started out right. I dehydrated some spent grains from making a batch of beer. I wonder how they would work for this recipe. Might try it!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati
These muffins are great for kids school snack, I would love to make a big batch this weekend!
Gloria
These look perfect for breakfast or as a snack. Perfect to take along when you don't have time to eat. Healthy and delicious.
Felesha Bell
These cute bran muffins look like a perfect way to start the day!!! Can't wait to try them!!
Rebecca | AAUBlog
Oh, I love the sounds of these. Sounds great for an on-the-go breakfast 🙂 x
Lana
I'm always looking for breakfast ideas and these bran muffins are perfect! Since I'm always on the go, I can make these the night before and grab them in the morning. They look so fluffy! I might try adding the grated carrot for the goodness! : )