Wednesday, February 21

My Best Healthy Bran Muffin Recipe With 100% Whole Grains, No Refined Sugar, and No Cereal

100% whole grain blueberry bran muffins made without cereal - FarmgirlFare.com
Moist and delicious, fiber-filled blueberry wheat and oat bran muffins made without bran cereal—healthy never tasted so good.

Update: The flavor possibilities are endless! See the comments section for all sorts of tasty variations. You may also enjoy my 100% Whole Grain Ginger Pear Bran Muffin Recipe or my 100% Whole Grain Carrot, Raisin, and Zucchini Bran Muffins.

You might think that someone who once packed up all of her belongings and moved, sight unseen, a couple of thousand miles away to a place where she had no job, no family, and no real idea of what she was doing would be quite an adventurous eater—always anxious to try something new, never ordering the same thing twice.

And while I'm sure people like this do exist, I am definitely not one of them. The pursuit of good, honest food may be the central theme around our farm and in my life, but the truth is that I'm the type of person who will happily fall into a very deep food rut.

I don't find it tiresome to eat the same dinner four or five nights in a row, and I happen to believe that one of the tastiest things in the entire world is
homemade leftover anything.

These are handy qualities to have if much of your food comes from the farmers' market or the kitchen garden, as I've come to realize that the true definition of eating seasonally means you devour something for so many meals on end that you don't even want to think about it until next year.

At breakfast time my routine pattern of eating is more like a bottomless pit. It's a good thing I don't live anywhere near a Chinese bakery, since I could probably eat a warm baked pork bun every morning for the next 20 or 30 years.

Because life on a farm is defined by a never ending series of surprises, you really can't plan ahead or count on much of anything. This, of course, is what makes it so interesting. It also means that I find a great deal of comfort in something as simple as knowing exactly what my morning meal will be for the next several months.

For a while I was stuck on oatmeal with wild blackberries from the freezer. Then I latched onto a tasty banana bran muffin recipe, but it took me longer to wash the muffin tin than it did to make the muffins. Using paper liners didn't help, as ridiculous amounts of muffin stuck to them. Of course none of this kept me from consuming a couple hundred of them—or motivated me to come up with a non-stick version.

After the bran muffins came whole grain cold cereal with milk. But not long after buying 11 boxes of cereal on sale, I got a hankering for bran muffins. I refused to go back to those annoying pan stickers, so I set out to create an entirely new recipe. Thankfully it didn't take long to come up with a winner.

My long held pet peeve regarding bran muffin recipes is that they almost always include bran cereal. Why make muffins from scratch using overpriced (and often over-processed) cereal when pure organic bran is available for a few cents per serving? I recently came across a recipe that had the nerve to call for two different kinds of cereal.

My bran muffins are made without cereal. They are made with 100% whole grains, including plenty of both oat bran and wheat bran (giving you soluble and insoluble fiber at once), yet they don't taste like sawdust or have the consistency of little bricks.

I baked up a batch of the blueberry bran version during my foodie mother's most recent visit
, and she declared them the best muffins—not just the best bran muffins—she'd ever tasted. The honey and molasses add moisture and flavor and are better for you than refined sugar. (Update: my mother has since become the Queen of Bran Muffins, baking them for everyone from the staff at her dentist's office to visiting houseguests. Her current favorite flavor is mixed berry.)

You can start with the basic plain version or go straight to one of the variations listed at the end of the recipe. The blueberries will deliver copious amounts of antioxidants along with bursts of juicy flavor. Adding mashed bananas to the batter will give you a very moist muffin. I think they all taste better the next day.

My favorite way to eat these muffins is cut in half and spread with peanut butter and jam. Add a glass of milk, and I'm good to go for four or five hours. They make an excellent breakfast on the run or afternoon pick-me-up snack for both kids and adults.


The best thing about them is that they freeze beautifully.

This is health food of the highest order, disguised as simply good tasting food. When you serve these muffins there's no need for justification or explanation. No one has to know that you're packing them with nutrients and possibly increasing their life span—only that you baked them with love.

I have some ideas for other muffin flavor variations, but for now I'm more than set. Check back with me in a couple of years.

Update: Thanks so much to all of you who have left comments below, letting me know how much you enjoyed this recipe—and, more importantly, for sharing all the wonderful different variations you've made!

100% whole grain cranberry orange bran muffins made without processed sugar and bran cereal - FarmgirlFare.com
Cranberry Orange Bran Muffins—say goodbye to store bought

Farmgirl Susan's Basic Bran Muffin Recipe
Makes about 9 large muffins

** Click here to print this recipe **


It doesn't take long to whip up a batch of these delicious, healthy muffins. This is not a temperamental batter, so feel free to experiment by stirring in whatever fruits or nuts or other things you like into the basic recipe—or try one of my other versions listed after the recipe. You can also check the comments section below for more tasty variations from Farmgirl Fare readers.

I've included the weights of each of the ingredients, so if you have a digital kitchen scale (I love my
Oxo Good Grips 11-pound scale) you can simply place your bowl on the scale and pour stuff in without having to mess with measuring cups. Just be sure to zero out the scale after adding each ingredient.

Update: Over the past few years I've noticed that the texture and weight of wheat brans can vary considerably, and some are much heavier than others. This can also happen with oat bran. If you're weighing your brans, you might want to also portion them out in measuring cups the first time, (which is how I measured them when I first created the recipe) and if you've weighed out significantly more or less bran than the recipe calls for, consider altering the amounts.

Liquid ingredients are listed by weight—not fluid ounces—so you can pour them straight into the bowl on the scale, too. When adding the baking soda, baking powder, and salt, I recommend weighing in grams or using measuring spoons, as most home kitchen scales are not precise enough to accurately weigh such tiny amounts in ounces.

As always, I urge you to seek out
organic and local ingredients whenever possible. Organic wheat bran, oat bran, and whole wheat flour are often bargain priced when purchased from the bulk bins at natural food stores.

Organic milk and yogurt are available nearly everywhere (you might even try making homemade yogurt, which tastes wonderful and is really easy to do
). Look for interesting flavors of local honey at farmers' markets.

Every summer I buy
5 gallons of fresh blueberries from a nearby organic grower and freeze them in one-gallon zipper bags to be enjoyed all year long. An outing to a pick-your-own farm is a wonderful way to spend the day with kids and take home some delicious bounty. Click here to locate one in your area (includes listings in several countries).

Ingredients:
2 cups (5¾oz / 164g) organic wheat bran
1 cup (5oz / 141g) organic oat bran
1 cup (6oz / 170g) organic whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons (12g) baking soda
1 teaspoon (6g) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (4g) salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup (5oz by weight / 156g) milk
2/3 cup (5½oz / 156g) yogurt
1/3 cup (2¼oz / 65g) safflower oil
(or other neutral oil or coconut oil or melted organic butter)
1/3 cup (3¾oz / 108g) molasses (not blackstrap) or cane syrup
1/3 cup (3¾oz / 108g) honey
1 teaspoon (6g) pure vanilla extract
(optional)

Instructions:
Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 375°. Grease a standard size muffin pan or line the cups with unbleached baking cups. I love my Chicago Metallic commercial muffin pans—I spray them with coconut oil spray and the muffins come right out of the pan, leaving hardly any mess.

Combine the wheat bran, oat bran, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set aside. Combine the eggs, milk, yogurt, canola oil, molasses, and honey in a small bowl and mix well. (Note: you can use all honey or all molasses instead if desired.)

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula just until combined.

Generously fill the muffin cups with batter. I use a large stainless steel scoop, which is also great for portioning out cookie dough. I have several sizes and have been using some of them for 25 years.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the muffins in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then carefully remove them and serve warm, or let them cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy your muffins plain, drizzled with a little honey, or spread with peanut butter and a slather of your favorite jam (apricot is very nice, as is strawberry; I love Trader Joe's Organic Reduced Sugar Preserves).


Store muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze. (I think they taste even better the second day.) Defrost muffins at room temperature, or in the microwave if you're in a hurry.

Blueberry Bran Muffins
Makes about 10 large muffins. Follow Basic Bran Muffin recipe, but gently fold 1½ cups (7½ oz/214g) fresh or frozen blueberries into the batter. There is no need to defrost frozen berries, but do quickly rinse off any ice with cold water. Note to blueberry lovers: I made a batch of these yesterday and, using my MoreMoreMore philosophy, crammed 2 cups of big fat blueberries into the batter—yum.

Blueberry Banana Bran Muffins
Makes 12-14 large and very moist muffins. Follow Basic Bran Muffin recipe, but stir mashed very ripe banana (2 small bananas, about 9 oz/255g including the peel) into wet ingredients. Then gently fold 1½ cups (7½ oz/214g) fresh or frozen blueberries into the finished batter. Baking time may need to be increased to 25 to 28 minutes.

Cranberry Orange Bran Muffins
Makes about 10 large muffins. Follow Basic Bran Muffin recipe, but replace the 2/3 cup milk with 2/3 cup orange juice and omit the vanilla extract. Stir 1 cup (4½ oz/127g) orange-flavored dried cranberries (I recently discovered these at Trader Joe's and think they're wonderful) or regular dried cranberries to finished batter. For muffins with more orange flavor, stir 1 teaspoon finely chopped or grated orange zest into the wet ingredients.

Still hungry? You'll find links to all my sweet and savory Less Fuss, More Flavor recipes in the Farmgirl Fare Recipe Index. Enjoy!

©
FarmgirlFare.com, the fiber-filled foodie farm blog where Farmgirl Susan shares recipes, stories and photos of her crazy country life on 240 remote Missouri acres—and sometimes we throw breakfast caution to the wind and start our day with a hunk of chocolate cake and a large glass of ice-cold milk instead of healthy muffins. It's good to live dangerously sometimes.

173 comments:

  1. These look awfully good... I think I feel a need for muffins this weekend! Do you think it would still work if I reduced the salt in this recipe? I have to watch my sodium intake.

    Thanks!

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  2. Ok, this I really have to try. I should eat more fiber - and these look delicious.

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  3. I need a muffin! Now! I generally stay away from muffins of any kind because they're high in calories, but these are calling to me! Send one, pretty please!

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  4. Gorgeous -- and good tips, all along. Definite food for thought and food for, um, tummy.

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  5. your muffins look quite yummy.bran muffins remind me of my mom and being a kid. is'nt funny how stuff you thought of as being yucky when growing up seems sentimental and wholesome as a big kid! I make my carrot cake from cooked mashed carrots. A great recipe from ,The Silver Palate.The carrot peels are mixed in with my ponies grain for a yummy treat for them!

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  6. I was looking for recipes using blueberries on Technorati and found your blog. You are too cool - I'd love to be out in the country. Keep up the good work...and don't forget blueberries are yummy on their own (I pour a little organic cream, sprinkle with cinnamon, and nosh on them for breakfast). Cheers!

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  7. These look wonderful and I'm going to make them on this chilly weekend as they will be a welcome way to ward off the cold.

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  8. Thank you for another wonderful recipe! I can hardly wait to try it.
    Your pita recipe was so good!
    Thank you very much.
    P.S. I am hoping I don't have to wait a couple of years for your carrot and raisin muffin recipe. Using a carrot puree sounds good!
    Thanks again.

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  9. Oh goody . . . I just finally decided I've had enough of scones for breakfast (for a while). I used to love bran and banana muffins, when I was a kid. These sound perfect.

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  10. I always wondered how many characters you could squeeze into a comment...

    Muffins look great! I know I should eat breakfast, but I don't. Having something I can grab on my way out might solve that.

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  11. Bless you for including the weight in grams Susan!

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  12. Now that a friend of mine offered me mesuaring cups, you give us the measures in weight!!!

    A big hug for all these recipes of muffins.

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  13. Do you ship? Or better yet, can I reserve a table in your kitchen?

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  14. Hi, Farm Girl! I LOVE your site!! The muffins sound amazing, but...I'm a vegan...could I sub soy milk, etc...for animal products? THANKS for the fab site!

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  15. Hi Marty52,
    I think these muffins would probably come out fine if you reduced the salt from 1/2 teaspoon to 1/4 teaspoon. If that works, you could try it with just a pinch--or even none at all. If you do make a lower sodium version, I'd love to hear how they come out.

    Hi Anne,
    This is a truly delicious (and painless) way to eat more fiber. Really. : )

    Hi Flights Of Fab Fashion Fancy,
    I haven't done the actual figuring, but I don't think these muffins are super high in calories. A lot of recipes I've seen have much more oil or butter and lots of sugar--both of which pack on the calories. I'd send you one, but really, you should just make up a batch yourself so you can try one warm out of the oven. : )

    Hi Alanna,
    Thanks!

    Hi Martha,
    I love The Silver Palate cookbooks. I'll have to look that carrot cake recipe up. I don't peel my carrots anymore--just scrub them--so Donkey Doodle Dandy doesn't get any peels (though I do give him whole organic carrots sometimes--he loves them).

    Hi Kat,
    Always nice to hear that I can make somebody hoot just by revealing details about my eating habits, LOL. Not an oat bran fan? The best thing to do with this recipe would probably be to use an extra cup of whole wheat flour in place of the oat bran. Since the original only calls for 1 cup of whole wheat flour, I think you'd need something more substantial than another cup of wheat bran. Do let me know if you make them without the oat bran.

    Hi Jen,
    So glad you stumbled upon my blog. Oh yes, I am well acquainted with the yumminess of plain blueberries. When I first pick up my annual five gallons from the nearby grower I usually end up eating bowl after bowl after bowl of them with my fingers.

    Hi eddybles.com,
    Good idea--there's nothing like a kitchen full of warm muffins to ward off a winter chill. : )

    Hi Esther,
    Great to hear you had success with my pita bread recipe! I've been thinking about the carrot puree bran muffin idea, but it probably is gonna be a while before I get around to trying it--several dozen more blueberry bran muffins at least, LOL. But I did warn you. : )

    Hi Jade,
    You know I love scones, too. There's a reason I only make one batch at a time--because if there are 8 or 10 in the freezer I will eat one a day for the next 8 or 10 days in a row, so if there were, say, 30 or 40 in there. . . I should probably come up with a healthier scone that will fill me up longer.

    These bran muffins are good with just the banana added--nice and moist. Great with peanut butter.

    Hi Melissa,
    I can be bad about eating breakfast, too. That's one of the reasons I like bran muffins so much--if one is waiting for me on the counter I have no excuse to skip breakfast. I usually take one or two out of the freezer at night, put them in a little plastic container, and they're ready to grab and eat by morning. They also make great on the go snacks--if we're headed off the farm for a while I'll pack one or two along.

    Hi Joe,
    One of these days I'll get around to adding the weights in ounces and grams to the rest of my recipes, too. Using a little scale really does make baking a breeze--though I have found it a bit difficult to remove honey or molasses from the bowl of ingredients if you pour in too much, LOL. : )

    Hi Mijo,
    Always so nice to hear from you! See? All you had to do to finally get me to convert to metric was to find yourself some measuring cups. : ) Hold onto them, though--I know you'll find them handy.

    Hi Pablo,
    You can reserve a table in my kitchen, but I'll probably serve you cereal--somebody has to eat those 11 boxes. : )

    Hi Michelle,
    Wow, I love your enthusiasm. I think you could definitely use soy milk in place of the milk in this recipe (especially since I made the cranberry orange version using orange juice instead of milk and it came out fine). As for the yogurt, is there some kind of non-dairy yogurt you could use--something thicker than soymilk? If not, I would just try soy milk in place of the milk and the yogurt. As for the eggs--I am guessing you have some kind of substitute in mind for them, as I don't think you could just leave them out. If you come up with a successful vegan version of these bran muffins I'd love to hear about it.

    Thanks, everybody, for taking the time to write. Happy baking!

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  16. Hi, Susan. Love your site and would dearly like to know how you did it. I recently started a food blog here in Washington, DC.
    Regards,
    Ed Bruske
    www.theslowcook.com

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  17. Hi Susan!

    Delurking (from Forsyth,Missouri!) for a minute to tell you how much I love your blog. I've already got a batch of these in my oven and you must have read my mind...been looking a for a GOOD bran muffin without cereal for years.
    Thanks! Can't wait to try them.

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  18. Can't wait to try these; well maybe after the mexican monkey cake! I wanted to thank you for the recommendation - I have started looking for a copy of Raising Sheep the Modern Way!

    Unfortunately, the 3rd ewe we had lost 1 of her triplets (good news is that we were able to save her and the remaining twins). I am currently bottle feeding them however, as she's not got enough milk (nothing like 2am feedings). I hope to get them off the bottle soon by using a bucket w/nipples which we are going to try this weekend.

    Two more ewes to go - I think they are going to have triplets by the size of them!

    Thanks again for your online help and of course the recipes!

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  19. ps - the hand held blender - best tool ever for mixing the lamb's milk replacement formula!

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  20. I am going to make these on Sunday! Thanks for the recipe!

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  21. I love cooking with bran. Muffins, cookies even breads. There's something so filling about them. I should really get around to posting some of my own multigrain/high fibre recipes on CassiesKitchen.com .

    Awesome blog and your sheep are so cute. :) Baaaaah!

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  22. Count me as another who can eat the same thing over and over. While I do love to cook and try new things, I will also eat the same breakfast or lunch, day after day. Most of my family does not share my love of leftovers, but they do like baked goods. I'll be making these muffins for them. I love your blog!

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  23. I can't remember the last time I made bran muffins. Guess it's cause I'm on a smoothie kick. With all of your delicious suggested combos, I have no excuse now. Thanks!

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  24. I made these, with blueberries, the day I read it on your site. I didn't have an extra muffin tin, [(the other got burned in a bizarre cooking mishap- don't ask!!! ;)] so I made 6 muffins, and a loaf- both of which turned out extremely well. YUM!

    We try not to indulge in too much dairy, so I substituted soy/rice milk for the milk, and a silken soft tofu for the yogurt. They turned out just fine!
    Up next..... cranberry orange.

    Thank you!

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  25. Yum! I made the blueberry version last night. They are very good and moist. This morning I had one with butter and honey and my coffee while reading the paper. Great start to the day, Thanks!

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  26. Your muffins look terribly tasty!

    And I don't stop by here nearly enough for either good mental or physical health!


    XR

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  27. I made the blueberry bran ones yesterday for some friends. Really good! I'll be making these quite a bit, methinks.

    Thanks for the recipe :-)

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  28. I recently went through DBF's grandmother's recipe box, and was both amused and disappointed to find a couple dozen Kellogg's recipe cards from the 1940's, which gave me numerous ways to use their cereals in recipes ranging from All-Bran muffins to Corn-Flake encrusted salmon. Not exactly the "old family recipes" I was hoping for! But your muffins look delicious...mmmmm...now I need a muffin...

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  29. I *big puffy heart* bran muffins and coffee ice cream at the same time, we are two peas in a pod!!


    xxoo
    Riana in France

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  30. I am so fricken sold on these it's amazing I haven't run right out of the office to go home and bake some RIGHT NOW.

    No, I will wait. But not long. This weekend, baby, I'm making some muffins.

    Then, of course, I will post photos, boast unmercifully and crown you the princess of all yummy things.

    BTW: do people really have a resolution to eat more fiber? Funny...

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  31. Been lurking for a while and I love your blogs (for food, gardening, and the critters). Made these today and they are so yummy! Can't wait to try with Trader Joe's Cashew-Macademia Butter! For the vegan poster earlier, Nancy's Yogurt makes an all-vegan cultured soy (just google for a link).

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  32. I love these!!! Lightened the recipe a bit, and added more oj, and this will now be the only bran muffin recipe I make. I'm going to try the cranberry variation next... or the blueberry...

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  33. As a follow up to my previous semi-stalkerish comment, I would like to tell you that I have, fiiiiiinally (it felt like forever), baked up a batch of these muffins.

    Yeah, yummy.

    I've had to reign myself in to eating no more than two at a time. You know, because of The Bran Effect.

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  34. Up until now, I have not been able to comment due to a typo error on changing over to the new blogger, it is fixed, thank goodness.
    Thank you very much for the fantastic EASY Bran Muffin recipe, they are truly the best I have eaten.( and I have eaten one or two every day since making the first batch) I did make one small change, in that I used applesauce instead of oil as I have to watch my calorie intake. They were just as moist.

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  35. I tried this recipe, and while they were quite good, I'm wondering if the baking soda and baking powder quantities are switched? There doesn't appear to be nearly enough acid in the yogurt and molasses to neutralize that much baking soda.

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  36. I have made a few batches of these muffins (just with raisins so far), and everyone who has tried them loves them! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe. I started reading your blog a couple weeks ago and this is my first comment... to say... I'm really enjoying reading about your farm and your food! My parent's experimented with having a sheep 'hobby farm' when I was young and all the lamb and sheep pictures bring back memories and make me smile. I am relatively new to the whole world of food... well, not to the eating part... but to the cooking/baking/growing/etc parts and it's wonderful to have stumbled upon your blogs!

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  37. Thanks so much for this recipe! I tried them this weekend and they're great - even my husband (Mr. "if it's healthy it can't taste good") likes them.

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  38. I stumbled across this gem of a site....thx for sharing your secrets farm girl. I really like the fact the recipes can be altered...that is how i cook, what ever I have is what goes in.
    I exchanged the honey and molasses for demerara sugar, noticed it was too dry and decided to stir in 3 ripe bananas...and wowzas.
    from a mom of 4... thx for the healthy treats.

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  39. I made the plain bran muffins last night to have for breakfast this a.m. and have to say that these are delicious! I used a little pomegranate molasses along with the honey and regular molasses (i was running out of the latter), and also substituted coconut oil in place of canola. Thank you for the recipe!

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  40. Hi Everybody,
    Thanks so much for your feedback and for taking the time to write. I'm tickled that so many of you are enjoying this recipe. And it's wonderful to hear all the delicious little changes you've made to make it your own. Happy baking!

    Anne,
    The baking soda and baking powder quantities are correct.

    What I've never been able to figure out regarding baking powder and baking soda is this: if baking soda needs to be combined with acid ingredients to work, what is the acid ingredient in chocolate chip cookies--or nearly any cookie recipe for that matter? Because they nearly all call for baking soda. I've asked a few foodie experts, and so far nobody knows the answer. Anybody? : )

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  41. What good fortunate to find your site and recipe when I googled "best bran muffins". I was looking for a recipe that used all natural ingredients - no processed packaged ingredients. I substituted organic rolled oats (ground to flour iin my coffee grinder) for the oat bran and used organic stone ground spelt flour in place of the whole wheat. I also replaced the canola oil with grapeseed oil and used half the amount of molasses but topped up the quantity with honey (NZ Manuka). Other than that I used exactly the same ingredients and process. The end result is PERFECTION! Thank you!

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  42. I was eavesdropping on another comment from Michelle, a vegan, and read your response. I have good news regarding eggs in quick-bread recipes: they can usually be left completely out with little effect on the turnout, or replaced with flaxseed meal and water if you really want to put something in their place. My mother is an excellent cook, and though we aren't strictly vegan we avoid eggs and dairy for health reasons, and have great results. I'll try augmenting the recipe and see what happens (I love playing around with recipes...)
    I'll post another comment when I have success.

    ~Alice

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  43. These muffins are a breath of fresh air! The recipe turned out amazingly and I am NOT a skilled baker in the least! I halved the recipe for my first go and used a 10-grain flour in place of ww flour (buckweat, oat, rye, spelt, quinoa, chickpea etc) and they turned out wonderfully.
    As an athlete, I consume a huge volume of food, and am always on the lookour for breakfast ideas (sans sugar, sans anything non-naturally occurring)that are nutrient-dense and portable. I hit the jackpot with these muffins! Fibrous, filling and fabulous! Thanks for sharing :)

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  44. Hi, I just tried your recipe and they are delicious! I added some frozen berries to part of the batch (I ended up making 12 plain, and had enough for 6 more berry ones!) I didn't have but a cup of wheat bran, so I substituted the other cup with bran flakes cereal!! I know, not exactly gourmet, but they are still yummy.
    Thanks for the recipe- I can't wait to try the ginger pear ones after my next trip to Trader Joe's (also one of my fave places!)

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  45. These look wonderful! Better than the ones I whipped up today. I'll try one of your recipes next and will recommend you as a resource. Cheers!

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  46. Your mom is so right; these are the best muffins ever! I made a batch of the cranberry-orange variation for breakfasts this week and am loving them.

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  47. Recently enjoying Trader Joe's muffins has motivated me to try to simulate what I consider a perfect bran muffin. I was very eager to try your recipe and had great success!

    I made the Banana Blueberry variation but used skim milk and egg substitute (egg beaters). I also used a 6oz container of vanilla yogurt and omitted the vanilla extract. I reduced the molasses to 3T because I used 2 1/2 very small bananas but this proved too moist. I recommend omitting some oil (use 3T) or using peanut butter or applesauce in its place when making this variety.

    I have posted about them with all the adjustments on my blog: Peanut Butter Boy. By the way, these are great topped with peanut butter or my cinnamon currant variety. I'll be making these again soon with further adjustments. Thanks for sharing!

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  48. Do the blueberry bran muffins taste really unsweet without sugar? The recipe I have used for bran muffins has no sugar but my husband says it is not sweet enough.

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  49. Yummy, these are great! With blueberries, this recipe made 18 regular sized muffins. Very good smeared with apple butter. This recipe is a keeper!

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  50. I just wanted to let you know that I created a very different flavor, one that I highly recommend: Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter & Peach. They are absolutely wonderful, I enjoyed them much more than even the banana blueberry ones (2 of my favorite fruits).

    I actually replaced all of the oil with peanut butter, peach puree and peach applesauce. You really need to give these ones a try. Thanks again for this base recipe!

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  51. Thanks so much for the awesome recipe! I love them! I was able to calculate the nutrition facts for the basic muffins with orange juice instead of milk.

    For 1/16th of the batter.
    Calories 131
    Total Fat 1.7g
    Cholesterol 27mg
    Sodium 178mg
    Potassium 178mg
    Total Carbohydrates 25g
    Dietary Fiber 2g
    Sugar 10g
    Protein 3g

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  52. These are the best bran muffins I have ever eaten! I subbed applesauce for the yogurt and added a few handfuls of raisins/craisins. I bought some dried blueberries to try next week. Thank you!

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  53. I made these muffins according to the recipe a couple of weeks ago, and they were great. Today I made them again, but I added chopped hazelnuts, cocoa powder, and chocolate chunks. THEY ARE SO GOOD!!!!!!

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  54. FG,
    I made these muffins today after looking for a better bran muffin recipe.... They are FAB-U-LOUS. Moist, delicious, body but not heavy. I put some apricots in them.Thanks for sharing.
    I have to share a story, my now hubbie and I dated long distance for many years. I sent him home one time with a dozen bran muffins, about 2:1 bran to ww flour. I WARNED him not to eat more than 1 or 2 on the 8 hour drive home..... But of course being the macho man he is, he ate more than half of them in the first two hours of his trip.... Well, he hit every rest area he passed for the rest of the trip. He told me he thought I was kidding!!! Men... Anyway, now he listens when I say ONE MUFFIN.
    Ellen

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  55. Amazing recipe! Thanks so much for posting this!

    Here's my experience making these amazing muffins!

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  56. This a great bran muffin recipe, and I've tried many. I used oatmeal instead of oatbran... and
    maple syrup instead of honey.
    They are excellent w/ pecans and
    dried bluberries!!

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  57. This is exactly what I'm looking for! It's one of my pet peeves too that all the bran muffin recipes call for bran cereal and an exhorbitant amount of sugar. I'm going to try these out this week.

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  58. This recipe for bran muffins looks delicious and just what I'm looking for. Our local Whole Foods stopped making the big bran muffins and that's all for the best because now I can make my own. I have marked your blog as a 'favorite' so I will be back to check on your farm life!
    Joan

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  59. Love your story and love this recipe. It is similar to one I have in my secret collection of absolute favorites - with very few differences.
    I myself recently moved from CA to the country life of Idaho, and being 28, I can relate to your story. I am loving it so far and also loving your blog! I'll be back!!

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  60. I, too, have the same quibbles about cereal in my muffin recipes. Why not source bran from... bran?

    Thanks for a fabulous alternative. I baked this recipe up and wrote about it on my blog. I linked back to this page - hope that's okay!

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  61. I've eaten three or four muffins a week for the past year. So I decided to try your recipe to make them myself for the first time. As a member of a food co-op, I was able to find the ingredients easily.

    They taste great. Very rich and hearty. Nice to know what a genuine bran muffin tastes like. The canola oil made cleaning up the pan very easy. I'm looking forward to trying the banana version...

    Thanks!

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  62. Love these muffins! Thanks for posting the recipe as I especially love that it's not made with cereal. I keep changing up what I'm adding to the basic mix and currently that is 1 t. cinnamon, 1/2 can drained crushed pineapple and a mixture of chopped prunes, raisins and orange cranberries rolled in a bit of the flour. If I have buttermilk on hand, I'll substitute that for the nonfat milk for a bit of tang.

    My M.D. even received a basketful of fresh bran muffins at my last week's appointment. She LOVED them!

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  63. I cooked these muffins a second time - this time with banana. (No blueberries.) They came out well again.

    I am sort of an amateur baker, so perhaps this next bit of advice won't be helpful:

    I used an organic sea salt. Sea salt is stronger than regular salt so the muffins came out salty. With honey they get better, but definitely cut back on the salt if you use sea salt or an organic salt.

    Next time!

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  64. Thanks for a yummy recipe. I made the banana and blueberry ones. I love how they aren't sugary!

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  65. I've been looking for a muffin like this for a long time. In Oregon a place called Coffee People used to make these. I made them with raspberries and used almond extract instead of vanilla. Delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe.

    Brenna

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  66. I'm a recent college grad who grew up on a farm in WV. I think what you're doing is so cool. I went to school far away, and I miss the farm like crazy; your blog is a nice "country fix" for me when I'm having a particularly homesick moment.

    I stumbled upon this recipe while searching for a recipe for muffins so I could get rid of a box of bran cereal I had lying around. That batch was so good that I was inspired to buy straight wheat- and oat-bran and the second batch turned out exponentially more delicious! I will NEVER buy all-bran again. :)

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  67. Hi,

    Can you tell me how many grams of soluble and insoluble fiber are in each muffin? Some one said 2GRAMS, but that seems like too little.

    Abby650gmail.co,

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  68. im going to try this out someday...they look too good and delicious to eat!

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  69. I made these muffins and thoroughly enjoyed them. I made some substitutions (ricotta cheese instead of yogurt, water instead of milk), but the ratios were spot on! Muffins were moist and delicious. Thank you!

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  70. Made the blueberry version last night. I haven't made bran muffins before and have to admit I was dubious. They're fantastic! Really really tasty and just sweet enough. Thanks to you and your mom!

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  71. Great recipe! Made several different versions and all were great; zucchini walnut and carrot are awesome options to replace blueberries or banana's. I made them in bulk and froze them for about an hour once they cooled, then used a "foodsaver" and shrink-wrapped them, then stored them back in the freezer. Take them out about 2 hours before you want to eat them and they taste great. Thanks for the recipe!

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  72. Everyone seems to love the idea of these muffins and some have actually tried them with good reviews, but did they follow the grams or the ounces? The quantities seem reversed between the two systems.

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  73. Hi Jennifer,
    You're very welcome! Thanks for coming back and letting us know you enjoyed them.

    Hi Mandy,
    I'm so glad you're having such fun with this recipe! I have a zucchini/carrot/raisin version I've been meaning to write about for ages - and I just found a couple of forgotten packages of frozen shredded zucchini in the freezer. It must be a sign. : )

    Anonymous,
    I've made this recipe numerous times following all three measurements - volume (cups, etc.), ounces, and grams. There shouldn't be any problem with the quantities.

    When I first created the recipe, I used volume measurements, and to get the weights I measured out each ingredient, placed it on the scale, recorded the amount in ounces, and then hit the kg/lb button which then gave me the weight in grams.

    The only way you might see a difference is in the weights of your ingredients - for example, one cup of the oat bran I use weighs 5 ounces, or 141 grams. But if your actual oat bran is lighter, then a cup of yours might only weigh 4½ ounces.

    The weights of dry ingredients especially can vary wildly depending on everything from the weather to the milling process, which is why professional bakers rely on weights rather than volume measurements when baking.

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  74. I've fallen back in love with bran muffins.

    Thank you for the great recipe!

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  75. I've never liked bran muffins before, but I have trouble keeping fiber in my diet and I always find myself hungry after breakfast... solution? Bran muffins! I spent hours looking for a recipe like this, and I'm so glad I found it. They are delicious!

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  76. MMMMMMM!!! I just made these and they are so super tasty! I've also been totally annoyed at bran muffin recipes calling for store-bought cereals. This recipe is FANTASTIC - muffins turned out so moist and delicious. I used melted butter instead of canola oil, and added fresh cranberries, flax seeds and walnuts. Thanks farmgirl!

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  77. The proportions for this recipe are perfect! Impressive indeed. I quartered the recipe and tinkered w/ substitutions, but it still works well. Was trying to make low sugar bran muffins, so I made the following changes:

    1/2 c wheat bran
    1/4 c oat bran
    1/4 c whole wheat flour
    1/2 tsp baking soda
    1/4 tsp baking powder
    Pinch salt
    1/2 an egg
    1/3 c apple juice concentrate
    1 1/3 Tbsp oil
    2 Tbsp molasses [reduced from 2 2/3 Tbsp molasses]
    3/8 c (6 Tbsp) raisins, soaked overnight in apple juice concentrate and drained
    1/2 tsp cinnamon
    1/4 tsp vanilla extract

    This only required 12-15 min to bake in my muffin pan.

    Results were wonderfully bran-ny, but still moist, w/ slightly caramelized taste from molasses. Hope I can reduce the sweetener even more w/ apple juice concentrate. My boyfriend and roommate both liked them.

    -berkeley girl

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  78. hiya! i halved the recipe + followed your gram measurements. i had to make made them non-dairy (using a unsweetened nut milk in place of the milk + yogurt for a total of 156g) and used my AP flour. i also added 36g of sun maid dried currants. i made 4 jumbo muffins w/10 grams of protein each. yum.

    interestingly, my packaging for wheat bran, oat bran, and wheat flour are VERY different than the weight measurements you gave so i'm very glad i followed your gram measurements bc i don't know what my results would have been if i hadn't. i've never seen 170g for a cup of whole wheat flour before (it's quite different for the brans too!). i have bob's red mill products (brans). with that said, i'm glad they turned out well and i'll be making these again!

    thank you!

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  79. Amazing recipe!!!! I made the Banana-Blueberry-Bran Muffins and had leftover cranberry sauce from Christmas so I put a small spoonful in the middle of each muffin before baking. The muffins turned out soo moist! Thanks so much.

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  80. This is a very good recipe. I followed the recipe for the batter exactly but added chopped apple and raisins. I found that these improved in flavour by the second day. I will definitely make these again.

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  81. I am recently diagnosed diabetic and am looking for a low-sugar, low-carb muffin for a treat now and then. These look delicious! I have two questions:
    1 - Do you think one could substitute some ground flaxseed meal for something in the recipe?

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  82. These muffins are amazing. They're moist, flavourful, healthy, and the recipe is very versatile. I have a muffin every morning at work and have gotten in the habit of keeping some frozen at all times. This has quickly become my go-to recipe. I make them with cranberries (because I love that tangy flavour), and the last couple times have subbed a bit of wheat germ for some of the wheat bran. They're fantastic with a bit of peanut butter. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe with us!

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  83. I just made these again, this time with dates, chopped pecans, the zest of one orange and a bit of cinnamon and cardamom. Fabulous!

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  84. This is an excellent basic bran muffin recipe. I have used it many times, with many different additions and substitutions. I usually increase the oil to 1/2 cup, for additional moisture.

    Depending on what I have on hand, I might use unsweetened applesauce instead of either the yogurt or milk or both, or soy milk instead of cow's milk. I think the applesauce makes it moister, and adds a nice flavor.

    I usually add a cup of dried fruit, such as raisins, or chopped dates, prunes, or figs, as well as a cup of chopped nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, or almonds.

    I have also used maple syrup in place of the honey and molasses.

    My favorite combo: Applesauce instead of yogurt, maple syrup instead of honey/molasses, with chopped figs and walnuts. Mmmmmm.....

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  85. Hi there!! I really loved the healthful ingredients in your recipe. Of course, my kitchen beckoned me to attempt a batch. My only problem is that I don't have any oat bran, just rolled oats. Would that be a good substitution?

    Thank you so much and I really enjoy your blog :)

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  86. Hi Everybody!
    Thanks for all the great feedback - it's really appreciated. And of course I'm thrilled that so many of you are loving this recipe. Your variations all sound delicious!

    Anonymous,

    My apologies for the delayed reply - lambing season has taken over my life! :)

    I'm thinking that using oats in place of all of the oat bran might not be a good idea - but what you could try is using some homemade oat flour, which would give you more of the texture of oat bran (and which can be used in all sorts of baked goods).

    To make, simply whiz some oats in a blender or food processor and voila! oat flour!

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  87. I made the blueberry version and these are incredible! I used vanilla yogurt instead of plain, and used applesauce instead of oil. I also added 2 tbsp of flaxseed meal. The best "healthy" muffin ever...even my 2 year old loves them. I'm looking forward to experimenting with this recipe. Thanks!

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  88. Thanks for this great recipe. I made them today as written with blueberries. I really enjoy your blog.

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  89. This is by far the best Bran muffin recipe I've tried. Recently I made them with applesauce instead of the oil and they were just as good, now I'm sharing the recipe...

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  90. Fantastic muffins! Thanks so much for posting this recipe. It was just what I wanted, and filled a long running craving. Yum!

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  91. I made these a couple of hours ago. They are fantastic! The only difference was adding a cup of raisins and a teaspoon of cinnamon. Can't wait to try the pear and ginger! Thank you for sharing this recipe :)

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  92. just made a dozen of these and am trying to not eat half the batch in one sitting... these are AMAZING - you can't even tell that they are good for you! i added some cinnamon, a handful of flax seed, and a little turbinado sugar on top to add some crunch. fantastic - thank you!

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  93. I've made this with the cup measurements, but reading how you've found that their weight varies, I thought I would try them using the weight measurements.

    I just want to check...Your oat bran is heavier than your wheat bran?

    Thanks for a fabulous muffin recipe that is actually good for you!

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  94. Hi Heidi,
    I'm so glad you're enjoying these muffins!

    As for your bran question: yes, when I first posted this recipe, my oat bran was a whole lot heavier than the wheat bran I was using - which was really light and flaky, kind of like nutritional yeast flakes. Since then I've bought wheat bran that was more like a powder and a lot denser. It's amazing how much it varies.

    When I originally came up with the recipe, I measured everything in cups, and then I weighed out those volume measurements. So if your wheat bran is denser and heavier, 3 ounces may be a whole lot less than 2 cups - so I would go ahead and use more.

    From what I can tell from the comments, most people are using the volume (cups) measurements.

    I hope this helps. :)

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  95. I'm still confused as to what the recipe is for the very delicious looking blueberry muffins :(

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  96. Meaghan,
    Directions for the three bran muffin flavor variations are listed directly below the instructions for the basic bran muffin recipe. The first one is Blueberry, reprinted here:

    Blueberry Bran Muffins
    Makes about 10 large muffins. Follow Basic Bran Muffin recipe, but gently fold 1½ cups (7½ oz/214g) fresh or frozen blueberries into the batter. There is no need to defrost frozen berries, but do quickly rinse off any ice with cold water. Note to blueberry lovers: I made a batch of these yesterday and, using my MoreMoreMore philosophy, crammed 2 cups of big fat blueberries into the batter—yum.

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  97. Hello Susan this is my first glance and I'm so in love with the donkeys and your wonderfully sweet banner. I came looking for a real 'bran' muffin and love your 'bran muffin' attitude as I want the scratch recipe. No doubt you will hear from me again as I cruise around your site. Thank you for the recipe. My mom used to make plain ones but there was a wonderful surprise in the middle of each one....a date!! Oh my it's good.

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  98. I just pulled these out of the oven and had to try one right away - they smelled sooooo good! And they taste as delicious as they smell! I used 1 1/2 cups oat bran and 1 1/2 cups wheat bran...just because that was what I had on hand. I also used coconut oil instead of canola oil. And then added bananas and blueberries at the end. YUM! I am so excited because I have tried so many "healthy" baking recipes and so often they flop. This is one of the only ones that has turned out so well! Thank you!!!

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  99. Hi,I made these today,exactly as printed. They were very,very dry. I was/am very disappointed.It's my first recipe from farmgirl..and now afraid to do another. Ingredients cost money,and I can't afford to make recipes that come out badly. 'squid'(not sure how to leave my email name.)

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  100. HI!

    I just found Farm Girl Fare looking for delicious bran muffin recipes and I am so glad I did! They are the BEST muffins. It made 13 and cooked in 15 minutes (small muffins).
    I also want to write and say that I added frozen Blueberries, maple syrup instead of molasses (just cause we didn't have any), coconut oil instead of canola, and 1C rolled oats (didn't have any oat bran). They turned out marvelous! I have a hard time following recipes which can turn out really good or really bland! It worked in my favor this time and I will be keeping this recipe close at hand!

    Thanks Farm Girl!

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  101. :You came up with almost the same muffin as I did when looking for a delicious bran muffin. Try adding some of the 7 or 9 or 11 grain cereal that is made by Red Mill or Red River Cereal. It adds a little crunch to your bunch of muffins. (These are not the Raisin Bran,or overly processed cereals you talk of in your blog) I also add wheat germ. Try it, you may love it even more!!

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  102. Hi Farmgirl,
    I tried this receipe last night exactly as printed and the muffins were very, very dry. However, I am baking at high-altitude - over 6,000 ft.
    Any suggestions for adjusting this recipe for high-altitude?
    Thanks so much!

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  103. appleannie,
    Thanks for the suggestions! :)

    Anon,
    Sorry to hear about your dry muffins. Unfortunately I don't have any high altitude baking experience, but if you want to give the recipe another try, I would suggest adding a little more milk or yogurt to the batter.

    Just like when baking yeast breads - where it's common to have to adjust the amount of liquid - the problem could simply be that your flour and grains are soaking up extra liquid.

    All brands of flours and brans vary (and even often vary from batch to batch). The consistency of the batter will also be affected by weather, humidity - and possibly altitude as well.

    I hope this helps! :)

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  104. wayward foodie,
    So glad you're enjoying the recipe! Thanks for telling us about your scrumptious substitutions. I love the idea of using maple syrup. :)

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  105. Just wanted to say how much I am enjoying your website and thanks for sharing your delicious recipes ! my family loves the bran muffins! thanks for being so generous in sharing it ! I feel the same way as you do about the ingredients and it was hard to find a recipe that would work, thanks again.

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  106. I made these this morning and LOVE them. I live at about 3000 ft, on a hill in Cheney, Washington.

    Yesterday I was reading an article in the Spokane small newspaper about Food Not Bombs. One of the dishes they made was carmelized beets. In searching for a recipe I found your website. I was planning to make them when I got home if my organic produce box arrived that nights with beets and garlic in it. It did come, but also last night my 14 year old dog died. Plans changed and no beets were carmelized.

    Today I'm home from work spending time with my other animals and needing comfort food. This muffin recipe is perfect. I didn't have molasses, honey, or yogurt so I substituted with corn syrup (trying to use it up then never buying it again), agave syrup, and lemon juice mixed with milk. They still turned out great. I think next time I will see if I can get some ground flax in there too.

    Yummy and comforting. Thank you.

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  107. I have three older kids and a husband who are all picky eaters. I was looking for healthy "grab and go" breakfast muffins and happened on this site and this tasty muffin recipe. I made the banana blueberry and plain blueberry versions. I added 1/4 c wheat germ and 1/4 c ground flax seed and substituted non-fat Greek yogurt for the regular yogurt. Both versions turned out great - and everyone in my family loved them. We spread organic natural (crunchy) peanut butter and homemade peach jam on them for a really yummy treat.

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  108. I guess after making your bran muffins twice a month for the past year, I should finally thank you for the recipe! They've become a staple in our household - I some in the freezer at all times. I have one each work day as my mid-morning snack, and on the weekends if we need a snack while we're out and about we grab a couple of these from the freezer instead of a store-bought granola bar. I believe they're healthier, plus they taste better.

    I've probably made half a dozen variations from blueberry walnut to mini-chocolate chip to dried cranberries and pecans. I recently found your pear-ginger recipe and can't wait to find some really ripe pears to try it out.

    So, thanks for contributing to a positive, healthy and enjoyable habit!

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  109. Diana Crowder9/25/2011 8:02 AM

    Your muffins are wonderful!!!!!! I did not use the banana peel as you stated. Do you really use the peel?

    Love,love,love this site.

    Thanks - Diana

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  110. Hi Everybody,
    Thanks so much for all the great feedback. I'm thrilled you're enjoying the recipe and love hearing about the delicious variations you've come up with!


    Hi Diana,
    So glad you like the muffins! No, I don't use the banana peels - that's just so you know about how much your bananas should weigh, since the size of bananas varies so much. It's easier to weigh them before peeling so you don't peel more bananas than you need. :)

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  111. Hey, I just stumbled upon your blog while searching for a bran muffin recipe without cereal in the mix. These bran muffins are delicious! I originally made the normal recipe to see if I liked it as a base and loved it. The only things I did differently were using Unsalted Butter instead of Oil and Greek Yogurt instead of Regular Yogurt.
    Since Fall has finally come, I thought it would be fun to try a Pumpkin Bran Muffin. All I did was add Pumpkin, Cinnamon, and Pumpkin Pie Spice. So moist, delicious, and perfect for Fall. Nom nom nom.

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  112. These were absolutely delicious. I used cinnamon chios in place of raisins. Will make again soon!!
    Cheryl S.

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  113. I have been looking for a bran muffin recipe that does not include those awful processed cereals, and lo and behold, you've made one! I am so excited to try these. Thank you!

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  114. I have been making these for weeks now, as a generally healthy alternative to oatmeal...thank you, Farmgirl!! So I've made blueberry, blackberry, date-walnut, and just this morning, blueberry-raspberry. Blueberries can be added in the batter at the end, but I usually add other, more delicate berries to each cup, about 4-6 berries poked in..I should note that I went out and found a jumbo muffin pan, which makes them just the right size. The regular cupcake size feels puny and unspecial.

    So, other alterations. First, after making them just as listed above, I realized I like molasses in small doses, so I use mostly honey and only a dollop of molasses, which I guess would be a tablespoon. I usually use lowfat buttermilk instead of milk, and lately, I've discovered almond meal "flour" at Trader Joe's, so I put a cup of that in, instead of half of the wheat flour and 1/2 cup of the wheat bran. Don't ask me why...I think it makes them moister, and almonds are supposed to be good for you too. Sometimes I add nutmeg or almond extract... Everyone loves them..

    Finally, if, like me, you don't use baking cups, consider putting a cookie sheet on a rack below your muffin tin. It may take a few more minutes to cook, but you'll find that the bottom and sides of your muffin will not be as dark, or hardened. This keeps the taste of the whole muffin, I dunno, lighter.

    I will try some with banana later this week, and the ones with orange or lemon zest sound great, perhaps paired with blueberries...

    Michael (Am I the only guy here making muffins?)

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  115. These muffins are the best, I make different variations every week, they are really healthy and tasty, my family love them. Thank you for the recipe!
    Your blog is great, thank you for sharing

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  116. This is such a wonderful recipe for muffins! I've been making them each week for breakfast and snacks. I've added bananas and also a bit of cinnamon, they're great! Thanks for sharing your recipe! :)

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  117. GREAT muffins!! but very very crumbly.. any hints?

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    Replies
    1. Hmmm. It could have something to do with the consistency of your bran. I would try adding a little more yogurt or milk and/or decreasing the baking time by a couple of minutes and see if that helps. :)

      Delete
    2. i did the oj and cranberry ones so i'll try your tips when i make the regular ones this weekend. the OJ ones were SOOO delicious so i ate up all the crumbs with a spoon. it wasn't pretty but it was delicious! :D

      Delete
  118. Wow! These muffins are great! I omitted the salt completely.. and found that I put in a touch too much molasses, but wow. Best bran muffins I've ever tried! Thank you! I'll definitely be making these again!

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  119. Hi Everybody,
    Thanks so much for all the great feedback. I'm thrilled you're enjoying the recipe and really appreciate your taking the time to write! :)

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  120. I love, love, love these muffins. I used to follow your blog back in '07 and I remember making this recipe. Best muffins I have ever baked! Then Bloglines ate my entire list of blogs that I followed, our family moved a couple of times, and life kept moving forward. Needless to say, I lost track of your blog. I then remembered these wonderful muffins and after racking my brain for a clue, I finally remembered "foodie" so I googled you. Alas, here I am back at the best muffin recipe ever and so glad that you're still blogging. Cheers!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Tammy,
      Welcome back to the farm! I'm so glad you found us - and your favorite muffin recipe. :)

      Delete
  121. A few years ago, I was on a mission to find a decent bran muffin recipe. I'd tried several over the years and was never thrilled with any of them. So one long weekend, I googled a bunch of recipes and made a million muffins (my friends and coworkers were all very happy). This recipe was, hands down, the winner! It's been my go-to recipe ever since and I almost always have a batch in the freezer. I mess around with it a bit – I don't change the base recipe, but I add things like flax seed and pumpkin seeds and pecans (in no particular amounts – just totally by whim), and I use cranberries instead of blueberries. But I have never, ever had a problem with it – it takes all that tweaking and works out every time. THANK YOU so much for posting this!

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  122. This came up in a search!

    MM soo good, thank you for making one with 100% whole grains! This is the only one I found with 100%.

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  123. anyone know where one can get oat bran and wheat bran, esp in bulk of about 5lbs or so, in MO or online? Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. Whole Foods sells bulk organic oat bran and wheat bran - I've bought both for years. Some smaller natural foods stores sell in bulk, too.

      You can also order four 18-ounce packages (4½ pounds total) of Bob's Red Mill (a great company) organic oat bran from amazon for $10.48.

      Happy baking!

      Delete
    2. wonderful, thanks!! Just shared your recipe and blog with another friend. all together now -- NOM NOM NOM!!

      Delete
    3. For the bulk, you may have a Cash and Carry that carries it or a Food Coop. As for the Oat bran I just blended oats in my food processor and it worked great!

      Delete
  124. Hi Farmgirl,

    Discovered your muffin recipe last week and have made two batches since! I made one using grams, and the dry measurements seemed off to me... so the second batch I made using volume and tested the weights with my scale. The wet ingredients were very close, but the dry ingredients came out quite different:

    wheat bran - 109g
    oat bran - 128g
    whole wheat flour - 132g
    bkg soda - 9g
    bkg pwdr - 4g
    salt - 2g

    The muffins turned out well both times, although I suspect the first batch would have been a bit dry if I hadn't added a banana. When there is a significant weight discrepancy, would you recommend favoring the volume or the weight measurements in your original recipe?

    Another tip - instead of baking up all of the muffins and then freezing them, I only bake 6 at a time and freeze the unbaked batter in a silicone muffin pan (the silicone makes it really easy to pop the frozen batter balls out to store in a freezer bag!) When we need more, I just put the frozen batter into a greased muffin tin and bake them for 5-10 minutes longer than normal - they turn out great!

    The silicone-muffin-pan trick works well for freezing anything you'll be wanting to defrost in smaller (1/2-cup) increments (pasta sauce, leftover soup or broth, pesto, gravy, etc.) That's all I ever use my silicone muffin pan for!

    Thanks for the great blog, I'm glad I found it!

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    Replies
    1. Hi riantgirl,
      I'm so glad you're enjoying my bran muffin recipe. Thanks for the feedback and the great tip about freezing the batter!

      I always make these muffins using volume measurements. Over the past few years I've noticed that the texture and weight of wheat brans can vary considerably, and some are much heavier than others. This can also happen with oat bran - and even flour.

      If you're weighing your brans, you might want to also portion them out in measuring cups the first time, (which is how I measured them when I first created the recipe) and if you've weighed out significantly more or less bran than the recipe calls for, consider altering the amounts.

      Weighing things like salt and baking powder is tricky because they are such tiny amounts. I recommend using measuring spoons.

      Happy baking!

      Delete
  125. What is "sweet molasses"? I googled it and the phrase doesn't exist, nor does this type of molasses. There are a few varieties: fancy, blackstrap, etc. but nothing called "sweet". Can you clarify? Thanks.

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    Replies
    1. Actually the phrase 'sweet molasses' does exist (that's what I've always called it), but molasses goes by several different names.

      Short version - use any molasses that isn't labeled blackstrap.

      Long version (from today's edition of the World's Healthiest Foods newsletter - http://whfoods.org):

      Molasses produced for human consumption in the United States is made from sugar cane. The two main tasks required to make molasses from sugar cane are to separate out the sugar cane juice from the pulp, and then to extract the sugar (mostly sucrose) from the juice. What's called molasses is the syrup that remains after the sugar has been extracted from the juice.

      It's not that easy to extract all of the sucrose from sugar cane juice. After a first round of processing, which involves spinning the juice in a centrifuge and heating (boiling), you can get a lot of the sucrose out, but not all of it. The syrup that remains after this first round of processing is the light molasses you see in the grocery store. It's also called "first" molasses and has the mildest taste of any molasses. Another round of processing is needed to further extract more sucrose. (The removal of sucrose from the molasses syrup is not all that significant on the nutrition side of things, but it is important to the manufacturer on the economic side because the removed sucrose can be further processed and sold as table sugar).

      This second round of processing further concentrates the syrup and also darkens it, resulting in the dark molasses you find in most grocery stores. Dark molasses is also called second molasses.

      A third round of processing is possible, and this is the round that results in the product known as blackstrap molasses. Blackstrap molasses is the thickest form of molasses, the darkest, and the densest in terms of minerals. Three rounds of heating are the reason for the very dark color of blackstrap molasses because even though many sugars have been removed from the syrup, the sugars that do remain get caramelized from three rounds of heating.

      Sometimes you'll only find blackstrap molasses in natural foods stores. Because of the superior mineral content of blackstrap molasses, I prefer this version of the product. You'll find significant amounts of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and selenium in blackstrap molasses.

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  126. Wicked, amazing, delicious bran muffins!! OMG. Love them and will be sharing this recipe with friends. Thank you!

    Here's the nutritional breakdown for banana blueberry muffins (based on 1 banana)

    450 calories per muffin
    22 g fat
    68 g carb
    7 g protein

    Next time I will try xylitol + stevia combo to reduce some of the carbs and calories. I'm not if I should substitute this in place of the honey? Or half the honey?

    Any suggestions for reducing the fat to 1/2 the amount? I guess applesauce is one idea but then that adds to the carbs + calories so it seems like six and one half dozen of the other.

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    1. I'm so glad you're enjoying the recipe. You could definitely reduce the honey and/or molasses, though you might need to add a little more liquid to the batter. The muffins won't be as sweet, but the banana and fruit will add sweetness.

      As for the fat, 1/3 cup of oil (which is just over 5 Tablespoons) isn't very much for an entire batch of muffins, but you could certainly use some or all applesauce, which would have fewer calories, instead.

      Also keep the amount of fiber in mind when you're looking at the nutritional breakdown of these muffins. They are packed with fiber, and every 1 gram of fiber you consume keeps you from absorbing 7 calories. Plus it's really good for you. :)

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  127. Okay People, these are AWESOME! I made these this morning for my 4 kids and of course myself and hubby. We loved them. I put a load of blueberries in and they are better then the full on sugar bran muffins by far! It just doesn't get any better then that. Thank you so much Farm Girl! Love your site by they way. I made your Ranch too. Yummy!

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    1. Hi Dawn,
      This is a belated thanks for the great feedback. I love that your four kids love these bran muffins. And I'm glad to hear you enjoyed my low fat buttermilk ranch dressing recipe too!

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  128. I followed the recipe exactly for my first batch, but I just made these for a second time and used applesauce in lieu of the oil and they came out just as good/exactly the same from what I recall! So there's the fat deducted. Also, I barely used any honey and just put 2 large bananas instead, so that deducted lots of the negativities of honey as well!

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  129. I made the blueberry banana bran muffins today and they are soooooo delicious! They're very moist for a bran muffin. And I love that they are not very sweet. I used all honey and it was perfect. I can't wait to make the pear ginger ones this weekend! Thanks!

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  130. I found your recipe when I was searching for muffins that would suit a gestational diabetes diet. I'm no longer on the diet but I'm still making the muffins -- they're that good!! Thank you!

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    1. A compliment of the highest order. Thanks! :)

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  131. Yum! Just made these with all honey, Greek yogurt, unsweetened almond milk (what I had), and two cups of frozen organic blueberries. I ate two right away and wanted more, but stopped! For some reason I got 19 muffins - not complaining though. Thanks for a bran muffin with real ingredients!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Jan,
      Your version sounds delish! Thanks for the feedback. :)

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  132. Helloooo! I'd like to provide a vegan version of this recipe that I have had great success with. In order to make this recipe vegan the things which need to be omitted or substituted are: eggs, milk, yogurt, and honey. I've made it many times, and though I usually make waaaaayyyy more substitutions to make it low fat and lower sugar, I am posting the one that is most like the original and will have the truest taste to Susan's recipe. Unfortunately mine is gluten free, because i cannot have gluten and have never made it with the wheat. You can definitely use whole wheat flour and halve the oat bran and add an equal amount of wheat bran to make it closer, but this recipe is delicious as is, as well. Oh, and I also halved the recipe.

    1 tbsp ground flax (or chia) seed
    1/4 cup hot water
    1 1/2 cups oat bran
    1/2 cup gluten free flour blend
    1 tsp baking soda
    1/2 tsp baking powder
    1/2 tsp sea salt
    1 tbsp whole flax seed
    1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
    1/4 cup almond milk
    1/4 cup soy yogurt*
    3 tbsp coconut or safflower oil
    1/4 cup maple syrup
    1/4 cup brown sugar
    1/2 tsp vanilla extract

    Yields 6 large muffins

    Preheat oven to 375F and grease muffin tin or papers.
    Combine the ground flax seed with the hot water, whisk together well and set aside.
    In a large mixing bowl combine the oat bran, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and whole flax seed. Stir together and make a well in the center. Set aside.
    In a different bowl mix together the apple sauce, almond milk, soy yogurt, oil, maple syrup, brown sugar and vanilla extract.
    Add the wet to the dry, mixing until just combined and spoon out evenly into the muffin tin. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Let cool slightly before removing from tin.
    *If you do not have or cannot find soy yogurt try doubling the applesauce, adding a small mashed banana, or simply omit it altogether and add soy or almond milk a tsp at a time (after all the ingredients are combined) until you reach the desired consistency.
    Hope this helps! Good luck!

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    Replies
    1. My apologies! You'll need to add the ground flax/water mixture to the wet ingredients before mixing with the dry!

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    2. Your version sounds great. Thanks so much for sharing it! :)

      Delete
  133. hi there. i found your recipe in an attempt to find a bran muffin recipe that doesn't call for cereal! so thanks :O) do you use the molasses and honey just for sweetening (versus binding)? i'm going to use a sugar replacement for those two ingredients and see how it goes.

    i see it's been years since you posted this recipe; have you had any better luck with the silicon bakewear (re bran muffins sticking to the wrapper)?

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    Replies
    1. Hi Kelly,
      The honey and molasses are used as a sweetener in place of sugar. If you use a dry sugar replacement instead, you'll probably need to add a little more liquid to the batter. If you do try it, I hope you'll let us know how the muffins came out.

      I've never warmed up to the idea of silicon baking cups (and other bakeware). For one thing, I have a feeling that since I wash all our dishes by hand rather than in a dishwasher, it would take a while to get all those little bendy cups clean. :)

      A couple of years ago I bought two of these Chicago Metallic commercial muffin pans and I love them (along with the rest of my Chicago Metallic bakeware).

      I don't use baking cups; I just spray the pans with Spectrum Naturals high heat canola oil spray (which is naturally expeller pressed and non GMO), and the muffins come right out. I also use this spray on loaf pans when baking bread and cakes, and in cake pans.

      Over the years I've greased pans with all sorts of things - including other kinds of sprays - and I like this spray the best. The can lasts a long time too.

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  134. hi! i have tried the recipe, and i did use a (liquid) sugar replacement (just a bit). they came out great, and my dietitian likes them too! i will see if i can find the canola spray here (there's not much choice in nz), but the silicon muffin tray pops them right out with no wastage.

    i love the muffins, and now we're close to summer i'm looking forward to trying some fruit versions.

    thanks!

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  135. Mmmm. No cereal! Trying these this week - after a shopping trip. Thanks for posting this. You have obviously made a great many people happy.

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  136. how do you guys get the coconut oil to mix in? Mine is also is solid in the tub and it just crumbles into hard big chunks, help!

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    Replies
    1. You just need to heat it up. Coconut oil melts above 76 degrees F. Stick the container in a bowl of hot water and it should liquefy. The melted coconut oil will mix in more easily to your batter if the other ingredients are room temperature - otherwise when it hits cold ingredients it will just go solid again. It's a little tricky to work with, but it's wonderful stuff! :)

      Delete
  137. just made the blueberry, banana bran muffins and they are awesome! I'm looking for a recipe for bran muffins with pineapple in them (i remember having these as a child). All the recipes I've seen use bran cereal. Have you ever added pineapple to this recipe? and what modifications did you/would you use? Thank so much!

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    1. Hi Momma Bear,
      My apologies - I thought I'd replied to your comment ages ago! So glad you're enjoying the recipe. My mother's favorite version of these muffins is one she calls pina colada with coconut and pineapple - which I've been meaning to make for ages. Here's how she does it:

      - No milk
      - All honey (no molasses)
      - Rum instead of (or in addition to) vanilla
      - 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple with some of the juice
      - 1 cup shredded coconut

      Just use enough of the juice to make the batter the consistency it is with the other variations. Enjoy!

      Delete
  138. I used buttermilk instead of regular milk, used lemon yogurt instead of plain, added three over-ripe bananas and some flax seeds, and the muffins turned out fabulously! This is a flexible recipe that one probably can't go wrong with. Thank you!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Twizzle,
      Your version sounds great! Thanks so much for the feedback.

      Delete
  139. I'm just finding your terrific blog now. I tried this recipe tonight and was wowed! This is definitely one I'll be repeating. Thanks! And I love the tone of your website!

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  140. Love this recipe! So healthy and flavorful! I'm so happy you shared this and I am so happy I found you!
    Keep the flavor going...
    -Donna

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  141. These are the NICEST muffins. I've made them three times, all with different ingredients, and they always turn out delicious.

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    Replies
    1. Hi CharnelSteps,
      So glad you're enjoying the recipe! Thanks for the feedback. :)

      Delete
  142. Can't wait to try this recipe. Just one more substitution question: do you think it'd be alright to substitute more oat bran for the wheat bran (which I don't have on hand), or else some combination of oat bran and flour? I like my muffins to be as dense as possible. Hope to hear from you. Thanks in advance!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Saskia,
      I don't think using extra oat bran in place of all of the wheat bran would work - it's just too heavy and dense. Your second idea sounds better - some extra oat bran (maybe another 1/2 cup) and more whole wheat flour. I wouldn't use a 2 full cups (total) though, because the wheat bran is so much lighter than those two. Start out with less, make sure the batter isn't too thick and dry, and go from there.

      If you do try the recipe without any wheat bran, I hope you'll come back and let us know how it turned out. :)

      Delete
    2. Ah, got it. Will be back to report once I try the oat-bran-heavy version, and thanks so much for replying (blog comments elsewhere are too often orphaned)! Also: your assorted furry friends on the farm are totally gorgeous and adorable!

      Delete
  143. I love these muffins.. I have been experimenting with different combos of fruit & veg, spices... I've probably made at least 20 batches. They really are forgiving and yummy! anyway, Yesterday I was reading an article about replacing eggs in baking with chia gel (chia seeds soaked in water or juice). So I made a batch (keeping eggs same but I omitted the milk instead). So good! nice and moist. oh and I also replace half the ww flour with flax meal. so awesome bran pumped up with even more omega 3's. anyway, just thought i'd mention it. going to experiment with some more variations on zucchini bread since that's what is coming out of the garden in mass quantities. thank goodness they freeze well!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Megan,
      So glad you're enjoying this recipe and are having fun doing so much experimenting. Thanks for all the great feedback! :)

      Delete
  144. These were great! I used two mashed bananas instead of the molasses and honey in order to make them with no added sugar (for my toddler), and it worked very well. (I am confused as to why the title says these muffins have "no sugar"--both honey and molasses are forms of added sugar.)

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  145. These looked great. Calories for basic recipe and 10 muffins is 250 calories with almost 8 grams of fiber. Thank you! Raisins would add beautifully.

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  146. I'm so glad to have stumbled on your blog & found this recipe. I'm in search of a great honey bran muffin recipe & will be making these today!

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  147. Hi Susan! It's been over 2 years since I found your recipe, and I just wanted to let you know I still bake them regularly! I planted my own berry vines last year and they are lush with berries, so I make all kinds, blueberry, boysenberry (my fave), raspberry, or a mixture! Thanks for the great recipe! People at work comment on them all the time, thinking they're store-bought (yeah, right!).

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    Replies
    1. Hi Kelly,
      I'm so happy to hear that you're still enjoying this recipe. And congratulations on your berry bounty! There's nothing like homegrown fruit. I've got to try a mixed berry version of these muffins - my mom has been making one for years and loves it. Thanks so much for the update. :)

      Delete
  148. Your recipes directs people to position the oven rack in the middle. Yes this works for most recipes and it worked when I made this recipe in my old electric oven...perfectly each time. However, now that I have a new gas stove/oven...this does NOT work. Muffins were baked for almost 30 minutes and still were a bit raw in the middle. They were overcooked on the outside and difficult to pop out of the muffin tin and undercooked on the inside. BEWARE if you have a gas oven. My oven typically bakes faster for most recipes...not sure why it took longer in this instance?

    ReplyDelete

December 2015 update: Hi! For some reason I can't figure out, Blogger hasn't been letting me leave comments on my own blog (!) for the last several months, so I've been unable to respond to your comments and questions. My apologies for any inconvenience! You're always welcome to email me: farmgirlfare AT gmail DOT com.

Hi! Thanks for visiting Farmgirl Fare and taking the time to write. While I'm not always able to reply to every comment, I receive and enjoy reading them all.

Your feedback is greatly appreciated, and I especially love hearing about your experiences with my recipes. Comments on older posts are always welcome!

Please note that I moderate comments, so if I'm away from the computer it may be a while before yours appears.

I try my best to answer all questions, though sometimes it takes me a few days. And sometimes, I'm sorry to say, they fall through the cracks, and for that I sincerely apologize.

I look forward to hearing from you and hope you enjoy your e-visits to our farm!