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How to Make Delicious Bran Muffins

A Healthy, Fiber-Packed Breakfast

Jan 10, 2009 Nicole Wills

Coffee shop bran muffins may sound healthy, but they're typically packed with so much sugar and oil that they're outrageously high in calories.

Save money and eat better by making these easy homemade breakfast treats. A healthy homemade bran muffin and a piece of fruit make a nutritious, filling breakfast. Even better, it's portable—perfect for those hectic mornings. This recipe makes a large batch, and freezes well, so whip up a quick batch on the weekend and fuel the family all week long.

High Fiber Bran Muffins

Makes 56 muffins

4 cups All Bran or generic brand high fiber cereal
2 cups 100% bran (can substitute oat bran)
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups boiling water
1 quart buttermilk (see note below)
3 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
4 eggs
5 cups flour
5 teaspoons baking soda

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Combine the brans and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir in boiling water, then the buttermilk. Cool to lukewarm.
In a separate mixing bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Stir the egg, sugar, and shortening mixture into the bran mixture.
Combine flour and baking soda. Add to the bran mixture.
Stir just enough to dampen the dry ingredients. Lumps are ok! Overworking the muffin batter will simply make tough, unpleasant muffins. Mix just until the flour is incorporated and the muffins will be light and delicate. Note: batter can be kept in the fridge until ready to use, up to four weeks.
Line muffin tins with paper liners, and fill approximately 2/3 full.
Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 18 minutes.
Cool and enjoy!

A Note on Buttermilk:

If there's no buttermilk in the refrigerator, there is an easy substitution. Use regular milk, but mix in just enough lemon juice or vinegar to start to thicken and curdle the milk.

Storage:

This recipe makes 56 muffins—more than the average family can eat in a week. Luckily, they freeze beautifully. Simply put the muffins in freezer bags and toss them in the freezer; pull out as many as needed the night before, cover lightly with a dishcloth, and they'll be ready for breakfast the next day.

Making the Muffins Even Healthier:

Substitute Egg Beaters or other generic reduced-calorie, reduced-fat egg products for the eggs. Use Splenda instead of sugar. Use applesauce or canned pumpkin instead of the shortening. Eliminating all the fat will make the texture suffer slightly, and will make for a slightly chewier, gummier muffin, but the difference is slight and the flavor is still excellent.

Looking for more high-fiber, healthy baked goods? Try cranberry pumpkin bread. It's loaded with fiber and antioxidant-packed fresh cranberries.

The copyright of the article How to Make Delicious Bran Muffins in Baking & Desserts is owned by Nicole Wills. Permission to republish How to Make Delicious Bran Muffins in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Tasty and Healthy Bran Muffins