I rarely bake muffins, but when I do, I try to make them healthy. Muffins are often mini-cakes, packed with sugar and fat, which to some extent can’t be avoided if you wish to eat a muffin that doesn’t resemble a hockey puck or bird food. To compensate, I try to reduce the sugar and fat and add healthy grains or cereals, fruit and nuts. Today I had a request for homemade muffins from my son who is home sick from school. Since he hasn’t had much of an appetite, I couldn’t resist trying to whip up a batch of Apple Bran Muffins. They are reasonably healthy for a muffin, while sufficiently naughty to indulge a craving for something moist and sweet.
Apple Bran Muffins
Makes 12 muffins (or about 24 mini-muffins)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup unsulphured molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup wheat bran
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins
1 cup grated apple, packed
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Oil a muffin or mini-muffin tin (or line with paper liners).
2. Whisk the sugar and oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the molasses and vanilla, and then mix in the buttermilk and bran.
4. Whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients until just combined, without over-mixing. Fold in the raisins, apple and walnuts, if using. Spoon the batter into the muffin tin or paper liners, filling them.
5. Bake in the oven until a tester comes out clean, about 25 minutes (or 18 to 20 minutes for mini-muffins).
Healthy and delicious muffins! I love the addition of molasses and cinnamon.
Cheers,
Rosa
Sorry to hear your son is sick! Hope he’s better soon. These look wonderful. I don’t make muffins much either for the same reasons. Just a cup of flour for 20 muffins is really not so much. I’ll give these a try! I bet I could freeze them for easy breakfasts on the go…
It’s a cup of AP flour and a half cup of whole wheat flour for 20 “mini” muffins!
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Very nice – I have never been a huge banana fan and like the idea of grated apple instead. Mini muffins are perfect, serving-wise…Hope your son feels better to enjoy the weekend.
What a lovely recipe Lynda, and such a nice change to the usual unhealthy fat-laden kind.
Lynda, these muffins look delicious and your photos are so lovely! Thanks for sharing this hearty, wholesome and delicious breakfast recipe. I’ll be pocketing it to try soon! Have a great weekend.
These look great. Katherine’s always amazed at how much sugar and butter muffins call for. She’s the muffin baker in our house.
baking is one thing i rarely do but these muffins sounds so healthy. Would be so perfect for breakfast!
I hope the muffins have made your son feel better, sounds like a healthy snack option when loaded up with more fruit and fibre from cereal. I like to add raspberries to mine too to make the cakes even more moist and a little tart from the berries. Great photos!
These look wonderful!
These look wonderful!!!
I think I should be making this for my boys too, they both are too down with cold n fever…
This really looks so healthy n delicious!!!
Hope your son is doing better! And these muffins looks amaaaazing!
Yum! I never make muffins, but these look amazing and I have every single ingredient except for bran in my pantry. Looks like I need to do a quick health food store run then I will be making these soon! Thanks for a great recipe. I also love mini muffins!
I rarely make muffins, either. The only way I enjoy them is when they’re healthy, backward as that may sound! Otherwise, yes, too much like a mini-cake!
These look like a delicious and healthy treat! I love the addition of grated apple to keep the muffins moist and to cut down on the sugar. Lovely photos, as usual!
Lynda,
These muffins look delicious! I have made Ina’s version of this recipe (or an adaptation of that) many times, it is a favorite. Using apple is a great idea.
We’re certainly on the same page about muffins! I hope your son is well now!!! Always hard to have a little one under the weather.