Spiced Bran Muffins Recipe

If we're being honest, we've never met a muffin we didn't like! The wonderful part about muffins is that there are many different ways to make them, but most of the time, they include a fruit or vegetable. While additions are great to a muffin mix, sometimes it's just nice to go back to basics. If you are looking for something a little bit different than your run-of-the-mill muffin, this spiced bran muffin recipe will totally the spot. One of the best parts about this recipe is the taste, and recipe developer Catherine Brookes of Blue Sky Eating explains it the best: "They have a sweet, slightly nutty taste along with some warmth from the spices."

Brookes also shares her favorite part about these flavorful muffins, which would be great for breakfast or a snack anytime during the day. "These bran muffins are super moist, fluffy and full of healthy fiber," she raves. "I wanted to add a little spice to a traditional recipe to add more flavor." 

To make this recipe, you'll need wheat bran (Brookes uses bran sticks, but you can also use powder), milk, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, egg, sugar, vanilla extract, and vegetable oil.

Before you do anything else, preheat your oven to 375 F. Next, grab a muffin tin and prep it with 12 muffin liners.

Then, add the wheat bran and milk to a mixing bowl. Let the mixing bowl sit for about 5 minutes so the milk soaks into the wheat bran.

While the wheat bran and bread soak together, go ahead and take out another bowl. You will need to mix the dry ingredients separately at first, so toss in the flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Use a whisk to combine everything together. This spice combo is the secret ingredient. "Adding a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger gives the muffins a lovely spicy, sweet flavor that's perfect for the fall or winter season," Brookes shares. 

In the other bowl, once the bran has soaked with the milk, you can continue adding other ingredients. This includes egg, sugar, vanilla extract, and vegetable oil. Once again, you will want to mix everything together to combine.

Now, it's time to bring the two mixes together. Just fold in the flour mixture with the wet mixture and continue to mix until everything is well combined. This shouldn't take more than a few seconds. If you'd like to add a little more, Brookes says you can toss in chocolate chips or raisins. 

The batter is good to go! Pretty easy, right? Transfer the mixture to a muffin pan and pop it into the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. You can check for doneness by poking a skewer into the center of one of the muffins to see if it comes out clean. If it does, you can take them out.

Once you remove the muffins from the oven, you can serve and enjoy. These are tasty on their own but Brookes also suggests serving them "with a cup of tea or coffee." 

And, if you have leftovers, be sure to keep them! "They should keep well at room temp in an airtight container for 3 days," Brookes notes.