I had no intention of sharing two pumpkin muffins with you this fall but here I am sharing two with you anyways. I already shared my Healthy Pumpkin Mug Muffin with you and now you get my Pumpkin Bran Muffins.
I had picked up some bran flakes during a sale the other day and was excited to turn them into muffins. (If teenage me had known that adult me would be so excited by bran flakes on sale I would totally have made fun of myself.) So it being fall I happened to have a can of pumpkin sitting on the counter and some pumpkin spice so obviously Pumpkin Bran Muffins.
So with the added pumpkin and spices these aren’t your grandmas bran muffins, these are super moist and very flavorful. The pumpkin, like in many other baked goods keeps the muffins from being too dry and give the muffins a great flavor boost. So let’s take a look at the ingredients that sets these Pumpkin Bran Muffins apart from other muffins.
The Ingredients
Bran Flakes, so first and foremost, wheat bran. This recipe uses wheat bran flakes (Bob’s Red Mill Wheat Bran
) opposed to cereal (like Raisin Bran). Wheat bran is the outer layer of the wheat berry and is very high in fiber. Fiber happens to be one of my favorite nutrients, it keeps you full, satisfied, and helps regulate your digestive system.
Speaking of fiber, Pumpkin. Another fiber rich food but also contains the antioxidant beta-carotene and has plenty of potassium!
These Pumpkin Bran Muffins also contain whole wheat flour which holds a lot more nutritional value than white flour, for example whole wheat flour naturally contains dietary fiber and is packed with vitamins that have been taken out of white all-purpose flour.
So basically these muffins are very high in fiber, which is great for a breakfast or snack on the go. They are full of whole grains and vegetables which is great AND they taste amazing.
Molasses, molasses is a byproduct of sugar production, and while sweet it also has that beautiful smoky note to it. A little molasses goes a long way, just a tablespoon gives these muffins the perfect complimentary flavor to pumpkin. Also by adding molasses I was able to reduce the amount of sugar in these muffins to only 1/4 cup, which in my opinion is pretty awesome.
And of course Pumpkin Pie Spice, or Pumpkin Spice as it is often referred to. This mixture of warm spices, brings the smokiness of the molasses out and the subtle richness of the pumpkin to this muffin. Who knew you could get so much flavor in a high fiber muffin?!?
And then down to the baking basics. This recipe uses both baking powder and baking soda to get maximum lift, otherwise all the whole grains might make it dense. I also use yogurt as an additional liquid here to help offset the dense whole grains with more moisture. (Not to mention oil and eggs).
Lastly the “optional” Raisins, I felt like these muffins needed just a little pizzaz to them and a handful of raisins did the trick. An occasional little burst of sweetness against the spice is just what these muffins need, so I suppose yes the raisins could be optional if you don’t have them or you are crazy and don’t like raisins.
Baking the Muffins
Can I get a what what for one bowl recipes?!
*What!* *What!*
You’ll mix together all of the wet ingredients in a bowl. You’ll add the dry ingredients and then mix it all together. Add the raisins, plop the batter into a greased muffin tin. Boom. 18 minutes in the oven. It is that easy! 🙂
TIPS & TRICKS:
• These muffins keep for a few days on the counter, but I think they keep best refrigerated
• You can use muffin liners or a greased muffin tin for this recipe, I’ve done it both ways and they both turned out
• Pro Tip: When measuring out the molasses, grease your tablespoon with a little oil first, the molasses should then slide right out of the spoon.
Pumpkin Bran Muffins
moist and flavorful pumpkin bran muffins
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup wheat bran
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400º F. Grease a muffin tin.
- In a large bowl add oil, yogurt, eggs, pumpkin, sugar, and molasses. Mix to combine.
- Add pumpkin spice, wheat bran, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the bowl. Mix to combine. Fold in the raisins.
- Divide batter between 12 muffins. Bake 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick comes clean out of the center of a muffin.
Notes
Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1 muffinAmount Per Serving: Calories: 150Total Fat: 6gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 227mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 4gSugar: 9gProtein: 4g
Peace & Love
Lauren, The Schmidty Wife
P.S. Love healthy muffins? Check out my Healthy Pumpkin Mug Muffin or my Healthy Sweet Potato Oatmeal Muffins.
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Made these tonight, subbing 2T maple syrup for the sugar and buttermilk for the yoghurt. I made 6 jumbo rather than 12 small muffins and added chopped pecans rather than raisins. Very good tasting, with just the right amount of sweet for me and with a nice depth of flavor.. The crumb was lighter than I remember from the bran muffins of yore, that were usually made with Raisin Bran cereal,. Thanks for the recipe. I’ll be making it again.
Great subs Diana, sounds delicious! So glad you enjoyed them!
Terrific bran muffin. Used some Guatemalan squash I had leftover from some pumpkin gnocchi we made last week. I was just a little shy of a full cup and finished the measure with two native persimmons and a small pawpaw. Subbed butter for coconut. Made my own spice mix with coriander, allspice, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. They were perfect. Great rise and texture. I am conscious of my calorie dense foods and this is a really nice addition to the relatively high nutrition value for your buck category. Will definitely make them again.
I add The whole can of pumpkin and chopped pecans. They still turn out great!
So glad to hear Rachel! 🙂
I just made these and they are outstanding! My new go-to. I also added nearly the full can of pumpkin and it was just fine…so moist. Thanks so much 😀
Yay thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment Jean!
I must say this is the first time I have made a “healthier” muffin that actually tasted good! I did have to use sour cream instead of yogurt because I didn’t have any and it worked! Will
make again. Thanks !
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment Barb, I am so glad you enjoyed them!
I made these following the recipe but added a cream cheese middle – effectively canceling the health part? Really good!
Cream cheese in the middle sounds delicious! 😉
I substituted the raisins for mini chocolate chips. Filled 2 dozen mini muffin trays with a tablespoon of batter and with the leftover, filled 3 regular sized muffins. Took the minis out after 10-12 min and the 3 regulars took the full 17 min. Turned out fantastic!
Love the substitutions! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment! Making them into mini muffins sounds so fun!
I just made your Pumpkin Bran Muffins. I like them because they
are not sweet and have more body.
I was not able to find Bob’s Red Mill wheat bran.
I could only find wheat germ and Google said I could substitute.
I did use his wheat flour I went to many stores but couldn’t find bran.
The muffins looked so good I went ahead with the substitute. I am
very pleased with the way they turned out, but want to try the bran
when I can locate it. I like these so much better than the old
ones I used to make with raisin bran cereal. Thanks for sharing.
Susan, I hope you found your wheat bran, as it’s such an awesome nutrient for our digestive systems. I order mine from Amazon in a four lb. bag and make bran muffins regularly to keep me… regularly! 🙂 It’s hard to find it in the grocerty store, but Bob’s Red Mill does have a small bag of it that you can sometimes find.
I was searching for a way to use up the rest of a can of pumpkin after making some homemade PSL creamer, and this was a great option! I liked how they weren’t too sweet, and felt healthy while also achieving that fall pumpkin-spice feel. I was surprised at how lightly the spices came through (although that could also be due to using older spices that have lost some potency) so I will probably try adding more of the spice blend and some pecans next time, as others have recommended. It might take a few tweaks to make it perfect for my family, but overall a great recipe!
Thanks for the feedback on the spices, I’ll take note next time I make them!
Wonderful recipe!! Made them last night using my own pumpkin pulp. (Note: used the food processor to combine wet ingredients and sugar so pumpkin would be thoroughly shredded). Added an additional 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice and was generous with the 1 tbsp molasses. Came out delicious!!!
Love that you used fresh pumpkin, that sounds amazing!
My grandson declared these “the best muffins ever!” I added 1/3 cup of ground walnuts, increased the raisins (I used golden raisins), and added 1 Tblsp each of whey protein powder (for added protein) and vital wheat gluten. I had to sub buttermilk for the yogurt, which is what I usually use for my wheat bran muffins (the buttermilk and baking soda make a great leavening agent). I don’t have pumpkin pie spice, so I made it up with 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/8 tsp ginger and a couple of shakes of ground cloves.
When mixing, I added the wheat bran to the pumpkin mixture at the start, as it needs to absorb liquid before baking (I normally mix it with the buttermilk beforehand). I let it sit while I put together the dry ingredients.
The flavor is very smart with the tang of the pumpkin together with the warm spices, and the raisins made the recipe perfect! Thank you for putting it out there for us!
Thanks so much! So happy you and your family can enjoy them! 🙂
I also re-hydrate but mix it all up, have it in the pan, and then start the oven pre-heating.