Raspberry Bran Muffins

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Raspberry bran muffins aren’t your grandparents’ bran muffin. Filled with tart berries, these are a healthful addition to your morning routine.

One day while searching for a quick, filling breakfast before work, my eyes lingered over the bakery case. That’s not quite a surprise. But what did shock me was the decision to go healthy(er) by grabbing a large bran muffin.

Yep. Bran. But this one was soft, sweet, and full of tart raspberries. I kind of became obsessed, and when I stopped visiting the office (and the bakery case) every day, I knew I had to create my own recipe.

I know what you’re thinking. But these aren’t your granny’s bran muffins. Not overly dense and studded with tart raspberries, they make a great addition to your breakfast spread. 

I think they’re actually better the next day, once the bran has a chance to soften up even more, but fresh out of the oven with butter is never a bad choice.

I’ve been making these raspberry bran muffins for years, but every time I try to make them again I realize we can never keep raspberries in stock around here.

Whenever I want to make a recipe with raspberries, I head to the fridge and find a nearly-empty carton. 

While I love that my kids will happily eat nearly any fruit, they don’t exactly understand that some foods are meant to be off-limits until I can use them.

It’s hard to resist a raspberry, though. The tiny drupelets that make up the berry are always bursting with tart flavor. 

They remind me of pomegranate arils, with their mouth-puckering taste that pairs so well with richness. That’s why we always add a slather of butter onto muffins, right? 

Raspberries aren’t used for muffins as often as their blueberry friends, but they’re ideal for these bran muffins.

What is bran, anyway?

Bran is the outer layer of grains such as wheat, oats, and corn.

Many bran muffin recipes call for bran cereal and need extra liquid to soak the cereal. 

However, these raspberry bran muffins use oat bran, which can be found in most bulk sections of larger grocery stores, or online. 

Wheat bran can be used as well. Whichever you use, the flakes will soften up in the batter and during baking.

How to make moist bran muffins

For any quick bread or muffin, it’s important to not overmix the batter. 

Overmixing makes the gluten develop further, which results in tougher, chewier baked goods.

Stir your ingredients until just combined, and fold in the berries at the end. Don’t be tempted to stir vigorously! 

Be sure to measure your dry ingredients carefully, by spooning the flour and bran into the cup measures and leveling off. 

Directly scooping flour can mean using too much and results in a denser muffin.

How to freeze muffins

Let muffins cool completely. (Really, completely!)

Place in a freezer-safe bag. I like to use smaller bags that hold about 4 muffins. This helps keep the muffins fresh and reduces the chance of freezer burn from opening and closing the bag multiple times.

Place a straw inside the bag with one end sticking out, and close the bag around the straw.

Suck as much air as you can out of the bag, then seal it tightly. Alternatively, you can use a vacuum sealer to remove air.

To eat, simply remove as many muffins as you want from the bag and microwave for 20-30 seconds.

What can I add to bran muffins?

Sometimes I add a bit of lemon juice to these. I find that citrus is excellent with berry muffins, like in blueberry lime muffins. You can skip it, though especially if your berries are extra tart.

If you don’t like raspberries, try your favorite fresh fruit instead. You can also use dried fruits like cranberries or raisins.

To make these a bit of a treat, add mini chocolate chips! Or, try finely chopped nuts. I always like walnuts in baked goods as they are mild in flavor and provide just enough nuttiness without overwhelming the muffin.

Note that due to the lack of added fat in these muffins, you’ll need to coat your pan with nonstick spray, or use nonstick liners. 

If you’re using standard paper liners, remember to use nonstick spray on the liners themselves.

Serve these with honey to drizzle on top, if you like!