Actually Healthy Bran Muffins

These healthy bran muffins are naturally sweetened with dates and are 100% whole-grain. They’re light, fluffy and absolutely delicious!

Enhanced with vanilla and orange, this recipe is flavorful and flexible—stir in nuts, fresh blueberries, dried raisins, or dried cherries for different variations.

Not all healthy bran muffins are created equal, and a little PSA, not all bran muffins are healthy. Most often they’re packed with sugar and as dense as a brick. Nothing good there. But if they’re made right and with wholesome ingredients, bran muffins can be really good, like breakfast- and snack-worthy good.

These bran muffins are everything you love about the breakfast staple—light, fluffy, and packed with flavors of orange and vanilla—but with a healthified take. They’re with 100% whole-grain and naturally sweetened with dates, which in addition to the molasses, gives an immense depth of flavor.

Health Benefits of Bran Muffins

If you’re interested in the stats, these Healthy Bran Muffins are a great source of fiber, vitamin B, Iron, Magnesium, and Manganese.

And if you aren’t interested, well, all you need to know is that these bran muffins are made with wholesome ingredients, packed with flavor, and are something you can feel good about.

What you’ll need to make these muffins:

• Food processor
• Small saucepan
• Muffin pan
• Baking sheet
• Muffin liners

How to make healthy bran muffins

These bran muffins are so easy to make! There are a few more steps to this recipe than a recipe for regular muffins would have, but I promise the steps are simple and the results are so worth it!

1. toast the bran flakes (this added depth of flavor)
2. combine date and orange juice in a small saucepan and simmer until juice has been absorbed (this softens the dates to allow them to process smoothly)
3. in a food processor, process barn cereal into a flour.
4. add toasted bran flakes, baking powder and salt to food processor and combine; transfer to a bowl.
5. add cooked dates and coconut oil to empty food processor; purée.
6. add buttermilk, eggs, molasses, vanilla, and zest and pulse to combine.
7. pour date/buttermilk mixture over dry mixture and mix just until combined.
8. divide batter between muffin wells and bake!

Wheat Bran & Sorghum Bran

For this recipe you can use regular wheat bran, or for even more nutritional benefits, give NuLife Market’s Black Sorghum Bran a try. It’s been found to help reduce the risk of colon cancer, so why not give it a try?

If you’ve been following ZK for a while, you know how much I love NuLife Market. They’re honest, trustworthy, and create some amazing wholesome products. And whether you try their Black Sorghum Bran in this recipe or not, be sure to check out their other great products.

I swear by them, namely their All-Purpose Flour. It’s the best gluten-free flour that I’ve found so far, takes all the guess work out of gluten-free baking! 

Substituting oil with applesauce

Also, if you are watching your fat/oil intake, feel free to sub part (no more than half) of the oil with applesauce in this recipe. Although, I think these are pretty great the way they are. But you do you! 

More healthy muffin recipes you may like…

• Whole Grain Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins (THE best GF blueberry muffins!)
• Whole-Wheat Olive Oil Banana Bread Muffins
• Pear & Fennel Muffins

If you make these muffins let me know, I’d love to see your creations!

xoxo

Make sure to tag me @ZESTFULKITCHEN ON INSTAGRAM or comment below if you make these healthy bran muffins!

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This post was created in partnership with Nu Life Market. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

This post contains affiliate links, at no cost to you. 

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