Cinnamon Raisin Bran Muffin Recipe
My easy vegan Bran Muffin recipe is hearty and wholesome, but it’s also moist, tender, and lightly sweet. This is a muffin you can feel good about eating for breakfast—and also look forward to!
Bran muffins get a bad rap for being dry and bland. But these vegan bran muffins are anything but! I developed this bran muffin recipe to be moist but not heavy. Applesauce, maple syrup, and coconut oil help nail the perfect soft, tender texture, as does soaking the bran so it doesn’t absorb moisture from the muffins. And then to make them extra delicious, I added cozy cinnamon and sweet golden raisins. I am so thrilled with how these turned out. They really are the perfect breakfast muffin!
What Makes These Bran Muffins a Step Above the Rest
My family cannot get enough of this bran muffin recipe! Let’s talk about what makes it so divine.
- Whole-grain goodness (but still delicious). Whole wheat flour and wheat bran make these muffins an amazing source of fiber, but they don’t taste overly healthy.
- Lightly sweetened. Maple syrup, applesauce, and raisins add most of the sweetness here, so you only need a very small amount of light brown sugar. (But don’t skip that brown sugar! It helps with the moisture and adds a lovely note of caramel flavour.)
- Actually moist. Soaking the bran saturates it so it can’t absorb anymore moisture once added to the muffins. And that keeps your muffins ultra moist. (Love a moist muffin recipe? Try my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins too.)
Notes on Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this vegan bran muffin recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Plant milk + lemon juice – These are combined to make Vegan Buttermilk.
- Wheat bran – A great source of fiber, this also adds a slightly nutty flavour to the muffins.
- Whole wheat flour – Do not swap in all-purpose flour; it doesn’t absorb as much liquid as whole wheat, so the liquid-to-dry-ingredient ratio will change.
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Ground cinnamon – For a slightly different flavour, try adding Pumpkin Pie Spice.
- Flaxseed meal – This helps bind the batter in place of the usual egg.
- Applesauce – Make sure it’s unsweetened and smooth, not chunky.
- Coconut oil
- Pure maple syrup – Date Syrup would also work if you prefer it.
- Light brown sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Raisins – Not a raisin fan? You can leave them out.
How to Make Vegan Bran Muffins
If you’ve made other vegan muffins (like my Vegan Blueberry Muffins!) before, you’ll be familiar with the process here. The only difference is soaking the bran.
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 375°F and line or grease a muffin tin.
- Make the vegan buttermilk. Stir together the plant milk and lemon juice and let sit for 5 minutes to curdle.
- Soak the bran. Combine the wheat bran and buttermilk and let soften for 10 minutes.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Stir the flaxseed meal, applesauce, coconut oil, sweeteners, and vanilla into the bran mixture.
- Combine wet and dry. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, then add the raisins.
- Bake. Fill the muffin cups and bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then finish cooling on a wire rack.
Variations for This Bran Muffin Recipe
If you want to switch things up, I have a few ideas for you!
- Try another mix-ins. Swap the raisins for chopped dates, dried cranberries, dried cherries, chopped dried apricots, diced apples, or chopped walnuts.
- Add molasses. Use a tablespoon less of maple syrup; replace it with molasses for a deeper flavour.
- Top them. Sprinkle the tops of the bran muffins with rolled oats, extra raisins, or coarse sugar before baking.
How to Store
- Room temperature: Store this bran muffin recipe in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Let the muffins cool completely, then freeze them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the microwave before serving.
More Vegan Muffin Recipes
Enjoy friends! If you make this bran muffin recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Vegan Bran Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened plant milk, 240mL
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 15mL
- 1 ¼ cups wheat bran, 75g
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour, 160g
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, 6g
- ½ teaspoon baking soda, 3g
- ½ teaspoon salt, 3g
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 3g
- 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal, 14g
- ½ cup applesauce, 120g
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil, 80mL
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup, 80mL
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar, 70g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 5mL
- ½ cup raisins, 75g
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease it.
- In a medium bowl or measuring cup, combine the plant milk and lemon juice. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes to curdle slightly.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the wheat bran with the vegan buttermilk. Stir well and let it soak for 10 minutes to soften.
- In another bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- Add flaxseed meal, applesauce, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, and vanilla extract to the bran mixture and mix until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients and gently fold until just incorporated. Do not overmix; the batter should be thick but scoopable.
- Fold in the raisins.
- Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full.
- Bake for 20–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Room temperature: Store this bran muffin recipe in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Let the muffins cool completely, then freeze them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the microwave before serving.
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
