I figured out how to make these the best bran muffins ever! The trick is to use fancy molasses rather than blackstrap or other types. Fancy molasses seems to be less intense in flavor. Also add 2 tbsp. of brown sugar and 1/2 tsp. of cinnimon. Yummy!
Lovely, earthy flavor to these muffins, due to the molasses. This recipe is less sweet than most, because there is no sweetening other than the molasses. For those who don't appreciate a strong molasses flavor, consider using half dark corn syrup or honey to replace half of the molasses called for. But leave in at least half for the subtle flavor contribution and deep color. If you like a sweeter muffin, add 2 Tb sugar, either brown or white. For those who had trouble with a runny batter, allow the bran to soak in the milk for 10 minutes before mixing. I used sour milk and cut the soda back to 1 tsp, which is sufficient for a recipe of this size. 1-1/2 tsp, particularly if you use fresh milk (as opposed to buttermilk or sour milk) could be contributing to the off-flavor some have reported. Added 1/2 tsp cinnamon, because I just like it in my muffins. I brushed the tops with a drop of honey as they came out of the oven, adding a slight punch of sweetness and a beautiful sheen. Already ate one fresh from the oven, and it was stellar! Be aware that these do not rise very much. What you see when you spoon the batter into the muffin tins is pretty much what you get coming out of the oven. So don't be afraid to fill nearly to the top. It made 12 very full muffins. All in all, an excellent recipe! Edited 10/14/08 to add that these are excellent keepers. Four days after baking, they are still remarkably moist, almost as good as freshly baked. A+
Delicious bran muffin recipe! This a a great way to use up the last of the All-Bran cereal and sneak something healthy into my husband's diet at the same time. I used 1/4 cup of molasses, 2 Tbsp. of dark brown sugar and 2 Tbsp. of honey. I also added 1 tsp. of cinnamon and 1 Tbsp. of vanilla. I let the wet ingredients soak into the bran cereal along with the raisins for about 10 minutes before adding the dry ingredients and the batter wasn't runny at all. This made 12 muffins that rose up nicely, were very moist and had just the right amount of sweetness.
This was a very easy bran muffin recipe. It was moist and full of flavor. I did 1/4 cup each of molasses and honey instead of 1/2 c. molasses just a preference. I also added some ground flaxseed 2TB (which acts like oil in baking) (so 1TB of canola oil was enough). These muffins are very good and have good flavor. I was a little worried about the batter looking kinda runny at first but the flakes soak it up pretty fast and they turn out just fine.
This recipe makes excellent muffins. I've made them with coconut added as well. However I suspect that the 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda should actually be 1 teaspoon of baking powder plus 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda as is common in most recipes. The extra baking soda could account for the unusual taste detected by some of the reviewers.
These were yummy. I added 1/2 t cinnamon and vanilla. Also to make them healthier I used whole wheat flour added 1/4 cup wheat germ and instead of raisins 1 cup blueberries and topped then with oats.
For people with anemia this is a great recipe. Blackstrap molasses is the only molasses that is high in iron. I did change it up the 2nd time around to create a low fat muffin. I used sugar free instant flavored oatmeal instead of the bran no additional sugar needed but if you wanted to you could sub it for splenda. And instead of using 2 tbl spoons of oil I used 1 tbl sp oil and 3 tbl spoons of applesauce. The muffins tastes better hot. And each muffin comes out to 3 grams of fat and 92 calories. 2 muffins a day for a week brings your iron back up and your energy as well. And it also helps with those who have IBS like myself.
My grandmother made the best bran muffins in the world. I have been looking for a recipe like hers and this is it. I used whole wheat flour and added 1/2 cup of wheat germ to make them fiber healthy. I also add more molasses and raisins and then added vanilla and cinnamon like grammy did. This lends to a tastier heartier healthier muffin. These are wonderful warm spread with real melted butter.
Pretty good! I used whole wheat flour and substituted apple sauce for the oil just for a little extra healthiness. Also I didn't have raisins on hand so I used an equal amount of cinnamon chips instead which was a nice taste.
