My best friend works in a bakery as her full-time job. Every day, she earns an income staying elbows-deep in flour and making muffins, scones, cookies, and cakes. How neat is that?? I must admit, I’m a tiny bit jealous… I’d love to open up my own bakery someday!
As much as she loves baking, there’s one major downside: the work hours. Her alarm rings just after 3 am, she arrives at the facility before 4:30 am, mixes and shapes and bakes until 2, and slides between the covers to go to sleep by 7 pm. With the days growing longer and the sun setting later, that early bedtime would really throw me off!
A few weeks ago, she visited me shortly after I posted these blueberry buttermilk bran muffins. She mentioned her morning driving routine—nibbling on a muffin and sipping her coffee as she cruised down the empty freeway to work—so I sent her home with the rest of my batch.
The very next day, she texted me, exclaiming that they were the best bran muffins she’s ever eaten. That’s high praise coming from a professional baker!
When she stopped by again last week, she explained that she tried switching to granola or protein bars when her muffin stash ran out, but those just weren’t the same. Nothing beats the texture and flavor of a soft, tender muffin! Since we both love our veggies as much as baked sweets, I immediately mixed up these Carrot Cake Bran Muffins for her to enjoy.
Many people think of bran muffins as bland or dry, but these are the exact opposite! They’re practically as tender as cupcakes and are bursting with warm, cozy flavors. So how do we do that?
Amy’s Nerdy Food Notes!
How we mix together the ingredients determines the texture of the muffins. Many recipes stir in the oat bran along with the dry ingredients, but this leads to dry muffins. Instead, soak the oat bran in milk, Greek yogurt, and vanilla before measuring anything else. Similar to soaking oatmeal to make overnight oats, soaking the oat bran softens it and creates that tender muffin texture we want.
Two ingredients create the characteristic cozy bran muffin flavor: molasses and cinnamon. Molasses has a warm, rich, earthy taste, and I always envision cool foggy mornings paired with a tall cup of coffee and fleecy blanket whenever I bake with it. In other words, it adds the ultimate cozy taste! You can find it on the baking aisle near the maple and corn syrups.
Cinnamon also provides a warmth and depth to bran muffins. Because I love adding it to my carrots cakes, I also sprinkled in a little nutmeg as well. When paired together, these two spices create a tantalizing aroma while the muffins bake and cool on the counter, which always tempts me to break into one while the steam still drifts off the top. The burnt fingers and tongue would be worth it!
The final important ingredient in these particular bran muffins is the shredded carrots. About 3 large carrots, peeled first, will yield the amount you need. To make quick work of shredding, use a food processor! Do not buy pre-shredded carrots; those are dry and would result in subpar muffins.
I handed these Carrot Cake Bran Muffins to my best friend as soon as she walked into my kitchen last week, and she sampled a small bite… Which lead to the entire muffin. She said that these were even better than the last ones—maybe even the best muffins she’s ever had!
That made my heart melt into a warm, cozy, cinnamony puddle. ♥
| Carrot Cake Bran Muffins | | Print |
- 1 ½ cups (180g) oat bran (measured like this and gluten-free if necessary)
- ⅓ cup (80g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup (80mL) nonfat milk
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (120g) whole wheat or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (14g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ¼ cup (60mL) honey
- ¼ cup (60mL) molasses
- 1 ½ cups (160g) shredded carrots (about 3 large, peeled first)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly coat 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the oat bran, yogurt, milk, and vanilla.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a separate bowl. In a third bowl, whisk together the coconut oil or butter and egg. Stir in the honey and molasses. Mix in the bran mixture. Add in the flour mixture, stirring until just incorporated. Fold in the shredded carrots.
- Divide the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350°F for 20-23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before carefully turning out onto a wire rack.
Other readers have had success substituting wheat bran for the oat bran. I have not tried that myself and cannot personally vouch for that substitution.
Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
Pure maple syrup or agave may be substituted for the honey. Do not substitute pancake syrup because it will not produce the same taste or texture. I don’t recommend substituting anything for the molasses; it’s required to produce the iconic bran muffin flavor. (And you'll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
Do not buy pre-shredded carrots. They are not as moist and will result in subpar muffins.
{clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
More bran muffin recipes from other food bloggers…
♥ Mixed Fruit and Nut Buttermilk Bran Muffins by The View From Great Island
♥ Blueberry Peach Bran Muffins by Healthy. Delicious.
♥ Glazed Pumpkin Bran Muffins by Lauren’s Latest
♥ Maple Pecan Bran Muffins by Foxes Love Lemons
Hi Amy!
I also had similar problems with batter dryness. Here’s what I did:
I actually used All Bran cereal (it’s what I had) but I ground it up a bit more so it was more like a flour. I’m aware that this could have contributed to the dryness, but I digress.
Once I started mixing all 3 bowls of ingredients together it was very dry, so I added another 1/3 cup of milk, then another 1/3 cup because it was still too dry. I didn’t want to just keep adding high water-content liquids, so I added 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil, and 1 more egg. The batter was much more workable now, not pourable, and more doughy, but I filled the muffin cups and baked them anyway. After 20 minutes the toothpick was clean.
They were yummy! The texture was a little chewier than other muffins I’ve had, but myself and kids ate them with a little butter and honey. They maybe could have used the extra 3 minutes.
I’ll most likely make them again! I look forward to trying some of your other muffin recipes.
Hi Amy,
I am looking forward to making your Carrot Cake Bran Muffins this week and would like to add raisins and walnuts. Would you let me know if this will work out well and give me proportion suggestions?
Thank you,
Victoria
It means a lot that you’d like to make my recipe, Victoria! Yes, you can easily add raisins and walnuts. You should be able to add up to ¼ cup of each (or up to a combined ½ cup total, if you’d like to use a different proportion!). For the raisins, I highly recommend hydrating them first — it makes a big difference in the taste and texture! To do so, add the raisins to a microwave-safe bowl, and pour water on top until they’re completely covered. Seal plastic wrap over the top (or place a lid or plate on top!), and microwave the bowl on high for 1 minute. If you do this first and let the raisins sit while mixing together the rest of the ingredients, this little trick hydrates them so they’re really sweet, plump, and juicy! 🙂
I’d love to hear what you think of these muffins once you get a chance to try making them!
Amy,
Thank you so much for your kind and helpful reply. I can’t wait to make them and will let you know how it turns out!
Victoria
Another_amazing_recipe!
I_kept_the_analogies,but_just_put_1,5_cups_of_bran_and_only_1/2_cup_flour_(actually_bran_flour).
Still_the_same_great_flavour._This_was_my_1st_carrot_cake!_A_winner!
Well_done_Amy,_and_thank_you!!
I’m so glad you loved these carrot cake muffins, Marcia! Thank you for taking the time to let me know. It means a lot! 🙂
I had the same problems with dryness in the batter (no substitutions, weighed all ingredients). I thought the flavor was good, but the muffins didn’t spread or rise at all. I love Amy’s Ultimate Carrot Cake and Carrot Cake Scones recipes and will probably stick to those next time.
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Roberta! That’s so strange that your muffins turned out so dry. Did you happen to weigh the liquid ingredients (milk, honey, and molasses), by any chance?
Hi Amy! Yes I did, I weighed everything. I do love the flavor of the muffins and they don’t taste dry at all, but the batter was very dry and would not spread in the muffin tins at all. On a brighter note, I had a ton of carrots left over so I used the rest to make •two• of your ultimate carrot cakes! That is one of my fav recipes of yours! I made your cinnamon Greek yogurt frosting for them too and they are so good!
Oh my goodness, Roberta! I’m truly honored that you’d call my ultimate healthy carrot cake one of your favorite recipes. That’s such a huge compliment — thank you!! 🙂
That’s actually the issue! Liquids aren’t meant to be measured with a kitchen scale. I know many kitchen scales say they can measure liquids, but that’s not true. (It’s one of my big pet peeves!) This is because scales can only measure weights, not volumes! The weight of liquids like milk, honey, maple syrup, etc actually depends on their density, and every liquid’s density is different. There’s no way to program every different density into a kitchen scale, so that’s why it doesn’t work for measuring liquids.
If you used your kitchen scale to measure the honey, molasses, and milk, you were unintentionally measuring those by weight instead of volume, for the reasons I shared above, and that resulted in adding a different amount than the recipe called for! That’s why your batter turned out dry. If you measure these with a measuring cup or measuring spoons, your muffins should look (and taste!) much better because you’ll be adding the correct amount!
So for my recipes, I always recommend using a scale for solid ingredients (or mostly solid ingredients, like yogurt!) with measurements given in grams, and then using measuring cups or spoons for all liquid ingredients (given in mL) AND small amount solid ingredients (like baking powder, baking soda, salt, etc where you just need teaspoons!). 🙂
I used soft wheat bran,almond milk,maple syrup for honey,and added Thompson raisins and about 1/4 cup of crushed pineapple to moisten up a bit.They turned out yummy.
I’m so glad you enjoyed these muffins, Lynne! Thanks for taking the time to share your modifications too. I always love hearing what tweaks work!
I loved this recipe. I found the molasses to be a bit strong for me though, and cut it to 1 tbsp instead, and then used date paste for the rest of the volume. Turned out great!
I’m glad you enjoyed these muffins, Lynne! Your idea of date paste sounds so fun. Thanks for taking the time to share your recipe modifications; I always love hearing what tweaks work out! 🙂
These may be healthy but they sure are dry and not very sweet. I wouldn’t make them again
It means a lot that you tried my recipe, Char-Marie! That sounds disappointing and not like how these muffins are supposed to turn out at all, so I’d love to work with you to figure out what happened. In order to do so, I have some questions for you! 🙂
Could you taste the carrots and spices — and it was only the sweetness level that was off about the flavor?
Did you make any substitutions or modifications to the recipe, including those listed in the Notes section?
Did you use a kitchen scale or measuring cups/spoons to measure all of the ingredients — especially the flour, bran, honey, and molasses?
If you used measuring cups, did you happen to dip them directly into your containers of flour and bran? Or did you gently shake them back and forth at all while filling them (ie to “level off” the mound of flour or bran)?
If you used a kitchen scale, did you use grams, mL, or ounces to measure the honey and molasses?
Did you use the full amount of honey and molasses?
Did you use blackstrap molasses, by any chance?
What’s the exact Greek yogurt (brand + product name!) that you used?
Can you describe the consistency of your muffin batter before you transferred it to the tin? Was it really thick (almost like cookie dough), really thin, or somewhere in between?
How long did you bake your muffins? Closer to 20 minutes, closer to 23 minutes, or a different amount of time?
I know I just asked a LOT of questions, but I’ll have a much better idea of the culprit once I know your answers to all of them!
I love bran muffins and usually make Nancy Silverton’s well known bran muffins so had high hopes for this recipe. HOwever, I knew that something was off as I was making them. I make a lot of muffins and weighed the dry ingredients and measured the liquid in a glass measuring cup. There was not enough liquid to soak the bran. I did add a bit more liquid (buttermilk) as I was mixing bu even then the mixture was too dry to fold in all the carrots. The muffins did not raise and were quite heavy.
My first observation is that the dry to liquid ratio is off. I believe that 180 grams is not an accurate conversion of 1 1/2 cups;most conversions I see suggest that 1 1/2 cups is closer to 140 grams though Silverton’s recipe calls for 90 grams for 1.5 cups. There are many different conversions out there but all are much lower than 180 grams. Bob’s Red Mill oat bran, which I use, notes that 1 cup equals 94 grams so about 140 grams. Also,the other recipes seems to require much more liquid and fat even with yoghurt or buttermilk.Using whole wheat flour seems to necessitate more liquid as well. I like molasses but would cut this back a bit. I’ll try them again adjusting the grams and liquid. I did read that the recipe worked for some of your readers so would be interested in your thoughts on this. Thanks for offering us this recipe and the opportunity to describe our experience. MayI suggest that you add a video then we can see what the ingredients should look like as you make. the recipe.
It means a lot that you tried my recipe, Janice! That sounds disappointing and not like how these muffins are supposed to turn out, so I’m happy to work with you to figure out what happened. In order to do so, I have some questions for you! 🙂
If you used a kitchen scale to weigh the oat bran and flour, then we used the same amount. (I love and use Bob’s Red Mill oat bran quite often!) I prefer using a kitchen scale to measure dry ingredients and anything given in grams; it feels easier — and often results in fewer dishes to wash! 🙂 So that leads me to believe it’s something to do with the liquid ingredients.
But just to double check… Did you use the whole wheat or gluten free option? (Based on your comment, it sounds like whole wheat, but I’d still like to confirm! 😉 ) If you did end up making them gluten free, which gluten free option in the Notes section did you use?
When you used your glass measuring cup, was the meniscus above the line for the ⅓ cup (milk) and ¼ cup (honey and molasses) marks? Or was there a chance it was exactly even with those marks — or even a little below?
Did you use a spatula to scrape out the molasses and honey clinging to the sides of your glass measuring cup? (I know this sounds like a silly question to ask, but I’ve had other readers forget to do this, which is why I like to double check!)
Did you use regular unsulphured molasses or blackstrap molasses?
What’s the exact buttermilk and Greek yogurt (brand + product name of each!) that you used? (I’ve found that certain brands of each are thicker and more viscous than others, which does affect the muffin batter consistency.)
Did you use a scale to measure the Greek yogurt as well?
How much extra buttermilk did you add in order to make the batter come together?
Can you describe the consistency of your batter right before you transferred it to the muffin cups? Was it similar to cookie dough or bread dough? If you scooped it up with a spoon, would it easily hold its shape and stay put, or would it slip down over the sides?
How was the texture of your fully baked and cooled muffins? I understand they didn’t rise — but were they also dry, crumbly, and/or barely holding together?
How was the flavor of your muffins? It sounds like the molasses was a bit too strong for you, but other than that, were the muffins sweet enough? Could you taste the spices?
I know I just asked a LOT of questions, but I’ll have a much better idea of the culprit once I know your answers to all of them! 🙂
I haven’t made these yet~ I’m about to now! But I just wanted to say how impressed I am by the way you respond to everyone and give tips, and ask questions if the recipe didn’t work out well for them. A lot of people on a lot of sites say things I think are cruel and unnecessary.. People who post recipes definitely have a right to say nasty things back!!
I’ve never read the comments however, and read someone putting so much time into helping someone identify what went wrong! I can tell you truly enjoy baking~ and that makes my heart happy! This is why I’m baking these muffins tonight. Thank you.
You’re incredibly sweet, Stephanie! Thank you SO much for your kind words. Your comment truly means a lot, and I’m really touched that you’d take the time to share your thoughts. You’re such a gem! ♡ I really hope you enjoyed these muffins if you did end up making them!
I made these using wheat bran as that’s what I had on hand. Followed the rest of the recipe although I did not measure the carrots- I just shredded 3 and it looked like about 2 cups- with an add on of 1/2 cup of raisins that I soaked in orange juice (yes I added the little bit of orange juice with the raisins). They turned out great- flavourful and super moist, they took about 32 minutes to cook though.
We’re so happy that you enjoyed these muffins, Lorrie! Thanks so much for taking the time to share, it really means a lot. I appreciate you sharing your modification notes, too. We love to hear about recipe tweaks that work well. I can imagine how flavorful those raisins were after soaking in orange juice! What a great idea! 😉
I recently made these muffins because they looked and sounded so yummy. I was unable to find oat bran but could find the roller oats, which supposedly could be substituted one to one. I followed the recipe exactly. I baked for 20 minutes, toothpick came out clean, however when we went to eat them they seemed rather dense and chewy, not cake like. The flavor was good, but I was surprised and disappointed in the texture. Can you offer any insights and or suggestions regarding this matter? If I’m not able to remedy this issue, I probably would not make them again.
It means a lot that you tried my recipe, Paulette! I’m happy to help. Based on what you’ve shared, I have some follow-up questions that will help me give you the best possible advice!
When you say they came out chewy, do you mean they were gummy, rubbery, or tough? I want to make sure I fully understand the texture of your muffins!
If you look at my first photo in this blog post, as well as the photo directly above the recipe box, you can see what the texture of the muffins should look like inside. How did the insides of your muffins look in comparison?
Besides the rolled oats, did you make any other substitutions or modifications — including those listed in the Notes section?
In place of the oat bran, did you use quick-cooking rolled oats or old-fashioned rolled oats? (They yield different textures, so I wanted to double check!)
Did you use whole wheat flour or the gluten-free blend I provided in the Notes section of the recipe?
Did you use a kitchen scale or measuring cups/spoons for all of the ingredients — especially the oats, flour, sweeteners, and carrots?
Did you use a hand-held mixer or stand mixer to make the batter, or did you stir it together by hand?
Did you muffins collapse while cooling?
I know I just asked a LOT of questions, but I’ll have a much better idea of the culprit and how to fix it once I know your answers to all of them! 🙂
Dear Amy,
Thank you for taking the time to reply and to help me troubleshoot this issue.
1. gummy 2. will try to attach a picture 3. I did not substitute any other ingredients 4. Red Mill Old Fashion Rolled Oats 5. Whole wheat flour 6. measuring spoons/cups 7. mixed by hand. mixture was very dry and stiff, so I add 1tsp of water. 8. consciously made an attempt to not overmix. 9. Muffins did not collapse.
I did use a 1:1 substitute of the oats, but I did not grind them, so maybe I used too much??
I’ve been eating them and other than the textue, I’m satisfied with them. Going forward, I would probably add more cinnimon and a touch more nutmeg. Also, what do you think of adding ginger??? I think it might be yummy if not over done. Unfortunately, I don’t think I can attach a picture so to answer your question, the interior was very dense, not fluffy or airy.
Thank you Amy for trying to help me with this problem. Also, I LOVE that the muffins did not contain any refinded sugar and that they weren’t too sweet.
It’s my pleasure, Paulette! I’m happy to help. I really appreciate you sharing your answers — this information is so useful! I have a very good idea of the two culprits, and your answers to these quick follow-up questions should confirm my hunch. We’re nearly there! 🙂
When you used measuring cups for the oats and flour, did you happen to dip them directly into either container to scoop them out? (I know people commonly do this when measuring oats!)
If not, and you used my method for both the oats and flour, did you ever gently shake or nudge the measuring cup back and forth while filling it? For example, to “level out” the mound of flour or oats at the top?
Also, if you’d like to email me your picture, that should work! You can find my email address here at the very top of the page. (When I include my email in comment replies, I tend to receive hundreds of spam emails, so I truly appreciate your patience and understanding with me sharing it in this format!)
I’m a big fan of ginger, so I think that would be a great addition! I’d probably start with somewhere around ¼ teaspoon to be safe. That should hopefully provide a cozy background warmth without being overwhelming or too spicy.
Then once I know your answers to these final questions, I’ll have more recommendations of how to make your next batch of muffins even better!
Yes, I did scoop out the oats, but leveled the amount with a butter knife. Ingredients measured into a cup, I did shake bake a forth to level as well.
Thanks for sharing, Paulette! This is really helpful to know. It also means we found the culprits!
The first is how the oats and flour were measured. When oats are scooped directly from the container with the measuring cup, it compacts them, which then means you end up adding about 1 ½ times as much as called for by the recipe! The same is true when you shake a measuring cup back and forth while filling it with flour. This compacts the flour already in the measuring cup, which creates more empty space in the measuring cup… And means you also end up adding up to 1 ½ times more flour than called for by the recipe.
So instead of 1 ½ cups of oat bran and 1 cup of flour, your batter contained around 2 ¼ cups of old-fashioned rolled oats and 1 ½ cups of flour! That’s why your batter was so dry, and the extra flour and oats also impacted your muffins’ texture. It’s why your muffins tasted like they needed more spices too. The extra oats and flour threw off the ratio of spices to dry ingredients and “diluted” the spice flavor.
If you decide to make these muffins again, I recommend using the measuring method outlined on my Baking Basics page (← this is the same link as the “like this” link that’s included in the recipe box’s ingredients list) for the flour and oats. When measured like this, the muffins will turn out much better, both in flavor and texture!
The second is the old-fashioned rolled oats. They’re much larger in size, so I typically don’t recommend substituting them for oat bran. However, if they’re all you have available (I know oat bran isn’t always the easiest ingredient to find and not all grocery stores stock it!), then pulse the old-fashioned rolled oats in a food processor or blender until they’re ⅛ to ¼ of their original size. This makes the oats closer in size to oat bran, so your muffins should have a better and more similar texture.
I still like your idea of adding a bit of ginger! I think that would add a lovely background note. 🙂 If you do end up making them again, I’d love to hear about your next batch of muffins!
Thank you for all your help and support. Yes, I will try making them again. Be sure to let you know how they turn out.
You’re welcome, Paulette! I’m happy to help, and feel free to reach out if you have any questions before making your next batch too. I’m looking forward to hearing about them! 🙂