Throughout my childhood, my mom baked fairly infrequently. She pulled out her large metal mixing bowl and the bag of chocolate chips about once a month, at most, to make a batch of cookies to send to school in our lunch boxes as a sweet treat, but most of the time, we found store-bought chocolate cupcakes or oatmeal creme pies instead.
Yet one particular week after she bought an extra bunch of bananas at the grocery store, we heard the oven come to life and Mom rummaging around in the kitchen cabinets to set out the flour bin, sugar, and salt. My brother and I continued to play with our stuffed animals in the other room, but half an hour later, we stood up and followed our noses to find the source of the sweet aromas filling the house.
We walked in right as Mom reached into the oven, carefully slid out two trays of muffins, and set them on top of the stove. When we inquired what she had baked, Mom replied, “Your dad’s special banana muffin recipe from graduate school! Would you like to try one once they’ve cooled?”
Although my brother quickly shook his head and returned to the teddy bears, I lingered in the kitchen, debating my answer. Back then, the only muffins I ate were lemon poppy seed because they didn’t contain anything like blueberries or nuts—and I really disliked “big bits” in my baked treats! But when Mom reassured me that those homemade muffins had no “big bits” and the bananas were completely mashed, not sliced or whole, I agreed to a taste.
A few minutes later, she broke one open and handed me a piece. I nibbled off a few crumbs, about the size of a mouse’s bite, and swallowed. Then immediately popped the rest into my mouth and asked if I could eat the rest. Those muffins were good—full of sweet fruity flavor and a hint of cozy spices—and I started to request them whenever I spotted bananas on the counter!
So when I found a few speckly bananas on my own kitchen counter last week, I knew exactly what I wanted to make… Although I baked a much healthier recipe than the one Mom followed during my childhood: these Healthy Blueberry Banana Bran Muffins! (And yes, I’m completely fine with “big bits” like fresh berries in my baked goodies now!) They have the same irresistible flavors and perfectly tender texture, and they’re great for busy mornings or quick on-the-go snacks!
So let’s talk a little bit about how to get that perfectly tender texture! People often think of bran muffins as being dry, but these are the exact opposite—thanks to my secret trick! Which is… You’ll soak the oat bran in a mixture of mashed banana, milk, and vanilla for at least 10 minutes before adding it to the other ingredients.
This step softens the oat bran, just like how all of my overnight oat recipes work, and allows the oat bran to soak up the moisture in the milk and banana. By doing this before adding it to the other ingredients, the oat bran won’t soak up the rest of the moisture in the batter (aka what happens when bran muffins turn out dry). Pretty neat, right?
Because the oat bran can soak up so much moisture, it’s really important to measure the oat bran correctly, using either the spoon and level method or a kitchen scale. I highly recommend the latter! This is the inexpensive one that I own, and I use it every day. It’s my favorite kitchen appliance—and the best $20 I’ve ever spent!
Note: This is the oat bran that I typically use. If you need gluten-free oat bran, I love this one.
To sweeten the muffins, you’ll use a combination of pure maple syrup and molasses. Be sure to use the good stuff when it comes to maple syrup! The only ingredient on the label should be “maple syrup,” and it’s generally sold in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs at the grocery store. (I’ve also bought it online!)
The molasses is what gives bran muffins their iconic warm, cozy flavor, so don’t skip or substitute for it! No other ingredient will come close to imitating its rich taste. Molasses is very inexpensive, shelf-stable, and keeps for ages. You can generally find it either on the baking aisle or near the maple syrup at the grocery store.
I used fresh blueberries in these muffins since the grocery store put pints of them on sale last week. However, frozen ones would work just fine too! The baking time may increase slightly if you use frozen, so keep an eye on the muffins while in the oven. And don’t forget to save a few berries to press into the tops of the batter for a pretty presentation!
Ready to bake your own? And when you do, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking. I’d love to see your muffins!
| Healthy Blueberry Banana Bran Muffins | | Print |
- 1 ½ cups (180g) oat bran (measured like this and gluten-free if necessary)
- ¾ cup (195g) mashed banana (about 2 medium-large)
- ⅔ cup (160mL) nonfat milk or non-dairy milk (see Notes!)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (120g) whole wheat or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (14g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg white, room temperature
- ¼ cup (60mL) molasses
- 2 tbsp (30mL) pure maple syrup
- 1 ½ cups (210g) fresh blueberries, divided
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly coat 12 muffin cups with nonstick spray.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the oat bran, mashed banana, milk, and vanilla. Let the mixture rest for at least 10 minutes while preparing the remaining ingredients.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a third bowl, whisk together the coconut oil and egg white. Stir in the molasses and maple syrup. Add the oat bran mixture, stirring until fully incorporated. Add the flour mixture, stirring until just incorporated. Fold in 1 ¼ cups of blueberries.
- Evenly divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups, and gently press the remaining blueberries into the tops. Bake at 350°F for 22-24 minutes or until the tops feel firm to the touch. Cool in the muffin cups for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack.
Any milk (including non-dairy) may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
Honey or agave may be substituted for the maple syrup. Do not substitute pancake syrup because it will not produce the same taste or texture. Do not substitute anything for the molasses; it’s required to produce the iconic bran muffin flavor.
Frozen blueberries may be substituted for the fresh. The baking time may increase slightly.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Chocolate Chip Banana Bran Muffins
♡ Blueberry Buttermilk Bran Muffins
♡ Chocolate Chip Strawberry Bran Muffins
♡ Carrot Cake Bran Muffins
♡ Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bran Muffins
♡ Apple Gingerbread Bran Muffins
can the coconut oil/butter be substituted in the recipe for canola or olive to reduce the sat fats?
please advise. This recipe looks really nice.
Yes! I’d recommend using canola oil since olive oil can often give baked goods a more savory flavor. I’d love to hear what you think of the muffins Wendy!
Love the recipe!! Made the banana blueberrie muffins this morning and the family loved them. I used the coconut oil and coconut milk to keep them dairy free as well as gluten free ?. Thanks so much
I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed the muffins Elizabeth! I’m touched that you made them so quickly after I posted the recipe — that means so much to me! 🙂
Looks awesome! That’s a great trick with the oat bran. I’ll have to try that next time I bake with it. Thanks Amy!
My pleasure Melissa! I’d love to hear how that trick works for you! 🙂
We never had the taste of olives in muffin preparation.. Can we add Coconut oil instead of it?
Yes, coconut oil is fine to use Sneha — that’s why it’s listed in the Ingredients list! 🙂 I’m excited to hear what you think of the muffins!
Can i substitute wheat bran for oat bran ?
Thanks !
Yes, that’s fine! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the muffins Robin!
If you use wheat bran, don’t weight it to measure. Use an equal portion in volume, 1.5 cups. Wheat bran is much lighter than oat bran.
The muffins are good, I did use wheat bran and will cut back on the molasses and increase the maple syrup next time, they were a bit too heavy tasting for my liking.
Thanks for sharing your insights about wheat bran Sandrina! I’m glad you enjoyed the muffins, and I hope that tweak of the maple syrup and molasses makes them even better for you! 🙂
Can we use a regular egg with yolk in recipe?
Yes, using the yolk too is fine! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the muffins Rekha!
Hi Amy! Pulled these muffins out of the oven an hour ago and needless to say they are perfect and delicious! I picked up organic blueberries today and just had to make these bran muffins. They are moist and tasty! I love the burst of ripe sweet blueberries in every bite. Another great hit. Thank you! You rock!!!!
Awwww I’m so glad you loved them Carmelina!! That means so much to me! You must bake as much as I do… If not more. And that’s hard to do! 😉 I’m truly, truly honored that you and your family have been trying and enjoying so many of my recipes! You’re the best!! ♡
Wondering if white whole wheat flour can be substituted for the whole wheat flour? Thanks.
Yes! I can’t wait to hear what you think of these muffins Robyn! 🙂
Same amount of flour and liquid?
Yes! No other modifications needed. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear how your muffins turn out Robyn!
Hi Amy,
the recipe sounds really good and I want to try it. 🙂
I was wondering, if molasses could be replaced by something else. I couldn’t find it in any supermarket here.
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Ava! In a pinch, you can replace the molasses with additional maple syrup, but the muffins won’t have quite the same iconic “bran muffin” flavor. They’ll still taste really good, though! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of them!
Hi Amy, thank you for your answer. I will try using maple syrup next time. I was so curious to try them out that I tried to use honey. I split the recipe so that it was for 6 muffins and used 1 tbsp honey and added a little hot water. The outcome was quite nice. The muffins were soft and fluffy and very tasty. Today I will make them again. Thank you for sharing this recipe. 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed these muffins, Ava! That means a lot to me that you’d like to bake them again — that’s the best kind of compliment! 🙂
Thanks for the recipe. I made some edits (sorry, I can never help it! I always try and cut out as much sweetener as I can). MY EDITS: used homo milk, GF flour, whole egg (not just white), apple sauce instead of molasses. Used fresh blueberries.
They were sweet, and moist, and oh so good. I’ll definitely make them again. (next time I think I’ll cut the syrup too)
I’m so glad you enjoyed these muffins, Vanesa! NO need to apologize for making modifications — I always love to hear what tweaks work! Thanks for sharing that info with me! 🙂