Notes: 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. If you decide to try substituting wheat bran, measure by volume (cups) not weight (grams).
For the gluten-free flour, use the following blend: ½ cup (60g)
millet flour, ¼ cup (30g)
tapioca flour, ¼ cup (30g)
brown rice flour, and ¾ teaspoon
xanthan gum. Most store-bought blends (like
this one!) should also work, as long as they are measured
like this.
White whole wheat flour,
whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the regular whole wheat flour.
Remember to measure the oat bran and flour correctly with
this method or a
kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much of any of these ingredients will make your muffins dry (especially the oat bran; it acts like a sponge and soaks up so much liquid!).
Any milk 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.
I don’t recommend substituting anything for the molasses; it’s required to produce the iconic bran muffin flavor. Use regular molasses (like
this), not blackstrap molasses.
Do not substitute store-bought pre-shredded carrots! (They’re also called “matchstick” carrots.) They’re too thick and dry, and they don’t soften properly while baking. You should need about 3 medium carrots, but measure by volume (cups) or grams—not by number of carrots!
If your raisins are older, drier, and not very plump or juicy… Add them to a microwave-safe bowl, and pour water on top until they’re completely covered. Seal plastic wrap over the top, and microwave the bowl on high for 1 minute. If you let the raisins sit while mixing together the muffin batter, this little trick hydrates them so they’re really soft and juicy!
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat}