Healthy Almond Joy Bran Muffins
Since Almond Joys are her favorite candy bars, my mom absolutely loves these muffins! They’re practically as tender as cupcakes, thanks to Step 2, and they have the perfect combination of classic cozy bran muffin flavors mixed with almond, coconut, and chocolate. Leftovers will keep for at least four days (if not longer!) if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (180g) oat bran (measured like this and gluten-free if necessary)
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ½ cup (120mL) nonfat milk
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 1 cup (120g) whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tbsp (7g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large egg whites (room temperature)
- ¼ cup (60mL) molasses (room temperature – and see Notes!)
- ¼ cup (60mL) pure maple syrup (room temperature)
- 3 tbsp (15g) shredded unsweetened coconut
- 3 tbsp (42g) miniature chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly coat 12 muffin cups with nonstick spray.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the oat bran, Greek yogurt, milk, and almond extract. 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 whites. 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 the coconut and 2 ½ tablespoons of miniature chocolate chips.
- Evenly divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups, and press the remaining miniature chocolate chips into the tops. Bake at 350°F for 18-21 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.
Notes
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s extremely important to measure the flour and oats correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much of either will will make your muffins dry (especially the oat bran; it acts like a sponge and soaks up so much liquid!).
OAT BRAN NOTE: 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).
MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
ALMOND EXTRACT NOTE + ALTERNATIVE: For a less prominent almond flavor, decrease the almond extract to 1 ½ teaspoons. If you're not a fan or don't have almond extract, vanilla extract may be substituted.
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the regular whole wheat flour.
EGG WHITES NOTE: These muffins require 2 full egg whites. The whites contain the majority of the protein in eggs, and that protein is required to ensure the muffins maintain their shape and texture while cooling. If you prefer to use whole eggs, use 2 whole eggs AND reduce the milk by 1 tablespoon to compensate for the added liquid volume from the yolks.
PURE MAPLE SYRUP ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted for the maple syrup. Do not substitute pancake syrup or sugar free syrup; these change the texture of your muffins.
MOLASSES NOTE + ALTERNATIVES: If at all possible, 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. Blackstrap molasses is much more bitter, and it overwhelms all of the other flavors in these muffins.
In a pinch, pure maple syrup, honey, or agave may be substituted for the molasses to produce the same muffin texture — but their flavor will be different and lack that classic "bran muffin" taste!
COCONUT NOTE + ALTERNATIVE: I’m not a huge fan of coconut in my muffins, which is why there’s very little of it. You’re welcome to add more, if you prefer! You're also welcome to add diced or thinly sliced almonds for a stronger "almond joy"-like flavor.
Shredded sweetened coconut may be substituted for the shredded unsweetened coconut.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: 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. Many store-bought blends (I like this one from Bob's Red Mill) should also work, as long as they are measured like this.
HOW TO STORE: Store the fully cooled muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should keep for at least 4 days (if not closer to a week or more!). These muffins freeze well too!
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.