Vegan Bran Muffins
Make these vegan bran muffins to add fiber to your diet in the most delicious way possible. They’re loaded with lots of healthy ingredients and yet are moist and packed with so much delicious flavor. A smear of vegan honey butter on a warm muffin makes any day extra special!
These tender vegan bran muffins are easy to make and absolutely delicious. They’re healthy too, but we can keep that a secret between you and me.
Come to find out, dietary fiber is more important than we realized. According to the Mayo Clinic, getting enough fiber in your diet can help lower cholesterol, control blood sugar levels, and can even help in maintaining a healthy weight.
Why This Recipe is a Winner
- Bran flakes are combined with vegan buttermilk to soften the fiber, helping to create tender muffins.
- Using brown sugar keeps these muffins moist.
- Applesauce is a great egg replacer that adds moisture, making these the best muffins ever!
Key Ingredients
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:
- Soy milk — Feel free to use your favorite plant-based milk.
- Vinegar — I recommend apple cider vinegar, but you can substitute white vinegar.
- Bran cereal — I have tried this recipe with both bran flakes and all-bran cereal, and it works.
- Flour — Use either all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour.
- Brown sugar — You can use light, dark, or homemade brown sugar.
- Baking powder — You can test your jar of baking powder to make sure it’s fresh by dropping a bit of it in hot water. If it bubbles, it’s okay.
- Ground cinnamon — A bit of cinnamon adds a hint of flavor, but I’ve made these with and without cinnamon, and they’re great either way.
- Salt — We’ll add salt for the depth of flavor it provides.
- Vegetable oil — Any neutral oil will work, such as canola oil.
- Applesauce — I recommend unsweetened applesauce. You can substitute a mashed banana.
What Bran Cereal is Best for Muffins?
There are a variety of bran cereals you can use to make bran muffins. You can use bran flakes, raisin bran, or all-bran cereal. Bran is the wheat berry’s outer layer, like the skin. And we all know the skin is where the nutrition is, and the same is true for wheat. Bran offers many nutrients, such as fiber and potassium. Check the bran cereal you’re using to make sure it’s free of dairy products.
How to Make Vegan Bran Muffins
- Make vegan buttermilk by stirring together the soymilk and vinegar.
- Stir the buttermilk with the cereal and set it aside for 3 to 4 minutes to soften.
- Stir together the dry ingredients.
- Stir the oil and applesauce into the cereal mixture.
- Pour the cereal mixture into the flour mixture and stir until combined.
- Distribute the batter into prepared muffin tins.
- Bake until the muffins are golden brown around the edges.
- Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool slightly before serving.
Serving Suggestions
These muffins are delicious served warm, but they are great the day after as well.
I love serving bran muffins with a generous dollop of this chia seed jam and some melty vegan butter. It’s so delicious together!
Storage Tips
To store the muffins, keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. To keep them longer, store them in a container in the fridge for up to 7 days. Or, you can even freeze muffins in a freezer bag (or other freezer container) for up to 2 months.
Are Bran Muffins Good for You?
Bran muffins are healthy because they add fiber, which is proven to be something most of us are not getting enough of. You’ll get 5 grams of fiber per muffin, making it a great start to your day.
Can Healthy Food Taste Good?
You can make healthy food taste good by using the right combination of ingredients and flavorings. For example, bran muffins can be absolutely delicious and healthy, too.
Reader Reviews
★★★★★
Christie
Loved these!! Best vegan muffins I’ve ever made.
★★★★★
Brandon
This is a staple recipe! Everyone loves them.
Fiber and Your Diet
Fiber is an essential part of a healthy diet. According to the Institute of Medicine, women should strive for 20 to 25 grams, and men should be getting between 30 to 40 grams of fiber a day.
To put that in perspective, an apple has roughly 4 grams of fiber. That means you’d have to eat 7 to 8 apples just to get on the low end of that fiber requirement.
Keeping a mindful eye on fiber in your diet is essential, and these vegan bran muffins can be a part of the solution.
More Vegan Muffins
If you love these vegan bran muffins, you’ll want to expand your horizons and try even more! Take, for example, these vegan raspberry muffins. Heavenly! Here are more vegan muffins to make and devour:
For even more muffin options, be sure to try these cherry muffins.
That’s it for these tasty vegan bran muffins. Enjoy!
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Vegan Bran Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup soy milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 ¼ cups bran cereal (see notes)
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (or whole wheat flour)
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- ⅓ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare muffin tins by either spraying them with vegetable spray or use muffin papers.
- In a small bowl, stir together the soymilk and vinegar. Stir in the cereal and set it aside for 3 to 4 minutes to soften.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the dry ingredients.
- Stir the oil and applesauce into the cereal mixture. Then pour it into the flour mixture and stir until combined.
- Distribute the batter into prepared muffin tins, filling them about ¾ full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the muffins are golden brown on the edges. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool a few minutes before serving.
- These are delicious served warm, but they are great the day after as well.
Recommended Equipment
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Notes
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This post was originally published in 2013 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2021.
Hi
I don’t know about bran flakes or raisin bran cereal but All Bran (Kelloggs) isn’t vegan….need to really look at the ingredients in cereal. Added Vitamin D3 is not vegan. Just thought I would share.
Hi Christina. Sometimes we have to make choices about what level of vegan we’re going to be. I’ve written a post on this before. Vitamin D3 in cereal can be derived from plant-based sources such as lichen, but it can also be derived from sheep’s wool. I focus on the big 3 – not eating meat, dairy, or eggs. Things like D3 are beyond my scope. I call myself a secular vegan for this very reason. It’s fine if others want to take it to that level. I’m happy for others to have this opportunity to eat in a way that feels right to them. But it’s not for me, and I doubt it’s for a lot of people who want to eat plant-based.
All this to say, that the average person seeking to eat plant-based is fine to consume All Bran or Raisin Bran. It’s not made with eggs or dairy and that’s a pretty good step in the right direction!
Loved these!! Best vegan muffins I’ve ever made. I made a couple of changes to the basic recipe: almond milk rather than soy, cinnamon applesauce, added 1 T ground flax seed, used 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 bleached flour, added 1/3 C. Chopped walnuts and about 1/3-1/2 C diced apples.
Hi Christie, So glad you liked this muffin recipe! Also, love your adaptations, including the diced apples. Great idea!
Bran cereal— bran buds or flakes?
Thanks!
Great question, Diana! I updated the recipe to reflect bran flakes!
This is a staple recipe! Everyone loves them. My trade secrets: use a deep silicone muffin pan (they slip right out & the edges don’t get dry. Secondly, I use larger chunks of apple…people can’t get enough of it.
Great tips, Brandon. Thanks!
These look heavenly!
Looks like a perfect way to start the day!!!
These look awesome for breakfast or dessert, hope your mom is doing better!