Raisin Bran Muffins
This raisin bran muffin recipe combines toasted wheat bran, plump raisins, and a hint of orange zest for a moist, nostalgic treat. Based on handwritten notes from a great-grandmother’s kitchen and adapted for modern bakers.
Ingredients
- 2 cups wheat bran
- 1¾ cups raisins, divided
- 1 orange
- 1 cup whole milk, or buttermilk
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup honey, or molasses
- ½ cup grapeseed oil, or other mild oil
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°. Line a muffin tin (or 2) with paper liners. Spread the wheat bran on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 6–8 minutes, stirring a few times so it cooks evenly. Let cool.
- While the bran is toasting, zest and then juice the orange. Set the zest aside. Put ½ cup of the juice (add water if your orange doesn’t yield quite enough juice) in a small saucepan and add the raisins. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. Purée the raisins in a food processor or blender until smooth.
- In a large bowl, mix together the toasted bran and milk, then mix in the raisin purée, brown sugar and honey. Stir in the oil, egg and vanilla extract.
- Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and sift directly into the wet ingredients. Stir until the ingredients are just combined, then mix in the remaining ¾ cup raisins and orange zest.
- Spoon the batter into the muffin tins. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the muffins look set in the center.
Nutrition
Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 164mg | Potassium: 246mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 54IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1mg