Healthy Bran Muffins with Peanut Butter

If you're looking for a tasty muffin that you won't have to feel guilty about, you've come to the right place. These bran muffins start with ground oats and finish with a dash of peanut butter, just enough to add flavor and texture.

Most muffins have lots of sugar, but not these. The recipe calls for a tiny bit of brown sugar but the rest of the sweetness comes from applesauce and peanut butter. They make a yummy breakfast treat or a mid-day snack. (Talk about filling and nutritious!)

Why Should I Make Bran Muffins?

I was prepping to leave town on holiday and planned to bake my Double Dark Chocolate Espresso Muffins for the other ladies. But, I'm doing my best to stick to my Weight Watchers plan and I'm also not a huge coffee fan. So, I wanted something I could nibble on while they ate their muffins.

I'll be honest: I've made a lot of "healthy" muffins over the past couple years as I've been on my weight loss journey. Some, like my Healthy Cinnamon Apple muffins, were really tasty. Others? Not so much.

I had a flashback to my last cruise on a Royal Caribbean ship. One of my favorite morning treats were their bran muffins. I know. Some people think they're bland. Boring. But, to me, they were perfect.

I wanted to make something comparable. . .and I did! This was the best bran muffin recipe I've tried in a long time. (Nothing tops homemade bran muffins!)

Benefits of Bran

Let's talk for a moment about why it's so important to get adequate amounts of bran. *Disclaimer: in this case I'll be referring to oat bran, which is a key ingredient in these tasty muffins.

1. Oat bran is high in protein but low in calories. It offers a power-punch of nutrients.
2. Oat bran is great for digestion. It's absolutely loaded with fiber (both soluble and insoluble).
3. Oat bran is great for your heart and can even control your blood sugar levels. (Score!)
4. Oat bran can help with weight loss because it's a "bulk" food that makes you feel full.
5. Oats are cheap. In today's crazy economy, that's important!
6. Oats are loaded with whole grain. They're so healthy!
7. Oat bran is easy to make! I used my Ninja to grind my own oats into a fine powder.

With all of those benefits, I knew that bran muffins were the best option. And I loved the idea that muffins were easy to transport. Hungry on the road? Reach for a muffin. Need a quick breakfast? A bran muffin is the perfect choice.

What Else Can You Add to a Bran Muffin?

The possibilities are endless, of course! I was tempted to add Craisins, but they are high in points, so I skipped those. Nuts would be a great choice, too. But for me, the very best option was unsweetened applesauce. It's a great replacement for sugar (meaning I could cut w-a-y back on the amount of sugar I needed to add) and it's moist, so it's a terrific replacement for butter.

But I also wanted a kick of peanut butter. Honestly? I love my Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins but they definitely don't fall into the "healthy" category.

Ingredients for These Amazing Bran Muffins

Let's take a look at the ingredients I chose for my muffins. You'll find a full printable recipe at the bottom of this post, but for now, this is what you'll need:

• oat bran (if you don't want to make your own, you can purchase some at your local grocery store)
• all-purpose flour
• unsweetened applesauce
• brown sugar (or brown sugar substitute, such as Splenda or Truvia)
• room temperature eggs
• peanut butter (optional, can be replaced with oil)
• baking soda
• baking powder
• teaspoon salt
• cinnamon (optional, not pictured)

You probably have most of those ingredients in your pantry right now. And if you don't happen to have the unsweetened applesauce, you can always use the regular variety or substitute vegetable oil.

How to Make These Healthy Muffins

I absolutely love recipes that can be whipped up in one bowl. This one is so simple and easy, y'all! Here's how you do it:

First, prepare two muffin tins by spraying them with non-stick spray.

Next, put all of your wet ingredients into a large bowl.

Cream them. (I mixed mine by hand with a rubber spatula.)

After that, add your dry ingredients. (I merged mine first but you don't have to.)

Mix well.

You'll have a very thick batter, almost the consistency of cookies. (Oh! Great idea! Next time I'll use a small scoop and turn them into cookies!) I used an ice cream scoop to fill the muffin cups in my muffin tin.

This recipe made 15 muffins.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 17 minutes or until muffins spring back to the touch.

Cool on wire racks.

Y'all, these are packed with healthy goodness. . .there's no doubt about it. All bran muffins are. And while they are weighty to the touch, they are somehow light and fluffy at the same time, something that surprised and delighted me.

I added a teaspoon of peanut butter to mine for extra sweetness and I thought the overall taste and texture was great! Fluffy bran muffins are the bomb!

Store your muffins in an airtight container. You can freeze them for up to two months.

That's it! Talk about a healthy breakfast or snack! And easy, too! These were truly a breeze to make, and I can't wait to take them with me on my road trip.

Variations on bran muffins:

These are the best bran muffins I've made in ages, but you can always add even more! Here are some things to consider!

• Add pumpkin pie spice, as well as cinnamon
• Instead of using white flour, you can always use almond flour or a cup of whole wheat flour.
• Use wheat bran instead of oat bran.
• Add nuts, a cup of raisins, or even Craisins. (Dried fruit is perfect in this recipe!)
• Add a ripe banana to this easy recipe.
• Why not make blueberry bran muffins? Add half a cup of fresh or frozen blueberries.
• Add chocolate chips. (Or what about cinnamon chips? Yum!)
• Add half a cup of crushed bran cereal. (Bran flakes, anyone?)
• Add protein powder. (I meant to do this but forgot!)
• Add a tablespoon of blackstrap molasses or maple syrup for a richer flavor.
• Zucchini. I haven't baked with this veggie yet, but a lot of people swear by them.
• Looking to save more calories? Skip the peanut butter and replace the brown sugar with an alternative sweetener like Truvia's brown sugar blend.
• Add a quarter cup of ground flax seed for more texture.
• Add bananas. (If you're not interested in the "healthy" part you might try my Easy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins.)
• Enjoy a big glass of whole milk with your muffin if you're not counting calories. Milk and muffins go together!
• I actually ate mine with warm apple sauce (to which I added a bit of Splenda and cinnamon). Yum!

I'm a bran muffin fan and you will be, too!

That's it, y'all. I hope you enjoyed this health bran muffin recipe. If you have a favorite muffin flavor, leave a comment below! Maybe I'll make it soon.

I was tickled to share this recipe on Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday. Check out the other things she has to offer! (I love her site so much!)

If you're interested in going gluten-free, my friend Debby has a ton of options on her site.

---

Follow me on social media!

• Facebook
• Pinterest
• Instagram
• X
• TikTok
• YouTube