Do you have a favorite healthy recipe masquerading as something indulgent? I have plenty of indulgent treats masquerading as healthy but very few that taste decadent but won’t wreck your diet. These Blueberry Banana Bran Muffins are just that: crazy delicious but packed with fruit and fiber. I am really into faux-indulgent these days.
Who am I kidding?! Have you seen my last several posts? (These. Oh, and these? And let’s not forget the Chicken Pot Pie!) I am into faux-indulgent for the next two weeks until the “Big Day”, which I like to think of as the day when the Wedding Fairy will fly away! (And as the day when I’ll marry the love of my life and best friend)
Good bran muffin recipes come and go but these Banana Blueberry Bran Muffins have stood the test of time. I have been making and improving upon them for the past four years. Very seldom does one try a bran muffin and say, “Holy cow that is ridiculously delicious!”
These muffins are packed with healthy wheat bran, oat bran, whole wheat flour, flax seed meal, bananas, and blueberries! They are so moist they melt in your mouth. Every time I make them my fiancé asks, with a mouthful of crumbs, “Are these bad for us?” Because they are that good!
I put them in the freezer to thaw as needed so that they last longer, but it’s hardly necessary because they stay moist for days in a plastic, zip top bag and they honestly don’t last that long.
You know those muffins and breads that only get better the blacker and riper your bananas? This isn’t one of those recipes. I think it is best when the bananas have just started to spot brown and the skin is thin and they are fragrant but not pungent. You know what I mean!
So grab that left over buttermilk and whip up a double batch of these Blueberry Banana Bran Muffins right now. After one bite you are going to wonder where these have been all your life, and why every other bran muffin now tastes dry and unsatisfying.
PrintThe Best Blueberry Banana Bran Muffins EVER
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
Description
These Blueberry Banana Bran Muffins are so moist they melt in your mouth and are packed with healthy ingredients like wheat and oat bran and flax seed meal!
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- 2 ripe large bananas, mashed
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour
- 1 ½ cups wheat bran
- ½ cup oat bran
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° and either grease 12 muffin cups or line with liners. They are even more moist when you use muffin liners.
- Mix buttermilk and wheat bran and set aside to soak. In another medium bowl mix together all the remaining dry ingredients.
- In a large bowl add egg, sugar, oil, banana and vanilla and mix until well combined. Gently stir the dry mixture and buttermilk mixture into the egg mixture and mix until just combine and a few lumps remain. Fold in the blueberries being careful not to over mix.
- Pour into prepared muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out a few crumbs clinging to it. Cool 5 minutes in tins and then turn out onto rack to cool completely.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
Nutrition
- Calories: 170
Adapted from Allrecipes.com
35 Comments
Lelia
September 29, 2013 at 2:31 pmYummy! Trying these right away! MOB Wedding Fairy or not!
Lindsey
September 29, 2013 at 4:02 pmOh I think these are Wedding Fairy approved! I’ve been eating one with yogurt for breakfast! Sooo good!
Miss Kim @ behgopa
September 30, 2013 at 2:48 ambtw what is MOB? lol. I love the flavors of banana and blueberries combined. These look so yummy. I’d just love to bite into one of them with a glass of cold milk.
Lindsey
September 30, 2013 at 10:10 amMother of the Bride! They are also exceptional with coffee! 🙂
Laura Dembowski
September 30, 2013 at 12:08 pmThese muffins look like they came straight from a bakery! Love treats that are yummy and healthy!
Lindsey
September 30, 2013 at 12:37 pmThank you! These are a must make! You’ll never want another type of bran muffin again.
Consuelo @ Honey & Figs
October 1, 2013 at 5:17 pmI’ve never had success with bran muffins, mine always come out super dry! Yours look so delish and moist that I’ll definitely give them a try. They must be perfect for breakfast! 🙂
Lindsey
October 1, 2013 at 8:12 pmWe have all had that problem!! I promise you that these will not be dry. If they are, I’ll mail you a batch to make up for it! 🙂
Christin@SpicySouthernKitchen
October 2, 2013 at 9:54 amWhat a delicious and healthy breakfast treat! Love making muffins because my kids will hardly ever sit down and eat before they go to school. Muffins are the perfect on the go breakfast!
Lindsey
October 2, 2013 at 10:25 amThey are definitely perfect for breakfast or a quick snack before the gym! Your kids will love them!
Ashley
December 10, 2013 at 7:40 amHello! I so want to try these today they look awesome, but I have no oat bran! Is there something I could replace it with? Also how do you think fresh cranberries would substitute for the blueberries!?
Lindsey
December 10, 2013 at 3:26 pmHi Ashley! I have made them before using all wheat bran and they were just as delicious! The fresh blueberries do add a little moisture so I would add a little bit more banana if you have some. If not, I wouldn’t worry too much! Let me know how they turn out!!
Ashley
December 10, 2013 at 8:19 pmturned out great! love them ..thanks =)
Lindsey
December 11, 2013 at 11:05 amI’m so glad! Thanks for stopping back!
Cindy wright
February 10, 2014 at 3:40 pmI have no wheat bran can I just use more oat bran?
Lindsey
February 10, 2014 at 4:21 pmYou certainly can and I have done that in a pinch!!
Renee
August 1, 2014 at 4:05 pmI can not wait to bake these up for my toddler and husband. I would like to make them into mini muffins. Would I need to alter the temperature and baking time?
Lindsey
August 1, 2014 at 11:07 pmHi Renee! What a great idea! You won’t need to alter the baking temperature but you will absolutely need to reduce the cook time. There are several different sizes that people call “mini”, so I’m not really sure how long to tell you. I would start checking after 5 minutes through the oven door and then open it after they have risen to check with a toothpick inserted into the center. The recipe when made with frozen blueberries does take slightly longer to bake than when made with fresh! Enjoy!
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Jennifer
September 23, 2015 at 3:39 pmGreat recipe – blue berries and bananas provide the perfect texture and moisture – will make again!
Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
Lindsey
September 24, 2015 at 10:13 amThanks, Jennifer! I am so glad you enjoyed them!
Emily
February 8, 2016 at 3:40 pmI just wanted to say thank you for the recipe! I’ve made these muffins many times now and they always turn out great. Now that berries are back in season, I make them weekly and they always all disappear. It’s so easy and soooo good and even good for you.
My husband is lactose intolerant so I use lactose-free milk (just 1 cup) instead of buttermilk and it still turns out great.
Lindsey
February 16, 2016 at 11:02 amThank you so much, Emily for stopping back by to tell me! Aren’t they so easy and they come out perfectly every time! I have some blueberries in my fridge, which I bought on impulse, and now I know exactly what I should make with them. That is great to know they still work with lactose-free milk! Your comment made my day!
Allison Long
November 2, 2016 at 11:49 amThese turned out so good! I used 2/3 coconut palm sugar instead of brown sugar and they were amazing! Thank you for the recipe!
Lindsey
November 15, 2016 at 1:06 pmYou are most welcome, Allison! Thank you for the comment! Happy baking!
Mike
February 22, 2018 at 6:19 pmWow, these really *are* the best bran muffins ever – just baked a batch and they are wonderful.
I have to admit I was dubious when the bran soaked in the milk turned into a thick sludge but they came together perfectly and 20 mins at 200c (395f Ithink) gave me a batch of really excellent muffins – they’re so light and fluffy but moist at the same time and you can actually taste the bran. I only used 1/2 cup sugar as I find most American recipes have far too much sugar for my taste and I’m glad I did because they are just perfect, not sickly sweet but certainly not bitter. They really couldn’t be better – so thanks for the recipe, this will become my “go to” recipe for these muffins now.
Lindsey
March 20, 2018 at 2:20 pmThanks, Mike! You’ve reminded me that I need to make these again! They really are, aren’t they!?!? I wouldn’t dare lead you astray! Happy baking!
Fagel
May 30, 2018 at 10:18 pmI have been making bran muffins for over 50 years — from an absolute plethora of recipes, but none matches this. I cut the sugar by 50% and the oil by almost 30% and they were still scrumptious, moist, sweet — perfect. I don’t think i’ll Ever google the words “bran muffins” again. I even snuck in 1/4 c of the hideous hemp protein I bought for smoothies but can’t gag down, and it disappeared anonymously into these wonderful muffins. I hope you are enjoying married life after almost five years! We celebrate #46 this summer, still loving each other like crazy.
Lindsey
May 31, 2018 at 4:04 pmAnd bran muffin recipe that can hide hemp protein is a keeper in my book! lol! I am so glad you finally found your “go-to” recipe! Many blessings to you and your husband! 46 years is quite the triumph! Happy baking!
Kathy
December 18, 2018 at 11:09 pmThanks for the base recipe. I changed this to make them gluten free: So here is the amended recipe I used:
1 egg
2/3 cup packed brown sugar – I used Sucanat sugar
1/3 cup canola oil – I used coconut oil
1 cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk – I used coconut milk and 2 T apple cider vinegar
2 ripe large bananas, mashed
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup teff flour
1/4 cup gf all purpose flour
1 ½ cups oat bran
½ cup hemp hearts
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries – I used frozen blueberries and chopped up a banana into small pieces and added them also at the end with the blueberries.
Cheryl Rancourt
July 2, 2019 at 2:49 pmSeriously amazing muffins! Thank you!
Lindsey
August 3, 2019 at 9:51 amI’m so glad you liked them! I’ve been working on an updated version with protein powder and agave!
Becky
May 9, 2020 at 9:11 pmThese are the MOST AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS MUFFINS! The best high fiber muffins hands down. Really the BEST EVER muffins, as you proudly proclaim. I concur. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe.
Lindsey
May 10, 2020 at 10:14 amThank you, Becky!!! I still make these muffins to this day! I’ve adjusted the recipe a bit to add protein powder, but they are still my favorites. I make a huge batch and then keep them in the freezer!