Banana Bran Muffins
I have been experimenting with bran muffin recipes for years and I believe this one is a great mix of healthy, moist, kid-friendly, and delicious. I always keep a batch of banana bran muffins in my freezer for lunches or snacks for my family (see freezing instructions below)!
Muffins like these are my go-to quick snack and my husband loves to grab one on his way to work. This recipe uses all bran or bran flakes cereal. You could even use raisin bran cereal if you love raisins in your bran muffins!
How to make banana bran muffins:
- Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl.
- Add eggs, bananas, buttermilk.
- Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl.
- Stir into banana mixture and fold in all bran cereal.
- Fill muffin tins
- Bake at 350 degrees.
How to make these bran muffins healthier:
- substitute 1/4 cup applesauce for 1 of the eggs in the recipe.
- Use skim milk (and add 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice) instead of buttermilk
- Substitute half the flour with whole wheat flour
- Use 1/4 cup flour instead of 1/2 cup
Ways to adapt this recipe:
- Add nuts (your favorite kind, chopped)
- Add raisins or craisins
- Add shredded carrot or zucchini (a small handful, with moisture mostly removed)
- Add mini chocolate chips
- Add 1 tablespoon of orange zest
Storing and Freezing Bran Muffins:
Store banana bran muffins covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Banana bran muffins also freeze very well! To freeze, first allow the muffins to cool completely. Then place them in a freezer ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
To thaw the frozen muffins, allow them to come to room temperature or place one muffin in the microwave for 20 seconds.
Do you love Healthy Muffins? Try these popular muffin recipes:
- Skinny Pumpkin Muffins
- Skinny Banana Bread Muffins
- Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
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Banana Bran Muffins
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter , softened
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3 large bananas , ripe, mashed
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 2/3 cups all bran or 4 cups bran flakes or raisin bran
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans , optional
Instructions
- Prepare a standard muffin tin with liners or spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar together well.
- Add the eggs, bananas and buttermilk and mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt; add to banana mixture along with bran cereal and stir just until moistened.
- Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups.
- Bake at 350° for 16-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
I first shared this recipe March 2013. Updated July 2019.
Colleen says
just changed a bit, Baked at 375 for approx. 22 minutes, used 1/3 cup of brown sugar, used 1/2 butter and 1/2 imperial, made my own buttermilk w/1%milk and 1 tbsp of real lemon juice — added raisins and 1/2 cp choc chips 🙂
Debbie says
Why bother to review this recipe? You changed everything about it.
Rebecca says
I am going to try your way with brown sugar as well. I’m not wanting white sugar these days and also like that you reduced the amount of sugar!
Roxanne says
Brown sugar = white sugar + molasses.
It’s not less refined than white sugar.
Beverly says
ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS…
Rebecca says
I’ve made this recipe about a dozen times and it always turns out well. Sometimes I add a dash of cinnamon and vanilla. Occasionally I’ll sub out the butter milk with regular or use less sugar. It seems to always turn out nicely and my kids devour them.
Thank you for the great recipe!
Bev says
Made these an hour ago. Even with my eyeball measuring and only 2 bananas, they turned out good. Baked for 22 mins, and they are moist and delish. I used the raisin bran option, which I pulsed a few seconds in my blender prior to adding (I didn’t want any branny chunks). Making again!
GJ says
Finally found the perfect banana bran muffins! Spend a chunk of my quarantine testing others and this is by far the best, easiest and so moist!
Thank you
Jamie says
This may be the best muffin I’ve made. It was a beautiful marriage of banana bread and bran muffin. I used my silicone mini muffin molds, since my kids eat those easier. Thank you for a great recipe!
Gigi says
These are really good. I made a few modifications to fit our family’s preferences, namely to soak the bran flakes in the liquids. I used defrosted bananas, and I used that liquid to soak the flakes also. Very very good.
Alice Northcott says
I made these wonderful banana bran muffins in my oven that hasn’t got a decent temperature guage. I got 20 nice sized muffins out of the recipe and my husband and I absolutely LOVE them! Thank you so much for this recipe!