Food & Cooking Recipes Breakfast & Brunch Recipes Raisin Bran Muffins 3.5 (355) 14 Reviews These healthy breakfast muffins are lightly sweetened, nutty, and full of fiber. By Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and lifestyle expert who has taught millions of people through generations the joy of entertaining, cooking, gardening, collecting, crafting, and home renovating via her eponymous magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Emmy-winning television shows, and 99 books (and counting). Based in Katonah, N.Y., where she helms her 156-acre Bedford Farm, Martha is America's first self-made female billionaire. Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 21, 2023 Rate PRINT Share Prep Time: 10 mins Total Time: 40 mins Yield: 6 Who says healthy can’t be delicious and satisfying? These raisin bran muffins are lightly sweetened and full of fiber to keep you full all morning. They’re delicious to linger over at the breakfast table, smearing each bite with a dab of softened butter, but they’re also perfect to grab as you’re heading out the door. While our raisin bran muffin recipe is packed with cereal and fruit, they are not dense or tough. Each bite of bran flake-studded batter is bursting with juicy raisins and a touch of brown sugar. Whole-wheat flour rounds it all out with some nuttiness. Make a double batch–you can thank us later. Jason Donnelly Healthy Breakfast Recipes Make the Best Muffins Every Time Don't over-mix: Whisking the batter too long can make the gluten more active, which can make muffins tough and cause them to collapse in the center. To achieve the perfect light texture, mix the batter just until the dry ingredients are incorporated into the wet mixture. Confirm the oven temperature: Make sure your oven is preheated and registered at the exact temperature noted in the recipe. If the oven is too hot, the inside of the muffins will still be slightly raw while the outside browns. Too cool and the muffins won't rise properly. Check expiration dates: Muffins have minimal ingredients, so even if one is past its expiration date, it can ruin the batch. Use the freshest ingredients you can, and replace things like baking powder and spices a few times a year. Raisin Bran Muffin Variations Add even more dried fruits to the mix—dried cranberries, cherries, or golden raisins are delicious options.Replace 1/2 cup of cereal with toasted old-fashioned rolled oats. They add even more texture to the batter.Substitute the milk with plain yogurt to make these muffins even healthier. 29 Muffin Recipes You'll Be Baking All the Time, From Classic to Creative Ingredients ¼ cup vegetable oil, plus more for tin 1 ½ cups raisin bran cereal ¾ cup milk ½ cup whole-wheat flour (spooned and leveled) ½ cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled) 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon salt 1 large egg, lightly beaten ¼ cup packed dark-brown sugar Directions Jason Donnelly Preheat oven, prep muffin tin, and soak cereal: Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a 6-cup standard muffin tin, or use paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine cereal and milk; let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Jason Donnelly Whisk dry ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Jason Donnelly Combine wet ingredients: Stir oil, egg, and sugar into cereal mixture. Jason Donnelly Finish batter: Fold in flour mixture. Jason Donnelly Fill muffin tins: Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Jason Donnelly Jason Donnelly Bake: Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Jason Donnelly Cool muffins: Cool in tin 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack; let cool completely, or serve warm. Jason Donnelly How to Store Muffins Whatever muffins you don't eat while warm can be cooled and stored in resealable bags at room temperature for up to five days. Alternatively, keep them in the freezer for up to two months. Jason Donnelly Frequently Asked Questions Do I have to use Raisin Bran brand cereal? No. Most packaged brands of this type of cereal are similar. The classic Raisin Bran brand does have some sugar already added to the cereal, so if you buy an unsweetened brand, you may need to adjust the amount of brown sugar slightly to your taste. Why are my bran muffins dry? Both milk and sugar add moisture to bran muffins, so if yours are dry, it is most likely because there is not enough liquid or sweetener. In this recipe, we start off by soaking the cereal in some milk until it softens up and absorbs some of the liquid. This keeps the bran flakes and the overall batter nice and moist. Try More Healthy Muffin Recipes Quinoa Muffins Blueberry-Oatmeal Muffins Maple Bran Muffins Carrot-Currant Muffins Blackberry-Oat Bran Muffins Morning Glory Muffins Originally appeared: Everyday Food, January/February 2007 Rate It PRINT Updated by Riley Wofford Riley Wofford Riley is an associate food editor for Martha Stewart Living.