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Stop right there, it’s not what you think. These Banana Bran Muffins are tender, moist, and naturally sweet. No dry, cardboard-esque muffins for us!

A stack of banana bran muffins

Of course, I say this assuming you’ve been scarred by bad healthy bran muffins in the past.

I know more than one timid taster who flinches at the word “bran.”

As someone who has long enjoyed (and I say this with the utmost affection and respect) old lady food (Grape Nuts and All-Bran were my favorite cereals for years; I do not mind raisins in my oatmeal cookies and Trail Mix Cookies; etc.), I am a bran believer.

THAT SAID, with the number of banana oat bran muffins and wheat bran muffins out there that are more akin to hockey pucks than yummy, healthy muffins, I can 100% understand how they’ve earned their tooth-cracking reputation.

These moist banana bran muffins are here to change bran’s rap one tender bite at a time!

Chocolate chip banana muffin

5 Star Review

“My family was skeptical when I told them I was serving bran muffins and guess what? They GOBBLED these! They are so moist and the amount of sweetness and banana flavor.”

— Ashley —

How to Bake Moist Banana Bran Muffins

These bran muffins are healthy, courtesy of the bran itself. They are sweetened with honey, use yogurt, and don’t go overboard on excess oil that the muffins do not need.

What is Bran?

Bran is the outside layer of the wheat kernel (contrast it with the starchy endosperm, which is inside the kernel and used to make white flour). Bran is packed with nutrients, high in fiber, and tastes slightly nutty.

Thanks to its high fiber content, bran can even help promote digestion.

If a bran muffin recipe is dry (assuming you did not overbake it) it is because the recipe didn’t call for enough liquid ingredients in the batter.

Thirsty bran (and other whole grain flours like the whole wheat used to bake my Applesauce Muffins) is much drier than white, all-purpose flour. Whole grains drink up more liquid.

That’s why we are coming at this muffin recipe with liquid in multiple ways!


The Ingredients

  • Banana is naturally sweet and moist. It gives the muffins both taste and texture. (If you are a banana muffin fan, don’t miss my classic Healthy Banana Muffins, Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, and toddler-approved Banana Oatmeal Muffins.)
  • Greek Yogurt plays several roles in baked goods. It’s a liquid (moisture), and it also has acid which, similar to what buttermilk does in muffins, tenderizes them further.

Tip!

With its creaminess and tanginess, adding plain Greek yogurt to the recipe acts as if we were baking banana bran muffins with sour cream.

Since it is high in protein and low in calories, using yogurt instead of sour cream is a great trick to make your breakfast muffins more healthy (I have even more sneaky swaps like this in my cookbook).

  • Honey. This golden nectar makes the muffins moist, sweetens them naturally (this banana bran muffin recipe has no sugar!), and is a delightful flavor pairing with the bran and the banana.
  • Olive Oil (or canola oil). These healthy banana bran muffins contain no butter. Instead, I prefer to use oil which adds the necessary fat to the batter to make them taste yummy, not gummy. This recipe uses a moderate amount, thanks to the addition of the yogurt.
Chocolate chip banana bran muffins

Let me say again: THESE HEALTHY BRAN MUFFINS ARE NOT DRY!

They do have some heft to them, which as a lover of wholesome, whole grain muffins, I appreciate. It’s part of bran’s brand.

They will not, however, dry out your mouth and cause you to chug a gallon of orange juice.

If you prefer a lighter muffin more similar to what you’d find at a bakery, try these Cranberry Orange Muffins.

In addition to having enough liquid to make the muffins tender, this recipe also includes a range of ingredients to give them cozy flavor (e.g. these muffins do not taste like cardboard).

  • Cinnamon pairs wonderfully with the banana flavor and adds warmth.
  • Pure Vanilla Extract. For that delightfully cozy vanilla flavor.
  • MIX-INS! Since we are shattering banana bran muffin’s poor reputation here, let me add one more. You don’t have to add raisins!

In fact, our banana bran muffin base is fit for a wide range of mix-ins.

Mix-Ins for Banana Bran Muffins

Feel free to add ½ cup of your mix-ins of choice.

  • Chocolate Chips. In our household, chocolate chips are a non-negotiable mix-in! They’re delicious in this banana bran muffins recipe and so many others (like my Chocolate Banana Muffins).
  • Blueberries. These Healthy Blueberry Muffins are proof that blueberries are a crowd-pleasing addition.
  • Dried Cranberries. Raisin’s more readily embraced cousin.
  • Chopped Nuts. The recipe calls for toasted walnuts, but toasted pecans would also be scrumptious.

And yes, if you are like me and don’t want to stray from the original, on the right morning, raisin banana bran muffins hit the spot.

The Directions

Toasted walnuts on a baking sheet
  1. Toast the walnuts, then chop them. Whisk the dry ingredients together.
Wet ingredients in a mixing bowl
  1. Stir the wet ingredients together. Gently incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Muffin batter in a mixing bowl
  1. Stir in the bran, walnuts, and other mix-ins.
Batter in a muffin pan
  1. Divide the batter between the wells of a muffin pan. Bake for 24 to 28 minutes at 350 degrees F. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then finish cooling on a rack. ENJOY!

Dietary Note

If you need these muffins to be dairy free, you can experiment with a non-dairy yogurt substitute (like almond milk yogurt or coconut yogurt).

Banana bran muffins with chocolate chips

Storage Tips

  • To Store. Store muffins in a paper towel-lined airtight storage container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
  • To Freeze. Individually wrap muffins in plastic wrap, and freeze them in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Thaw and enjoy as desired.

Meal Plan Tip

Muffin batter can be made the night before. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic, refrigerate the batter, then scoop and bake in the morning.

Easy banana bran muffins

What to Serve with Banana Bran Muffins

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe

  • Muffin Pan. Perfect for muffins on demand.
  • Mixing Bowls. These bowls are stackable, dishwasher-safe, and microwave-safe.
  • Batter Scoop. For beautifully domed muffin tops.

We’ve already gone through two batches of these banana bran muffins in the last two weeks.

Ben’s favorite is walnut. Mine is chocolate chips AND walnuts, because why choose?

Which version do you want to try first? I’d love to hear from you!

Banana Bran Muffins

5 from 11 votes
Moist, healthy banana bran muffins made with yogurt, honey and ripe bananas. Good for you and super yummy for filling breakfasts and snacks!

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 32 minutes
Total: 47 minutes

Servings: 12 muffins

Ingredients
  

  • 2/3 cup walnut halves
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour*
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup mashed ripe banana about 3 medium bananas
  • ½ cup honey
  • 1/3 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup canola oil or light olive oil
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • cups wheat bran
  • 1/2 cup additional mix-ins of choice: dark chocolate chips, raisins, or golden raisins, or fresh or frozen blueberries (if using frozen, do not thaw first)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a muffin pan with nonstick spray or fit with paper liners.
  • Spread the walnuts in a single layer on an ungreased rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, tossing once halfway through, until they are fragrant and toasted. Watch carefully to makes sure they do not burn. Transfer to a cutting board and roughly chop.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
  • In a large bowl, combine the mashed bananas (if mashing them directly in the bowl, double-check to make sure you have 1 full cup, not more or less), honey, yogurt, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
  • Add the flour mixture to the bowl with the wet ingredients. By hand with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir gently just until the flour disappears.
  • Gently stir in the wheat bran, walnuts, and any additional mix-ins, just until combined. The batter will be very thick.
  • Portion the batter into the muffin cups, dividing it evenly (I recommend using a batter scoop like this or try a 1/3 cup dry measuring cup).
  • Bake for 24 to 28 minutes, until the tops are golden brown, a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, and the tops spring back lightly when touched. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then gently unmold and transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

  • *We love the hearty texture of using 100% whole wheat flour, but if you’d like a slightly lighter texture, use all-purpose flour instead. Keep in mind though, bran muffins are very hearty by nature of the wheat bran itself, so if you are looking for a melt-in-your-mouth cake-like muffin, you may want to try one of these other muffins recipes instead.
  • TO STORE: Store muffins in a paper towel-lined airtight storage container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
  • TO FREEZE: Individually wrap muffins in plastic wrap, and freeze them in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Thaw and enjoy as desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1(of 12); without mix-insCalories: 300kcalCarbohydrates: 56gProtein: 12gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 28mgPotassium: 758mgFiber: 23gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 59IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 66mgIron: 6mg

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Erin Clarke

Hi, I'm Erin Clarke, and I'm fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food that's affordable, easy-to-make, and best of all DELISH. I'm the author and recipe developer here at wellplated.com and of The Well Plated Cookbook. I adore both sweets and veggies, and I am on a mission to save you time and dishes. WELCOME!

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48 Comments

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    1. Hi Noelle! I haven’t tried it myself but it should be okay use. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!

    1. Hi Janelle! I’ve only tested it with oil so I am unsure but it could likely work. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to now how it goes!

    1. Hi Erin! I’m not sure if you saw but in the recipe it’s listed as wheat bran. Not listed as cereal. Hope this helps!

  1. Hi Erin

    This recipe is crap – I followed thsi to the letter – being a chef – they batter was not just thick – it was like fudge – I persevred but I would consider uyou have made a mistake on the quantity of Bran

    2 1/2 cups is way too much

    1. I’m sorry to hear that you had trouble with the recipe, Kim. The amounts, flavorings and timing have worked well for myself (and others) so I wished it would have been a hit for you too! I know it can be so disappointing to try a new recipe and it does not turn out for you.

  2. Really great muffin, Tasty, moist . I am always looking for recipes for Greek Yogurt which I buy in bulk from Costco.5 stars

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