Recipe Makeover: Bran Muffins

Compared to the buttery, icing-piped white scones and tartlets in the pastry case, the bran muffin always seems like the obvious choice for the hungry healthy-breakfast browser. The bran adds a good bit of fiber and a little protein, too. But most bakery batters are made fluffy with white flour and sweetened with enough sugar to cover four glazed donuts—a 400-plus-calorie breakfast with more than 70g of carbs, most from refined sources like white flour and brown sugar. And the portion size? These muffins are enormous. Our mission: Bring the bran muffin back into balanced territory with 100% whole grains and no refined sugar—but still keep it moist and packed with flavor.

Classic:
440 calories per muffin
13.4 grams total fat per muffin

Makover:
168 calories per muffin
5.4 grams total fat per muffin

To build a muffin batter without refined sugar, we look to two naturally sweet elements: dates and ripe bananas. Dates become soft and plump when soaked in fresh orange juice; then we puree them until silky smooth with a little butter, oil, and ripe banana.

While it's a healthy ingredient, wheat bran is actually just one piece of the wheat grain—not technically a whole grain—so we round out the batter with whole-grain pastry flour. Healthy bran adds 1mg iron and 3.5g fiber to each muffin.

Whole grains need a bit more liquid than white flour, so we add creamy fat-free buttermilk and fresh OJ to keep our batter moist. 

Finally, toasting the bran enhances the flavor with deep, nutty notes. Packed with 7g of filling fiber and only 168 calories, this mighty muffin offers a brand-new way to jump-start your day.

Freeze extras up to 2 months. Microwave at LOW about 1 minute to thaw.