***I know bran muffins aren't all that glamorous a thing to bake, but after having my third child, I needed a little help in the fiber department... and these muffins adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, which I have made over and over until the recipe is now perfect, were a godsend. A delicious godsend. From now on, I plan on making & delivering these with dinner for moms who've just had babies. And, I plan to continue making & eating these just as a healthy treat myself!***
Chocolate Chip Bran Muffins
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups wheat bran flakes or plain wheat bran cereal (I like to use Trader Joe's brand-only $1.99 for the box!-but Kelloggs has one or in a pinch I've used raisin bran with the raisins plucked out)
- 1 cups Kellogg's All Bran cereal (look like little twigs)
- 1 cup boiling water
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) butter, melted
- 1/4 cup (no-added sugar) applesauce
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS
- Place the wheat bran flakes and all-bran in the bowl of a stand mixer. Pour the boiling water over the bran and mix well. Mix every couple of minutes while the mixture cools to room temperature. The mixture will become very thick and sticky.
- After the mixture cools, add the buttermilk in a slow steady stream pausing occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl before adding more. Then add the melted butter, applesauce, sugar, eggs and vanilla, mixing well after each addition. Add the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well to combine all the ingredients together.
- Scoop the batter into greased or lined muffin tins. Fill 3/4 full. Bake at 375 degrees as directed below, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Regular Muffin Tins (2 cookie scoops per cup): bake 14-16 min
- Jumbo Muffin Tins (4 cookie scoops per cup): bake 20-23 min
