These homemade bran muffins are soft, moist, and full of warm flavor from molasses, brown sugar, and plump raisins. Made with All-Bran cereal and sour cream, they bake up tender and fluffy every time. It’s a simple, classic recipe that’s perfect for a quick breakfast or an easy grab-and-go snack.
If you love baking muffins from scratch, you’ll also want to try these sour cream blueberry muffins and these easy banana muffins. These blackberry muffins are another favorite, too!
Table of Contents
⭐️ Recipe Featured in: Make-Ahead Breakfast Recipes
Before You Get Started
A few key tips to make sure your bran muffins turn out perfectly moist and tender every time.
- This recipe uses All-Bran Original cereal (available at most grocery stores). It’s an easy way to incorporate wheat bran, since regular wheat bran can be hard to find. You can likely substitute Fiber One or bran flakes cereal, but results may vary since the recipe was developed with All-Bran.
- Measure your flour carefully. Fluff the flour with a fork, spoon it into the measuring cup, and level it off with a knife. Don’t scoop the flour directly from the canister, or you’ll end up with too much. Extra flour is the most common reason bran muffins turn out dry and dense.
- Use full-fat sour cream and don’t over-mix. The sour cream keeps the muffins rich and moist, and gentle mixing prevents tough, dense results. Stir just until the batter comes together. A few lumps are perfectly fine.
- Don’t over-bake. Pull the muffins from the oven as soon as a toothpick comes out clean (16 to 20 minutes), and transfer them to a wire rack right away. Leaving them in the hot pan will continue cooking them and dry them out.
How to Make Bran Muffins
This recipe comes together quickly with simple pantry ingredients. You’ll have a batch of warm, homemade muffins ready in about 30 minutes.
Step 1: Crush the Cereal
Take about half of the All-Bran cereal and process it into fine crumbs using a mini food processor.
⇢ No Food Processor? Place the cereal in a large zip-top bag and crush it with a rolling pin or meat mallet. The fine crumbs blend into the batter for a smoother texture, while the remaining whole cereal adds a nice bit of chew.
Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Set it aside.
Step 3: Combine the Wet Ingredients and Soak the Cereal
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, vegetable oil, eggs, brown sugar, molasses, and vanilla.
Stir in both the crushed cereal and the remaining whole cereal, then let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes. This gives the cereal time to soften and absorb the liquid, which is key to a moist, tender muffin.
⇢ Start with room temperature sour cream and eggs. They blend more smoothly into the batter and help the muffins rise evenly.
Step 4: Fold the Batter Together
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently, just until combined. The batter will be thick, which is exactly what you want for tall, domed muffins.
Fold in the raisins (or your choice of dried fruit). Resist the urge to keep mixing once everything comes together.
⇢ Not a raisin fan? Skip them entirely, or try dried cranberries, dried cherries, dried blueberries, or chocolate chips instead. The muffins are just as good without any mix-ins at all.
Step 5: Fill the Muffin Cups
Divide the batter between 12 paper-lined or greased muffin cups, filling each one all the way to the top.
An ice cream scoop works well for portioning even amounts, which helps the muffins bake evenly.
⇢ Fill them generously. Don’t be shy about filling to the top. This batter doesn’t overflow, and full cups give you nice tall muffins with great domes.
Step 6: Bake Until Golden
Bake at 400°F for 16 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. The tops should be golden and feel springy when lightly pressed.
Cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
How to Enjoy Them
These old-fashioned bran muffins are wonderful on their own, but they’re even better warm with a smear of butter, cream cheese, peanut butter, or honey.
My mom always serves them with apple butter, which is a perfect pairing.
They’re also delicious with strawberry freezer jam, blackberry jam, blueberry jam, or peach jam.
Offer them for a quick grab-and-go breakfast on busy mornings, pile some in a basket for brunch, or set out a few with coffee or tea for an afternoon snack.
These muffins were a big hit! My husband does not like fruit so I added in a teaspoon of cinnamon and a peeled diced apple. They were light and tender. This was a surprise to me because the batter was pretty thick. This is definitely a keeper! Thank you for sharing!
– N.C.
Bran Muffin Recipe Variations
There are plenty of ways to customize this recipe to suit your family’s tastes:
- Swap the oil for an equal amount of melted butter or canola oil. Melted coconut oil would likely work well, too.
- Replace the sour cream with full-fat plain Greek yogurt. Buttermilk would also work, though it’s thinner, so your muffins may not rise quite as high.
- Add more whole grains by substituting half of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour.
- Try different mix-ins. Diced apples, chopped dates, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, or chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts all work well. For softer dried fruit, soak it in boiling water before stirring into the batter.
- Make blueberry bran muffins by folding in 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries.
- Make chocolate chip bran muffins by stirring in ¾ cup of chocolate chips (or mini chocolate chips) in place of the raisins. A great option if you’re baking for kids.
- For mini muffins, bake in mini muffin tins at 350°F for about 12 to 15 minutes.
- Reduce the fat slightly by replacing half of the oil with applesauce.
I make this recipe once a month. Sometimes I add 3 very ripe Bananas, crushed Walnuts and a pinch of cinnamon if I want banana bread themed bran muffs! Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
– Hillary
Storage and Freezing
Room temperature: Store cooled muffins in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days. They’re best enjoyed the day they’re made.
Freezing: Place muffins in a large zip-top freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Thaw frozen muffins on the counter for a few minutes, then warm in a 350°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Room temperature muffins only need about 5 minutes. You can also microwave one at a time for 15 to 30 seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of bran is best for bran muffins?
This recipe uses All-Bran Original cereal, which is made from wheat bran. It’s widely available and works perfectly in this recipe.
You can also use Fiber One or bran flakes cereal, though the texture may vary slightly. Regular wheat bran or oat bran from the baking aisle would work too, but you may need to adjust the amount since the cereal absorbs liquid differently than loose bran.
Can I use oat bran instead of wheat bran?
You can, but the texture and flavor will be different. Oat bran is milder and softer than wheat bran, so your muffins will be lighter with less of that classic “bran muffin” taste. If you prefer oat bran, use the same amount called for in the recipe and soak it in the wet ingredients as directed.
How do I keep bran muffins moist?
Full-fat sour cream is the biggest factor. It adds moisture and richness that keeps the muffins tender. Beyond that, avoid over-mixing the batter (which develops too much gluten), measure your flour carefully (too much flour is the most common cause of dry muffins), and don’t over-bake. Pull them from the oven as soon as a toothpick comes out clean.
Can I reduce the sugar in bran muffins?
You can cut the brown sugar by a few tablespoons without major issues. Keep in mind that the molasses provides most of the deep, warm flavor, so it’s best to keep that as-is. If you want a lighter sweetness, try reducing just the brown sugar and adding a mashed ripe banana for natural sweetness and extra moisture.
More Muffin Recipes
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
The Best Bran Muffins
Equipment
- Standard muffin tin
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups All-Bran Original cereal, divided
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¾ cups sour cream, at room temperature
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons molasses or sorghum
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup raisins, dried cranberries, or dried cherries (optional)
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease well. Take about half of the All-Bran cereal, place it in a food processor, and process until finely ground. Alternatively, place half of the cereal in a large zip-top bag and use a rolling pin or meat mallet to crush it into fine crumbs. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, oil, eggs, brown sugar, molasses, and vanilla extract.
- Stir in the crushed cereal and the remaining whole cereal. Let the mixture sit until the cereal is evenly moistened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir just until combined; do not over-mix.
- Gently fold in the raisins, cranberries, or cherries (if using).
- Divide the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each cup to the top.
- Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Cool muffins in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- This recipe uses All-Bran Original cereal. Fiber One or bran flakes cereal may work as substitutes, but results may vary.
- Measure the flour carefully by spooning it into the cup and leveling with a knife. Don’t scoop from the canister. Too much flour is the most common cause of dry, dense muffins.
- Use full-fat sour cream for the moistest, most tender results. Full-fat Greek yogurt can be substituted.
- Don’t over-mix. Stir just until the batter comes together. Some lumps are fine and mean lighter, more tender muffins.
- Room temperature ingredients (sour cream and eggs) blend more smoothly and help the muffins rise evenly.
- For softer raisins or dried fruit, soak in boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes and drain well before folding into the batter.
- Raisin-free options: Skip the dried fruit entirely, or swap with chocolate chips, diced apples, dried cranberries, dried cherries, or chopped nuts.
- Storage: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Best enjoyed the day they’re made.
- Freezing: Store in a zip-top freezer bag for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen in a 350°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or microwave for 15 to 30 seconds.
- Mini muffins: Bake at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes.
- Recipe adapted from America’s Test Kitchen.
Nutrition
Originally published in January, 2023, this post was updated in March, 2026.
I added walnuts , cran raisins, raisins, and I teaspoon of cinnamon to mine Next time I might add 2 teaspoons of cinnamon one just leaves a hint But these are really good and moist
Thank you, Debra! Those sound like great additions.
Looks good. Will try
Thank you, Gyllis! We hope you enjoy.
These muffins were a big hit! My husband does not like does fruit so I added in a teaspoon of cinnamon and a peeled diced apple. They were light and tender. This was a surpriseto me because the batter was pretty thick. This is definitely a keeper! Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad to hear that they were a hit! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
A lot of work. Worth it! Delicious. Delicious.
Thanks, Diane!
Yummy!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Jane!
I make this recipe once a month. Sometimes I add 3 very ripe Bananas, crushed Walnuts and a pinch of cinnamon if I want banana bread themed bran muffs! Thank you for a wonderful recipe
I’m so happy to hear that, Hillary! Thanks for your note. 🙂
Came across this recipe searching rhe internet in the middle of the grocery store when I could not find already made bran muffins without raisins and could not find bran muffin mix. Didn’t read to use “All Bran” so I bought “bran flakes” cereal…. made them anyways when I got home and they came out really good.
Hi, Tracy! I’m so glad that it worked, even with the different cereal. Thank you for letting me know!
Are you using large muffin pans? I used regular cupcake sized pan and it only took a little over half of the batter to fill it. Ended up with 21. They are very good.
Hi Sue! We use a regular-sized muffin pan but fill the batter all the way to the top. We’ve never had that much extra batter but are glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Tomorrow it is back to school after holidays!
Those muffins are delicious! (yeah I did taste one before everyone)
I hope my boys will enjoy it tomorrow morning!
Thank you for trying them out, Linn! We hope they’re a hit with your boys and make your mornings easy!
Awesome recipe! Thanks for sharing. I baked mine for 16 minutes at 400 degrees as instructed and they came out a touch burnt on top. Nothing too bad, but I might reduce the temperature next time to accommodate my oven.
Thank you for the feedback, Jennifer! We’re sorry to hear they burnt slightly (every oven is different!), but are so glad you still enjoyed the recipe.
Hi,
My batter is very very dry. Perhaps too much flour? I did fluff it.
I hope they turn out. They’re in the oven now!!
It very well could have been too much flour. We’d love to know how they turn out!
This is the first bran muffin I ever tasted! I followed the recipe exactly and I was certainly not disappointed. I’ll be trying this recipe with alternate add-ins in the future.
I’m so glad that your first time was a success, Kathie! Thank you for letting me know. 🙂
Great recipe and very easy to make! I used bran flakes and they worked great. I added Craisins, diced Granny Smith apple, pecans, some shredded carrots, and 2 tablespoons of cinnamon. They were delicious! … a little bit like a morning glory muffin I will definitely make these again!
Those sound amazing, Sandra. Thank you for letting me know!
When I saved this recipe on my computer, I named it “My Favourite Bran Muffin Recipe”.
Thank you, John! This made our day. We’re so glad you enjoy it.
I used bran flakes as that was all I had. I soaked them in the wet ingredients for 15 minutes (I did not crush any). Also, I used 2 cups of buttermilk in place of the sour cream. They were done in 22 minutes at 400 degrees.
Delicious!
Great tips, Kim. Thank you so much for taking the time to let us know!
I have made these many times. The first time, I always follow the recipe completely out of fairness. I did change it up a bit after that. I didn’t like the texture with the bran that wasn’t crushed, so I crushed all of it. I love molasses so I add a bit more. I also have added applesauce for moisture. Thank you for sharing! It’s a keeper.
Thank you, Maureen. Those are great tips! So glad that you like the muffins!