Blueberry Bran Muffins
These honey-sweetened, 100% whole grain bran muffins are light, fluffy and delicious. The blueberries make them taste like a healthy treat.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on June 19, 2025
Let’s talk about these healthy bran muffins. They’re so good. Most bran muffins are dense, so I didn’t know that hearty bran muffins could be so fluffy and delicately sweet. This recipe is made with 100 percent whole grains and naturally sweetened with honey, believe it or not!
These muffins are a breakfast treat that you can feel good about. Wheat bran is the nutritious, fibrous, protective outer layer of wheat berries that is removed when wheat berries are processed into all-purpose flour. One of the greatest benefits of a whole foods-based diet is getting plenty of fiber without even trying.
I can’t say they’re the prettiest muffins around, but bran muffins are never going to win a beauty contest. Fortunately, their taste and texture make up for their modest appearance. If you prefer a classic, fluffy blueberry muffin, be sure to try my healthy blueberry muffins. They’re also made with whole wheat flour and naturally sweetened.
How to Make Healthy Bran Muffins
These bran muffins are so easy to make, no mixer required. Simply combine the wet ingredients in one bowl, the dry ingredients in another, and stir them together just until combined. Don’t overmix, or your muffins will turn out more tough than tender (stop stirring when you see a couple of streaks of flour left).
Ingredient Notes
Deb’s blue sky bran muffins were already on my list to try when my friend brought some over. One taste of the homemade muffins was motivation to adapt them for my blog.
Here’s what I changed: I replaced the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour. I decreased the buttermilk and baking temperature so I could sweeten the muffins with honey instead of brown sugar. The flavor of honey is lovely here, as is the lemon zest, which adds some freshness that reduces the prominence of the whole wheat flavor.
Choose between mild extra-virgin olive oil, such as California Olive Ranch (I can’t taste it) or melted coconut oil. I tried these muffins with melted butter instead of oil, but the muffins are much more moist with oil.
You can easily make these muffins dairy-free by making your own buttermilk with dairy-free milk, such as plain unsweetened almond milk or cashew milk.
I couldn’t resist sprinkling the tops with raw sugar for a sparkly, lightly crunchy top. They’re just delightful.
Recipe Variations
This recipe is flexible. The fresh fruit contributes some moisture and sweetness, so I wouldn’t omit it entirely, but you can play around with the fruit options. This recipe could easily become raspberry, strawberry or apple bran muffins. Thinly slice the strawberries and either cut the apple into a small dice or shred it.
I appreciate the lemon zest flavor with the blueberries, but you could substitute orange zest with strawberries or raspberries.
Serving Suggestions
I’ve been enjoying these muffins with Greek yogurt for breakfast. They make good snacks, too, with or without a spread of salted butter or nut butter, like peanut butter or almond butter.
They keep well in the freezer for months—I love to have them on hand for emergency snacks (I defrost them by microwaving them for about 15 to 20 seconds).
More Wholesome Baked Goods to Try
Here are just a few more naturally sweetened muffins and quick breads:
- Healthy Banana Bread or Maple-Sweetened Banana Muffins
- Healthy Blueberry Muffins
- Healthy Zucchini Muffins
- Strawberry Oat Muffins
Please let me know how your bran muffins turn out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Healthy Blueberry Bran Muffins
These honey sweetened, 100% whole grain blueberry bran muffins are light, fluffy and delicious! Add blueberries or substitute any other fruit you’d like. This recipe is flexible and yields 12 muffins.
Ingredients
- 1 cup buttermilk*
- ⅓ cup mild extra-virgin olive oil or melted coconut oil
- ⅓ cup honey
- 1 large egg
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 ½ cups wheat bran
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup (6 ounces) fresh or frozen blueberries
- 2 teaspoons turbinado sugar, AKA raw sugar
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and coat a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or line it with paper liners.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, honey, egg and zest. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the bran, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and mix until just combined (a few remaining streaks of flour are fine). Gently fold in the berries (if you’re using frozen blueberries, toss them in an extra teaspoon or two of flour beforehand to help prevent their juices from running into the batter).
- Working quickly, divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle each muffin top with turbinado sugar.
- Bake the muffins for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking for even browning, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out with just a few crumbs attached.
- Let muffins cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing them from the tin. Leftover muffins will keep at room temperature for 2 days, up to 5 days in the refrigerator, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s blue sky bran muffins.
*Make your own buttermilk (with dairy-free option): Pour 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice into a liquid measuring cup. Pour in your milk of choice (nut milk would be fine) until you reach the 1-cup line. Let the “buttermilk” rest for 5 to 10 minutes and then use as directed. See photos of the process.
Change it up: Deb says you can use any fruit in these muffins, other than pineapple or citrus chunks. Fresh raspberries or sliced strawberries would be nice. You could substitute orange zest for the lemon zest if you prefer.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
These muffins were SO delicate and fluffy — I’ll definitely make them again! I used olive oil, whole wheat flour, and orange zest. Thank you for all of the delicious recipes!!
You’re welcome, Angelina! Thanks for your review.
These muffins are delicious and healthy at the same time – win/win!
These muffins are just the best! I add banana and use wholemeal flour. They are so delicious and are the perfect level of sweetness. They are a new staple for me. I’ve made 3 batches just this week. Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome, Farrah!
I made these!!!
They were great. I used recipe as is.
All four people in my home loved them and some are fussy.
I am making again today.
Thank you.
Sandra
Thank you for your review, Sandra!
Very good and moist. Will definitely make these again. I replaced the buttermilk with Greek yogurt and used 1 teaspoon of vanilla versus the lemon zest.
Just made these, with minor changes. I only used 1/4 cup honey, and it was just the right sweetness:) I also used sour cream for the milk. These were so nice and moist- delicious! Thanks for a wonderful recipe!
Thanks for sharing! I’m glad it worked well with your adaptions, Monika.
Great recipe and really in-depth step by step instructions. Thank you for this recipe. Will surely make it.
I made these muffins and loved them!!
I followed the recipe exactly and they came out perfect!
I will be making these all the time now.
Thank you for the great recipe.
This recipe is a keeper! I’ve never had 100% whole grain muffins that are so light and fluffy. Glad I made a double batch!
These are great! Something about a bran muffin seems uber healthy.
I used half ap and half ww flour. Sprinkled with cinnamon sugar instead of raw. I used frozen berries and they are so nice and juicy. Thanks for the recipe!
I was craving blueberry bran muffins, but didn’t have a recipe. I scrolled through at least a dozen before choosing this one. Delicious!! I think your photos don’t even do them justice. Just one comment: is the 325 degrees a typo? I baked them as directed at 325 for 20 minutes, and they were goopy, nowhere near done. I checked maybe 9 other blueberry bran muffin recipes online, plus some of my own favorites in my recipe box, and most muffins are cooked for 20 minutes at 400 degrees; some at 375 for 20-30 minutes. Just my 2 cents.
Thank you, Leslie! I’m glad your muffins turned out well. I know that 325 is correct/worked for me when I tested these muffins. That said, some of my other muffin recipes require longer in the oven at that temperature, so I’m questioning it a bit myself but haven’t received reports of issues from other commenters. I wonder if your oven runs a little cool? You might buy an oven thermometer to verify that it operates at the correct temp. They’re about 7 dollars on Amazon.
These look delicious! Any thoughts on using oat bran instead of wheat bran?
I haven’t tried it, sorry!
These muffins are excellent! Somehow they tasted really dessert-like but I don’t feel guilty about a single ingredient in them. I’m not sure if this was the correct way, but I used a food processor to grind up bran flakes into 1.5 cups of crumbs. I also tossed in an extra 1/4 cup of blueberries. My husband loves these and he is very picky. Next time I will try a mix of blueberries and strawberries and add the citrus zest (didn’t have any on hand). Definitely a keeper.
Thank you for sharing your recipe! I am very excited to try it, I have made a number of your muffin recipes and my family loves them all. I am happy to also use up the bran I have. I have a grain mill flour sifter that I use when I want a higher rise in my breads, and therefore have leftover bran. Now I will use that up! I know this recipe is a winner, because all your recipes are so yummy! I am also going to use the leftover yogurt whey for buttermilk. I have done that in other recipes with success. Hopefully it works out here…
This is what a muffin should be. Bakery and supermarket blueberry muffins are bad cake. I’ve been looking for a recipe to recreate a perfect muffin I had in a coffee shop in Northampton, Ma. years ago. This is it! I didn’t have a lemon so omitted the zest and had only half as much honey on hand as the recipe calls for, so I added real maple syrup to make up the 1/3 cup. Even with the omission and substitution the muffins were amazingly good. Thank you for creating this.
I just made your recipe for blueberry bran muffins and they turned out great in spite of numerous substitutions. I didn’t have wheat bran so I used oat bran instead. I didn’t have buttermilk so I substituted plain yogurt thinned with milk. I skipped the blueberries and substituted chopped dried fruit and seeds (sesame and sunflower). I like that this recipe is so versatile!
These muffins are delicious! I followed the recipe as written except I used half whole wheat flour and half all purpose flour. These are the best healthier blueberry bran muffins I’ve made. My muffin pan is on the larger side, but filling each cup about 3/4 of the way resulted in 9 muffins. (I’ve made most of your muffin recipes and I always get 12 in this pan with the other recipes). They do rise more than I expected, so the result was 9 good sized muffins. I’m happy with that, it’s just an FYI for others! Thanks for another great recipe!
I made these a few days ago and they’re fantastic! My husband has type 2 diabetes, and these are low enough in sugar that he can have them as a treat food. (Or, as Cookie Monster says, a “sometimes” food. :0) )
I used regular whole wheat flour and thought they might be a bit stodgy with that and the bran, but they’re moist and not at all heavy. Also love the flavor from the lemon zest and buttermilk.
bonus: they slide right out of the pan!
I’m glad this one worked well for your family and you enjoyed it!
My new favourite muffin recipe! I’ve been making your banana muffins for years, but decided to try something different yesterday and I think banana just got replaced by blueberry bran! Light, healthy, easy to make, great consistency and flavour. Perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack. Thanks Kate!
Wonderful, to hear, Rebekah! Thank you for your review.
Hi and thank you for your amazing recipes! Would using applesauce rather than oil work as well? Many thanks :)
Hi! I haven’t tried applesauce here so I can’t say for sure.
Is it possible to use All Bran “buds” to this recipe? I have both regular bran and bran buds. Trying to get rid of these “buds”
I am definitely subscribed to this fantastic site. WELL done. Great recipes throughout.
Could you talk a little about the need to “work[] quickly” in step 3? I didn’t see that part until it was too late, and since my muffins didn’t turn out great, I’m wondering if that was part of it (my oven is SO slow to heat up!).
Hi Rachel, I’m sorry to hear it wasn’t clear. I find reading instructions prior to getting started sets you up for success so you can better anticipate. I hope you try it again! Also, be sure to have your oven preheating and/or heated before you are done assembling the muffins.
Can you use maple syrup instead of honey?
Hi Katie, I haven’t tried it in these, but I do know it does work in my other muffin recipes. Let me know if you try it!
Can you use maple syrup instead of honey? Im not a honey person. Much rather prefer maple syrup. Planning on making these this morning for my kiddos, but just wanted to make sure I can use maple first! Thanks!
Hi Katie, I haven’t tried it with these muffins, but it does work with my other recipes. Let me know if you try it!
Could you use oat bran instead of wheat bran?
Hi Vanessa, I recommend this recipe as is. I haven’t tried it with oat so I can’t say for sure. Sorry!
Delightfully healthy and not too sweet. I made them as stated with the addition of two large raspberries nestled in each muffin amongst the blueberries. Lovely!
My local coffee shop used to carry an amazing blueberry bran muffin. When they discontinued it, I was heartbroken.
Kate to the rescue! This recipe not only mended my heart, it bested the original! Adding this one to my box of favorites! Thanks, Kate!
I made these today, and they turned out great. I didn’t have a zest, so I skipped that, and skipped the sugar just because I try to limit that. I doubled the recipe, but otherwise followed it as closely as I could. I made the buttermilk from Saco powder. I did one set in a Breville countertop convection oven and the other set in a regular oven.
They all turned out perfect. This is my new favorite muffin recipe.
You are my first pick when one of your recipes comes up in search results. I don’t think that one of your recipes has ever not worked out for me. Thank you for what you do.
These were lovely! Thanks
Hi, I could not find wheat bran, so ended up buying Kellogg’s All Bran
Buds cereal. Do you think I could use that instead if I run it thru the food processor?I was really looking forward to making them.
I haven’t tried it, so I can’t say for sure. Sorry!
Can’t wait to try this. Wheat bran isn’t well known/used on Australia. Is it processed or unprocessed wheat bran that is needed? Thank you ❤️
The bran is the hard outer layer of the wheat kernel. I hope that helps!
Do you have the nutritional information for these? I have been making them for the past several months, doubling the batch and then freezing some. I make jumbo muffins, have several a week, and they make a big difference in my digestion. I was looking for a recipe that used wheat bran and overall healthy with as many natural ingredients as possible. This is the one! Thank you!
Hi Emily! The nutritional information is below the notes section of the recipe.
So good! When I made my second batch I added ground flax seeds, chia seeds, unsweetened coconut flakes, and good vanilla and they were even better than the first batch!
Kate, these are incredible! Can you tell us how many calories are in these bran blueberry muffins and are they healthy to eat for breakfast 4-5 times a week or just for an occasional treat? I usually eat bran cereal with bananas and pecans and was looking for a healthier alternative!
Thanks!
These were perfect! I was baking with a very distracting toddler so I accidentally skipped the buttermilk on the first go-around – they were still edible! So they’re that good lol.
Second go-around I did not accidentally miss anything and they were great.
That’s great to hear, V!
I made these with gluten-free oat bran and Krusteaz Gluten-free flour. I added vanilla and omitted the sugar on top since my husband likes his breakfast muffins less sweet. I had to bake them about 28 minutes. They came out great. Next time I might add a drop of lemon flavoring.
I made these with the grated orange rind and subbed the berries for chopped dried prunes. They were excellent. Thanks for another great recipe!
Great to hear you enjoyed it, Jane!
Great tasting muffins, will definitely make again. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Can we use white flour as someone else cannot have as much fibre and I need to use up my bran cereal.
Love blueberry bran muffins and after one batch these have replaced my long time favourite!
5-star muffins! Incredibly light and fluffy for bran muffins. I made them according to the recipe. I never make changes to Kate’s recipes because she seems to have such a discerning palette that you will be guaranteed perfection if you follow the recipe.
Loved this recipe. I’ve made many different healthy bran muffin recipes but this one has been the best and will now become my go to. I made 2 substitutions: I used real maple syrup (I’ll try with honey next time) I also added about a tablespoon of molasses since I like that rich deep bran colour like a bakery muffin.
I love all your recipes…..I just made your broccoli salad (it is by far my favorite) and I have a question about these muffins. Can I sub anything for wheat bran, perhaps flaxseed? I looked online but wanted to ask you before I make these muffins. Thanks again.
I love this recipe! I make these often – so quick and easy to make! I keep a batch of these in the freezer all the time. They’re a great snack in the morning before a workout. I’d love to see more recipes using whole wheat flour and bran. I love your website and your cookbook! Thanks so much!
Not sure what happened here. My oven runs hot. So we always have ti cut cooking times short. I checked the muffins at my stove’s cook time, inserting a toothpick to check doneness. It came out clean. I was thinking ‘great, now they’re overcooked and dry” . So I took them out of the oven to cool. Except they collapsed. They were actually underbaked. So I had to heat the oven back up and cook them for longer, having to FEEL for raw/cooked instead of relying on toothpick test – there is too much oil that the batter just slides right of the toothpick- raw or cooked. Flavor wasn’t bad, though, so I gave 3 stars. Not light and fluffy at all. These are bran and whole wheat, after all. And not sweet like a treat, like a lot of comments say, even when I added a teaspoon of cinnamon for more flavor. Sprinkled the top with a little of cinnamon sugar mix, like one commenter said, and a little raw sugar.
Wanted to mention that your healthy banana, zucchini and pumpkin bread have been a kitchen staple for my family (kids ages 7, 5, 3 and including my husband) for years! I often bake the bread in a baking tray that’s made to go with our Planet Box lunch boxes (they sell baking trays in the shape of one of the little spaces in the lunch boxes) and send it off to school (nut free delicious and nutritious). I don’t even modify into the muffin recipe – the recipe works great as is. I always bake a bunch save them in the freezer.
We’re going to try blueberry next.
Thank you!
Katie
Hi Kate, so I live in Sweden and bran is categorised by the type of bran, i.e. wheat bran, oat bran, etc. So what shall I use for this recipe? Thanks a lot in advance.
Hi Sandra, this recipe calls for wheat bran.
I wondered if you could substitute ground flax seed for the bran or if the quantity would have to change. Any thoughts?
Hi Wendy, I haven’t tried this, but if you do, start with at least half the amount of flax seed as it is more dense. There may need to be other modifications for the texture as ewll.
Delicious! The lemon zest is delightful. Didn’t have buttermilk so I did the yogurt + milk substitute and they turned out great.
I am sorry but these muffins fell apart when I removed them from the pan. Followed the recipe exactly not adding the lemon zest. This recipe is not a keeper for me since I have to eat the muffin with a fork.
They are healthy and messy to eat.
The muffins did not rise at all, so I was disappointed at that, but they are deeeelish! And I always TRY not to overmix the batter. So I’m not sure why they didn’t rise, but I don’t care because they’re so good
Hi Susan, I’m glad you enjoyed! These don’t puff up with rounded tops like you find in some muffins, so don’t expect big domes. But if you’re worried they didn’t rise enough and you didn’t overmix, you might test your baking soda and powder, as they can lose effectiveness over time.
Thanks, Kate. I have the dates on my baking soda and powder, so I know that wasn’t an issue. Since you said they won’t rise and dome, I feel like they turned out just right! I gave half of them to a friend, and she loves them too