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Sometimes a craving sends you on a little adventure.
I started craving apple bran muffins after spotting a recipe for them on Southern Plate. They looked so good that I headed to the grocery store in search of bran muffin mix.
Three grocery stores later, I still hadn’t found any!
That’s when I realized it would be quicker and easier to make my own from scratch.
And really, I should have known better. I’ve been a bran muffin lover since college, when my roommate and I regularly made the original muffins from the back of the Kellogg’s All-Bran cereal box. We adored them!
Over the years, I’ve tried all kinds of bran muffin recipes, but that original remains a sentimental favorite.
So I used it as the starting point for these Low-Fat Apple Bran Muffins, adding chopped apple, applesauce, whole wheat flour and a little cinnamon and nutmeg.
They turned out moist, delicious and just what I was craving.
Why I Love These Apple Bran Muffins
- Made from scratch. No special muffin mix required.
- Moist and tender. Applesauce and fresh apple help keep the muffins moist.
- A little lighter. Applesauce replaces some of the oil in the original recipe.
- Whole grain goodness. Made with All-Bran cereal and white whole wheat flour.
- Warm apple flavor. Cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar make them especially nice for fall.
- Freezer-friendly. Easy to tuck away for another morning.
Ingredients You’ll Need
These muffins start with simple baking ingredients.
- All-Bran cereal: The classic bran cereal that gives these muffins their hearty texture.
- White whole wheat flour: Adds whole grain goodness while keeping the muffins relatively light.
- Brown sugar: Adds sweetness and a little caramel flavor.
- Unsweetened applesauce: Helps keep the muffins moist while reducing the amount of oil needed.
- Fresh apple: Finely chopped apple adds little pockets of flavor and moisture.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg: A delicious combination with apples.
- Egg, milk, oil, baking powder and salt: The remaining ingredients that bring everything together.
How to Make Low-Fat Apple Bran Muffins
Step 1: Prepare the Oven and Muffin Pan
Preheat the oven to the temperature specified in the recipe card.
Prepare your muffin pan with paper liners or a light coating of nonstick cooking spray.
Step 2: Prepare the Apple
Core and finely chop the apple.
I like the apple pieces small enough to distribute throughout the batter.
Step 3: Mix the Batter
Prepare the bran muffin batter according to the recipe card, combining the wet and dry ingredients.
Stir in the applesauce, chopped apple, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Mix just until everything is combined.
Step 4: Fill the Muffin Cups
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups.
Step 5: Bake
Bake according to the recipe card directions, until the muffins are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Step 6: Cool and Enjoy
Let the muffins cool briefly in the pan before transferring them to a wire rack.
Enjoy one warm, or let them cool completely before storing.
How I Lightened Up the Original Recipe
I started with the old Kellogg’s All-Bran muffin recipe and made a few simple changes.
I substituted white whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour and brown sugar for the white sugar.
I also added ½ cup unsweetened applesauce and a finely chopped apple for extra moisture and flavor.
A little cinnamon and nutmeg seemed like a good idea, too.
The result was a moist, hearty muffin with plenty of apple flavor.
And best of all, I didn’t need to hunt down a special muffin mix!
My Tips for Making Apple Bran Muffins
Chop the apple finely. Small pieces distribute more evenly throughout the batter.
Use unsweetened applesauce. It adds moisture without unnecessary added sugar.
Don’t overmix. Stir just until the ingredients are combined for tender muffins.
Try them warm. I think bran muffins are especially good when they’re still a little warm from the oven.
Freeze a few for later. That’s what I like to do. It’s nice knowing there’s a homemade muffin waiting in the freezer when another craving strikes.
How Many Calories and WW Points?
According to my calculations each muffin has just 163 calories.
To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
4 PointsPlus (Old plan)
If you’ve made this low fat Apple Bran Muffins, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Low Fat Apple Bran Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all bran cereal
- 1-1/4 cups fat-free milk (I used soy milk)
- 1 medium apple, peeled and finely chopped
- 1-1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F degrees. Spray the cups of a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray.
- In a medium bowl stir together the bran cereal and milk and set it aside to soften as you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Peel and chop the apple and set it aside.
- In a large bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- Once the cereal has softened and absorbed the milk, add the brown sugar, oil, applesauce and egg and stir until creamy and well blended. Add the flour mixture and stir until moistened. (The mixture will be very thick.) Stir in the chopped apple.
- Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. (I liked to use an ice cream scoop (affiliate link) for this.)
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until the muffins are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
- Remove from the oven and set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.
- Use a sharp knife to loosen the muffins from the cups and then set them on a wire rack to cool completely or enjoy warm.
Notes
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) 4 PointsPlus (Old plan) I made several changes to the original recipe:
- I substituted white whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour and brown sugar for white sugar.
- I added 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce for extra moisture and a finely chopped apple to turn them into Low Fat Apple Bran Muffins.
- A little cinnamon and nutmeg also seemed like a good idea.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Source: adapted from Kellogg’s
More Easy Apple and Bran Muffin Recipes
If you enjoy these apple bran muffins, here are a few more recipes from Simple Nourished Living:
- Old-Fashioned Apple Bran Muffins – My more recent version of the classic Kellogg’s recipe, made with shredded apple.
- Ina Garten’s Low-Fat Chunky Banana Bran Muffins – A delicious banana variation.
- Healthy Whole Wheat Bran Muffins – Another homemade bran muffin favorite.
- Double Chocolate Bran Muffins – For those mornings when chocolate sounds especially good.
- Apple Pecan Muffins – Another easy way to enjoy apples in a homemade muffin.
- Cinnamon Apple Kodiak Quick Cake – A simple apple breakfast cake with a caramelized topping.
After all these years, I still love a good bran muffin.
These apple bran muffins satisfied my craving, and I shared a few and tucked the rest into the freezer for another day.
Sometimes the old recipes really are the best starting point.
