Raisin Bran Muffins
If I were a bran muffin on a bakery display shelf…
Yes… I just said that.
If I were a bran muffin on a bakery display shelf I would probably have blueberry muffin envy.
Blueberry muffins are like the cute blonde girl next door. The girl that every boy likes in the sixth grade.
Bran muffins are more like the girl in the sixth grade with frizzy bangs, big teeth, giant feet and loads of…. potential. Seriously! The last thing you want in the sixth grade is potential. Lame. (If you can’t already tell, I’ve painted a picture of my sixth grade self for you. I was tragically hilarious and full of… stinkin’ potential.)
Blueberry muffins are like cupcakes. With fruit. For breakfast.
Bran muffins… have a great personality… if you know what I mean.
But these Raisin Bran Muffins? They are sorta like a secret weapon. Like the ugly duck turned swan. Like the unfortunate looking sixth grader who got kinda cute in her late twenties. So there! Take that sixth grade blueberry muffin blonde!
Woooow. I can’t believe I just wrote that. Furthermore… I can’t believe you just read that. Apologies and thanks.
There are two things that make this muffin a secret weapon.
One: they’re made with Raisin Bran Cold Cereal. Super easy. Super yummy.
Two: the batter can be made ahead and kept in your fridge for a week. The best part is that the muffins are even better a few days after the batter is made. Yum. Fresh muffins every morning. You win!
Raisin Bran Muffins
makes about 20 to 24 muffins
1/2 of a 15oz box of Raisin Bran Cereal
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups buttermilk
In a large bowl mix together Raisin Bran, flour, salt, sugars and baking soda.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together oil, eggs, vanilla extract and buttermilk.
Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. If you plan on baking the muffins right away, allow to sit on the counter for 45 minutes before baking. This will allow the cereal to soften.
If you’d like to bake the muffins throughout the week, place the batter in an airtight container and store in the fridge. Scoop into lined muffins pans when ready to bake. Sprinkle with a spoonful of granulated sugar if desired.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
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omg! bran muffin 6th grader right here! except my parents somehow managed to brainwash me into thinking that it was cool to be a bran muffin … even if it meant buck teeth and stirrup pants with a men’s size shirt (don’t forget the t-shirt clip! remember those?) pulled to a t-shirt ponytail over them. I envied the blueberry muffin girls, but was either deluded enough (or, remarkably, self-confident enough) not to care about my dorkiness.
the caring came later. in high school. ;)
these look delish!!
I just realized that the reason I’ve never made homemade bran muffins (which I LOVE) is that I’ve never wanted to buy a box of plain bran cereal just for muffins. But Raisin Bran I very often have on hand and would buy without hesitation to make muffins. These may be making an appearance in my kitchen this weekend! Thanks so much, Joy!
I was a bran muffin! I HATED being told I had potential. And my friend Heather was such a bluberry muffin, it killed me. Oh, Joy, you have a way of making the world very clear! But ya know… I always want the bran muffin over the blueberry muffin now that I’m a grown up, so I guess it’s a good thing. Just don’t tell my junk-food addicted husband that he chose a bran muffin for a wife!
for some reason I can’t read the other comments so i am posting this question but don’t know if someone else did already. anyway, do you have any idea how many cups of cereal 1/2 of a 15 oz box is? thanks, Joy!
I’M THINKING IT’S ABOUT 4 CUPS.
Being a bran muffin rocks. I’d say it builds character! In any case, thanks for sharing this super easy peasy recipe. I’m smiling ear to ear, knowing what I’ll be baking tomorrow. My brownie boyfriend has a bran muffin girlfriend. We complement each other :)
These muffins look awesome and I’m totally going to make them – not just because they look awesome, but out of solidarity for my sixth grade self, who also had tons of… potential :-)
Whenever I go see different kinds of muffins in the bakery or a store I always end up buying and eating bran muffins. I’m glad you posted one. Thank you.
I’ve learned to loathe the word “potential” lately. When people say something has potential they often mean they think that thing is craptacular but *might* be awesome if you work hard. That’s the word people keep using to describe the older home I just bought with my husband. Sure it’s not perfect, but I think it’s pretty awesome now! Sorry, little rant. I’m sensitive about my awesome home’s feelings. :)
Well I still have huge feet and teeth, but I did manage to figure out the straightening iron. Potential fulfilled I guess! These look great, makes me want to put cereal in all my baked goods :-).
Oh, bran muffins. They actually do taste good, and I enjoy eating them. But that name? Kind of sad.
Someone once described me as “wholesome” (which is not really a BAD thing, but…) and I remember walking around for days thinking, “Ugh. I’m just wholesome. Just a stupid bran muffin.”
So maybe the image of the bran muffin isn’t sparkly pink and beautiful, like the blueberry muffin or a meyer lemon muffin or something that oozes of fun, but it sure is a good little muffin.
I’m hungry now! Yum.
This was just too funny – I was exactly that bran muffin girl too! There are pictures to prove it. I have a soft spot in my heart for these muffins now – suppose I’ll have to make them soon :)
Oh my! You are very funny. Your posts make me smile. That’s awesome that the batter can sit in the fridge for a few days! Fresh muffins every day – wow.
hilarious. and they look so yummy!
Has anyone tried these with whole wheat?
Well, I would like to think I was a blueberry bran muffin growing up. A little bit fun and cute and carefree with some potential, but maybe just.not.enough. *eeps*
It almost pains me to say that.
Mainly because I lack focus to really reach for the potential. I am still a bit blueberryish in that I jump from task to task to task, sometimes barely finishing..definitely potential limitting.*L*
I need more bran in my life and this receipe looks great! Maybe all this added bran will knock the blueberry right outta me yet! :)
I think I was a bran muffin in the six grade too. Full of potential, braces, and an awkward sports bra.
I just stumbled across your site – glad I did – beautiful!
I heart people as food analogies :) Thanks, Joy!!
Back in the day, I had a sleepover with a few girlfriends and my friend’s mom made us the most amazing Raisin Bran muffins in the morning, complete with all sorts of jams and butters! I was in such heaven, I felt like a queen. Joy, your recipes and clever words make me feel like a goddess!
I was totally a bran muffin! Then in high school, when I discovered shopping and makeup (but was still angsty enough to be bitter about how bran muffins were treated), I went back and a boy came up to me and said, “Wow, Danielle, you used to be really ugly, but now you’re really hot!”
High school boys really know how to compliment a bran muffin.
I’m totally making these in honor of those days.
Your raisin bran muffins = Genius
Your muffin metaphors = Genius-er
Lol I think you have tapped into the bran muffin in everyone. I like the idea of chucking cereal into the muffin mix.
hahahaha, I was a bran muffin too! (and later became a caramel-vanilla-mamaliciouse one :P) God you made my laugh all day with this post! And brought a lot of memories of fluffy hairs and baby fat at 12… Thanks girl!!! Will you post the winner of the bakeoff? I do have a tv, but we don’t get Ophra’s show on date (usually 5 week delays, and I can’t wait 5 weeks!!) Ahh… Joy you are just as good at baking as you are funny…
I was such a bran muffin-and don’t tell anyone-but I still feel like one! I don’t know if you ever grow out of that-but I do think as we grow up we realize how limited those blueberry muffin kind of people are. After all-blueberry muffins mold a heck of a lot faster then bran! Lol
Interesting analogy. Both are good muffins, it just takes a special kind of person to appreciate the individual beauty of both.
Looks appetizing. Sadly I have no time to try out this recipe, maybe over the summer.
I have to try these, although the effect bran has on me is not always a good one! But they look and sound so delicious!
i always loved bran muffins, and raison bran is my fave cereal! cant wait to try them together :)
Oh man, was I ever a bran muffin!! lol! Now I’m SO glad I was a late bloomer, but try explaining that to my pitiful 6th grade self! I love bran muffins, so these look great :-)
I was totally a Bran Muffin in sixth grade. Oh and I didn’t even know it. How sad! Overall shorts with only one side hooked up, glasses (before they could make the lenses thinner than what you needed), slick ponytail everyday, and braces. Not just braces, I had to wear head gear to school. Social suicide!
I am making these muffins tonight. They sound yummy. I am new to this website and I love it already. Good job Joy the Baker.
I love those muffins!
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I think I ate so much grainy-brany-oaty stuff when I was a kid that I had no chances of being anything more than a bran muffin kid, literally and figuretively. Not only did I envy the blueberry muffin girls, but I had a hellofa hard time getting the few “blueberry-brans” that I ran with as a kid to do sleepovers at my house for fear of being fed grape nuts in the am, while watching PBS! I too had potential they told me, thank god they were right.
Those look delicious! and I made your apple, walnut, flaxseed bread two days ago… it’s out of this world good! and it’s kinda healthy! what else could I ask for? and it keeps moist for a few days! it’s wonderful! I’ll be posting it in my blog and linking it to you! thanks for such a great recipe!
Here in Utah we have what is called “Mormom Muffins”. They have buttermilk (I know… another reason to love buttermilk!) and bran flakes and bran buds, walnuts and I put raisins in also. This batter will last 6 weeks in the fridge (it makes a hugs batch!) and as yours tastes better the longer it sets. It does get a bit darker in color too! Holler if you would like the recipe!
Delicious & easy…
I was 100% a bran muffin in 6th grade, but I attribute my awesome personality to that. If you can’t be the cutest girl in school, you can definitely be the most charming ;)
Love your site… will be baking up a storm tonight!!
I made these with whole wheat flour and reduced teh sugar by 1/3 cup and they were nice and tasty. Wholesome and filling and let me delude myself into thinking I could eat 5… I think next time I am going to add just a bit more buttermilk to help with moisture. They were fabulous straight out of the oven with butter but as they cooled a bit they were just a tad dry. I probably overbaked a few minutes and I did reduce the sugar. But still delish and I am whipping up another batch right now. Thanks!
If breakfast could always look so scrummy then getting out of bed would be much easier. I wonder how rice bran would work since I can’t have wheat. Nonetheless, I’m happy everyone else will have a yummy start to the day!
When I saw “raisin bran” I thought it was going to be a plain old bran muffin with raisins in it. But this looks way better than that! I might have to try these soon. :)
You should think about getting a “share” button. Then I could send this recipe to all my friends… and rave about the lovely Joy the Baker! =]
lovely muffins, i can imagine the wonderful smell in your kitchen, must try these soon! cheers from london
Such a great comparison.
So…what kind of muffin would a non-cute blonde girl that every boy in the sixth grade didn’t like be? Would she fall under the “bran” category? ;) Love this recipe and thank you for the many others!
You are hilarious!! I love all of your bakery pictures, too.
Totally unrelated to bran muffins, however….
I am addicted to scones….but have not been able to make a great scone yet! They are really hard to get just right!
We have a ridiculously yummy bakery in Madison that makes THE most perfect lemon creme scone, so they will have to do for now :) If you’re ever in Madison, WI, you MUST stop into Lazy Janes on Williamson St.
Have a great weekend :)
Can’t wait to try these!
I make banana bread w/ raisin bran cereal. It is great. I love the raisins in the bread. I made a carrot cake once and added a cup of raisin bran to it. It is fabulous too. I am a great experimenter w/ raisin bran.
I can never think of describing the muffins this way, but you really got a point! I love your blog so much as usual!
makes me laugh. i totally hated bran muffins until about 3 years ago. now its the only muffin i’ll eat or make. plus i totally agree with your 6th grade bluberry muffin. its only good till all the other muffins grow up and make something of themselves.
Your third and fourth lines are so funny and smart, too.
…and most of those boys turn to monster cookies when they grow up…
Love the post, I was so bran-like in 6th grade!
Loved these, daughter loved these, husband loved these, thanks so much for a new favorite!
that’s great news!