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How could a healthy double chocolate bran muffin recipe be so good? Find out how easy it is to make these muffins in just a few easy steps. There’s no complicated recipe here — just pure goodness and CHOCOLATE!
Easy Chocolate Bran Muffins
Old to me but new to you! I have made these easy chocolate bran muffins for years and I have learned one thing. They NEVER fail to impress me. You won’t get used to the moist and crumbly deliciousness of these healthy chocolate muffins. Try this bran muffin recipe for breakfast and see how it’ll be your favorite part of the day.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Aside from this being the easiest bran muffin recipe, these double chocolate muffins are moist and have the perfect amount of sweetness to them. I love a good balance of not too sweet but still sweet enough to satisfy.
These deliciously rich and chocolatey muffins are moist and full of fiber, and protein. Plus these chocolate bran muffins are kid friendly!
Ingredients in Double Chocolate Bran Muffins
- Bran: I’m using Original All Bran Cereal for this muffin recipe, this is an important ingredient and doesn’t have a substitution, unless you find a generic equivalent.
- Milk: You can use any kind of milk, regular or nondairy, any fat content.
- Applesauce: This helps the muffins be nice and moist without a ton of added oil.
- Vegetable oil: I prefer oil in my muffin recipes for a neutral flavor and moist recipe.
- Cocoa powder: Unsweetened cocoa powder makes it nice and chocolatey (not Dutch process).
How to make Chocolate Bran Muffins
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners and spray them with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place bran cereal and milk in a medium bowl. Make sure all the bran is underneath the milk; set aside to soak at least 10 minutes while mixing the remaining ingredients.
- Place sugar, applesauce, oil, egg, salt, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Stir or use a hand mixer to mix until smooth. Stir in cocoa powder.
- Add the bran cereal mixture to the sugar mixture along with the flour and stir or mix until combined.
- Fill muffin cups then bake for about 20 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool for at least 10 minutes before removing the wrappers.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Expert Tips + Diet Variations
- Any kind of milk is okay to use–any fat content, regular milk, or nondairy.
- You can substitute sugar-free sweetener for the sugar to make these sugar free muffins. (I use equal amounts Swerve Granulated but amount used will differ for other brands)
- For a more traditional mouth feel, omit applesauce and increase oil to ¼ cup.
- For a lower-fat muffin, omit the oil and increase applesauce to ¼ cup (will change the texture slightly.)
- For lower cholesterol, use 2 egg whites in place of the 1 large egg (will slightly change the texture).
- You can use half and half all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour or substitute all the AP flour with 1:1 Gluten Free flour to make gluten-free muffins.
FAQs
Yes! I love adding some mini chocolate chips to the mix.
Should be thick, lumpy, and have no bubbles. It’s ok if your muffin batter is a little dry and you see some flour in there.
Poke a toothpick in the muffin and it should come out clean, free of any crumbs or batter.
Yes. You can freeze these bran muffins for up to 3 months.
Chocolate Bran Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups (123g) All Bran Cereal
- 1 ¼ cups milk nondairy, nonfat, or 2%
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (33g) unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
- ¾ cup (93g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (170g) chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners and spray them with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place bran cereal and milk in a medium bowl. Make sure all the bran is underneath the milk; set aside to soak while mixing remaining ingredients.
- Place sugar, applesauce, oil, egg, salt, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Stir or use a hand mixer to mix until smooth. Stir in coco powder.
- Add bran cereal mixture to the sugar mixture along with the flour and stir or mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips if using.
- Fill muffin cups ¾ full. Bake 18-24 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before removing wrappers or they’ll pull off some of the muffin.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Recipe Notes
- Any kind of milk is okay to use – any fat content, regular milk or nondairy.
- You can substitute sugar-free sweetener for the sugar (I use equal amounts Swerve
- Granulated amount used will differ for other brands)
- For a fluffier muffin, omit applesauce and increase oil to ¼ cup.
- For a lower-fat muffin, omit oil and increase applesauce to ¼ cup (will change the texture slightly.)
- For lower cholesterol, use 2 egg whites in place of the 1 large egg (will slightly change the texture).
- You can use half and half all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour or substitute all the AP flour with 1:1 Gluten Free flour to make gluten-free muffins.
I’ve been on the lookout for a good bran muffin recipe for some time, and this is the winner. I subbed the All Bran *Buds* for the strand-like cereal, which worked just fine. With that variation I covered the Buds with the milk, even before pre-heating the oven. Visually they look slightly puffier or swollen when allowed to soak long enough->approximately 15 to 20 minutes. After that, I did my usual mix dry with dry ingredients, wets with wets, then mix the dry with the wet, then the soaked buds, leaving the chocolate chips (recommended!) until last. One trick I like since calories for me are not a major concern is to use 1/4 teaspoonful of turbinado sprinkled on top of each muffin cup of batter to give a sweet crunch on top once baked. I do not use paper muffin liners, just a light application of canola spray in an old fashioned 12 count muffin form. I freeze all my breakfast muffs then *gently* bring them back to life straight out of the freezer. One minute at 40% power, then 5-6 seconds at full power, and the muffin is ready. Don’t forget a cup of fresh brewed coffee!
Rabco, thank you for the comment and for giving the recipe a try. A cup of coffee with these muffins a delicious pairing. Thank you.
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