Make-Ahead Refrigerator Bran Muffins
This easy recipe for healthy, whole grain bran muffins is a huge family favorite! The batter can be kept in the fridge for up to a month, which means you’ll only ever be a few minutes away from warm, fresh-from-the oven bran muffins!
It’s no secret that we love breakfast around here.
If you ask me, breakfast is the only thing worth waking up for (says the matriarch of a family filled with other morning-haters).
I’ve talked my head off about this before, but during the week, I try to get a quick and easy, warm breakfast in the kids’ tummies before sending them off to school, relying on cold cereal as a backup for the extra chaotic days.
I don’t get fancy on school mornings. There aren’t any pancakes in the shape of a unicorn.
There’s not a single slice of French toast garnished with strawberries and artfully dusted powdered sugar.
It’s all about healthy, hearty survival around here.
Functionally delicious. That’s what I like to call it.
Here are a few of our go-to, easy breakfasts:
Overnight Buckwheat Waffles or Pancakes
Whole Wheat Make-Ahead Pancake Mix
Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancake Mix
Overnight Raised Waffles
Overnight Steel Cut Oats
Whole Wheat Blender Pancakes
Amid all those breakfast options (and even more of our favorite breakfast recipes here), excitement never gets quite as high as when these make-ahead refrigerator bran muffins show up to the party.
I’ll admit (and you can give me a hearty amen, cause I know you’re all thinking it), the bran muffin batter isn’t necessarily the most appealing-looking thing on the planet.
But humble looks aside, these bran muffins are stellar. Promise.
Out of all the muffin recipes on my site (yes, even the sweet treatsy ones), these bran muffins are my kids all-time favorites.
And to be honest, they might be my faves, too.
Ever so lightly sweet and packed with bran and other whole grains, these bran muffins are simple to make and so delicious.
The best part? You can mix up the one-bowl batter and store it in the refrigerator for up to 30 days!
That means you can have fresh, warm-from-the-oven bran muffins whenever you want with hardly any effort.
Bake two at a time!
No wait, how about 24?
It doesn’t matter, because that batter was born to be patient and wait.
When you are ready to bake some bran muffins, give the batter a good stir and start scooping.
To make quick, even work of the scooping, I use this cookie scoop for this batter (and actually most other muffin recipes, too). It’s the perfect size.
Sometimes, though, even knowing the batter is ok to stay unbaked in the fridge, I still bake all the muffins at once.
I let them cool and then toss them in large ziploc bags to go in the freezer.
I know it only takes a few minutes to bake a muffin, but there are some mornings where baking a muffin might be the thing that puts my time-sensitive person over the edge.
Pulling a few bran muffins out of the freezer and quickly warming in the microwave for less than a minute? Yeah, we can do that.
Or rather, my kids can totally do that.
Occasionally we dig out the cute honey bear from the pantry to drizzle on these bran muffins, but most often, we keep it simple.
Warm muffin + sweet cream butter = bran muffin perfection.
Soft and tender, these bran muffins are amazing.
Considering I grew up eating bran muffins very similar to this at least weekly and loved every bite, it’s no surprise I’m looping my kids into the same breakfast cycle.
When recipes are this easy and stress-free and still produce such delicious results, you really can’t help but love them.
Have you made these bran muffins before?
They are a long-standing favorite for my family and I know for many of you, as well.
Humble in appearance but magnificent in taste, these bran muffins are the best of the best.
I hope you love them!
Make-Ahead Refrigerator Bran Muffins
Ingredients
- 4 cups (about 227 g) wheat bran flakes or plain wheat bran
- 2 cups (about 113 g) bran buds, (look like little pebbles) or all-bran (look like little twigs)
- 2 cups boiling water
- 4 cups (1 quart) buttermilk, (or equal parts sour cream and milk whisked together)
- ½ cup (113 g) salted butter, melted
- ½ cup (113 g) unsweetened applesauce
- 2 cups (425 g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 cups (about 710 g) whole wheat flour
- 4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl with a tight fitting lid (needed if you aren’t baking the muffin batter right away), add the wheat bran flakes or wheat bran and the bran buds or all-bran.
- Pour the boiling water over the top, and mix well. Stir every couple of minutes while the mixture cools to room temperature. The mixture will be thick and sticky; it’s ok if there are a few dry patches.
- After the mixture cools to warm room temperature, add the buttermilk, melted butter, applesauce, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Mix well.
- Add the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir until ingredients are combined.
- The batter can be baked right away or stored in the refrigerator, covered well, for up to a month to bake as needed. Give the batter a good stir before using if it has been refrigerated.
- To bake, scoop the batter into greased or lined muffin tins, filling 3/4 full. Bake at 375 degrees (350 degrees for dark coated muffin tins) for about 14-16 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
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Recipe originally posted September 2010; updated with new photos, commentary and recipe notes.
How can I add old fashioned oats (oatmeal) to this recipe? Can I use it to substitute the 4 cups of wheat bran flakes? Or, maybe 1/2 the amount? Thanks.
I haven’t tried that, so you’d have to experiment – if using for the wheat bran flakes, I’d only use 2 cups oatmeal.
I make these once a month and put half of the baked muffins in the freezer (they reheat very well)…it’s such an easy (and healthy) breakfast choice for my kids. Even my husband grabs these while rushing out the door…thanks for a great recipe Mel!
I made these on the regular a few years ago, but they’re back in the rotation again! My 5yo has to have a surgery soon and his doctor needs his systems to be in regular working order leading up to the procedure and strongly suggested bean be a daily part of his diet. My husband and I immediately thought of these muffins. Everyone loves them and they’re so, so easy!
I made this today because my son has been getting up super early and eating crackers. I wanted to have something I can leave out for him that’s healthier and more filling. I made a half batch because I only have one muffin tin and I knew I would have to fill it a few times. I added zucchini because veggies are always a struggle with my kids and walnuts for extra protein. I made the entire batch because I read other comments that said that add ins don’t hold up super well in the batter over time. I forgot to buy bran flakes so I just subbed in more All Bran. The kids are going bananas over them as I write this. My son really enjoyed his muffin with a bit of peanut butter for lunch. Thanks again Mel!
Hi I want to make these but I can’t find the bran flakes. Is this a cereal? Can you post a picture. I’m sorry I’ve looked and looked. Also is whay is wheat bran? Thank you
Bran flakes are like Wheaties cereal but made with bran. I’m not necessarily advocating this brand but here’s an example: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-Bran-Flakes-Cereal-15-6-oz/49303124
Can I add bananas to this recipe or would I need to take something out to do that? I’ve seen others have added raisins and apples, but maybe bananas aren’t the same to add? Thanks!!
I honesty don’t know since I haven’t tried it – bananas won’t be the same as a chunkier add-in like raisins or apples – but it’s worth a try.
Growing up my mother had a recipe of Refrigerated Bran muffin batter that lived in our fridge a couple of weeks everytime she mixed it up. We loved it. Hope this one is close to hers.
I made these today. Turned out perfect. Moist and yummy. Put remaining in fridge. Dont think they will last 6 weeks before we have them all eat!!!
Love!—we’ve even cooked them as singles in a mug in the microwave for 1 minute!—delish!!
Oh my goodness, that is awesome!
Can I add blueberries to this recipe?
Sure!
Delicious, go- to recipe. I decrease the sugar by 25%. Sometimes I add cinnamon, walnuts, and vanilla chips, grated carrot or zucchini, wheat germ for great results.I spray my paper muffin cups lightly with butter spray to prevent sticking. Yummy with butter. I bake for my elderly neighbors and this recipe makes plenty to go around.
When baking, do you always use unsalted butter?
I always use salted butter
Great!! Used Raisin Bran cereal and didn’t use any bran stuff
Do you have nutritional info?
Do u hv nutrition info?
Hey Mel, locally where do you find the bran buds or all bran? Winco I doesn’t carry. Fred Meyer!
Hey Marne – I’ve grabbed them at Ridleys and/or Walmart!
Thanks! I will check Walmart. Sorry for my wonky words. Phone typing!!
Oh, just noticed someone else in comments tried bananas. I also need to clarify replaced the buds and twigs with the Grape-Nuts cereal.
I just made these and used one overripe banana in place of applesauce and GrapeNuts in place of bran-worked well.
These are the best! My teenagers even love them, and they don’t like much these days.
Can’t view the recipe for some reason..anyone else having this problem?
It was just a temporary error – my website was down for a bit this evening due to some technical issues but everything should be displaying ok now. Let me know if you continue to have issues accessing the recipe!
I love these muffins! They are my go-to breakfast. I don’t think they come out as well if they are baked from refrigerated batter, though. I get the best results from fresh batter, then freezing everything and thawing as needed. I also only use 2/3 cup sugar, and they are sweet enough for my taste, but I add raisins which are sweet, plus I’ve only ever used the buds, and I think the buds are sweeter than the twigs as well. With raisins and chopped nuts, this is the perfect hearty but easy breakfast.
Just like my MIL’s recipe. Delicious! Love your kitchen favorites posted with the recipes! I want one of everything.
Our family LOVES these muffins! I was so bummed that my grocery didn’t have the bran twigs today, and I couldn’t take a sick kid to another grocery store… Do you think these would work out the same if I just increased the bran flakes?
Yes, I’ve done that and it works pretty well – the texture is a little more dense, but I’ve done the same in a pinch.
These are the BEST!
We call these 6 Week Bran Muffins and they are AMAZING with homemade raspberry jam! That’s the only way we eat them and my kids devour them!
Delicious!! Love a good brand muffin, and these are everything a bran muffin should be.
I like to decrease the sugar by 1/2 cup, and substitute 1/2 cup molasses. A little extra iron boost. 😉
I am type 2 diabetes….would like to know fiber, carbohydrates and sugars please
I made these the other day and they were just ok. I only made 1/4 of the recipe because I didn’t want to commit to 4 dozen until I was sure I liked them. The taste was fine, but not great. They were very sticky, not sure if they’re supposed to be. Also after a few days, I ate one and it tasted rancid so I threw the rest of them out. I’m bummed.
Kathleen, you should give these another try if you genuinely like bran muffins because these are THE best! I make them all of the time and everyone raves over them! They freeze beautifukkybtoo for quick breakfasts or to bump up a lunch or snack during the day. They have never been sticky (Did you bake them long enough?) or rancid… (Were your cereals and/or WW flour rancid to begin with?) Bummer that they didn’t turn out for you initially, but I would give them another whirl because these are a household staple.
Mel do you know what the Carb count would be for these muffins? As I am a diabetic and restricted on the amount of Carbs each day! My Grandma used to make these and they are my family’s favorite. Thank you, Debora
I don’t, sorry! There are lots of free nutritional data calculators you could find online and plug the recipe into.
Come, on! This recipe is fantastic. I decided to double it, which was hilarious when I realized how gigantic the batch was turning out to be, but now my kids are consuming them like air and I’m super glad I did! We have been mixing the triple berry blend from Costco into half of the batch each morning and those are huge hit with some of the kids. I didn’t have applesauce so I put some smashed bananas in to replace it, but now I’m wondering if that would make the batch ferment faster? We are consuming them so quickly, I guess I’ll never know 🙂
Haha, a double batch of these is insane! 🙂 I do think the mashed banana will give a different flavor/color to the batter if it sits long enough in the fridge, but it sounds like that’s not a super big problem for you right now. 🙂
I saw this recipe and have been craving them ever since! Unfortunately, most of the stores have been out of the cereal. Today I hit the jackpot!! Until I got home and I realized I need whole wheat flour. Can I use all purpose white flour or bread flour with the same measurements?
Yes!
I can find bran flakes where we live, but no bran buds. Would it be okay to substitute plain wheat bran for the little bran twigs you talked about? Or give me another idea for a sub, as I LOVE these muffins. Thank you!
Yes, I think that should work! I’d probably measure with a light hand so the batter isn’t dry.
Thanks, I’ll give it a try and get back!
I made these a couple weeks ago, baked up half the batter and saved the other half to bake up for later. The first batch I baked turned out good- the batter smelled yummy and the muffins were tasty. But when I baked the other half 2 weeks later the batter didn’t smell good anymore but I went ahead and made the rest of the muffins anyway. They tasted terrible, had an ammonia-like smell! I’m going to keep making this recipe but going to bake everything at once haha. Anyone else have this problem?
Yes, I have had that problem with this recipe as well. I asked my good friend, who is a food scientist about it. She said that the root of the problem was in the baking soda. The baking soda chemically reacts with the ingredients in the batter which is what causes the change in flavor/aroma. I’ve had this problem with both the batter and also the baked muffins. Sometimes if I bake them muffins and let them sit for too long, the baking soda will start to affect the flavor in those too. (If you’ve got a bunch of kids gobbling up all your muffins, you may never experience this issue but for small households like mine – we don’t go through our muffins so fast.) I found that the best solution to create the best muffins out of this recipe was either to bake them all at once and then put them in the freezer and just thaw them as needed, or to cut the recipe down by half and use the batter within a week. They’ve always been great when I’ve done that.
Thanks for replying! Yeah I have a small household so I will take your advice and bake everything at once and freeze the extra or just halve the batch. Thanks again!
This is a go to muffin recipe! We love them and could eat them daily! These little beauties make us very happy!
These muffins are absolutely delicious.I made them as the recipe was written, but added cinnamon. Next time I think I will added raisins too because that’s the way I like bran muffins, but I love these the way they are too. I baked them all at once and will keep them in the freezer for my husband and I to grab as we head out the door. We can both either wait until they thaw or pop them in the microwave once at work.
Hi, can you use powdered stevia instead of sugar…Not allowed sugar, bummer
Thanks
Conni
I’m not sure, I haven’t tried that. Sorry!
I’ve made these and loved them. Wondering if there’s a way to lower the sugar amount. Thoughts?
I love these so much. I love that I can make the batter one day and the next day bake them. I like to cook them all and put them in gallon freezer bags and I put one bag in the fridge and then freeze the remaining. I have made substitutions and they still turned out great. I was short an egg once so I added extra apple sauce and some baking powder, I started baking once and forgot that I didn’t have buttermilk so I did equal parts milk and fat free yogurt, this the way I do it now. Last time I made these I finally chopped an apple and added some cinnamon, tasted great. I’ve also added frozen berries.
These are so delicious! I really am not surprised since I have tried 100’s (literally!) of other recipes from your blog over the years and love them all! I substituted flax eggs with for the real egg since my little man can’t do eggs and they were still so light a fluffy!! I will probably make them all today since I don’t know if the substitution will mess up the ability to keep it for weeks in the fridge.
That’s awesome the egg substitute worked out so well, Erin!
Hey! So I measured out the wheat bran flakes (about 4 cups) and it only came to a little over 5oz. The recipe says 4 cups would be about 8oz so I am unsure about which measurement would be right. I measured the All Bran at 2 cups and it was about 4oz like the recipe. Being unfamiliar with consistency I didn’t want to add too little or two much since it would be about another 2 cups of wheat bran for a total of 6 cups to equal 8oz. Thanks! I am excited this recipe uses butter and not shortning!
I love these! A yummy, healthy, make-ahead breakfast!
I made this recipe, however, it is too thick and I haven’t even put in all the flour yet. What is the consistency supposed to be…how do I correct? I used shredded wheat in place of wheat bran flakes. The flavor is still there…help!
Hi Wendy – it’s probably due to the shredded wheat. I’ve never used that in this recipe, so I’m not sure how it would affect the texture. You can try adding a bit more buttermilk or hot water.
My whole family loves these and they are so easy to throw in the oven during a busy school morning.
YUUUMMM! A few weeks ago my husband and I went to a super popular bakery in LA (Porto’s Bakery) we go there often, but I tried the apple bran muffin this time and I fell in love! I have been thinking about it ever since I ate it! I knew you would have a delicious bran muffin recipe that I could add apples to. So I made these this morning and added diced apples that we picked this weekend and some cinnamon. They are SO good! Just as good, if not better than Porto’s bakery.. And thats saying something! I am looking forward to freezing them heating them up on busy mornings!! Thank you for all the wonderful recipes. You have been helping me feed my family for the last 5 years or so. My husband has never been happier! 😉
Yay! Such great feedback!
So yummy with a slice or two of extra sharp cheddar cheese. That is how my husband grew up eating bran muffins. And it makes it a little more filling and a little more protein to hold the tummies over for a little longer.
Where can I find bran buds or all bran? Is in a cereal like form, or something else?
Yes, it’s in the cereal aisle usually in a white box.
First time i’ve made bran muffins and they totally turned out well!
If you use plain wheat bran flour instead of the bran flakes, do you still use 4 cups or do you do 8oz? Seems like it would be denser than the flakes. We just moved I don’t have my kitchen scale yet. Thanks!
The weight (8 ounces) is for the flakes. If you are using plain wheat bran, you would still use full 4 cups (but I can’t remember the exact weight…I’ll try to update the post next time I make them). The muffins have a slightly different texture if subbing out the bran flakes for the wheat bran flour, but we still love them that way.
I love these muffins, and I make them weekly!
I have recently decided that I love the outside texture and taste when I grease He pan instead of using muffin liners. I was just wondering what do you use to grease the pan?
I usually use nonstick cooking spray (the Kirkland brand from Costco).
I love these with my whole soul! I made a batch the day before we went on a long road trip and used one dozen for our last meal at home (coupled with scrambled eggs and fruit–it’s so tricky to strategically meal plan before a trip so you can hopefully empty the fridge!), and then took one dozen with us for some wholesome car snacks to balance out the other junk. And then the most beautiful thing of all: When we got back at 8pm on a Sunday after driving 15 hours… I totally had something legit to feed my family!! I walked in the door, preheated the oven to 375, threw some muffins in the oven, and scrambled some eggs. Boom. Dinner in 15 minutes with a nearly-empty fridge. Most brilliant mom-epiphany of my summer. I’m doing this for every trip for the rest of my life!
Awesomeeeeeee!
Thank you for this delicious recipe! My entire family love these muffins, and I have been sharing this recipe with other family and friends too. It’s a keeper and so convenient!
Mel, I’ve already made these once with buttermilk.
But, do you think 4 cups whole milk mixed with 4 TBSP vinegar would sub for the buttermilk? I do not have buttermilk, nor do I have any sour cream on hand. I do have some plain, low fat kefir. Which would give great results? Thanks so much!
I’d probably opt for the kefir since I’ve made them before with my homemade kefir and it works great (the crumb is slightly softer and more tender)
I made them with the kefir! I like them better than with the buttermilk! They seem lighter. I used only 1.5 cups sugar too.
Thank you so much.
Now…..how to control myself around these muffins……I am expecting , due in October, so I keep thinking “the baby wants just one more”. At least they’re super healthy.
Thanks for the report back! I bet they are delicious with kefir! And hey, there are WAY worse food choices when pregnant, right? Congrats on that upcoming baby.
This morning I added about a tablespoon of lemon zest to a batch (18 mufffins) I had left after making lemonade. They were THE BEST so far!!
Thanks again for an easy, great recipe!
Use the whole milk with vinegar all the time with this recipe. Works great.