How do I make moist bran muffins?

[BobJones]

Sarah,

Keep up the good work.

I'm awaiting the final results with much anticipation.

Eliot

[stovetop]

The Oatmeal, egg and juice or fruit are all good sugestions, also I would like to add the addition of ripe bannanas.

steve

[stovetop]

1/4 c molasses

and butter milk

both will suck up moisture

oil was mentioned, good idea

use a different sweetner

one that has liquid like juice

was mentioned a couple of times

happy baking

steve

[NulloModo]

If you want to add moisture retention and texture without a load of calories/sugar try PolyDextrose. It is somewhat of a specialty ingredient, but bakes up just like sugar, retains moisture, etc, but had hardly any sweetness. It acts in the body just like dietary fiber, which is a great thing about bran muffins anyway...

[chefcyn]

If you substitute oatmeal for 1/4 of the dry ingredients you will have a moister muffin.

also add some crushed pineapple as noted by CompassRose or some applesauce as noted by chromedome.

Also adding sugar will help because sugar slowly releases moisture back into the baked item over time.

Oatmeal has the effect of holding moisture in baked goods.  Any time you have a recipe that calls for high fiber ingredients that tend to cause dryness, adding oatmeal in place of some of the dry ingredients will give you a product that lasts longer, does not stale as rapidly and retains moisture.  Think of oatmeal cookies that remain moist in the center weeks after they are baked.

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If you process the oatmeal in your food processor with some of the sugar, you get a finer 'crumb' to your muffins, too.

[stovetop]

PolyDextrose

What is that??

sounds like a polimere(sp)

is it synthetic sugar??

steve

[Patrick S]

PolyDextrose

What is that??

sounds like a polimere(sp)

is it synthetic sugar??

steve

←

Yes, its a polymeric synthetic sweetener derived from dextrose, sold under the trade name Litesse.

[Patricia Austin]

Just thought I'd add a note to this quest. I found a bran muffin recipe last summer that I love. The batter gets completely mixed together and then sits in the refrigerator for 2 hours or ideally overnight. The muffins are dark, stay very moist, are a little bit sticky and yummy.

I will post the recipe if you'd like to try it.

Patricia

[Sarah Phillips]

Just thought I'd add a note to this quest.  I found a bran muffin recipe last summer that I love.  The batter gets completely mixed together and then sits in the refrigerator for 2 hours or ideally overnight.  The muffins are dark, stay very moist, are a little bit sticky and yummy. 

I will post the recipe if you'd like to try it.

Patricia

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Yes, it would be interesting to see the recipe, if you're allowed to post it.

I would guess that your recipe probably has baking soda in it. I just finished some interesting research on what happens when you refrigerate bran muffin batters. I did it because of a recent question I was asked and because of this recipe I am developing for Eliot.

[Patricia Austin]

I sell these at the farmer's market and they are a hit. I think the combined elements of oil, plumped fruit and a long soak contribute to the moistness of this muffin. Wish I had one right now for breakfast. Patricia

2 1/2 c. plus 2 T. unbleached all purpose flour

4 1/2 t. baking soda

1 T. baking powder

2 t. cinnamon

1/8 t. salt

3/4 c. vegetable oil

2 T. honey

1/4 c. molasses

1 c. plus 2 T. light brown sugar, packed firm

1 t. vaniilla

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 c. buttermilk

1 c. wheat germ

1 c. natural bran (not the cereal)

1/2 c. dates, plump with scalding water, drain and coarsely chop

1 c. dark raisins, plump with scalding water and drain

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, soda, powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. Next, whisk together the oil, honey, molasses, br. sugar, and vanilla. Whisk into this oil mixture the eggs, then the buttermilk, wheat germ, and bran. Allow the batter to rest 10 minutes. Whisk the dry and wet together to partially blend. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the dates and raisins. Refrigerate batter (covered) for 2 hours or ideally overnight. Bake in lightly greased muffin pans (or use liners). Fill to the brim, and if you like, sprinkle sesame and sunflower seeds on top as a garnish. Bake at 400 degrees.

[CaliPoutine]

to get what you want!! You may want to try mine http://baking911.com/recipes/qb/muffins_b911_bran.htm My low-fat Buttermilk Bran Muffin Recipe is posted on http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/104497/

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Sarah,

I tried your low fat recipe and they were fabulous. I added some cinnamon, raisins and dried cranberries. I couldnt tell they were low-fat, they were so moist and delicious. Thanks a lot!!

Now, would you possibly have a low-fat corn muffin recipe?

[Sarah Phillips]

I sell these at the farmer's market and they are a hit.  I think the combined elements of oil, plumped fruit and a long soak contribute to the moistness of this muffin.  Wish I had one right now for breakfast.  Patricia

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Thanks for the recipe, Patricia. I will try it!

[Sarah Phillips]

to get what you want!! You may want to try mine http://baking911.com/recipes/qb/muffins_b911_bran.htm My low-fat Buttermilk Bran Muffin Recipe is posted on http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/104497/

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Sarah,

I tried your low fat recipe and they were fabulous. I added some cinnamon, raisins and dried cranberries. I couldnt tell they were low-fat, they were so moist and delicious. Thanks a lot!!

Now, would you possibly have a low-fat corn muffin recipe?

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CaliPoutine,

Thanks so much!

I do have a low-fat Raspberry Corn Muffin Recipe (plus 124 other low- and reduced-fat recipes) in my Healthy Oven Baking Book.

I did post my low-fat Pumpkin-Orange Cornbread Recipe on my website: http://www.baking911.com/recipes/qb/pumpkin_cornbread.htm You can make muffins from the recipe.

But, the Raspberry Corn Muffin Recipe is delicious, flavorful, as well as moist, too!

[misstenacity]

I've used a "super duper" bran muffin recipe by a guy named Alan. It is all whole grain, and has a TON of bran & germ in it. Using molasses for at least part of the sweetener, and buttermilk for the milk/yogurt, makes them very very yummy. I think I have also made them w/o the oil at all, or just add an extra yolk, and they are fine.

Here are the ingredients:

1 C (w.w.) flour

1 C raw wheat germ (not the toasted kind in the bottle)

2-3/4 C wheat bran

2/3 C oat bran or 3/4 cup rolled oats

2 tsp baking pwdr

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ginger or cinnamin

3 tblsp oil

2/3 C honey (molasses, corn syrup, whatever)

2-1/4 C low fat milk or low fat yogurt

2 eggs

Mix wet, mix dry, combine the two gently, and bake at 350 for 20 min or so.

Enjoy. :-)

Andrea

http://tenacity.net

[Sarah Phillips]

UPDATE: I haven't forgotten about creating a moist bran muffin recipe...I've been really busy lately...I would like to try all of the new recipes that have been posted and will get back to the test kitchen later this week...Has anyone tried any of the recipes, yet?

Edited March 23, 2005 by Sarah Phillips (log)

[Misa]

A friend's mother used to make bran muffins with a prune puree. If I remember correctly, she soaked the prunes in water overnight. I know she chopped them, but I can't remember whether it was before or after soaking. Then they went into the food processor.

They always seemed very moist. And very delicious.

Unfortunately, they moved a few years back and we lost contact.

[Catherine Iino]

I tried Patricia Austin's bran muffin recipe and it's very good. I substituted yogurt whey and a bit of dried milk for the buttermilk, but I don't think that made much difference in flavor. Also I did not have any dates in the house, so I used extra raisins. I might cut the sugar a tiny bit next time, but these were really moist and almost sticky.

[sanrensho]

Another vote for Patricia Austin's recipe. Thank you. Outstanding muffins. I used prunes instead of dates, corn syrup in place of the molasses, and added about 1/4C of pecans.

I don't think I'll be tempted to buy bran muffins again now that I've tried this recipe.

[Patricia Austin]

Another vote for Patricia Austin's recipe. Thank you. Outstanding muffins. I used prunes instead of dates, corn syrup in place of the molasses, and added about 1/4C of pecans.

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Glad you like them! Nice substitution of prunes (incidentally, my nickname was Prunes as a kid) and adding nuts. This reminds me of the fact that when I get a recipe I like, and my customers like, I don't experiment as much. Its an interesting balance to hold consistency with exploration. Even though I do tend to make lots of new things on a regular basis you guys are inspiring me to play with my old standbys a bit more.

Patricia

[Just loafing]

The best bran muffin I've found is Marcy Goldman's in her cookbook BetterBaking.com. (Her Lawsuit Muffins are good, too.) It has a lot of buttermilk which helps keep it moist. I ate one that hadn't sold after about three days and it was quite edible. I find people pay lip service to bran muffins, but if there's any other choice, that's the one they buy! susan

[Chef Metcalf]

I tried one of the Savoury Island Bran Muffins and it was indeed moist, mostly due to the fact that it was undercooked.

The domed top was cooked, but from the paper wrapper down it was definitely undercooked.

I don't know if that's the way they always are, I'll have to try another one some other day.

However, it was absolutely delicious cooked through or not!

I can see why you want to create a similar one.

There were blueberries in it, but I didn't detect any date or cane sugar flavour.

Don't think I got any buttermilk flavour either but lots of bran and maybe wheatgerm too.

Good excuse to go back and investigate.

cm

[Gary]

Patricia,

I made your bran muffin recipe today. I had no molasses so I substituted dark corn syrup. I ran out of vegetable oil so I made up the difference (1/4c) with olive oil. My kids don't like raisins or dates so I didn't put them in. Instead, I soaked some prunes in hot water, drained them, then pureed 'em in a food processor... just to add a bit more fiber and perhaps some more moistness.

They turned out just OK. They are certainly better than the bran muffins my wife has been making recently (shoe leather comes to mind).

I think store-bought "muffins" these days are mislabeled cupcakes. Their moistness and texture is cake-like.

Am I fighting a no-win battle to duplicate this moistness/texture in a bran muffin?

Thanks,

Gary

[pooleparty]

Just to give credit where credit is due, the recipe given by Patricia Austin above is Marcy Goldman's "Double Bran Muffin" with only the slightest of changes.

[DanM]

Is it possible that the bran is not fully hydrated when you make the muffins? If this might be the problem, try soaking the bran in the buttermilk for a few hours to overnight to get full hydration. Then follow the standard muffin method, but add the bran at the same time as the liquid ingredients.

[mache]

I got these from a thread on eG sometime ago and they are great, very moist, but not drippy sticky.

-- Mache

I sell these at the farmer's market and they are a hit. I think the combined elements of oil, plumped fruit and a long soak contribute to the moistness of this muffin. Wish I had one right now for breakfast. Patricia

2 1/2 c. plus 2 T. unbleached all purpose flour

4 1/2 t. baking soda

1 T. baking powder

2 t. cinnamon

1/8 t. salt

3/4 c. vegetable oil

2 T. honey

1/4 c. molasses

1 c. plus 2 T. light brown sugar, packed firm

1 t. vaniilla

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 c. buttermilk

1 c. wheat germ

1 c. natural bran (not the cereal)

1/2 c. dates, plump with scalding water, drain and coarsely chop

1 c. dark raisins, plump with scalding water and drain

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. Next, whisk together the oil, honey, molasses, br. sugar, and vanilla. Whisk into this oil mixture the eggs, then the buttermilk, wheat germ, and bran. Allow the batter to rest 10 minutes. Whisk the dry and wet together to partially blend. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the dates and raisins. Refrigerate batter (covered) for 2 hours or ideally overnight. Bake in lightly greased muffin pans (or use liners). Fill to the brim, and if you like, sprinkle sesame and sunflower seeds on top as a garnish. Bake at 400 degrees.

MJC Note - Makes between 22 and 24 muffins, takes between 20-25 minutes on bottom and 3rd from bottom rack. - 80g of batter per muffin - entire batch is 2030g