The classic bran muffin meets a whole can of pumpkin in this wholesome recipe that the whole family will love!
Bran muffins are a seemingly wholesome way to start the day, yet so many bran muffins rely on sugar and oil to create moisture and flavor… Enter pumpkin!
These satisfying muffins offer the health benefits of bran and pumpkin with ingredients that are easily kept on hand. As an added benefit, the recipe uses the whole can of pumpkin, and the batter may be mixed the night before and baked in the morning.
In my house, there are always boxes of the kids’ favorite cereals available for a quick meal. Proof of a successful breakfast recipe occurs when the kids choose it over their go-to cereal. I’ve made countless batches of these muffins, and they’re the winner every time. (I’m happy to say they’ve become a reader favorite, too!) Use the optional two ingredient frosting for a tangy-sweet treat on these or other muffins and quick breads.
For a gluten- and dairy-free option that tastes nearly identical, click here.
The photo above shows the gluten-and dairy-free adaptation for this muffin. A few easy changes create a muffin that tastes almost identical.
….And some old photos. The photo at the very top of the page was featured in the November 2014 issue of Susquehanna Style.
Yield: 12 muffins
- 1 15-ounce can 100% pure pumpkin (not pie filling)
- 1 cup bran cereal (like Fiber One or All Bran)
- 3/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup melted butter or coconut oil
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Optional: Shredded coconut and/or coarse sugar for sprinkling; *Speedy Cream Cheese Frosting* (see notes for easy recipe)
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin, bran cereal, raisins, butter or melted coconut oil, and sugars. Stir in the eggs and the buttermilk.
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In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to the pumpkin mixture and stir to just combine.
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Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least three hours or overnight.
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
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Grease or line a 12-cup muffin tin and scoop the batter into the pan. I like to use a large ice cream scoop. Cups will be rather full but they will not overflow.
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Sprinkle the tops with a little coarse sugar, if desired, then bake for 23-28 minutes or until the muffins pass the toothpick test. (Check a little early as all ovens vary.)
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Allow muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, and then remove to rack to cool completely.
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Store leftovers in refrigerator and rewarm gently in microwave, if desired.
- My latest favorite addition to these muffins is coconut, which complements the flavor of pumpkin beautifully. If you are a fan, consider stirring up to half a cup of shredded coconut (unsweetened or sweetened according to preference) into the batter and sprinkling a small amount on the muffin tops prior to baking.
- For a slightly decadent topping option, stir approximately 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup into a quarter cup of cream cheese (the mixture will be creamier if the cream cheese is softened first; if not, just keep stirring until smooth). Use as a speedy cream cheese frosting for the muffins. Feel free to adjust the amount of maple syrup up or down to your liking and double the recipe if you’d like to frost all the muffins.
I made these last night. I had to substitute the cereal for whole wheat bran and I also used a white whole wheat, I was out of white flour . These came out amazing! I’m a terrible baker, so, I was shocked at how well these came out! I was so worried these would come out dense and hard; nope, Thank you for posting this amazing recipe!
Fabulous! I’m happy you enjoyed these and really appreciate the great feedback!
Hi, I found this on FoodGawker and was hoping I could get your permission to post the recipe on my instagram recipe page (@foodie_recipes) as it looks delicious! I will tag you in the photo and put your ig name and website address on the post! Hope this is okay, thanks 🙂 x
Thanks for asking, Olivia. Feel free to use the photo and tag me on your instagram page.
I love that you made these with pumpkin, and that frosting?? YUM, the coconut topped ones are amazing too! Nettie
Thank you, Nettie!
I made these and they were delicious! After I emailed you regarding substitutions and you got back to me, I used the Special K crunchy cereal and I also did the buttermilk replacement as you suggested with 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt and 1/4 cup skim milk. I made them as mini muffins because my little ones love to eat those and, I confess, I used mini chocolate chips rather than raisins…I figured with all the other healthy stuff in there, that’s a good balance.
Thanks for another great recipe Ann. Next up, pumpkin baked oatmeal…I love seasonal cooking!
Could you tell me how many calories each muffin would be?
Hi Connie,
Since I often give options within a recipe, I don’t calculate the calorie content. Many people like the following way to easily figure it out though… http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php. I hope it’s helpful!
Any suggestions as a substitution for the buttermilk?
Cup for cup, a good substitution for buttermilk is 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice with milk added to 1 cup. (In this case, you can adjust for the required 3/4 cup.) Though I have not done this with these muffins, in other recipes, I have used canned coconut milk with citrus juice in the same proportions with excellent results. Hope that helps!
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will make these today. looks like a great after school snack!!
These look delicious! Any ideas to about what to substitute to make gluten free?
Hi Cindy,
This is one of the few recipes that I have not made gluten-free. I might start by using my gluten-free flour blend and subbing gluten-free oats for the bran…but they wouldn’t be bran muffins anymore as the bran is wheat bran. I am linking another pumpkin muffin recipe that is naturally gluten-free and I really love it, too. You might want to give it a try…
https://fountainavenuekitchen.com/chocolate-chip-pumpkin-muffins-grain-free/
I made these substituting sweet potatoes for the pumpkin and added a few chopped toasted pecans. Fabulous! I just discovered this site and I will be trying more recipes.
So glad you found your way here, too, Irene. I am so glad these were a hit!
I can’t believe how well these baked up! I had to make something high-fiber for my son for health reasons, so I tried to amp it up and replaced a third of a cup of white flour with whole wheat pastry flour…and it was fabulous! Moist and delicious. Thanks so much!
I am thrilled these were such a hit, Yvette! Thanks for the terrific feedback!
I made these last night and just finished baking my first batch this morning. Can I just say… These are AMAZING and CRAZY DELICIOUS! They’re extremely moist & have a wonderful texture about them. Thank you for the recipe!!!
I am so happy these were a hit, Becca. Thank you for the great feedback!
i just made these they are so good. i live in Australia and we dont have tinned pumpkin so i used fresh pumpkin then cooked and mashed it.
I am thrilled you liked them, Jodie, and bet the fresh pumpkin made them extra special! Thanks so much for letting me know!
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I just pulled these muffins out of the oven and tasted one. The only thing I can say is that I’m SO glad that I made a double batch! They’re moist, flavorful, and absolutely delicious — without being overly sweet. I really was supposed to be making dinner but I couldn’t resist trying this recipe. Pumpkin Bran Muffins for dinner!
I love that kind of dinner, Rila! Sometimes, it really hits the spot! I am so glad you like these…and do hope my favorite 11-year-old approves!
That 11-year-old (and his dad) each ate 2 muffins already. Next time I’ll have to make a triple batch!
I love it! Thank you for the follow up: )
I love anything baked with pumpkin, I just printed out this recipe as I know how fattening and unhealthy muffins can be. Can’t wait to try it and Congrats on winning the trip for your SmartBalance blog contest. That looks yummy too!
Thank you very much, Aimee, and I hope you love these muffins as much as we do. So glad you found your way here through our mutual friend, Jill!
This is the best twist on bran muffins I’ve seen! Thank you!
Thank you for the kind words, Jackie! Coming from you, that is an especially big compliment! xo
I am going to try these because YUM! I have all the ingredients in the house so might whip these up for my self-induced (and much-needed) Solitary Saturday this weekend.
FYI, the original All-Bran muffin recipe is here:
http://www.kelloggs.com/en_US/original-muffins.html My dad has made these since I was a kid and they are so good. Just slightly sweet, which means a drizzle of honey on top is absolutely delish.
It only has a 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/3 cup of fat. The recipe calls for shortening (shortening in muffins???) but we always use vegetable oil and I’m sure you could use melted butter or coconut oil like the recipe you posted.
Thank you, Violet! The All-Bran muffin link brings back memories. That was the first bran muffin I ever made years ago. There was an All-Bran fan in my house growing up and I spied the recipe on the side of the cereal box. Those were the days when we had a big container of Crisco in the cupboard! Hope you enjoy this version!
Thank you Ann,
I have another one to try.. 🙂 this looks fabulous!
My pleasure, Mary Lou: )