Cherry Pecan Bran Muffins
Sometimes I think I would be perfectly happy in the kitchen making nothing but muffins all day long. Quick to prepare and endlessly adaptable, muffins are fun, easy, and delicious – and I believe everyone should learn to bake them.
If you’ve been reading about my kitchen adventures for any length of time, you already know that I tend to make a lot of whole grain muffins. While I do love sweet, cake-like muffins, I decided long ago that if I’m going to snack on something that tastes like dessert, I’d almost always rather go for an actual cupcake.
So while my muffins might not fall into the category of health food, I do try to find a nice balance between flavor, texture, and nutrition. These cherry pecan bran muffins are no exception. The muffins are packed with fiber but aren’t overly dense or heavy; the tart cherries and pecans lend a wonderful flavor, but also pack a nutritional punch. Tart cherries are filled with antioxidants, are a natural source of melatonin, and might help to ease the pain of arthritis, and when taken out of the pie, pecans are good for you as well.
I’ve been eating these muffins for breakfast with a side of Greek yogurt, but they also make a great mid-afternoon snack. You may substitute other dried fruits or nuts for the cherries and pecans, but I found this combination to be a delicious one.
Cherry Pecan Bran Muffins
1 1/2 cups wheat bran
1/2 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup dried tart cherries, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin with butter, nonstick baking spray, or paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together wheat bran and boiling water; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. When wheat bran has cooled, whisk in the egg, milk, oil, and brown sugar. Pour wet bran mixture into the flour mixture and stir with a large spoon until just combined. Fold in the chopped cherries and pecans.
3. Divide batter between the twelve muffin cups (a regular-sized ice cream scoop works well). Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 18-22 minutes, or until the top of the muffin springs back lightly to your touch or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Check early and don’t let them over bake.
Nutrition Info per serving (one muffin): 252 calories; 11 grams fat; 37 grams total carbohydrate; 4 grams fiber; 15 grams sugars; 5 grams protein. Nutrition information is approximate – analyzed through NutritionData.com
Related Recipes:
- Whole Grain Sour Cream Apple Muffins
- Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins with Cranberries and Walnuts
- Peach and Banana Bran Muffins
- Whole Wheat Applesauce Spice Muffins
- Double Dark Chocolate Beet Muffins
- Whole Wheat and Oat Bran Banana Muffins
- Whole Wheat Orange Spice Muffins
Around the Web:
- Baby Bran Muffins from 101 Cookbooks
- Blueberry Oat Bran Muffins from Chocolate & Zucchini
- Basic Bran Muffins from Erin Cooks
- Sour Cream Bran Muffins from Smitten Kitchen
- Farmgirl Susan’s Basic Bran Muffins from Farmgirl Fare
10 Responses to “Cherry Pecan Bran Muffins”
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This looks like a great recipe to try! I have a whole bag of organic dried cranberries left over from last season that I may substitute for the cherries, but from my experience, dried tart cherries are a wonderful fruit to bake with.
I just added you to my blogroll! I’m a tiny, budding, blog.
Cheers,
Frances
http://www.makespoons.wordpress.com
yes you should bake all day long, because all of your muffin creations are THE best I’ve had. I’ve really enjoyed all your whole-grain recipes and appreciate that they actually taste darn good & are healthier
thanks for the recipe! can’t wait to try these.
That recipe is right up my alley! I might substitute yoghurt for the milk though.
That is such an interesting recipe! I like your generous use of wheat bran and the technique of making it into a “wet ingredient” by mixing with water. I guess you could do the same for polenta or oatmeal, then add it to muffins?
What’s not to like about bran muffins? Especially tender, golden ones that go light on the oil and are packed with fruit and nuts? I made these as soon as I saw the recipe!! Substituted diced dried apricots and oat bran since that was what I had, and added a teaspoon of cinnamon. Lovely. A keeper. Many thanks. I will take one of these over a cupcake any day!
Just because its healthy doesn’t mean it has to taste bad.
When I saw this recipe this morning, I immediately thought of the wheat bran languishing in my cabinet, and decided to make them. They were really good–hearty but not heavy, and just lightly sweetened. Thanks for the recipe!
Those muffins look so delicious and real it seems like you can actually pick them right off the Computer screen. Even though you said they are not healthy you do have some very nutritious ingredients in them.
I like trying different cakes and muffins myself, but to make them truly healthy and less fattening I substitute the whole milk with skim milk, and the white flour with wholegrain flour, and use honey or natural cane sugar for sweetening, and in place of canola oil I use olive oil .
But I am sure yours taste just as good, you do have wheatbran and the cherry pecans for fiber.
Cherry Pecan sounds really interesting! What a great combination!
I am always amazed by the sheer number of different varietes of muffins that can be made. I have yet to use bran or wholegrains in any of mine – somthing to try soon I feel.