Crunchy Bran Muffins
Submitted by OZ23
Crunchy bran muffins with a brown-sugar streusel topping over a moist, tender crumb. The bran cereal soaks in hot milk first, so these high-fiber breakfast muffins never turn out dry or gritty.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
20 minREADY
40 minA good bran muffin shouldn’t taste like punishment, and these don’t. The trick is soaking shredded wheat bran cereal in hot milk before it ever meets the flour, which softens the bran into a moist, tender crumb instead of a dry, sandy one.
Then there’s the topping, the reason they earn the word crunchy. A simple streusel of firm margarine cut into flour and brown sugar gets crumbled over each muffin before baking, so they emerge with a sweet, craggy, crackly lid.
As with any muffin, the golden rule is restraint. Stir the batter only until the flour disappears, and let it look lumpy.
Overmix it and you’ll trade that soft, open crumb for tough, rubbery muffins riddled with tunnels.
Kitchen Tips
- Let the cereal sit in the hot milk until it’s properly softened. Rushing this leaves a gritty texture.
- Stir the batter just until the flour is moistened. Lumps are good; smooth batter means tough muffins.
- Keep the topping margarine firm and cold so it cuts into crumbs instead of melting to paste.
- Pop the muffins out of the tin right away so the bottoms don’t steam and go soggy.
Variations
- Fold raisins, chopped dates, or a handful of walnuts into the batter.
- Add a teaspoon of cinnamon or a little orange zest for warmth.
- Swap the milk for buttermilk for a tangier, even more tender crumb.
Ingredients
Directions
Heat oven to 400℉ (200℃).
Grease bottoms only of 12 muffin cups.
Mix cereal and milk. let stand until cereal is slightly softened.
Stir in remaining ingredients, except for the crunchy topping, just until flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy).
Fill muffin cups about ⅔ full.
Sprinkle with crunchy topping.
Bake until golden, about 18 to 20 minutes.
Remove from cups immediately and let cool slightly.
To make topping: cut margarine into flour and sugar until crumbly.
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