Janet's Oat Bran Muffins

A no-fuss muffins recipe that earns its place in the weekday rotation. Built on oat bran cereal, these bake up hearty and high in fiber, the kind of breakfast that actually keeps you full until lunch.

They stay light because the fat is minimal: just two egg whites, skim milk and a couple tablespoons of oil, with honey (or molasses) and brown sugar doing the sweetening. The golden rule with any bran batter is restraint. Stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened and no further; a few lumps are fine.

Overmixing develops the gluten and gives you tough, tunnel-riddled muffins instead of tender ones. Fill the cups almost full and bake hot so they dome. Best of all, the base batter is a blank canvas for whatever you fold in.

Pro Tips

• Mix only until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Overmixing bran batter makes the muffins tough and full of tunnels.
• Let the batter rest a couple of minutes before baking so the oat bran absorbs some liquid and softens.
• Fill the cups almost full and bake in a hot oven for the best domed tops.
• These freeze well; cool completely, bag them, then reheat for a grab-and-go breakfast.

Variations

• Raisin nut: fold in a handful of raisins and chopped nuts.
• Banana nut: stir in mashed ripe banana and chopped nuts.
• Blueberry: gently fold in fresh or frozen blueberries, adding frozen ones straight from the freezer to avoid purple streaking.