Bomb Ass Bran Muffins!
I wasn’t really in the mood for a big breakfast but a bowl of cereal isn’t cuttin’ it for me either. So, I decided to make a batch of muffins with what I had on hand which turned out to be a gang load of bran and a bag of raisins.
It’s said that most people should consume about 20-25 grams of dietary fiber a day and it has actually been shown that consuming bran may have tremendous benefits for the gastrointestinal tract, as a pro-biotic food, in combating heart disease, keeping you ‘regular’ and maybe even in controlling weight. Other possible benefits of bran include reducing risk of heart attack and may also help to prevent colon cancer. Holy fiber Batman!
The following bran muffin recipe I snagged online somewhere a few years ago and veganized. Most of the time I try to use healthier substitutes like applesauce, ground flax, agave nectar in place of sugar, etc. but with this recipe I’ve noticed they don’t tend to come out quite as good if I alter it. So, I stuck with the original recipe.
- 1 cup wheat bran
- 1/2 cup of wheat germ
- 1 cup soy or rice milk mixed with 1 Tablespoon of vinegar
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- Equivalent of 1 egg – either Ener G egg replacer or ground flax and water
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup raisins
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
- Mix together wheat bran, wheat germ and milk and vinegar mixture; let stand for 10 minutes while preparing the other ingredients.
- Beat together oil, egg replacer, sugar and vanilla and add to milk/bran mixture. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir flour mixture into milk mixture, until just blended. ** If the mix seems a little dry, add a bit more milk to reach a creamy consistency** Fold in raisins and spoon batter into prepared muffin tins.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Viola!
Besides the health benefits, these suckers are super tasty. Moist, but dense, they are sure to fill you up for a good couple hours depending on how big you make them. We like em’ big!
Pair it with a glass of soy milk, a cup of coffee or a mug of tea and you’re off to an awesome start for the day. (They also make great pick-me-up snacks when you’re nodding off in class… ) 
