I’ve been posting a lot of oat-based recipes recently. Maybe it’s because my husband purchased an institutional-sized box of oatmeal from Costco mid-pandemic. This recipe is featuring oat bran, oatmeal’s forgotten cousin. Oat bran was popular in the 1990’s for its cholesterol-lowering benefits but for some reason, it fell off the oat radar. It’s a nice alternative to oatmeal. It’s much creamier, cooks quickly, and has a higher soluble fiber content because it’s made from the bran of the oat grain. My favorite way to use oat bran is in muffins. I make a double batch of this recipe, froze the muffins individually so I can grab one or two for breakfast or for a quick snack later in the day. Don’t let the long list of ingredients scare you away. These muffins are quick and easy to make and you likely have all the ingredients in your fridge and pantry.
Apple and Spice Oat Bran Muffins
Ingredients
3/4 cup oat bran cereal
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 ripe banana, mashed with a fork
1/2 cup plain, fat-free yogurt
1/4 cup milk (fat-free cow’s milk, soy milk or other plant milk)
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup shredded apples
1/3 cup raisins or chopped dates and 1/3 cup chopped walnuts (if desired)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray or line with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients (oat bran through nutmeg). Make a well in the center of the bowl. Add mashed banana, yogurt, milk, egg, oil and vanilla. Stir just the wet ingredients together in the center of the bowl. Mix wet with dry, just until combined. Fold in the apples and the raisins or dates and walnuts (if using).
- Fill 12 muffin cups and bake for 15-17 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Note: These muffins freeze well.
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Judy Matusky, RDN, LDN 