Filled with oats, bran, and juicy fresh apple pieces, these quick and easy apple bran muffins are the perfect filling snack or grab-and-go breakfast option.
Quick and easy muffin recipes like this apple bran muffin recipe are a great breakfast or after-school snack. They’re filling thanks to the addition of rolled oats, deliciously moist thanks to the milk, oil, and yogurt, and have just the right amount of sweetness thanks to the honey, vanilla, and brown sugar topping. Yep, there’s no added sugar so you could even go so far as to say this is a pretty healthy muffin recipe!
Now, there are a lot of ingredients listed below to make these apple bran muffins. But don’t let that long list scare you! I promise many of the ingredients are baking essentials that you probably already have on hand. The instructions aren’t difficult either. We just have to combine our wet ingredients, combine our dry ingredients, and mix them together. Then we add the batter to the muffin tin and add brown sugar and oats on top. In 20 minutes, your apple muffins will be baked and ready to eat.
I just love the combination of bran cereal with fresh apple and cinnamon. This is truly the perfect fall muffin recipe for those busy back-to-school days. If you’re on the hunt for other easy muffin recipes, here are a few to choose from: apricot muffins, apple spice muffins, raisin bran muffins, vegan banana nut muffins, and oatmeal muffins (add your own mix-ins). Alright, let’s get baking!
Recipe Ingredients
- Milk
- Vegetable oil
- Bran cereal
- All-purpose flour
- Quick or old-fashioned rolled oats
- Eggs
- Honey
- Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated
- Pure vanilla extract
- Brown sugar
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Vanilla or plain Greek yogurt
- Ground cinnamon
- Salt
How to Make Apple Bran Muffins
Preheat the oven to 375 and line your muffin tin with paper liners.
Next, we’re going to mix the wet ingredients together. So in a mixing bowl, add the eggs…
Oil…
Milk…
Vanilla or plain yogurt…
Vanilla extract…
And honey.
Mix until blended.
Fold in the rolled oats and the crushed bran.
Let that soak for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt) to a separate mixing bowl.
After 10 minutes, combine the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients.
Stir well and then fold in the grated apple.
Scoop the batter into the muffin tin until each cup is 3/4 full.
Mix brown sugar and the remaining oats together in a small bowl and…
Sprinkle that on top.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Allow them to cool for a few minutes before removing them from the pan.
Enjoy!
By the way… they taste amazing when served warm with a spread of butter or jam.
Storage
- Store leftover muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- You can also freeze muffins for up to 3 months. Just thaw at room temperature before serving.
Recipe Notes
- Feel free to use any kind of milk to make these muffins, including buttermilk.
- If you’d like to add more spice, add a teaspoon of apple pie spice, pumpkin pie spice, or nutmeg.
- You can also use any kind of oil, like olive oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, or coconut oil. Another option is to substitute it for melted butter.
- Another easy substitution? Swapping the flour for whole-wheat flour. You can also substitute the flour for gluten-free flour, but you’ll need to also use gluten-free bran for these to be gluten-free apple bran muffins.
- If it’s not a muffin recipe for you without some chopped nuts, fold in 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or chopped pecans when you add the grated apple.
Recipe FAQs
How do you serve apple bran muffins?
My kids will devour them as is, but they also taste great served warm with butter, jam, or honey. Just give them a quick zap in the microwave or air fryer and you’ll be good to do.
What are the best apples for baking?
You can never go wrong with a tart and firm apple like Granny Smith, but other good options include Fuji, Honeycrisp, and Golden Delicious.
Check out these other easy apple recipes:
Frozen Apple Pie (And How to Bake From Freezer)
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated
- 2/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup quick or old-fashioned rolled oats plus 3 tbsp for topping
- 1 1/4 cup crushed bran cereal
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 and line your muffin tin with paper liners.
- Mix your wet ingredients together (eggs, oil, milk, honey, yogurt, and vanilla) in a mixing bowl until blended. Fold in the rolled oats and the crushed bran and let them soak for 10 minutes.2 eggs, 1/2 cup whole milk, 2/3 cup vegetable oil, 2/3 cup honey, 1/4 cup plain or vanilla yogurt, 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract, 1 cup quick or old-fashioned rolled oats, 1 1/4 cup crushed bran cereal
- In another mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add the wet ingredients in, stir well, and then fold in the grated apple.1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated, 1.5 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt
- Scoop the batter into the muffin tin until each cup is 3/4 full. Mix brown sugar and the remaining oats together and sprinkle on top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 cup quick or old-fashioned rolled oats
Nutrition
“What you do every day matters more than what you do every once in a while.”
~Gretchen Rubin
Good recipe, found out I didn’t have milk so I used Half n Half worked well
These are the best muffins (not to mention they are bran) I’ve ever had. They melt in your mouth! Who’d have known they were bran muffins!
These are the best muffins I’ve ever had. I now make them once a week!
Oh, my Gosh! I have LOVED Martha White Honey Bran Muffin Mix for years, but have not been able to find it in any store in the southeast!!! I used to add a little brown sugar, raisins and walnuts to the mix and make muffins to die for for breakfasts on the go! After repeatedly checking EVERY grocery store within a hundred mile radius, I finally went to Walmart,com and ordered the mix. Oh Joy! I’m waiting for it to arrive tomorrow! I thought that I might be the only person who loved this muffin mix and am SO glad to know that I am not alone!
You are definitely not alone 🙂 and I am so glad you were able to find it!!
Southern Plate is the BEST!! Thanks again Christy!
Thank you Diane!!
I love Muffins, today I made my own again, but didn’t feel like running out to the store for some ingred. so I looked around at recipes, and in my old church cook book found a bran recipe, I had two apples grated them, … thought how ’bout banana, mashed added that,hmmmm, a little thick, so I added some milk,added some bran,bran flakes with raisins and clumps of apples and strawberries,applesauce,That will be tomorrows breakfast, Thanks for the idea, I have used a mix too, and add Carrots-grated and all these fruits, …Morning Glory Muffins. Yum!
Oh my goodness, sounds delicious!!!
I make my brand muffins with raisin brand cereal,flour,sugar,salt,soda,cinnamon,allspice,cloves, buttermilk, eggs, oil and nuts if desired. They make up alot and keep in the fridge for a week to make when you want them.
Please share complete recipe , Ruth!!
I like those as well. Here is the recipe on my site if anyone needs it: https://www.southernplate.com/2008/08/raisin-bran-muffins-ready-when-you-are.html
I also have a great variation that I do with Oatmeal. Any time, any kind muffins: https://www.southernplate.com/2012/08/anytime-any-kind-muffins-and-why-you-dont-need-lipliner-in-an-earthquake.html