Recipe of the week: Bran Muffins

This past week two people have emailed me about the bran muffin recipe I used to make for the coffee bar, so I told them I’d post it on my blog. I also thought it to be very serendipitous timing since the friend who gave me the recipe has a birthday tomorrow on Leap day. (We call these the Infamous Bran muffins). The original recipe came from an eighty-something year old nun who serves at a silence and solitude retreat center somewhere in Minnesota. I’ve made a couple of changes (what else is new!), the original was twice the ingredients but I no longer have a second refrigerator so I halved it, and I use the organic bran cereal from Trader Joes instead of All Bran, which has HFCS in it. We love it with the date mixture and walnuts but I’ve also made it with pineapple and flaxseed and it was very good as well. Let me know what you think. A Votre Sante and Happy Birthday, my lovely friend Lisa Marie Nygard I wish I was there to spend the day with you xoxo!


Bran Muffins

Part 1: 1 cup Bran cereal (I use Trader Joe’s organic)

1 cup boiling water

Combine, stir, and set aside to cool. Stir occasionally to dissolve


Part 2: 2 cups Bran cereal

2 1/2 cups flour (half white, half wheat)

Combine in large container.


Part 3: 1/2 quart Buttermilk (at room temp to fully acivate soda)

2 1/2 tsp Baking Soda

Combine and let stand a bit before mixing


In a very large bowl add:

2 large eggs and 1 egg white, beat well (if you double it use 5 eggs)

1 1/4 cups white sugar (vary as desired), beat well (if you double it use 2 1/4 cups)

1/2 cups cooking oil (I use half olive oil, half veg.), beat well

1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp vanilla, beat well


Add part 1, beat well

Add part 2, beat well

Add part 3, and guess what? — Yes, you must beat well!


Pour mixture back into bowl, and store in fridge overnight before baking. It keeps up to 6 weeks in fridge.

Pour muffin mixture into large muffin tins, spread a line of date filling on top, sprinkle with walnuts.

Backe at 350-375 degrees about 15-18 minutes depending on size and filling.

Makes approximately 3 dozen muffins.


Date Filling:

Combine equal parts of dates, water and sugar. I like using Mejool dates, you have to pit them first but they are sweeter and plumper than the other kinds. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring often, until well cooked (approximately 3-4 hours) Add vanilla and store in refrigerator (keeps for months).


Other additions: raisins, pineapple, or anything else you want to try.