Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oven to 375°F and grease a mini muffin pan well, making sure to coat every corner of each cup.
- Stir the wheat bran, chia seeds, and ground flaxseed into the buttermilk in a large bowl and let it sit for 15 minutes, until it looks thick like wet oatmeal and most of the loose liquid is absorbed.
- Whisk the egg, oil, molasses, brown sugar, and vanilla into the soaked bran until the mixture is glossy and evenly brown.
- Spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level it off. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- If using raisins, chop them into small pieces.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and fold with a spatula just until no dry flour is visible. Fold in the chopped raisins if using.
- Use a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop to fill each mini muffin cup nearly to the top.
- Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, checking at 10 minutes. The muffins are done when the tops spring back when pressed and a toothpick comes out clean or with a crumb or two.
- Let the muffins rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool.
- Wipe out and re-grease the pan, then bake the remaining batter the same way.
Notes
Cook time assumes two batches in a 24-cup mini muffin pan. With enough pans to bake all 36 at once, cook time is 10 to 13 minutes.
Do not overbake. Mini muffins dry out quickly, and one extra minute makes a noticeable difference.
Butter option: use 1/3 cup melted unsalted butter instead of oil for more butter flavor. The muffins will be slightly firmer, especially when chilled.
Extra moist option: replace 1/4 cup of the buttermilk with 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce.
Measure flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling, or weigh it at about 120 grams. Packed flour makes dry muffins.
Use raw wheat bran, not bran cereal. Bran cereal adds sugar and changes the texture.
Use regular unsulphured molasses. Blackstrap is too bitter. No buttermilk: stir 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 1/4 cups milk and let it sit 5 minutes. Standard muffins: makes 12. Bake at 375°F for 16 to 20 minutes. Make ahead: batter keeps covered in the fridge up to 2 days. Bake from cold and add about 1 minute. Storage: once fully cool, keep airtight at room temperature up to 3 days, or freeze up to 3 months. They get softer overnight.
Use regular unsulphured molasses. Blackstrap is too bitter. No buttermilk: stir 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 1/4 cups milk and let it sit 5 minutes. Standard muffins: makes 12. Bake at 375°F for 16 to 20 minutes. Make ahead: batter keeps covered in the fridge up to 2 days. Bake from cold and add about 1 minute. Storage: once fully cool, keep airtight at room temperature up to 3 days, or freeze up to 3 months. They get softer overnight.