Easy honey bran muffins a Mimi’s copycat. A bran muffin with molasses that is soft, a little chewy, sticky, and packed with amazing flavor and gooeyness, and they are on the healthy-ish side! Use oat bran or wheat.

If you are into copycat recipes, you might try my Flour’s Famous Banana Bread, Panera’s Broccoli Cheese Soup or Chipotle Chicken! Both spot on!
I enjoy giving precise details in my recipe posts to lead my readers through any questions. If you’re just here for the printable recipe, use the Jump to Recipe to head straight there!
I had to tweak the recipe slightly; the original recipe called for 4 teaspoon dry milk powder; I looked at the grocery store (truly), but honestly, I couldn’t be bothered, especially for just 4 teaspoons.
So, I did a little math conversion and came up with replacing said milk powder with cream or ยฝ & ยฝ and a little less water and wow did they turn out yummy!
Simple Ingredients for Honey Bran Muffins
- Light Brown Sugar, Honey & Molasses | You will make a glaze as well as use this in the bran muffins themselves.
- Oil | I like a heart-healthy oil like Avocado oil
- Egg | Room temperature is best, I always use large eggs
- Heavy cream or half & half | This acts as a binder
- Orange zest | Adds great flavor, take a few seconds and zest an orange.
- All-purpose flour | I use organic unbleached all-purpose flour
- Wheat Bran or Oat Bran | either can be used successfully, some readers have even used crushed bran cereal
- Baking Powder, Baking Soda and Salt | Make sure your leavenings are fresh!
How to make Mimi’s Honey Bran Muffins
Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C) and spray muffin tin (12 cup) with spray oil.
Step 1 | Make Honey Glaze
In a small bowl, whisk your glaze ingredients together and set aside. If using all natural cane sugar, whisk for a bit longer to break down the larger granules. Set aside.
Step 2 | Make bran muffin batter
In a separate bowl, add dry ingredients; flour, wheat bran, sea salt, baking powder, and baking soda, whisk to combine; set aside.
Fresh Tips
- If you can’t find wheat bran, use oat bran instead!
In a bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, mix brown sugar, honey, molasses, and oil and mix on medium speed until smooth.
Add egg, water, cream (or half & half) and (optional) orange zest and mix until incorporated, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.
Slowly add your dry ingredients with mixer on low speed until mixed.
Step 3 | Assemble and Bake
Stir glaze one more time. Then using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop about โ of a tablespoon of glaze into the bottom of each muffin cup, spreading it around and up the sides; this will ensure that the glaze is evenly distributed and gets all over that muffin!
Using a medium or large cookie scoop, scoop batter into muffin cups, about โ full, careful not to overfill them, they do overflow a bit, but you don’t want them overflowing onto the bottom of your oven.
Fresh Tip
- Some readers have said they only get 7-9 muffins from this recipe. The only thing I can figure out is that they are using a bigger muffin tin, as you can see from the image below, the batter fills up all 12 spots.
- I recommend this muffin pan; it’s my favorite USA-made pan.
Bake for 20 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
As soon as they are done, line a cooling rack with a piece of parchment paper and carefully flip the muffin tin over, allowing those beautiful bran muffins to escape.
They don’t look like much, but once you invert them — watch out baby!!
Eat immediately (especially yummy with a pat of butter) or cool and reheat (also with a pat of butter and maybe a drizzle of honey!).
Storage Tips
Cool completely and store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days; it may be frozen for up to 6 months.
Variations and Substitutions for Oat Bran Muffins
- Fruit Additions: Add diced fruits such as apples, bananas, blueberries, or raisins (hello, honey raisin bran muffins) to the batter.
- Nut Additions: Chopped nuts like walnuts, almonds, or pecans can add a crunchy texture and extra protein to your muffins.
- Spice Additions: Add spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger for extra warmth and flavor.
- Yogurt: Substitute some or all of the liquid in the recipe with yogurt for added moisture and richness. Tho, I haven’t tried it.
- Flour Substitutions: If you’re looking to make the muffins gluten-free, you can substitute wheat flour with alternative flours such as almond flour, coconut flour, or oat flour. Keep in mind that you may need to adjust the amount of liquid in the recipe to achieve the desired consistency.
- Egg Replacements: If you’re vegan or allergic to eggs, you can use substitutes like flaxseed meal or chia seeds mixed with water, mashed banana, applesauce, or commercial egg replacers.
- Oil Substitutions: You can use melted coconut oil, olive oil, or applesauce for a healthier option.
- Sweeteners: Try making these with Monk fruit sugar replacements.
- Buttermilk: I haven’t tried using buttermilk, you would need to change your leavening amounts, if you try it, let me know how it works.
- Whole Wheat Flour: For added fiber and nutrients, you can use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour or in combination with it, though you may need a little more liquid.
High Altitude Sticky Honey Bran Muffins
I bake at 5280 feet above sea level and adapt my recipes for others baking at high altitudes. This recipe has also been successfully tested at sea level and other altitudes. For just about everyone, the recipe stays the same, for altitudes above 7,000 feet:
- Add 2 tablespoons additional flour
- Reduce baking powder to ¾ teaspoon
- Increase cream or water by 2 teaspoons
- Increase oven temperature to 375° F (190° C) and bake for a few minutes less.
What to serve with Oat Bran Muffins
- We love a chai latte with our bran muffins!
- Make it a breakfast party and serve these Panera Orange scones!
- See below for more ideas.
Best drinks to serve with bran muffins
Whip up a warm drink to make these oat bran muffins even more special! We suggest our Christmas chai latte (not just for Christmas), or this luscious Golden Milk latte and a personal favorite, Starbucks White Hot Chocolate.
Starbucks White Hot Chocolate Recipe
A quick and easy recipe on how to make a Starbucks White Hot Chocolate recipe at home. Save time and money, by making this fast copycat white hot chocolate recipe in the comfort of your own home.
Turmeric and Ginger Tea
Golden Milk or Turmeric Tea is a powerful, soothing, warm, immune boosting, antioxidant loaded, anti-inflammatory drink that also aids in sleep!
The Best Christmas Morning Chai Recipe (Dutch Bros)
This holiday season enjoy this copycat Dutch Bros Christmas Morning Chai recipe. A chai latte that is spicy and flavorful chai tea mixed with half and half and swirled with white chocolate syrup. Delicious hot or cold.
Our favorite and most popular breakfast treats
Why is it so fun to whip up a fun treat for the family breakfast? Try our faves, these popular Panera orange scones, and our Panera Pumpkin Muffins; go healthy with this chocolate chip banana bread, or take it over the top with this Flour Banana Bread.
Best Pumpkin Muffin Recipe with Streusel (Panera Copycat)
Easy Panera Pumpkin Muffin recipe, a one bowl simple muffin recipe. Make regular or jumbo pumpkin muffins topped with buttery brown sugar crumb topping and a dusting of powdered sugar.
Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Sweetened with maple syrup and ripe bananas, this recipe for Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread cuts the refined sugar and gluten without losing the delicious homemade taste. The recipe makes either bread or healthy banana chocolate chip muffins and is gluten free, dairy free, grain free, and Paleo friendly.
Best Orange Glazed Scone Recipe (Panera Bread Copycat)
Panera Bread Orange Scone recipe, our tested, step-by-step orange scone recipe will guide you can recreate the same fluffy, citrus scones.
Best Easy High Altitude Banana Bread Recipe (+ Gluten-Free Option)
The best High Altitude Banana Bread, read the reviews! A banana bread with 4 bananas that is more moist and amazingly delicious! It freezes great, too! Plus instructions to make at any altitude, gluten-free adjustments too.
Please enjoy bran responsibly! —————– I crack myself up!!
Recipe lightly adapted from Lou Lou Girls.
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Video
Equipment
Ingredients
Honey Glaze
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar I used all-natural cane sugar, regular white sugar works too
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar packed
- 3 tablespoons butter melted (not margarine)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons water
- pinch kosher salt
Bran Muffins
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 cup oat bran or wheat bran, they are interchangeable
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ยฝ teaspoon baking powder
- ยผ teaspoon kosher salt
- โ cup light brown sugar packed (may try dark brown sugar too)
- ยผ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons molasses unsulphured
- ยผ cup vegetable oil I like avocado oil
- 1 large egg
- ยผ cup water
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream or half & half
- 1 ½ – 3 teaspoons orange zest Optional, Mix in or just sprinkle on top
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350° F (175° C) and spray muffin tin (12 cups) with spray oil.
- In a small bowl, whisk together granulated sugar (3 TBL), brown sugar (3 TBL), honey (2 TBL), melted butter (3 TBL), water (2 tsp) and pinch of salt. Whisk longer to break down the larger granules if using all-natural cane sugar. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl add dry ingredients; flour (1 cup), wheat/oat bran (1 cup), salt (¼ tsp), baking powder (½ tsp), and baking soda (1 tsp) and whisk to combine, set aside.
- In a bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, mix brown sugar (⅓ cup), honey (¼ cup), molasses (2 TBL), and oil (¼ cup) and mix on medium speed until smooth.
- Add egg (1 room temp), water (¼ cup), cream (2 TBL) (or half & half) and orange zest (1 ยฝ-2 tsp) and mix until incorporated, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Slowly add your dry ingredients with a mixer on low speed until mixed.
- Stir glaze and using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop about โ of a tablespoon of glaze into bottom of each muffin cup, spreading it around and up the sides, this will ensure that distribution of the glaze is even and gets all over that muffin!
- Using a medium or large cookie scoop, scoop muffin batter into muffin cups, about โ full, careful not to overfill them, they do overflow a bit, but you don't want them overflowing onto the bottom of your oven. *If your muffin pan is deeper or larger than most, fill until about ½ full or make fewer larger muffins.Bake for 20 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- As soon as they are done, line a cooling rack with a piece of parchment paper and carefully flip the muffin tin over, allowing those beautiful bran muffins to escape.
- Eat immediately (especially yummy with a pat of butter) or cool and reheat (also with a pat of butter and maybe drizzle of honey!) Please enjoy bran responsibly! ————- I crack myself up!!
Notes
Nutrition
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Theresa
Excellent bran muffins! I used Bobโs RedMill wheat bran for this recipe. Added raisins. Added pat of butter to each muffin when I tipped them out of the muffin pan. Great recipe, thank you!
Yum, Iโm drooling now Theresa! ๐ thank you!
Candee
Absolutely delicious! I used bran flakes and crushed them. The recipe and instructions were very accurate to make 12 muffins. Thanks for sharing
Love your twist, Candee!! Thank you so much!
Bitsy Weber
Tasted very good, they did run over and fall, no reason for that as I have a precise cupcake batter spoon to make sure there is the exact amount in each cup, the glaze oozed out too. They’re delicious, just ugly.
Sorry they are ugly, they arenโt the prettiest muffin in general. Sorry you had them run over. Since some do and some donโt have that experience all I can figure out is that it might be variances in peoples muffin tins. But glad you love it!
Trisha
Wonderful recipe! Iโve been searching for the perfect bran muffin recipe and this is it! My boyfriend loves them! Thanks so much!
Yay!!! Thanks, Trisha!
Julie M
Excellent recipe- bit it makes way more than 12 regular size muffins. Mine spilled over big time. Definitely donโt overfill and make a second pan.
Thank you Julie, for your tips and sweet comment. So glad you liked them!
Lon
Delicious and super easy to make. I also used avocado oil.
Love it, Lon!! Thank you so much! Happy baking!
Sarai Mar
I want to make these but before I do, I have a question regarding the avocado oil. Is it really necessary to use this oil or any oil or am I able to substitute with more butter?
Hi Sarai, no you can absolutely use any neutral oil though Iโd be careful with any strong tasting oils such as olive oil, and yes you could substitute butter but you may get a slightly more oily or greasy muffin. Let me know how it turns out.
CarrieB
I donโt comment often on recipes but these were so good that I want to! Very yummy but donโt make the mistake that I did and use muffin papers. I had sprayed the papers with nonstick spray so most of the glaze came off but I bet they would have been even better if all of the glaze had stuck to the muffins instead. No need for butter – just 14 seconds in the microwave to reheat and these were excellent. Thanks for the great recipe!
So happy you loved them so much, Carrie! You are the best!
Janeen
This reminds me of the bran muffins I used to get in the 90โs from a local bakery. The best bran muffin! You donโt even realize you are eating bran!
And that is always a win, Janeen!! LOL! Thank you so much for your sweet comment!
Trisha
My boyfriend always gets his favorite bran muffins from our neighborhood coffee shop & I have tried at least 6 different recipes, trying to copy them, all to no avail. Except for now! This is the absolute best recipe ever and I think he even likes these more than the ones he buys at the coffee house! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
This makes me smile Trisha!! Thank you for your kind words!
Janet Gerou
Turned out so good! I added raisins and before adding the batter I sprinkled chopped walnuts in each cup. They were excellent.
Oooo I love your twist, Janet!! So glad you liked them!!
Tracy
This is the recipe Iโve been looking for forever!! Taste exactly like the muffins I used to eat in high school. Best bran muffin recipe, moist and very flavorful ๐๐ฝ๐๐ฝ
Thank you so much Tracy!! You made my day!!