Before you balk at bran being thrown at you once again as a great way to get your fiber, let me say that these muffins are truly delicious.  My mum has been making these for a long time, and even as a kid they kind of seemed like a dessert to me (this might be partly because we didn’t eat dessert a lot…).  Now that I’m sure I’ve convinced you of these muffins’ yummyness (I’m just inventing words this morning), I should tell you that they are also healthy (and yes, a great way to eat your fiber). Go make them!

This recipe is a great base, too, for whatever dried fruit/nuts/berries/all of the above you want to throw in.  One of my favourite add-ins are blueberries, but I went for something a little different this time with dried cherries and walnuts. Delicious.  These babies also make very satisfying travel snacks — a good thing, since I’m taking a couple to the airport with me. Have a great weekend!

Honey Bran Muffins
(adapted from the Complete Canadian Living Cookbook)
Makes 12 large muffins

2 eggs
1 1/3 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
¼ cup honey
2 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cups 100% bran or all-bran cereal
1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
¼  cup brown sugar
1 ½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cup dried fruit/berries/nuts of choice

Whisk eggs, buttermilk, oil, honey, and vanilla in a large bowl, stir in the cereal/bran. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes.

In another bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Pour the bran mixture over the dry ingredients and mix until moist.  If you are adding any fruit or nuts, stir them in until evenly combined.

Spoon into prepared muffin pans and bake at 375F for about 25 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown and tops are firm to the touch. Let cool for five minutes in the pan before moving to a cooling rack. Enjoy!

Super handy tip (thanks, Mum!): If your batter doesn’t fill a whole muffin pan, just add about 1 inch of hot water in the empty ones so that nothing burns and they all bake evenly.