Craisin Bran Muffins

Shout out to my DJ mentor, Esquire, who chose Raisin Bran as his favorite cereal when we recently had this discussion. Gotta be soggy though, am I right? The questions I ask this man during our sessions range from weird to totally inappropriate. But I digress.
Raisin Bran serves as the inspiration for these delectable, seasonal muffins. Bran (fiber), dried cranberries, walnuts, and spices make these the perfect breakfast treat. They’re also a yummy accompaniment to your pumpkin spice latte. They can be made with GF or regular flour, your choice of milk, and vegan with an egg substitute. I reduced the sugar by half by swapping in unsweetened applesauce. I’m all about the one bowl muffin process, so these are quick to put together and just as easy to enjoy.

Ingredients for 8 large or 12 medium sized muffins:
1 cup milk of your choice (I used almond), more if you choose the flakes
1 cup bran cereal or 3 cups bran flakes (I used the latter)
1 1/4 cups your choice flour (I used oat and a GF blend). I’d avoid whole wheat.
1/4 cup white or packed brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp each dried ginger and cardamom
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Icing:
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
3 tsp water or milk



Preheat oven to 375. Grease your muffin tins, I used coconut oil spray. In a large bowl soak your choice of bran in the milk for 5 minutes. You’ll need more milk if you go with the flakes. I probably used 2 cups of milk for the 3 cups of bran flakes and add a couple extra minutes of soaking time. The cereal should mostly have absorbed the milk and be kinda soggy. Add the rest of the ingredients. Taste the batter and adjust spices if desired. Spoon into the muffin cups 3/4 of the way up. Bake 22 to 25 minutes until the muffins are golden brown and a tester comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes then gently transfer to a wire rack.

When the muffins are cool, mix the sugar and water to make a glaze. Drizzle over the muffins and let the glaze set for a few minutes. Enjoy!