Low-Fat Vegan Bran Muffins -
Two Recipes That Are Moist And Delicious!

These Low-Fat Vegan Bran Muffins are moist and delicious, despite being oil-free and low-sodium.  I have two variations, one with carrot and pineapple, and one with carrot and apple.  I do not add salt, and use much less baking soda than most recipes call for, making them lower-sodium which I think tastes better as well.

Both Low-Fat Vegan Bran Muffin recipes are made using shredded carrot and raisins, which provides moistness and sweetness. 

Two Low-Fat Vegan Bran Muffins Recipes

The first recipe is made using shredded carrot with chopped pineapple plus some pineapple juice, chopped pecans, and nice warming spices of dried ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg.  The taste is reminiscent of carrot cake, without the cream cheese frosting.

The other Low-Fat Vegan Bran Muffin recipe is made using shredded carrot and apple, along with apple sauce, raisins and chopped walnuts.  Both Bran Muffin recipes are made using whole grain flours, one with spelt flour, one with whole wheat pastry flour.  

I varied the sweeteners with each recipe as well, using a mix of black strap molasses for the classic bran muffin flavor along with a little Wholesome Organic Dark Brown Sugar in one version; Eden Barley Malt + maple syrup in the other.  

Feel free to swap out whichever type of flour and sweetener you prefer for either recipe.  (See notes, below.)

I was really craving bran muffins for a couple weeks, so I finally decided to bake a batch.  I modified the recipe on the Bob's Red Mill wheat bran package, omitting the oil, eggs, salt, and using less baking soda, and using spelt flour with a little all purpose flour, along with the black strap molasses.   I liked them so much, I made another batch the following week, with a few more changes.  My mom enjoyed them as well.

For the second version, I changed up the sweeteners, and the flour.  I loved both versions, but Don prefers the Carrot Pineapple Bran Muffins better as he isn't as keen on the molasses flavor.  I thought I'd put that version up first.

Make both versions, and see which you prefer, or swap out the sweeteners or flours as per what you have on hand, or prefer.

Ingredients with options of sweeteners (Eden Barley Malt, maple syrup, black strap molasses); pineapple juice mixed with soy milk

Dry ingredients for Low-Fat Carrot Pineapple Bran Muffins

Batter for Carrot Pineapple Bran Muffins

Whole Wheat Carrot Pineapple Bran Muffins - Recipe #1

INGREDIENTS (Makes 12)

• 2 Tbsp. Simple Truth Organic Plant-Based Egg Replacer + 5 Tbsp. water
• 1&1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup Bob's Red Mill Wheat Bran
• 3/4-1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. dried ginger
• 1/8-1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped small
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 4 pineapple rings, fine chopped, or 3/4 cup crushed pineapple (canned in it's own juice)
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp. each Eden Barley Malt Syrup + Maple syrup
• 1 tsp. vanilla

STEPS

1. Preheat oven to 400º F.  Place 12 parchment paper muffin cups into muffin baking pan, or use silicon baking pan, or lightly oil.
2. In a small bowl, combine the Egg Replacer and 5 Tbsp. of water.  Stir well, then set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients, including raisins and shredded carrot.  Blend with a fork.
4. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients.  Incorporate egg replacer and water mixture.  
5. Add wet ingredients to dry.  Stir just until combined.  Batter will be thick, but moist.
6. Spoon batter into muffin tins up to the top.  This makes 12.  
7. Bake 15-17 minutes.  Muffins should spring back on top when pressed.  A toothpick will come out slightly sticky, but without residue.

Low-Fat Vegan Bran Muffins - Recipe #2

INGREDIENTS (Makes 12)

• 2 Tbsp. Simple Truth Organic Plant-Based Egg Replacer + 5 Tbsp. water
• 1 cup spelt flour + 1/2 cup unbleached, un-enriched all purpose flour (or use all spelt flour)
• 1 cup Bob's Red Mill Wheat Bran
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup soy milk
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
• 1/2 cup black strap molasses
• 2-3 Tbsp. Wholesome Organic Fair Trade Dark Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3/4 cup each shredded carrot + shredded apple (or some combo of either or both to make 1&1/2 cups)

STEPS

1. Preheat oven to 400º and prepare muffin tins as above.
2. Prepare Egg Replacer in a small bowl, and set aside.
3. Measure dry ingredients (up through walnuts) into a large mixing bowl.  Stir with a fork to combine.
4. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients.  Stir well.
5. Pour wet ingredients into dry.  Stir just enough to combine.
6. Spoon batter into muffin tins up to the top.
7. Bake 15-17 minutes.  Muffins should spring back on top when pressed.  A toothpick will come out slightly sticky, but without residue.

Low-Fat Carrot Apple Spelt-Bran Muffins

Low-Fat Vegan Bran Muffins: Carrot Apple Bran with Spelt Flour

Low-Fat Carrot Pineapple Bran Muffins

Notes for Low-Fat Vegan Bran Muffins

• Use whichever flour you prefer for either recipe.  Spelt and whole wheat pastry flours create lighter baked goods.  I did use 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour with the spelt flour, to keep it from being too dense.  
• I like King Arthur's Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (comes in organic) which is American grown, with only two ingredients:  hard red winter wheat + malted barley flour.  I prefer to avoid all-purpose flours that are enriched with synthetic vitamins.  Of course, avoid bleached flour too.  
• I liked the blend of Eden Barley Malt + maple syrup.  I found that just over 1/2 cup total of both combined hit the right level of sweetness along with the cinnamon and raisins.  I also like the flavor of black strap molasses, but would probably use only 1/4 cup along with 1/4 cup or a tad more of maple syrup.  Black strap molasses is rich and viscous, but it is much less sweet, with an almost bitter or sharp flavor, so choose what you prefer.  
• With regard to using brown sugar, I like the Wholesome Organic Fair Trade Dark Brown Sugar, and think it's worth paying a little extra for, as I enjoy having a little on top of my morning oatmeal sometimes.  For those concerned with using any form of sweetener, you'll have to experiment.  Taste the batter and adjust to your liking.  Personally, I'm with Dr. McDougall who discusses in The Healthiest Diet on the Planet, Why The Foods You Love - Pizza, Pancakes, Potatoes, Pasta, And More – Are The Solution To Preventing Disease And Looking And Feeling Your Best, (a super easy to read, user-friendly book that I highly recommend) how Mary uses some simple sugar in some of her dessert recipes.  He explains, "Most people can enjoy excellent health even with these occasional special treats (desserts are not the main course).  I think people are quick to vilify sugar, and give fats and animal foods a hall pass, when in reality, those foods are causing the escalated rise in several diseases, which McDougall discusses in The Healthiest Diet on the Planet, which also has several recipes, and a traffic light system of knowing which foods to eat the most of (green light), which to avoid (red light) and which to be cautious about (yellow light), and use moderately, depending upon one's health.  Mary McDougall also has several easy muffin recipes in The New McDougall Cookbook, 300 Delicious Low-Fat, Plant-Based Recipes.
• I'm not a precision baker.  These muffins can be modified to suit your tastes.  Good substitutions for oil in any muffin recipes includes apple sauce, mashed bananas, shredded apple, carrot, zucchini or pineapple, pumpkin, mashed sweet potato, vegan yogurt, etc.
• Try these recipes with oat bran instead of wheat bran.
• I like Simple Truth Plant-Based Egg Replacer because it's made with just two ingredients:  chia seeds and garbanzo beans.  You can sub just chia seeds or ground flax seeds.  Use 2 tablespoons of either with 5 tablespoons of water.  Another alternative is Ener-G Egg Replacer was the first one I tried as it has been on the market for decades.