Bran Muffins - Bacon, Molasses & Date Bran Muffins

These Bacon Bran Muffins are a perfect example of how adding bacon makes everything better. Bran muffins are no exception.

The Perfect Bran Muffin is Hard To Find

I think I've eaten, and baked as many terrible bran muffins as good ones. The good ones are hearty but tender and moist and not overly sweet. The bad ones are heavy, tough, and dry. In my experience, whenever I try too hard for a super healthy outcome with the bran muffin, I get the latter. Bran, to me, needs buttermilk, oil, and eggs to make it palatable. So I just go with it if I want the result to actually be eaten.

Nutritious Wheat Bran

Adding a little fat doesn't take away the health benefits of wheat bran, though. Bran is crazy high in fibre, and the best source of magnesium which helps regulate blood pressure. It's also packed with B vitamins and minerals like iron. There are so many benefits to getting wheat bran into our diets. So it couldn't hurt to add some bacon, I was thinking. Because well, bacon makes everything better. And I was right.

Bacon Makes Everything Better

Oh yes, bacon does indeed, make bran better. The only sweetness in these bacon bran muffins comes from the molasses and the dates, That slight sweetness is a perfect complement to the salty, smoky bacon flavour. To balance the healthy factor, I used whole grain, whole wheat flour as well as the wheat bran, so these muffins can withstand some bacon and still be  a healthy breakfast or snack.

You can use leftover bacon (is there such a thing?). Or cook some extra at breakfast to make these later.. Muffins freeze well, so you can freeze any that you don't eat right away. It's great to have these in the freezer for a grab and go breakfast since they take hardly any time to defrost.

This recipe makes 18 muffins. If you are a fan of muffins, you may also want to check out these Apple Cheddar Muffins, or Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

Bacon Bran Muffins

Bacon, Molasses, and Dates turn a boring bran muffin delicious in this simple, healthy recipe.

5 from 3 votes

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Course: Quick Breads & Muffins

Cuisine: American, Canadian

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 18

Calories: 181kcal

Author: Colleen Milne

Ingredients

• ▢ 5 strips bacon cooked until crisp, chopped or crumbled into small bites.
• ▢ 2 cups whole wheat flour
• ▢ 1.5 cups wheat bran
• ▢ 1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2 cups buttermilk
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ ½ cup molasses
• ▢ ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ▢ 1 cup chopped dates

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350° Grease 18 holes of two muffin tins
• In a large bowl, whisk together, flour, bran, baking soda and salt
• In a smaller bowl, beat eggs lightly and combine with buttermilk, molasses, and oil
• Pour egg mixture into dry ingredients and stir quickly together until just moistened. Do not over mix.
• Fold dates and bacon into batter with a few quick stirs.
• Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins, Place tins on middle rack in center of oven
• Bake approximately 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Allow to cool in tins for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack
• Eat immediately, or freeze.

Notes

Buttermilk substitute: Stir 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar into two cups low fat milk. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.

Substitute 3 tablespoon real bacon bits for the cooked bacon.

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 199mg | Potassium: 350mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 70IU | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 1.6mg

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Thank you to Roger's Foods for supplying me with the amazing products to make this recipe  I'm proud to support a BC company @rogersrains