Sweet and Satisfying...Apple Bran Muffins

Yes, I am going to continue my healthy muffin obsession. I just cannot get over how amazing and versatile muffins can be. Also, I have been having so much fun finding and creating new and healthy recipes. While I used oat bran a lot in my recent muffin recipes, I tried something different this time...wheat bran! Not only do these muffins taste delicious, they are very satisfying and filling. After one muffin, I felt full for hours. The wheat bran adds a tons of nutritional value, especially fiber. We all know what fiber does, don't we? Besides the obvious reason, fiber expands after it is ingested so it makes you full faster and longer.

What else makes these muffins amazing? Apple bran muffins are sweetened using honey and molasses. That's right, no granulated sugar! These muffins are more sweet and moist than your typical dry, bran muffin. The best part about these muffins...there's no fat (unless you add chocolate or other add-ins). I used muffin liners and the batter stuck to the wrapper because the recipe has no fat to peel the muffin off the paper. Once you eat one, you will not believe how delicious healthy and satisfying these muffins are. Enough said, give these a try!

 

Apple Bran Muffins
adapted from GreenLiteBites

Ingredients
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat bran
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons molasses (or 1/4 brown sugar)
1/2 cup non-fat yogurt + 1/4 cup water (or 1/2 cup non-fat milk)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons honey
1 medium apple - peeled, cored, and diced
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Prepare muffin cups by spraying with nonstick cooking spray. Do not use muffin liners because batter will get stuck to wrapper (since there's no fat).
2. Mix all the dry ingredients (flour, wheat bran, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon) in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Whisk the wet ingredients (applesauce, molasses, yogurt, water, vanilla, honey) together in another bowl.
Mix the dry and wet ingredients together with the diced apple.
4. Spoon into muffin sprayed muffin tins, 3/4 full.  Bake about 20 minutes. Cool in muffin tin for a minute and then remove to cool on wire rack.

Yield: 8 muffins