Upside-Down Maple Pecan Bran Muffins Recipe (2024)

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Posted on March 23, 20139 comments

If I told you how long I’ve held onto this recipe it would date me back to the Jurassic era. And in all those years, I never got around to making it. Why today, you might ask. I was woken up very early this morning by a shivering wet dog jumping onto my bed and a husband kissing me good-bye as he ran out the door to a meeting. Did I mention “early”? As in 6:00am. As H headed out the door, he whispered over his shoulder, “Hun, go back to sleep”. Nope, that wasn’t going to happen. Once I’m up, I’m up.
Off to the kitchen I went. If I couldn’t sleep, I was going to bake. I’ve noticed that I actually suffer withdrawal symptoms if I haven’t had my hands in flour for a few days. I have tons of baking to do this weekend for various commitments, and today I just wanted to bake something easy, quick, and warm to enjoy as I started my day. This recipe has been in my “To Try” folder since I started this blog, and today was the day. I had all the ingredients on hand and I knew I could get it finished before I had to rush out the door.
The taste of these muffins was familiar; reminiscentof something I had eaten before. It took me several bites before it registered. They reminded me of a stack of whole grain pancakes, slathered with melted butter, drenched in maple syrup, and topped with toasted pecans – which is always my order of choice if it’s on the menu. Now, I can have that same experience in a easy to eat and compact little muffin.

These muffins are best enjoyed warm, which won’t be a problem because they will disappear right before your eyes. This batter comes together with all the ease of pancakes but without the hassle of frying. Everyone can enjoy a whole grain pancake fix at the same time. Maybe they should be renamed “Pancake Muffins”.

Butter for coating muffin cups
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
20 pecan halves

1 cup natural bran
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
6 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Generouslybutter ten 1/2-cup muffin cups. Melt 1/3 cup butter with 1/3 cup maple syrup in a heavy small soucepan over low heat. Pour into bottoms of prepared cups. Place 2 pecans in bottom of each cup, flat sides facing up. Set aside.

Mix bran, pecans, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. Whisk buttermilk, 6 tablespoons syrup, melted butter, and eggs in medium bowl. Add to dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Divide batter among prepared cups. Place muffin tin on baking sheet. Bake until centers spring back slightly when touched and tops are golden brown, about 25- 28 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of each muffin. Place a baking sheet over the muffin tin and invert to release the muffins.

Yield: 10 muffins

Source: Adapted from Bon Appetit


Upside-Down Maple Pecan Bran Muffins Recipe (5)

Posted under Baking, Breakfast, Muffins, Pastries, Quick and Easy

Ingredients brown sugar, buttermilk, cinnamon, eggs, natural bran, pecans, whole wheat flour

  1. The more pancakes you make, the longer you stand at the stove. I always have two skillets going! So count me in for “Pancake Muffins”! Lovely photos Mary!

    Reply ↓

    • I am always the one frying the pancakes and by the time I get to sit down to eat mine, everyone else is finished. It is difficult to serve hot pancakes to a group. These muffins really are a great solutions.

      Reply ↓

  2. The idea of pancake muffins seem like a wonderful tasty treat for a morning breakfast! I get baking withdrawals as well!

    Reply ↓

  3. Ooh, I can’t believe I have never tried baking anything with bran! This looks fantastic! Anything with pecans makes my mouth water 🙂

    Reply ↓

    • Thanks! I have always loved pecans. I love them in everything and anything.

      Reply ↓

  4. Thanks for sharing! I just got some maple syrup from my friend’s trees and this the perfect reason to use it 🙂

    Reply ↓

    • Wow, fresh maple syrup. Delicious!

      Reply ↓

  5. What can I use in place of bran?

    Reply ↓

    • Fran, I have not tested this recipe with anything other than bran, however there are a few substitution that might work fine in these muffins – oat bran, ground oatmeal, or you could just use more whole wheat flour. Since wheat bran is the main ingredient, and since these are ‘bran’ muffins, I can’t guarantee that any substitution will result in a successful outcome.

      Reply ↓

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Upside-Down Maple Pecan Bran Muffins Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the advantage of adding bran to muffins? ›

The Bottom Line

Wheat bran is highly nutritious and an excellent source of fiber. It may benefit digestive and heart health and could even reduce breast and colon cancer risk.

What is the difference between a bran muffin and a regular muffin? ›

Bran is high in fiber and nutrients, but it is also lower in sugar and carbohydrates than other types of flour. Bran muffins are often also made with less sugar and sweeteners, which further reduces the sugar and carb content.

Why do people eat bran muffins? ›

Bran muffins are a healthy choice due to their high fiber, low fat, and packed with vitamins and minerals. They can help with weight management, heart health, and energy levels. Bran muffins are versatile and can be made vegan or gluten-free. They support digestion, bone health, and detoxification.

Is it OK to eat a bran muffin every day? ›

But that doesn't make bran muffins healthy. Most of the muffins you buy in stores are high in sugar and fat, more like cupcakes than old fashioned muffins. Bran or other muffins are okay as an occasional treat, but not good as a regular part of a healthy diet.

What does All-Bran do to your stomach? ›

All-Bran original would indeed be our best product for helping with constipation as it contains the most amount of wheat bran fibre (which has been proven to increase stool transit time), however, our bran flakes still contain a sufficient amount of fibre to help with any digestive issues you're having.

Are bran muffins good for a bowel movement? ›

It should be no surprise that studies show wheat bran can relieve constipation and improve digestion. The outer layer of the wheat kernel is a fiber force with a whopping 25 grams per cup. Sprinkle it over your oatmeal, eat a bowl of bran cereal, or whip up a batch of bran muffins.

How to improve bran muffin mix? ›

Turn boring bran muffins up a notch by adding delicious and healthful mix-ins such as shredded carrots, coconut and dried cherries. Served warm with butter, this muffin can run with the best of 'em. Blog post updated October 2023.

Why are my bran muffins tough? ›

Over-mixing the batter. You'll know that you've done this if the muffins also turn out tough and chewy. This prevents rising because the gluten network is too tight to expand around the gas bubbles.

Do bran muffins raise cholesterol? ›

Here's the problem with the bran muffin: Although bran can help lower LDL cholesterol, the butter, sugar and eggs aren't doing your LDL levels any favors. While this bran muffin may not raise your cholesterol, it certainly won't help you lower it. And lowering harmful cholesterol levels is what most of us need to do.

Why do my bran muffins sink in the middle? ›

Muffin was underbaked and cell structure wasn't set. When the cell structure doesn't set, the air spaces created by the leavening in the recipe collapses, causing the muffin to sink.

Does Martha White make honey bran muffin mix? ›

(Pack of 6)

Is a bran muffin healthier? ›

Bran Muffins

Yes, you'll get a decent dose of fiber thanks to the bran, but larger versions can have more than 400 calories and contain around 13 grams of fat. Also, many store-bought bran muffins actually contain more white flour than fiber-rich bran, while packing unwanted sugar and sodium as well.

Do bran muffins really help with constipation? ›

It should be no surprise that studies show wheat bran can relieve constipation and improve digestion. The outer layer of the wheat kernel is a fiber force with a whopping 25 grams per cup. Sprinkle it over your oatmeal, eat a bowl of bran cereal, or whip up a batch of bran muffins.

What makes muffins rise better? ›

Start the oven on high

Bake your muffins at 400°F for the first 5 minutes, then drop the temperature to the more standard 350°F for the remainder of the bake time. This method sparks the leavening agents (especially baking powder) in the batter to react quicker, creating that gorgeously risen top.

Why are my bran muffins not rising? ›

Not enough leavening agent. This can happen with unsifted flour (sifting also helps incorporate air), using the wrong type of flour (especially if the recipe calls for self-raising), or using old or improperly-stored flour or baking soda/powder.

References

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