Walnuts and milled flax provide omega-3 fatty acids and fibre. Wheat bran is an excellent way to increase your daily fibre intake. Enjoy these cinnamon-filled Banana Walnut Wheat Bran Muffins for breakfast or as a snack between meals.
I think it’s becoming increasingly obvious that I am an enormous muffin fan.
My muffin : non-muffin recipe ratio on my blog is becoming a touch unbalanced. But nevertheless… here’s another one for the books.
What Is Wheat Bran?
A “whole (wheat) grain” contains three sections – the small germ is located in the very centre, covered by the white endosperm and followed by an outer bran layer. The outer bran layer contains a good portion of the fibre, vitamins and minerals in the whole grain. When a whole grain is processed or refined to create white bread, pasta, etc., the nutritious bran is removed in the process. So see ya later fibre!
Luckily, you can actually purchase straight up wheat bran. It’s basically all the little brans that have been stripped off of the poor grain piled together in one delightful package. Wheat bran is an excellent way to add a little bit more nutrition into your life. It contains plenty of fibre – 26 grams of dietary fibre in a full cup, along with magnesium, iron and vitamin-B6.
How Can I Use Wheat Bran?
There are a number of ways you can use wheat bran. For starters, you can make these Banana Walnut Wheat Bran Muffins which contain a full cup of the stuff. You can also try sprinkling some wheat bran on your cereal in the morning or adding it to oatmeal. Don’t be afraid to experiment with adding a couple tablespoons of wheat bran to your baking recipes. Keep in mind you may have to substitute some of the dry ingredients (like flour) to do so. If you’re breading chicken or fish, try adding a little bit of wheat bran in with your flour for a nutrition booster.
Yields 12 large muffins
Walnuts and milled flax provide omega-3 fatty acids and fibre. Wheat bran is an excellent way to increase your daily fibre intake. Enjoy these cinnamon-filled Banana Walnut Wheat Bran Muffins for breakfast or as a snack between meals.
20 minPrep Time
18 minCook Time
38 minTotal Time
Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (3 large bananas)
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup milled flax
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk*
- 1 cup wheat bran
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts + 3 tablespoons for sprinkling on top of muffins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, lightly spray muffin tins with non-stick spray (or line with paper liners).
- Mix together mashed ripe bananas and brown sugar in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Stir in milled flax, eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Add buttermilk and wheat bran, stir to combine.
- Add whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and ground cinnamon. Stir until just combined. Fold in chopped walnuts.
- Divide batter into 12 muffin tins. Sprinkle remaining walnuts on top.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the middle of the muffin comes out clean.
Notes
*Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to 1 cup of milk and let sit for 5 minutes to make your own buttermilk
References:
All information regarding nutrient content of foods is retrieved from the Canadian Nutrient File database: https://food-nutrition.canada.ca/cnf-fce/index-eng.jsp, or directly from the product packaging.
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