Low-Sugar Apple Bran Muffins
I love these delicious from-scratch Low-Sugar Apple Bran Muffins that only uses one apple and includes healthy walnuts! With a mix of almond flour and whole wheat pastry flour, this recipe is a splurge on carbs, but I do have to make them once every year when it’s apple season.
PIN Low-Sugar Apple Bran Muffins to try them later!
When I saw a recipe years ago for made-from-scratch pear bran muffins (with no bran cereal) in the The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook, it turned into one of those baking experiences where I have to make the recipe several times before I’m happy with it. Right away I switched pears for apples (because I never have pears in the house, but almost always have apples.)
I made these three times, with quite a few changes from the inspiring recipe, but I thought the final version was just right. These muffins are just slightly sweet with no added sugar and only one apple, and to my taste they’re much better than all those bran muffin recipes that use bran cereal as one of the main ingredients.
And this is a low-sugar muffin that I bet the whole family will like. And if you’re someone like me who just has to splurge on carbs a few times when it’s apple season, I hope you will give them a try!
What ingredients do you need?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (affiliate link)
- Almond Flour (affiliate link)
- Wheat Bran (affiliate link)
- Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link)
- Ground Cinnamon (affiliate link)
- baking powder
- salt
- eggs
- buttermilk
- Grapeseed Oil (affiliate link), or any neutral flavored oil
- vanilla
- apple
- chopped walnuts
What makes the Apple Bran Muffins lower in sugar?
Apples have natural sugar of course, but this recipe only uses one finely-chopped apple. I originally made the muffins with a mixture of sweetener and a little brown sugar, but now I’m a fan of Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link) to get that brown sugar flavor in baked goods, and that change makes them even lower in sugar.
What flour did I use for the Apple Bran Muffins?
I used a mix of Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (affiliate link) and Almond Flour (affiliate link) in my muffins. If you don’t have Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, I’m guessing white whole wheat flour would also work. I wouldn’t use regular whole wheat flour, which is denser.
What Muffin Cups Did I Use:
In my post on Low-Carb Muffins and Breakfast Muffins I show the three sizes of silicone baking cups I have. For these Apple Bran Muffins I used my smallest size (affiliate link), which are about 2.75 inches across and hold about 1/3 cup. If your muffin cups are bigger you’ll get fewer muffins and may need to increase the baking time.
How to Make Low-Sugar Apple Bran Muffins:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
- Mix together whole wheat pastry flour, almond flour, wheat bran, Golden Monkfruit Sweetener, ground cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
- In a smaller bowl, beat the eggs, then add buttermilk, oil, and vanilla and stir to combine.
- Make sure the apple is very finely diced before you add it to the liquids.
- I also toasted the walnuts in a dry pan before I chopped them, which also adds flavor.
- Mix finely chopped apples and walnuts into the wet ingredients.
- Then add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir just enough that all the dry ingredients are moistened.
- Spray muffin cups or muffin pan with nonstick spray or oil, then divide the mixture among the muffin cups. (If you use the small muffin cups like I did, they will be pretty full.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out completely clean.
- Let muffins cool a little before eating.
- You can keep the Apple Bran Muffins in the fridge for quite a few days, and I’m sure they will freeze well, although I haven’t frozen any yet because I keep eating them!
More Muffins You Might Like:
- Sugar-Free Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffin
- Flourless Zucchini Muffins
- Low-Sugar Blueberry Muffins
- Flourless Savory Zucchini Muffins with Feta
- Almond Flour Pumpkin Muffins
Low-Sugar Apple Bran Muffins
I love these delicious Low-Sugar Apple Bran Muffins! And this is a splurge on carbs for me, but I do make them at least once every year when it's apple season.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1 cup wheat bran
- 6 T Golden Monkfruit Sweetener
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
- 3 T grapeseed oil (or any neutral flavored oil)
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 apple, peeled and cut into very small dice (1/4 inch or less)
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
- Spray muffin cups or muffin pan with nonstick spray or oil.
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir together whole wheat pastry flour, almond meal, wheat bran, Stevia or Splenda (or sugar), brown sugar (or more sweetener), ground cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
- Beat eggs in smaller bowl, then stir in the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.
- Remove apple core and peel the apple, then finely chop apple pieces and add to liquid ingredients.
- Toast walnuts for 1-2 minutes in a dry pan over high heat, just until they start to become fragrant.
- Then finely chop walnuts and add to liquid ingredients.
- Add the wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir just enough so that all the dry ingredients are moistened.
- Use a large spoon to divide the batter among the muffin cups.
- Bake at 350F/180C for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out completely clean.
- Let muffins cool for a few minutes before eating. These muffins will keep well in the fridge for quite a few days. I am sure they would freeze well, although I haven’t frozen any yet. To reheat, microwave for about 30 seconds.
Notes
Use any nuts of your choice if you're not a fan of walnuts.
Recipe adapted with quite a few changes from Pear Bran Muffins in The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook (affiliate link).
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 249Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 195mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 6gSugar: 5gProtein: 8g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-GlycemicDiet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
These Low-Sugar Apple Bran Muffins are pretty low in sugar (even though they have apple) and I’d eat them for phase 2 or 3 of the original South Beach Diet. Using almond flour and Golden Monkfruit Sweetener makes these muffins lower in carbs, but at about 25 net carbs per muffins, they’re probably too high in carbs for someone who’s strictly limiting carbs.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Desserts and Baking to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
The Apple Bran Muffins made without added sugar were first posted in 2011 when I was following the original South Beach Diet. The recipe has turned into something I still make once almost every year, and it was last updated with more information in 2023.
29 Comments on “Low-Sugar Apple Bran Muffins”
Can you substitute applesauce for the apple? If so, how much? Thanks!
I wish I could answer, but I’m just not a good enough baker to guess how this would work without texting it. If you decide to try it, one apple is probably less than 1/2 cup of applesauce. I worry the apple sauce will add a lot more liquid, but as I said, I am just not sure.
I don’t have that information. I am currently not able to add nutritional information to the site. More than a year ago I switched my site to WordPress, which created the need to edit by hand to add more than 2,000 recipes to the preferred format for google. I have been working on that for more than a year, so there is no possibility of me being able to calculate nutritional information until that project is completed. And I know that once I start doing nutrition info on one recipe people will expect to see it on every recipe, which is why I have decided to keep these two projects completely separate.
If you look after the recipe itself, I give two links (where it says “Nutritional Information”) for suggestions of two ways to get that information. That’s all I am able to do at this time.
JoJo, so glad you like them!
Hello Kalyn! I made these muffins today and they are wow, delicious! Since I started menopause I have been craving sweets like crazy. The problem is I have type 2 diabetes, so I
am limited to my sugar intake.
So I bake my own and your wonderful low sugar, high fibre recipes are just what I need.
Thank you so much,
Jojo
Bonnie I'm trying to get a recipe that's as low in sugar as possible so adding either applsesauce or honey wouldn't work for me (or for anyone else who's following South Beach) but I'm sure your recipe is delicious.
I make a similar recipe. I like to use less bran and substitute flax meal, whole rolled oats and/or buckwheat. You can also omit the brown sugar and reduce the buttermilk by adding 1/4 cup applesauce (they come in packs of six single serve containers, which are perfect for this recipe). If the muffins seem a little dry you can also substitute 1 Tbsp of honey instead of the brown sugar, as honey is a natural humectant.
The phase is always given right after the printer friendly recipe. Grains aren't allowed for phase one, so these are phase 2 or 3. I haven't come up with any great ideas for phase one breakfasts without eggs, but some readers have shared ideas in the comments here.
Hi are these good for phase 1? There are only so many eggs I can eat, and I need a breakfast recipe that is fairly easy as I work shifts and often have to take my breakfast in with me. If you have any other ideas I would be open to hearing them : ) thanks
Chigiy, hope you enjoy. I would probably make these with Stevia in the Raw Granulated Sweetener nowdays.
Hi Kalyn, I promised myself that I would get back into baking from scratch and cooking more. i have been cheating a lot lately with boxes and ready made crap from the store:(. This muffin recipe looks like the ticket to get me started baking again. Yum.
KG, I like Splenda best with a little brown sugar mixed with it, but do whatever works for you.
I made these this morning, looking for a breakfast alternative to eggs. I started the recipe before I read it, so I had to "make" my own buttermilk, pecans instead of walnuts and I substituted flax for bran. Turned out wonderful! I am phase two right now but I did not use splenda – I made splenda cookies that were just revolting! Terrible aftertaste! So I did use all brown sugar…
Thanks again Kalyn!
Thanks Mei, and I do wish you luck! Hope you like the recipe.
Hi Kalyn,
I was searching for low-sugar desserts or snacks and google led me to your blog. Wow you have a lot of healthy recipes shared here… I haven't browsed much yet and I'm already enjoying looking at your recipes. I'm choosing this one to try out. I'm not a very good cook so wish me luck!lol
Elle, thanks for telling us about your variation and so glad you are enjoying the recipe!
I made these today – they are wonderful!
I used all brown sugar (I don't use artificial sweetners), a combination of apple+pear and pecan nuts.
I'm just having the first one with my tea, and just might have a second also…
Thanks Kalyn! this recipe is a keeper!
Thanks Maria, me too!
I have always enjoyed bran muffins. I love the apples and walnuts in this recipe.
Val, would love to bake them for you. Aren't you due for a trip to Salt Lake soon?
These look so good. I think I will try making some soon. Or better yet I am secretly hoping you will bake them for me sometime because I think they may taste even better.
Doren, in two weeks you can make these muffins!
thanks so much… just going back to phase one south beach, so will have to wait, but I always like recipes like this!
Anonymous, if you come up with a good gluten-free version would love to hear how you have adjusted the recipe.
Joanne, thanks! So happy to hear that I am at least a little bit hip!
Elena, thank you for that nice feedback! So glad you enjoyed the muffins.
Your recipe is delicious, I tried today because I am in love wth the taste of apple-almonds-walnuts.
Congrats for the idea!
I actually think these make you decidedly hip and ahead of the game. These are what people will want to make after they've maxed on out rich king cake and beer-battered catfish. They look so good!
Hi Kalyn, I'm always looking for healthy muffin recipes and this one sounds terrific, with whole grain flour, almond meal, apples and high fiber walnuts. I've been using almond flour in more recipes for its protein and fiber content. I'll be trying a gluten-free version of this recipe since I have a new gluten-free child to consider. Thanks for this wonderful recipe!
Lydia, I'm guessing it will work with pears. At least I didn't change the amount of liquid when I subbed apples, and in fact I added more Splenda and brown sugar, so I added more dry ingredients (although almond meal is probably less dry than flour, who who knows.)
I adore bran muffins, and I've always made them with bran cereal, but this recipe looks like a great alternative. I often have pears in the house, but not always apples. I think ripe pears have more moisture than ripe apples, so I wonder if that will change the texture of the muffins.