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Bran Muffins


bran muffins

I have been craving a good, healthy, tasty, gluten free bran muffin for quite some time.  Finally, thanks to flaxmania (I'm on a string of flax recipes this week) here it is.

My friend Chris was one of my guinea pigs for this baking endeavor.  She took a flax muffin home from my house one day and ate it the next for breakfast.  Later, I received a phone call from her requesting this recipe.  I take that as a good sign since she does not have food restrictions.

Gluten Free Bran Muffinsprint friendly recipe
½ cup blanched almond flour
½ cup flax meal
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
6 dates
3 eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup water
¼ cup sesame seeds
¼ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup raisins

  1. In a large bowl combine almond flour, flax meal, baking soda and salt
  2. In a vita-mix blend dates, eggs, olive oil and water on high speed until very smooth
  3. Mix wet ingredients into dry, then stir in sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and raisins
  4. Spoon batter into lined muffin tins
  5. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes
  6. Cool and serve

Makes - I can't recall the yield, since we ate them all so fast

Well, at last, my book, The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook hits store shelves tomorrow!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I will be spending less time in the comments section of this site.  In choosing how to allot my hours, I realize that (in addition to working on books) my top priority is to bring you as many recipes as I possibly can.

Because of this, I encourage all of you to network with each other.  Feel free to answer as many questions as you like or if you have questions, do not hesitate to jump over to my FAQ page or post them in the forums in hopes that some other helpful reader will step in to guide you toward a satisfying answer.


37 comments for “Bran Muffins

  1. Stephanie @ glutenfreebynature @ glutenfreebynature.com says:

    These look delicious, Elana! Loaded with protein and fiber - what a great afternoon snack or perfect for a power-snack while hiking. Can't wait to try these - thanks :) !

  2. Bo Abrams says:

    You are the antidote to when people say. "geez, all you can eat is sawdust"...I have been consistently delighted and inspired by your blog and my taste-testing friends and family have been too.
    Thanks!

  3. Rachel @ bb4wa.com says:

    Why have you changed to olive oil in your baking? Have you tried these with grapeseed oil and you didn't like how they came out?

    • Sandra Gillett says:

      I have not tried this recipe yet but I will when I get back from Natural Foods Market with the blanched almond flour. My experience has been that grapeseed oil and olive oil can be used interchangeably. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. Thank you Elana everything I've made from this fabulous site has turned out beautifully.

  4. Lili says:

    I'll have to make this muffins for our plane travel next week! I was just thinking what to bring with me/us on a very long flight to Europe, and here it is.... how perfect!!!! By the way, the "Dark Rye" bread was delicious, almost gone!
    Thanks!

  5. Sarah says:

    can i make these bran muffins if i don't have a vitamix? any suggestions for alternative methods of emulsifying these ingredients? thanks!!

  6. You are absoloutely AMAZING!! My blood test results should be back by Wednesday...and if I am indeed celiac I am so going to thank you for all these wonderful recipes!! Keep up the good work!!

  7. Making of a Montessori Mum @ montessorimum.blogspot.com says:

    Your a star!!! Love..simply love these recipes. Cant wait for the book.

    (:

  8. This sounds like the perfect breakfast food! Wow. Yummy!

  9. cinnamonquill @ cinnamonquill.com says:

    I love a good bran muffin, and am always searching for that elusive 'perfect' one. I will give these a try! Congratulations on the book! How exciting; for you, and us!

  10. Laura @ glutenanddairyfree.com says:

    Congratulations on your book! I am excited for you. We survived our dietary changes (6 years ago) by using almond flour for everything (now we use a variety), so I can truly appreciate your work! I will look for your book!
    -
    Laura

  11. Shelley Orenstein says:

    Your bran muffins look great. I don't have a vita mix. Will any blender or food processor work? thanks for your feedback.

  12. These look yummy! What do you guys think about leaving out or subbing for the sesame seeds?

    Shelley- I am sure a food processor would work fine :)

  13. alicia says:

    i made these this morning. i omitted the sesame seeds and sunflower seeds and used currants instead of raisins. they were yummy! my yield was 11 and there is 1 left. i think next time i try it, i will use more dates. great recipe and does not taste gluten-free.

  14. Hänni @ hannihaus.com says:

    I'm loving the sugar-free recipes! Keep it up, lady.

  15. Rene Amour Relation @ relation-amoureuse.net says:

    mmmm look very delicious and tasty like I love it :)) the most of the gluten free products look really bad and tasteless but this brownie promise to be something different :)

  16. Stacie K says:

    My oven is preheating as we speak, and your cookbook shipped from Amazon yesterday. I cannot wait to get it...Lemon Bars are soon to be mine!!
    Thanks Elana, and good luck with your book promotion. Even though your personal input will be missed around here, I wish you big sales and recognition for all of your wonderful work!

  17. Meghan (Making Love In The Kitchen @ meghantelpnerblog.com says:

    These look so good. I have been without a kitchen for three days now and already longing to get back in and get cooking.

  18. Barbara says:

    These came out good. I added 1/4 cup of date sugar to the recipe for a little added sweetness.

  19. Kristin says:

    Conversation last night with my 5-year old daughter:
    "Hey Mom, did you bake without me?"
    "Sorry hon, I wanted to try a new Elana recipe."
    "Well, what's in 'em?"
    "Almond meal, flax meal, eggs, dates, raisins."
    "Hmm. That's all? No agave?" "Nope."
    "Well, the dates and the raisins give them a really nice sweetness. Mild, but good. I love them, even if you did make them without me."

  20. GF Grannie says:

    Elana, Made the muffins, yummy. I did decrease the salt and added a couple of more dates. Made a second batch already.
    Your Cranberry bread is cooling, and your sandwich bread is in the oven as I type.
    Wanted to know if you have any Rubarb recipes on your site? I'd love to have some if you do?
    GF Grannie

  21. Juliet Olafsson says:

    Hi Elana,
    I am fairly new to your website and have already purchased your cookbook on-line just after reading the ingredients that you use in your recipes! Your recipes are the first ones in which I agree with all of the ingredients and feel comfortable and excited to feed them to my husband and two little boys. I have been experimenting on my own in the kitchen to create "healthy" and delicious desserts but you have just saved me so much time! Thank you for all the time and work that you have put into your cooking and thank you for sharing it with all of us! I have already sent all of my family members and friends to your website. It is evident that you have a lot of nutrition knowledge. Again, thank you for sharing it with all of us! My boys and I are extremely grateful!
    Have a great weekend! :) Juliet

  22. Cathy Lamb says:

    My son is celiac and recently been tested for allergies to Almonds. I love your recipes could I substitute with other flours. Also how much Guar gum should be added to different flours to hold baking together?
    Thanks

    Cathy

  23. Jose says:

    Great muffins! I might add a little cinnamon to the dry ingredients next time because I rarely bake without it.
    Just a note, I used the Trader Joe's almond meal (not blanched) because it's priced really well (3.99 per pound bag). The muffins came out great!

  24. Christianne says:

    Just back from a holiday which was great but it is nice to be home again too: I have an oven again!
    I made these muffins this morning. Without dates and no patience to get them before starting on these muffins, I substituted the dates with 1,5 tablespoon agave. They turned out great!
    We had a gluten eating friend over for lunch and he said: you should start selling these things..! That compliment is obviously for you Elana. Thanks again for a great recipe, it will become a favorite in my house, i'm sure. Have a great day!
    Christianne

  25. rebecca says:

    Made the flax bran muffins and substitued beets for dates (lower the sugar and glycemic count). Did have to add 1 tsp agave for some sweetness. Also substituted walnuts for sesame seeds. It still needs some tweeking... thinking i have to up the oil so they are moister.

  26. Jenny says:

    Great base recipe Elana! I am new to this and you are a wonderful resource.

    After making this recipe I would change a few things. I used extra virgin olive oil and it was too strong. Canola oil or regular olive oil would have worked better. I also wish they were a tad sweeter. I will add agave nectar next time.

    I did add finely ground milk thistle for liver health, used half raisins and half dried cranberries, and added a little shredded coconut for sweetness and protein. I hope these freeze well!

  27. Nicole says:

    Great recipe! I modified and used coconut oil instead of olive oil, and used pumpkin and hemp seeds in place of sesame and sunflower. Smelled and tasted great. My roommates were impressed! Oh I also used fresh ground unblanched almonds, rather than flour, and the muffins still came out very light.

  28. emily says:

    Came across this website through Dr. Junger's Clean program and just made these muffins (post Clean). They are delicious! I left out sesame seeds. I will make a second batch tonight, trying a couple modifications: grapeseed instead of olive oil for lighter "oil" flavor; a couple more dates, and a squirt of Agave.

    Has anyone tried sifting their almond flour? Does it help make the muffins (or any baked goods) lighter?

  29. Briana says:

    Is there any information on the calories, fats, sugars, etc?

I am unable to answer your recipe modification questions.

There are infinite variations on every ingredient and piece of equipment and I encourage you to experiment if you wish to alter my recipes.

Check my FAQ's or the Forums.