Pumpkin Spice Bran Muffins

Pumpkin puree and wheat bran give these muffins a moist, substantial crumb, while cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg provide a familiar autumn profile. The bran is soaked briefly in milk before mixing so it hydrates evenly. Use plain pumpkin puree rather than sweetened pumpkin pie filling, which would alter both sweetness and consistency.

Yield, time, and equipment

Yield: 12 standard muffins. Prep: 20 minutes, including a 10-minute soak. Bake: 18 to 22 minutes. Oven: 375°F.

Use a standard 12-well metal muffin pan, paper liners or nonstick spray, two mixing bowls, a whisk, a flexible spatula, a scoop, a cooling rack, and an instant-read thermometer or wooden pick.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (60 g) unprocessed wheat bran
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) whole or 2% milk, at room temperature
• 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup (245 g) plain canned pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup (105 g) packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) neutral vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons (18 g) raw pumpkin seeds, for topping

Method

1. Heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the center. Line all 12 muffin wells or coat them evenly with nonstick spray.
2. Combine the wheat bran and milk in a large bowl. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the bran absorbs much of the milk.
3. Meanwhile, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl. Make sure no small lumps of leavener remain.
4. Whisk the pumpkin, brown sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla into the soaked bran until uniform. Add the dry mixture and fold only until no streaks of flour remain. Overmixing can make the muffins tough.
5. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 wells, filling each about three-quarters full. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds evenly over the batter.
6. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, rotating the pan front to back after 14 minutes. The muffins are done when the tops spring back, a wooden pick has no wet batter, and the center of a middle muffin reaches at least 160°F. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Storage and substitutions

Once cool, keep the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day. For longer storage, refrigerate at 40°F or below for up to 4 days. Freeze individually wrapped muffins for up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator or reheat until warm throughout.

Oat bran may replace wheat bran by weight, but the crumb will be softer and the batter may thicken differently. Unsweetened soy milk can replace dairy milk. Whole-wheat flour may replace half, but not all, of the all-purpose flour without further adjustment. If pumpkin seeds are omitted, no other change is needed. Mashed cooked squash is not a precise one-for-one substitute unless it is as thick and dry as canned pumpkin puree.