There is no doubt in my mind that many of you have been baking at home more regularly over the past few weeks. While I love to bake desserts, there is nothing like baking a breakfast treat in the morning to get the day started and muffins are always an outstanding choice. These Coconut Bran Muffins are healthy enough to whip up on a weekday, but delicious enough to make a terrific addition to brunch.

Bran muffins are something that I used to bake on a regular basis, although they haven’t been a big part of my rotation again until recently. They’re hearty and full of fiber, so they’ll keep you full until lunch – unlike some more cupcake-like muffins. Regardless of flavor, bran muffins typically are versatile enough to be served in a variety of ways: plain, with butter, with jam, with honey, etc. These Coconut Bran Muffins have a hint of tropical flavor that gives them just a bit of extra sweetness, though you can still serve them in all the ways I just mentioned.

The muffins can be mixed up in just a couple of minutes, perfect for a quick morning treat. While unsweetened coconut can be used, I recommend sweetened because it helps the coconut flavor pop a bit more in the finished muffin. The bran is nutty and gives the muffins a dense, moist texture that works really well with the shredded coconut. There is a bit of cinnamon in the batter and the muffins are finished with a generous topping of cinnamon sugar.

These are at their best the day that they are baked, but can be kept for a day or two after baking if stored in an airtight container. Extra muffins can be frozen and reheated in a toaster oven or microwave before serving. If you want to play up the tropical element, use a tropical jam – pineapple, passionfruit or mango – when you serve these up!

Coconut Bran Muffins
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup wheat bran
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
cinnamon sugar, for topping

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, wheat bran baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, vegetable oil, egg, milk and vanilla extract. Stir in the flour mixture and the shredded coconut, mixing until batter is uniform.
Divide evenly into prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar.
Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until muffins are set and spring back when lightly pressed. Turn muffins out onto a wire rack to cool completely,

Makes 12.

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