Pineapple Raisin Bran Muffins

These muffins are a variation on the Best Bran Muffin recipe I posted a few weeks ago. I am still on my bran muffin kick, eating one each evening as my healthy snack. My daughter gave me a jar of walnut butter, which will be perfect on today's batch of muffins.

Canned pineapple is so easy to keep on hand and great in so many dishes. You can use it in chili, Thai coconut milk soup, chicken salad, cookies, cakes, and yes, muffins.

These bran muffins are super moist, wheaty, soft, fluffy, and yet hearty. I didn't add any sugar because the cereals already contain sugar, plus the raisins and the pineapple are both very sweet. They are great warm, fresh out of the oven. You can bake as many as you need, and save the rest of the batter in the fridge for another day.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup All Bran cereal
1/2 cup pineapple juice (drained from can)
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1/3 cup whole milk yogurt (or sour cream)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisin bran cereal
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup crushed pineapple (from can)

1/2 cup walnut pieces (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease as many muffin tins as you wish to bake. (Batter will make 12 total.)

In a large mixing bowl, cover All Bran cereal with pineapple juice. Let sit until soft.

Beat oil, yogurt, and eggs together. Pour into soft cereal. Add the rest of the ingredients, one at a time, mixing after each addition. If batter seems too dry, add a little more pineapple juice. Do not overmix or muffins may become dense.

Fill as many muffin tins as you wish. Top with walnut pieces. Bake muffins for 25 minutes at 350F or until firm on top. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes. Remove from tins and continue cooling or serve. Refrigerate remaining batter for up to a week. Muffins are best when fresh. ENJOY!