Ina Garten's Make-Ahead Blueberry Bran Muffins Are My Forever Favorite

Back when I basically spent half my paycheck at every coffee shop in Portland, Oregon, I was living a bit of a double life with my go-to order: hot tea and a sensible bran muffin on weekdays; sweet, creamy latte and a nuclear mushroom cloud of a blueberry muffin on weekends. And never the twain shall meet—or, so I thought. Seriously, though, in what world would a dry, tasteless Debbie Downer exist with the blueberry Vegas showgirl of the bakery case, glimmering with sanding sugar and a tender, cake-crumble top?

Well, Ina Garten brings two opposite worlds together with Blueberry Bran Muffins that feel like just as much of a treat as they do a mindful nutritional choice. They're full of fiber from wheat bran, which offers all sorts of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits—but you won't be thinking about any of that because they also know how to party (See: sugar, honey, and a bunch of fresh blueberries). Tender, gently sweet, and chummily cereal-y, they're such a little hug, warm with a pat of butter, or straight off the counter.

An added bonus? The batter is built to make ahead and bake when you're ready—or just in time for your family's breakfast rush. No fancy stand mixers or food processors necessary! You can, of course, bake the muffins right away, but resting the batter actually helps hydrate the bran for bakery-worthy blueberry bliss. You do you, though. Sometimes it's best not overthink it and answer the call of the muffin.

How To Make Ina Garten's Make-Ahead Blueberry Bran Muffins

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the top of a muffin pan with vegetable oil, then line it with paper baking cups.

In a large bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, sugar, honey, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla. In a smaller bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt, and sift to mix. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients, and whisk until incorporated. Then, add the wheat bran (not wheat cereal!) and the blueberries, and gently stir together.

Using a 2 1/4-inch ice cream scoop, fill each muffin cup. (I had a #40 cookie scoop, so I added two heaping scoops to each muffin cup. All that matters is that the batter is divided evenly between the cups.) Bake the muffins for about 30 minutes, or until a tester comes out batter-free; a blueberry smear is okay. And then let the muffins rest for five minutes before serving, since those blueberries are piping hot.

Quick Tips

• I love Ina's trick for measuring the honey after the vegetable oil, in the same measuring cup, so the honey flows out easily without sticking to the sides.
• If you're feeling a little extra, sprinkle sanding sugar over the tops of the muffins just before baking for a sparkly, sweet crunch.
• Since bran muffin batter lasts for up to a week in the fridge, you could bake a single muffin on demand in an oven-safe mug or ramekin every day. But plural muffins might be less of a tease for anyone else who sidles up to the breakfast table because the whole house smells like fresh-baked blueberry muffins.