This bran cookies recipe is a healthy alternative to a high-calorie cookie, and makes a great afternoon or bedtime snack. These cookies are delicious with a cup of tea, or a glass of milk.
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What is Bran?
We all know that bran is high in fiber and is good for us…but what is it? Bran itself is the hard outer layer of cereal grain. These grains consist of wheat, oats, rice, and corn. Although you should have a smattering of all these grains in your diet, wheat bran has the fewest calories, and the most fiber. Good sources of wheat bran are Fiber One cereal, All Bran cereal, and baked goods containing unprocessed wheat bran such as Bob’s Red Mill Wheat Bran. For these bran cookies, I added Fiber One cereal to the batter.
Soak the Raisins
If you like raisins in your cookies, you will love this bran cookies recipe. Any cookie recipe that calls for raisins can benefit from a good tip I got from my daughter-in-law. Soak the raisins in the liquid ingredients before mixing up the cookie batter. This will add moisture to the raisins, and will make them plump and juicy.
How To Make
- Place the egg in a large mixing bowl and whisk with a fork.
- Add the applesauce, vanilla, and raisins to the egg. Stir to combine.
- Let raisins soak in applesauce & egg mixture for 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Add brown sugar and honey to the raisin mixture. Combine well.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- Add flour mixture to raisin mixture in two increments, mixing well and scraping the bowl.
- Fold in the Fiber One Bran Cereal.
- Using a small scoop, drop dough onto a large cookie sheet. (Scoops should be heaping.)
- Bake for 7 to 8 minutes.
- Remove cookies from oven onto a cooling rack.
- Cool completely.
- Mix powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon milk and stir well. Add more milk until sugar becomes a glaze. It should pour, but not be runny.
- Drizzle glaze over cooled cookies. Let dry.
- Store in an airtight container.
Tips For Success
- If your family doesn’t like raisins, feel free to leave them out. They add a nice, chewy texture, but aren’t essential to the recipe. If you leave them out, you will save quite a few calories as well.
- The glaze gives the cookies a bit of extra sweetness, but like the raisins, it is an optional step.
- Since there is no butter or oil in this recipe, the cookies may slightly stick to the cookie sheet. I don’t recommend using non-stick spray, because it will make the bran cookies flatten out. Just use a sturdy, thin spatula, and carefully lift the cookies off the cookie sheet.
- I’ve not tried it, but a 1/2 cup of butter can be substituted for the applesauce.
- Whole wheat flour can be used in place of the all purpose flour.
Healthy Honey & Bran Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup brown sugar firmly packed
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups Fiber One Bran Cereal
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Place the egg in a large mixing bowl and whisk with a fork.
- Add the applesauce, vanilla, and raisins to the egg. Stir to combine.
- Let raisins soak in applesauce & egg mixture for 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Add brown sugar and honey to the raisin mixture. Combine well.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- Add flour mixture to raisin mixture in two increments, mixing well and scraping the bowl.
- Fold in the Fiber One Bran Cereal.
- Using a small scoop, drop dough onto a large cookie sheet. (Scoops should be heaping.)
- Bake for 7 to 8 minutes until cookies are golden brown.
- Remove cookies from oven onto a cooling rack.
- Cool completely.
- Mix powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon milk and stir well. Add more milk until sugar becomes a glaze. It should pour, but not be runny.
- Drizzle glaze over cooled cookies. Let dry.
- Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think. A quick rating or comment is always appreciated, and helps other readers too.
Shop & Source
- my favorite baking sheets
- small scoop
- KitchenAid mixer
- set of cooling racks
- silicone whisks
- blue spatulas
More Healthy Recipes
- Bran Muffins
- Fresh Citrus Salad
- Banana Oatmeal Smoothie
- Olive Oil Granola
- Weight Loss Vegetable Soup
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Happy New Year, Ann. I sure love all your photos and your cookies LOOK scrumptious, but I will have to pass. I asked hubby and he rolled his eyes as he has never needed ‘fiber’, though anything sweet is his thing. Hope yo have a great New Year, Sandi
These sound delicious. I’m pinning this one. I always love your recipes. Happy New Year, Ann!
Good Morning Ann and Happy New Year. This recipe looks like a winner to me! I have made a similar one for years but I substitute dried cranberries. I will try this one for sure.
As always, your posts are well organized, attractive, and informative. I have followed your downsize posts and we actually considered doing the same, looking to live closer to our son. However, circumstances changed when our son moved next door to us. I am trying to scale down a bit and that, in and of itself is overwhelming. Your moved looked seamless!
So tomorrow, cookies!
Oh my gosh…to have your son next door must be a little slice of heaven. Enjoy!
Thank you! These look yummy. I will make them soon. Always a good thing when we please are hubbies! Love your blog, thank you.