Gather all your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table. You will need a 4-5 quart ice cream pail and lid for storing this recipe.
Place bran flakes cereal in Pour boiling water over the bran flakes and mix well. Stir frequently until cooled. Mixture will become sticky.
Once cooled, add buttermilk, vegetable oil, applesauce, granulated sugar, large eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix well.
In a small bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, wheat germ, baking soda, and salt.
Add to buttermilk mixture and stir with a dough whisk until all ingredients are combined. Once cooled, batter may then be covered and kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Bake Muffins
Scoop batter into greased or lined muffin tins. Fill 3/4 full. Sprinkle with decorating sugar if desired. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 14-16 minutes until muffins test done with a toothpick. Makes 48 muffins.