Want breakfast ready the moment you wake up? This is the recipe for you. Be warned that the measurements I’m listing here make A LOT of cereal. This recipe makes enough to feed seven mouths in our house plus enough left overs to use in my bread recipe. Yes, it adds a bit of sweetness to the bread, but that just makes it perfect for toasting. (The fruit and raisins mostly dissolve after the sponge so you’re not left with chunks of apples and raisins in your bread.)

Let’s get started.

You will need:

5 C of water
2 C of nine grain cereal
(You can use a 7-grain or plain, cracked wheat, or your own mix. You can even try a cup of brown rice here for variety just keep the grain to water ratio the same.)
1 apple, peeled and chopped
1 Cup of applesauce + 1/4 C of water OR 1 C of unsweetened apple juice
1/4 C of dried cranberries or craisins
1/4 C of raisins
1/4 C of maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
Chopped walnuts for garnish.
1/4 C of dried apricots, chopped would be good in here, too.

How to Make It:

Place all the ingredients into a 4 or 5 qt. slow cooker. Yes, those are big chunks of apples, and yes, I was in a hurry. Nursing babies cry at night if their moms take too long to put them to bed.

(I tried using my large 7 quart slow cooker but the cereal ended up dry around the edges so I finally gave in and bought a 4 qt. slow cooker. Actually, I bought a 2 qt. slow cooker, got home, realized it was too small, and ran back to the store to exchange it for the 4 qt slow cooker. Learn from my mistakes.)

Stir until all ingredients are well blended.
 Cook the cereal on low for 8 hours or until the fruit has softened.

Sprinkle each individual serving with chopped walnuts. You can eat it like this OR

Serve with milk. Enjoy!

P.S. The leftovers are also very good reheated in the microwave for breakfast the next day. I love instant breakfast.

9-Grain Fruit & Nut Cereal for the Slow Cooker

5 C of water
2 C of nine grain cereal
(You can use a 7-grain or plain, cracked wheat, or your own mix. You can even try a cup of brown rice here for variety just keep the grain to water ratio the same.)
1 apple, peeled and chopped
1 Cup of applesauce + 1/4 C of water OR 1 C of unsweetened apple juice
1/4 C of dried cranberries or craisins
1/4 C of raisins
1/4 C of maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
Chopped walnuts for garnish.
1/4 C of dried chopped, apricots would be good in here too. Use your favorite dried fruits and nuts.

Place all the ingredients into a 4 or 5 qt. slow cooker. 
Stir until all ingredients are well blended.
 Cook the cereal on low for 8 hours or until the fruit has softened. Makes 6 generous servings.