This crock pot ham is a spiral cut ham topped with a 3 ingredient glaze, then slow cooked to perfection. This is the BEST way to make your holiday ham, the slow cooker does all of the work!
I’m always looking for ways to make holiday entertaining easier, and this crock pot ham is about as simple as it gets. All it takes is 5 minutes of prep time, and you end up with the most tender and succulent ham of all time! Not a ham fan? Try my herb roasted turkey or slow cooker turkey breast instead.
Whenever there’s a holiday, there’s a ham on my table. I love to cook ham because most of the work is done for you before you even open the package. All you need is a delicious glaze and a slow cooker to make this simple crock pot ham. Best of all, it frees up oven space so that you have plenty of room to cook up your sides and desserts.
How do you make crock pot ham?
The first step is to choose your ham. I always go with a smoked spiral cut ham. You’ll want a ham around 7-8 pounds in size. If you go any larger, you may have trouble fitting it into your crock pot. You can always trim off the end to make it fit if needed.
The ham is coated in brown sugar, then doused in maple syrup and pineapple juice to form a sweet glaze that simmers away along with the ham.
Tips for crock pot ham
- You’ll need a large oval slow cooker for this recipe – the one shown here is an 8 quart slow cooker, I’ve also used my 7 quart size with success.
- The glaze is fairly thin when it comes out of the crock pot, so I like to transfer it to a pan on the stove top and simmer the glaze until it thickens.
- Not a fan of pineapple juice? Try apple cider instead.
- I like to garnish my ham platter with an assortment of herbs and fruit for a beautiful presentation.
How much ham per person?
You’ll need about 3/4 pound of ham per person for a bone-in ham. If you want plenty of leftovers, you can increase that amount to 1 pound of ham per person.
How long to cook a ham?
It takes approximately 3-4 hours to cook a ham in the crock pot on low heat. You can check to make sure your ham is heated through by inserting a thermometer into the thickest part of the ham. The thermometer should read at least 140 degrees F.
What to serve with ham
Ham pairs perfectly with potatoes, vegetables, cornbread, or even stuffing! Here are some of my favorite holiday side dishes that I serve alongside my crock pot ham.
- Cranberry Jello Salad
- Bacon Green Bean Bundles
- Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Glazed Carrots
How to reheat leftover ham
One of the best parts about a holiday meal is enjoying the leftovers the next day! You can reheat your ham by covering it with foil and warming it in a 275 degree oven.
How to use leftover ham
Got leftover ham? I’ve got plenty of ways for you to repurpose it! Check out my list of 40 Satisfying Leftover Ham Recipes.
I love this crock pot ham because it’s tender, flavorful and so incredibly easy to make. It’s a huge hit every time I serve it!
Crock Pot Ham Video
Crock Pot Ham with Brown Sugar
Ingredients
- 8 lb spiral cut ham
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup pure maple syrup do not use artificially flavored pancake syrup
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- cooking spray
- fresh herbs for garnish
Instructions
- Coat a large 7-8 quart crock pot with cooking spray.
- Place the ham cut side down in the crock pot.
- Rub the brown sugar all over the ham, then pour the maple syrup and pineapple juice over the top.
- Cook for 3-4 hours on low heat, or until a thermometer registers 140 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the ham.
- Transfer the ham to a serving platter.
- Pour the liquid from the bottom of the crock pot into a medium sized pan.
- Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring the liquid to a simmer.
- Cook for 6-8 minutes or until just thickened,
- Pour the sauce over the ham. Decorate the serving platter with fresh herbs if desired, then serve.
Leqrecia says
I dont have pineapple juice, what else could I use? I have a naturally hickory smoked honey ham and it came with a honey maple glaze packet. What do i do?
Sara says
You could use apple juice or apple cider! If you want to use the glaze packet, just pour that over the ham instead of my sauce and proceed with the cooking directions in the recipe.
Petra Holt says
Hi Sara, you were my Christmas gift!!! I made your ham today and my oh my…I am not going back to oven with this anymore!!! So amazingly juicy, no worries, empty oven for other stuff….you made our day today. My father in law, who – I didnt know – doesnt like ham, had seconds!! a homerun plus a keeper. Merry Christmas from CO
Sara says
Thank you for such a nice comment, I’m so happy to hear everyone loved the ham!! Hope you had a great holiday!
Amie Kenney says
If I forgot to use cooking spray before putting the ham and all the other stuff in, how horrible will it be trying to get it out when it is done cooking? Oooops.
Sara says
It shouldn’t be a big deal, just run a spatula under the ham to loosen it from the bottom before you try to lift it out of the pot!
Zora says
If I submit with apple cider, do I use less?
susan lanigan says
I am trying this for the first time. I just took a little bit to taste and absolutely delicious! This is how I am doing my ham from now on! I have 3 crockpots going right now, one with ham, one with regular potatoes and one with sweet potatoes. This is the way to make a holiday dinner! And everything is turning out super delicious and super easy! I don’tt feel like I am stuck in the kitchen while everyone else is enjoying the day!
Sara says
So happy to hear you enjoyed the ham, I agree, crock pots are totally the way to go for a big meal!
LindyMc says
I don’t have pure maple syrup and stores are closed for Christmas. What happens if i use pancake syrup?
Sara says
I would recommend using honey or omit the maple syrup!
Laurette says
Is there anything can I substitute for the maple syrup? My family does not like it.
Sara says
You can use honey instead!
nicole says
This looks so good! How much is a can of maple syrup?
Sara says
I’m not sure what you’re referring to – the recipe calls for a cup of syrup?
Kay Allwhite says
My husband is a diabetic so if I just cook in pineapple juice, would it be good?
Sara says
If you just use pineapple juice you won’t be able to thicken it into a glaze, it’s the brown sugar that forms the base of the glaze! It would probably still taste good with the pineapple juice, the sauce will just be much thinner. You may want to add a little sugar substitute towards the end of the cooking time to temper the acidity of the pineapple juice.
Alice says
Hi there, can I use cooked ham with this recipe ?
Sara says
Yes it’s meant for a cooked ham!
Debbie says
I didn’t know you could cook a ham in a crockpot but now you’ve solved my holiday problem! I’m making this so I can also enjoy the family activities!
Urte says
If I cooked a 4 lb ham would I just cut the recipe in half? Would I also cut the cook time?
Sara says
You can cut the glaze amount in half and try cooking it for 2-3 hours on low heat!
melany quinn says
Does it matter the type of pineapple juice? i thought I read something about canned vs carton. Something about enzymes?
thoguhts?
Thanks in advance, so glad I found you!!!
Making your chicken lettuce tacos tonight and hopefully this ham tomorrow.
Sara says
I used canned because my store was out of the carton, but it should work fine either way!
Stacey says
What if you need to cook it in the oven instead…what would you put the temp at and for how long? I have a large family and had to buy a 16# bone in ham.
Sara says
I’d bake it covered at 325 degrees F, it should take about 20 minutes per pound. So for a 16 pound ham it’ll take about 5 hours and 20 minutes. You may want to double the amount of brown sugar/syrup/pineapple juice. Baste every hour, then pour the glaze from the pan into a saucepan to thicken just like the recipe directs and brush over the cooked ham. You can bake it uncovered at 400 degrees for the last 30 minutes if you prefer more of a crispy exterior. Hope that helps!
Stacey says
Thank you so much!! Happy Thanksgiving 🍁🍽
Elise says
Thank you so much! Happy Thanksgiving!
Elise says
How long for 11lbs ham?
Sara says
I’d try 5-6 hours on low. Basically you just want to make sure it’s warmed all the way through since it’s pre-cooked to begin with. I’d allot time for 6 hours but start checking it at the 5 hour mark. Hope that helps!
Elise says
Thank you so much for your prompt response. The crock pot is on low and it’s been 2.5 hours and the juices in crock pot so are not simmering my mother in is concerned I should turn up the temp.
Sara says
It won’t hurt anything to turn up the temperature, just make sure it doesn’t get overcooked!