• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • About
  • Contact Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

Dinner at the Zoo

  • All Recipes
  • Dinner
  • Appetizers
  • Dessert
  • One Pot Meals
  • Slow Cooker
  • Asian Food

Home » Slow Cooker » Crock Pot Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze

October 10, 2018 By Sara 196 Comments

Crock Pot Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

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.

Crock Pot Ham Recipe | Slow Cooker Ham | Glazed Ham | Thanksgiving Ham | Christmas Ham | Easter Ham #ham #slowcooker #crockpot #dinner #christmas #thanksgiving #easter #glutenfree #dinneratthezoo Crock Pot Ham Recipe | Slow Cooker Ham | Glazed Ham | Thanksgiving Ham | Christmas Ham | Easter Ham #ham #slowcooker #crockpot #dinner #christmas #thanksgiving #easter #glutenfree #dinneratthezoo

A crock pot ham on a serving plate with herbs and apples for garnish.

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.

A ham in a crock pot coated with brown sugar.

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.

A crock pot ham with maple syrup being poured over the top.

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.

A ham in a slow cooker covered in brown sugar, maple syrup and pineapple juice.

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

A spiral cut crock pot ham inside a slow cooker.

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.

Sliced crock pot ham on a serving plate.

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


A crock pot ham on a serving plate with herbs and apples for garnish.
Print Pin
5 from 26 votes

Crock Pot Ham with Brown Sugar

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!
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword crock pot ham, slow cooker ham
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 5 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 404kcal
Author Sara Welch

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.

Notes

If you prefer a thicker glaze, you can whisk together 1 tablespoon of corn starch with 2 tablespoons of cold water and add it to the sauce pan when you simmer your liquid from the bottom of the crock pot. 

Nutrition

Calories: 404kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 557mg | Potassium: 489mg | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 1.3mg

Filed Under: Dinner, Slow Cooker Tagged With: Christmas, Easter, Ham, Thanksgiving

Still hungry? Follow Dinner at the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for more great recipe ideas!

« Corn Pudding
Rice Pilaf with Cranberries and Pecans »

Comments

  1. Jordynn says

    January 20, 2021 at 4:51 pm

    Is your ham bone in? Should I cook mine differently with the bone in?

    Reply
  2. Sandra. Huntley says

    January 17, 2021 at 10:09 am

    This all sounds so good. I can’t wait to get to start it. A friend gave it to me and I told him I would take him up. Some. Thank you.

    Reply
  3. Mike says

    January 8, 2021 at 1:01 pm

    5 stars
    Well done we the family loves it!

    Reply
  4. Savee says

    December 31, 2020 at 10:18 am

    Thanks for the recipe! I don’t have pineapple juice. What can I substitute with?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      December 31, 2020 at 5:05 pm

      Apple juice or cider would work!

      Reply
  5. Patty B. says

    December 28, 2020 at 11:51 am

    I have an 11 pound cooked spiral ham that fits in my 6 quart slow cooker but can’t use the lid. Would a foil tent work good enough?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      December 28, 2020 at 6:44 pm

      You want to completely cover the ham with foil and press the foil tightly around the edges of the pot to try and form as tight of a seal as possible. Then set crock pot top over the foil if possible.

      Reply
    • Wanda says

      December 31, 2020 at 9:25 am

      Can I substitute honey for the maple syrup?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        December 31, 2020 at 5:05 pm

        Yes that’s fine!

        Reply
  6. Brenda says

    December 24, 2020 at 1:47 pm

    Can this recipe be done with a ham that is not spiral cut? If so. Do I do anything different?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      December 24, 2020 at 3:29 pm

      Yes you may need to increase the cook time by 30-60 minutes depending on the size of the ham!

      Reply
  7. Patty says

    December 24, 2020 at 10:53 am

    I have a 3lb.ham how
    Long to cook?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      December 24, 2020 at 3:31 pm

      It should take about 2 hours!

      Reply
  8. Melissa Cruz says

    December 23, 2020 at 11:04 pm

    I have pineapple juice and brown sugar but no maple. Will it still come out OK if I make it without?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      December 24, 2020 at 10:40 am

      Yes that should be fine!

      Reply
  9. LovefromMN says

    December 23, 2020 at 5:39 pm

    I have a 9lb ham & have never attempted to cook a ham. How long should I let it cook?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      December 23, 2020 at 6:28 pm

      You can add one more hour to the cook time!

      Reply
      • Nikki says

        December 26, 2020 at 10:44 pm

        My ham is 10 lbs…..does that mean I add two hours onto the cook time?

        Reply
        • Sara says

          December 26, 2020 at 11:27 pm

          I’d just add one hour!

          Reply
  10. Destanie says

    December 22, 2020 at 8:54 am

    Can I add a can of pineapple as well?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      December 22, 2020 at 3:52 pm

      Yes that will work!

      Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating





With 3 young kids, dinner can feel like feeding time at the zoo! I'm a mom on a mission to create easy, healthy and family friendly recipes ...Read More
category category category category category category category

Categories

Sites I am featured In
PRIVACY POLICY © Sara Welch and Dinner at the Zoo® LLC, 2015-2018.
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
  • All Recipes
  • Dinner
  • Appetizers
  • Dessert
  • One Pot Meals
  • Slow Cooker
  • Asian Food