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.
Yummy! This came out so perfect! We love ham for the holidays!
My ham is 10lbs but fits in my crockpot still. Would you cook 6 hours on low?
I’d add another hour!
Is this for bone in or boneless ham? Also, is it really sweet?
It can be either but I prefer bone in. It has some sweetness to it but it’s offset by the salty ham.
Hi there is there anything I can sub the maple syrup for? Like honey?
Honey is fine!
My ham is not spiral cut. Will this work or should I start slicing up the ham now before it goes in crockpot
Yes just score the top of your ham. Make deep cuts diagonally in both directions so the glaze can soak into the ham.
My smoked spiral ham comes fully cooked. Is this the recipe for that or for a raw ham?
It’s for a fully cooked ham.
fully cooked and it still takes 4 hours in the slow cooker?? please explain. thanks.
Hams are fully cooked but the FDA recommendation is to reheat them so that the temperature registers at least 145 degrees F all the way through for food safety purposes. A ham is a large, dense piece of meat often with a bone, so it takes some time for the heat of the slow cooker to permeate to the middle.
How would u cook this in the oven? Same way and longer? My ham is too large for the crockpot? Or do I cut the ham?
You can trim the ham if you need to for it to fit, or you can bake in the oven. Here’s an oven baked version that uses similar ingredients: https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/how-to-cook-a-ham/
Great way to have ham for the Holidays with very little work! And cleanup will be a breeze!
Wow this looks delicious and so amazing! I can’t wait to try it!
This crop pot ham looks incredible! I bet it tastes amazing!
Oh wow, this crock pot ham looks and sounds amazing!! I am so excited to try this recipe!
Oh wow this is good. The pineapple juice brings out such a delightful flavor!
This crock pot ham is looks absolutely delicious! Yummy!
This sounds delicious! I LOVE that the crockpot allows other things to be in the oven.
I followed the recipe to a T and it’s mushy like paste! What do I do?! My husband will be home soon and I don’t want to have dinner ruined! Please help!
Is it the fat on your ham or the actual meat? It sounds like maybe an issue with the ham you purchased as cooking it should not make it mushy. Which brand and what size? Bone in or boneless?
I only have 4lb 70oz ham how long do I cook it in my slow cooker
Cook for 2-3 hours!
It said to put it on a platter and then put it on medium heat in a pan. What kind of pan? Like a pot?
A small pot or a skillet on the stove!
excited to try this recipe next week, im also a new cooker so this might be a silly questioned but do i buy a cooked or uncooked ham?
This is for a cooked ham!
Sounds delicious but why can’t you use regular pancake syrup?
It’s imitation maple flavor which is a lot stronger than pure maple syrup, and pancake syrup tends to be a lot sweeter too.
I used a 8# spiral cut smoked ham from Aldis, and only have a 6 quart slow cooker that lid snaps down.
My family (including kids) devoured the ham. So yummy
My grocery store didn’t have any ham less than 15 pounds. Do I double the recipe and cook time if I’m doubling the mass of the ham?
Yes that’s correct!