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.
Hi can I use orange juice instead of pineapple?
Orange juice should be fine!
Hi – I have a 8 lb ham shank. Will this work with in crock pot using your other dinner at zoo recipe with pineapple and cherries, which I made several times with good feedback (recipe is to bake in oven but need to make in crockpot instead due to oven space). Would the cooking time need to be adjusted if not using spiral ham? Any idea how to adjust time? Want to make sure to have ready prior to guest arrival.
I think that should be fine, just score the top of the ham which will help it cook at a comparable rate as a spiral ham.
I really want to make this recipe. However, I just realized that my ham does not fit in the crockpot. How do I cut the ham down to fit? Do I cut off some of the bottom before placing it down? I don’t have anything sharp enough to cut down the bone structure side.
I saw a link to a recipe for the oven, but it doesn’t include the ingredients of the maple syrup and pineapple juice that I’ve already purchased. Thanks
You could shave off some of one side of the meat of the ham to fit, then keep that meat to make soup or something else with later. If you’d rather do an oven ham, this one contains pineapple juice and honey, but you could use the maple syrup you have instead of the honey. https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/spiral-ham-with-brown-sugar-glaze/
Mine is about three quarters inch too tall. I put it in anyway, put the lid on, and then put four layers of foil on top. Fingers crossed
Can’t wait to try in a couple of days!!!🙂 Happy Thanksgiving 🦃
If I dont have a crockpot big enough…have you done this recipe in oven?
Here is an oven baked ham recipe with a similar flavor profile: https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/spiral-ham-with-brown-sugar-glaze/
I’m trying this recipe for the first time. I’ll be bringing it to a Thanksgiving gathering. I’m trying to figure out if I should cook all ahead of time or finish cooking at the hosting home. Our arrival time is 2 with dinner at 4. Our drive time is 20 minutes. If I cook ahead, ok to leave on warm setting in the crock pot for about 1 1/2 hours until ready to serve? What’s your recommendation? Thanks
I’d recommend cooking it at home, then when you get there baste it with the glaze and then leave on the warm setting. Basting it will help to keep it from drying out!
I wouldn’t have thought that ham would come out so great after cooking in the slow cooker. this recipe is simple and so flavorful. YUM!
You’re right, this was the best ham to make. Loved that you can make this in the crockpot and just dump in the ingredients that I only had in my pantry! I’m going to make this again for my family gathering in a few weeks!
This ham looks so rich and tender!! Love that it can be done in the crock pot – makes it so easy! The glaze looks absolutely amazing – perfect for the holidays!
I can’t believe how easy this incredible ham is to make. It’s perfect for a Sunday dinner or the Holidays.
My husband loved it. However, it took 6+ hours to get to temperature. I cooked it with a meat thermometer inserted. My ham was 6.8 lbs so it was a little bigger. Will make again and will plan for a longer cook time.
Hi.
If you don’t have the maple syrup, can you substitute honey?
Yes that’s fine!
Thank you
I have a 12 lb. Spiral sliced ham, no maple syrup. Can I use white Karo syrup, brown sugar and pineapple juice? How long would I need to cook?
I would use honey if you have that on hand?
Can you do this with a frozen ham?
I haven’t tested the recipe this way. I do think it would take a very long time to cook a frozen ham.
If the ham is boneless how long do you recommend cooking it? Same?
How large is the ham? I’d reduce the cook time by 30 minutes for an 8 lb boneless ham.
Can carrots be added?
Yes that’s fine!
Hi! Can this be cooked on an 8 hour setting instead of 3-4?
Unfortunately the ham would dry out if it was cooked that long!
Hi there! I bought a salted caramel pre cut spiral ham (pre cooked). Is this recipe for pre-cooked or raw?? Thank you!
It’s for a cooked ham!
I was wondering if you can put the glaze on the day before and refrigerate until your ready to cook?
Yes that’s fine!