Intimidated by that giant ham? This Crock Pot Ham with Pineapple Brown Sugar Glaze is the recipe for you! So simple to make, this Slow Cooker Ham recipe can be made with a whole ham or your favorite spiral ham!

Crock Pot Ham being basted with glaze with a blue silicon basting brush.

Holidays just wouldn’t be the same without a big bone-in ham as the centerpiece of the buffet table. While Thanksgiving requires a big, golden roast turkey, Christmas and, most definitely, Easter MUST have a ham. I look forward to Easter the most because our Easter ham is consistently sweet, salty, tender and juicy.

It’s my favorite part of Easter dinner….besides the Funeral Potatoes Recipe, potato pierogi and the kielbasa and the fried cabbage. Ok, well, maybe it’s not my MOST favorite part but I definitely don’t ever skimp on the ham. We love it with this easy Baked Pineapple recipe!

Sometimes that ham can seem challenging. The first one I ever made I was so totally intimidated by how to cook a ham. It seemed like such a daunting task and I expected the prep work to take hours but once I cooked my very first spiral ham all by myself, I knew this was going to become even easier moving forward.

Sometimes space is an issue when hosting holiday parties, specifically, space in the oven. So, I decided it was time to enlist the help of my handy slow cooker and created this amazing CrockPot Ham recipe with Pineapple Brown Sugar Ham Glaze! 

It works beautifully, leaving us with the most tender, juicy glazed ham we have ever stuck a fork into. Using a crock pot or slow cooker to cook your ham is an excellent way to free up much needed oven space for all your favorite side dishes….and popovers!

Ingredients For Crock Pot Ham

  • Ham – This recipe uses a bone-in cured ham but you can also use a spiral-cut ham or a boneless ham. Most varieties are sold as fully cooked ham so you’re, essentially, recooking it. I usually find the best ham at my local butcher but grocery store hams have come a long way and roast up into a juicy, tender ham just the same.
  • Brown Sugar – The glaze recipe starts with brown sugar. I like to use a dark brown sugar for the richness but you can substitute with light brown sugar with great results. If you prefer, you can also swap out the sugar for maple syrup or honey which makes a great honey glaze, too. We skip the glaze packet, if included, because they are usually filled with preservatives.
  • Pineapple Juice – Pineapple and ham go together perfectly so I use pineapple juice for the glaze. It’s sweet and tangy while creating a juicy ham because of the enzymes which help break down some of the meat. You can substitute the pineapple juice with orange juice, apple cider or even cranberry juice if making for a Christmas dinner.
  • Mustard – Dijon mustard is always my favorite because of the mild flavor. You can substitute with yellow mustard or brown mustard if you prefer something with a bit more bite.
  • Seasoning – I love the traditional spices in the spice packet so I made my own with ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground allspice and a pinch of ground nutmeg. We lightly season with kosher salt and black pepper since the ham is already higher in sodium.

For the full ingredient list and instructions, see the recipe card below.

Ham in a crock pot or slow cooker

How To Make Ham in the Crock Pot or Slow Cooker

Making a slow cooker ham is so simple to do following a few easy steps. It really couldn’t be any more fool proof!

  1. Unwrap your whole bone-in ham or spiral ham and pat dry with a paper towel.
  2. Place the ham cut side down in the slow cooker.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the glaze ingredients for the ham glaze.
  4. Pour the pineapple brown sugar ham glaze over the top of the ham and cover with the lid.
  5. Cook the ham on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours. Check the internal temperature of your ham with an instant read thermometer, your ham is cooked when the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F.
  6. When the ham is done cooking, transfer to a platter and cover with foil.
  7. Allow to rest for 15-20 minutes.
  8. Transfer the glaze from the slow cooker to a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
  9. Cook the glaze for 10-15 minutes or until reduced by half and slightly thickened.
  10. Brush the glaze over the surface of the fully cooked ham and serve immediately.

If you’re making a crockpot spiral ham, be sure to place the spiral cut ham cut side down in the bottom of the slow cooker.

slow cooker ham on a white platter with slices

What kind of ham should you buy?

There are so many different types of ham in the market these days but for this easy Crock Pot Ham recipe I like to use either a bone-in cured half ham or a cured spiral sliced ham. You could also use a boneless ham but it will only need to cook for about half the time indicated in the recipe.

Also, I like to pick a ham that weighs no more than 8 pounds because you may have trouble fitting it into the slow cooker if it’s any larger than that. I used an 8 quart oval Crock Pot to make this recipe. A round crock pot or slow cooker will only fit a smaller boneless ham, just a few thoughts to keep in mind when you run to the store to pick out that ham.

slices of honey glazed ham on a white platter

How do you make a ham glaze?

The ham glaze for this Slow Cooker Ham recipe is super simple to make. Simply whisk together the pineapple juice, brown sugar, mustard, cinnamon, allspice, ground cloves and nutmeg to combine.

Pour the glaze over the ham before cooking. Once the ham is finished cooking, the resulting glaze will be thin in consistency. At this point, you can transfer to a saucepan and reduce on the stove or you can serve the glaze, as is.

ham on a plate with pineapple casserole and asparagus.

How to Calculate How Much Ham Per Person

A general rule of thumb is you will need approximately 3/4 pounds of crock pot ham per person. However, I like to have leftovers for the next day so I like to make sure I have about a pound of ham per person….or more. It’s really up to you as to how much ham you want to be left with. And you can always send some home with guests.

Who doesn’t like free food, right?

Ham being brushed with glaze

What to Serve with Crock Pot Ham

My favorite sides to serve with this easy Crockpot Ham Recipe.

How to Store Leftover Ham

You can freeze leftover ham in an airtight container for up to 2 months or turn into some fabulous day two recipes beyond the usual ham sandwich.

These are my family’s favorite ways to use up leftover ham.

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Get the Recipe: Crock Pot Ham Recipe

Yield: 14
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 hours 40 minutes
Total Time: 5 hours 45 minutes
Super easy Crock Pot Ham recipe with a quick Pineapple Brown Sugar Glaze makes this the easiest ham to make for any occasion.
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Ingredients

  • 7 lb bone-in cured half ham, or cured spiral ham
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 8 ounces pineapple juice
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Instructions 

  • Unwrap the ham and pat dry with a paper towel.
  • Place the ham, cut side down, in the bottom of an 8 quart oval slow cooker.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, pineapple juice, mustard, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and nutmeg. (no salt and pepper needed because the ham is already salty on it’s own.)
  • Pour the glaze over the ham and cover with the lid.
  • Cook the ham on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours until an instant read thermometer reads 140 degrees F.
  • Transfer the ham to a platter and cover with foil. Rest for 15 minutes.
  • While the ham is resting, transfer the glaze from the slow cooker to a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cook the glaze for 10-15 minutes or until it has reduced by half and has thickened slightly.
  • Brush the glaze over the surface of the ham and serve immediately.

Video

YouTube video

Notes

Crockpot Ham can be made up to 1 day in advance, however, the beauty of the slow cooker is that you can easily make this earlier in the day and keep it warm.
Leftovers last up to 4-5 days in the refrigerator tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or an airtight container.
Calories: 553kcal, Carbohydrates: 0.3g, Protein: 49g, Fat: 38g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 18g, Cholesterol: 141mg, Sodium: 2704mg, Potassium: 652mg, Fiber: 0.2g, Sugar: 0.03g, Vitamin A: 2IU, Vitamin C: 0.04mg, Calcium: 19mg, Iron: 2mg
Author: Kellie
Course: brunch, Dinner
Cuisine: American

More Easy Ham Recipes

And if you’re looking for actual ham recipes that cook in the oven you should definitely try this Bourbon Honey Baked Ham….it’s so insanely easy to make and better than the commercially made Honey Baked Ham. 

Or you can make this Mango Ginger Glazed Ham that’s totally fab…..OR this Riesling Cranberry Glazed Spiral Ham…..sooooo good!

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