I will never make ham any other way after making this delicious Slow Cooker Crockpot Ham Recipe. Oh, my goodness, this was so easy, and it always turns out amazing!
Crock Pot Ham
We love hosting Slow Cooker Saturday lunches! You only need a spiral ham, pineapple juice, brown sugar, and maple syrup to make this great holiday ham in your slow cooker.
This Crock Pot Ham takes less than ten minutes to prepare, and you can serve a wonderful dinner! So easy to make and always turns out so good!
This ham is so moist and juicy. After I made it, John enjoyed it on sandwiches and with cheesy eggs for a few days. I will slice it for sandwiches and put it in the freezer for John's lunches.
I used part of the leftovers to make breakfast sandwiches that I froze. Make some biscuits, slice some cheese and ham, and a quick and easy breakfast appears before you.
This Crock Pot Ham is our favorite holiday dinner ham. It pairs perfectly with side dishes, and the spiral-cut baked ham tastes amazing. Plus, it saves oven space; you can set it and forget it in the slow cooker.
Don't worry if some guests aren’t fans of super moist, delicious ham; you can also make Crockpot Turkey!
I love that it only takes a few minutes of prep time to have a holiday ham ready!
Crockpot Ham Ingredients
Here is a quick overview of the simple ingredients needed to make an epic Crockpot Ham! The printable recipe card at the bottom of the post includes specific measurements and step-by-step instructions.
- Ham
- Pineapple Juice
- Brown Sugar
- Maple Syrup
Ham - You can use a bone-in ham or boneless ham depending on which you prefer. We try to use a fully cooked spiral cut ham that just needs to be reheated and flavor added to it. This saves on cook time. The best part of using a fully cooked ham is you are simply heating it up and adding flavor. You don't have to stress about the ham reaching a certain temperature.
Maple Syrup - For a bit more flavor you can use a bourbon barrel-aged maple or other flavored maple syrups.
Brown sugar - you can switch out the brown sugar for ¼ to ½ cup of honey if you prefer a honey-baked ham.
Pineapple Slices - If you want to add even more pineapple flavor you can add pineapple slices or pineapple chunks on top of the ham or in between the slices of ham.
If you are not a fan of maple syrup you can switch it out for mustard to get a tangier flavor.
Ham Glaze - When the crockpot ham is done cooking you can remove some of the juices from the bottom of the slow cooker and put them in a small saucepan. Bring the pineapple ham juices to a boil and cook until they reduce by at least half and thicken to a sauce. This is a great ham glaze to pour over the ham.
Equipment Needed
Large Slow Cooker - You will want to measure your slow cooker to make sure the ham fit. I put my fist flat in the bottom of my crockpot and look to see how high up my arm the sides of the slow cooker reach. This is a totally random way of measuring but I know that I am not going to remember to bring a measuring tape or anything else to the grocery store with me. A 7 or 8 Quart Slow cooker should be perfect.
If your crockpot ham doesn't fit in your slow cooker you can trim the bottom to get it to fit. I have seen people make an aluminum foil tent over the top of their crockpot instead of the lid but I have not tried this method. I normally cut my ham down to fit the crockpot and use the cut pieces for leftover ham recipes.
Cooking Spray - Non-stick cooking spray will help make it a lot easier to clean your slow cooker after cooking your holiday slow cooker ham.
Serving Platter - I would suggest using a serving platter with edges to help keep the ham juices on the platter. This crockpot ham is nice and juicy so you will want to have a platter that contains all the juices.
How to Make Crock Pot Ham
I've included complete instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here's a quick version.
How Long Does It Take to Cook Ham?
We normally cook a spiral-cut ham in the slow cooker for 4 to 5 hours to give the ham time to absorb the pineapple juice and brown sugar and become super flavorful. If you are using a small ham, you should be able to cook it in 3-4 hours.
Can Cats Eat Ham?
Do you wonder whether your cat can eat ham? Everything we have seen says ham is okay for cats as long as they are healthy. You should check with your vet if your cat has health problems that could make eating ham unsafe.
The sodium in the ham could pose a problem. We have six cats, and they would love it if we let them have ham when I make this great slow-cooker ham. Keeping them off the counter and away from the ham when serving itis harder than it sounds.
Who can blame them when the house smells so good?
Preparation and Storage
Make Ahead: One of the reasons we love cooked spiral-cut ham is that it’s already cooked, so it only needs heating and flavoring to become an epic holiday main dish!
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Freezing/How to Freeze + How to Reheat:
You can freeze a full-size ham or ham slices, depending on what you have. I pick up a ham or two after the holidays for great post-holiday prices when they go on sale. I will freeze a full ham for a few months and then cook it up.
You can also slice the ham, wrap it in freezer paper, and store it in freezer bags. Make sure to write on the bag the date you froze it so it’s easy to pull it out a month or two after the holidays when we are craving ham again.
Check out our roundup of Leftover Ham Recipes for detailed guidance on storage and reheating!
Recipe Variations
Substitutions:
Ham: You can use a bone-in ham or boneless ham, depending on your preference for this easy crock pot ham. We use a fully cooked spiral-cut ham since it only needs to be reheated and flavored, saving cook time. The best part of fully cooked ham is that it doesn’t need a lot of prep or temperature monitoring; just heat it and add flavor.
Maple Syrup: You can use bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup or other flavored maple syrup for a bit more flavor.
Brown Sugar: You can swap out the brown sugar for ¼ to ½ cup of honey if you prefer a honey-baked ham.
Pineapple Slices: If you want to add even more pineapple goodness, you can add pineapple slices or chunks on top of the ham or between ham slices.
If you are not a fan of maple syrup, you can replace it with Dijon mustard to get a tangier flavor. Similarly, if you do not like pineapple juice, you can make this recipe with apple cider instead.
Vegetarian + Vegan Options: Though we have yet to try it, health food supermarkets like Whole Foods Market often have vegan and vegetarian ham roasts that could make this recipe possible for plant-based eaters. Make It Dairy Free also has a Vegan Ham Roasts Video Review if you want to research.
Gluten-Free: Whether this recipe is gluten-free depends on the ingredients you use. Choose ingredients labeled as gluten-free if you want to avoid gluten.
Smaller Serving Size + Larger Group/More Servings: Spiral-sliced ham comes in half and whole sizes, so select your size based on how many servings you’d like to accommodate.
Make it Spicy: We have yet to try these spins on Crock Pot Ham, but red hot pepper spices like cayenne and chili would be yummy with the pineapple and brown sugar glaze if you’re craving a kick of heat.
Sugar-Free: The written recipe contains 22 grams of sugar. Pineapple juice, brown sugar, and maple syrup are the largest culprits, so select sugar-free alternatives to these ingredients. Some flavored hams contain added sugars, so double-check the labels at the grocery store before buying.
Tips for the Slow Cooker Ham Recipe
- As soon as your Crock Pot Ham cooks, you can remove some of the juices from the bottom of the slow cooker and put them in a small saucepan. Bring the pineapple ham juices to a boil and cook until they reduce by at least half and thicken for a great ham glaze to pour over the ham.
- Be prepared to get your hands on the ham and rub in the brown sugar to massage the flavor into your holiday ham.
- We suggest pouring the ham/pineapple juice into the bottom of the slow cooker over the ham an hour before serving to help keep the top super juicy.
- You can also make a ham glaze with pineapple juice, brown sugar, mustard, cinnamon, ground cloves, nutmeg, and all spice if you want to add additional flavors. Whisk together in a small bowl and pour onto the ham before cooking.
- Plan to let the ham rest for at least 10 minutes before serving it.
- If you want the crispy brown sugar edges of oven-baked ham, sprinkle brown sugar on the edges of your slow cooker ham and put it under the broiler for a minute or two. Just keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn.
What to Serve With Slow Cooker Ham
We have an entire guide on side dishes for ham! Here are some menu planning suggestions for your next Easter, Christmas, or holiday feast.
Sides: Cheddar Bay Sausage Balls, Easy Cheesy Green Beans, Pineapple Stuffing, Carrot Soufflé, Creamed Corn Casserole, Crock Pot Mashed Cauliflower, Crock Pot Candied Sweet Potatoes, Garlic Herb Mashed Potatoes, Jiffy Cornbread with Sour Cream, Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows, Sweet potato casserole , Cracker Barrel Carrots
Main Dishes: Crock Pot Turkey, Crock Pot Bourbon Maple Pork Loin, Crock Pot Guinness Corned Beef & Cabbage, Crock Pot Roast, Crock Pot Chicken & Stuffing, Crock Pot Orange Glazed Ham, Crock Pot Coke Glazed Ham, Bourbon Baked Ham
Desserts: Eggnog Cookies, 4 Ingredient Christmas Crack, Easy Holiday Reindeer Chow, Church Window Cookies, No Bake Cherry Cheesecake Dip, Easy Eggnog Cake with Eggnog Glaze, Ambrosia Salad, Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball, Cranberry Fluff Salad, Bisquick Apple Cobbler
Drinks: Jelly Donut Shot, Pineapple Upside Down Cake Shot, Bay Breeze Cocktail, Peach Iced Tea Cocktail, RumChata Pudding Shots, Pomegranate Breeze Martini, Mulled Cherry Cider Cocktail
When to Serve Crock Pot Ham
- Easter dinner
- Christmas Dinner
- Any Holiday Dinner!
- Family dinner
What to Make With Leftover Ham
Check out all of our Leftover Ham Recipes!
Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese with Ham
Crock Pot Scalloped Potatoes and Ham Recipe
Crock Pot Ham and Cheese Grits
Great Dinner Recipes
Do you love recipes? Check out our copycat recipes, dessert recipes, and our CrockPot Recipes.
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Slow Cooker Crock Pot Ham
Ingredients
- 7- pound ham
- 2 cups Pineapple Juice
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- ½ cup maple syrup
Instructions
- Unwrap ham and place in the Crock-Pot
- Rub ham with brown sugar on all sides.
- Pour pineapple juice and maple syrup over the ham
- Cover and cook for 4-5 hours on low.
- About an hour before serving pour juice over the top of the ham
- Remove and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving
Nutrition
Originally posted March 18, 2013
Jennifer Kennedy
This is a wonderful recipe. I make it every Thanksgiving. The ham turns out perfect and I get lots of compliments. I also like that I can use a picnic ham instead of a spiral one. Picnic ham are much cheaper and it saves us money without sacrificing taste.
Salina
I made a spiral ham…had to use foil to cover crock pot, came out amazing!! So juicy and moist, cooked it for 4 hrs, after, I added more brown sugar on top and broiled all sides…thank you for the recipe! So delicious!!
Barbara George
This ham was delicious!! I used apple juice instead of pineapple juice & it was not oversweet, even with the syrup & brown sugar. First time cooking ham in a crockpot & will do like this from now on. I bought Aldi's applewood shank half ham & sliced it myself after cooking. Yum!!
Tammilee
Barbara, I love the idea of using apple sauce. I am going to have to try this. We just picked up a ham last night.
Becky
I tried this recipe and LOVED it and how easy it was. PLUS it kept it warm and ready with NO extra fuss!! Thank you . Looking forward to trying more recipes.
Tammilee
I am so glad you enjoyed the ham! It is one of our favorite recipes. If you have any leftovers we are sharing leftover ham recipe ideas on our Facebook page this week.
https://www.facebook.com/TammileeTips/
Sherry
The picture shows this is a picnic ham, shank portion. Is that correct? I know that is different than a regular ham. Usually picnic is cheaper but has a different flavor.
Diane
This is using an uncooked ham, right? Not a cooked one?
Tina McNeely
does this ham recipe work with the spiral cut hams?
Tammilee
Hi Tina,
Definitely! That is what I try to use when I make it.
Michael W. Polson
These recipes look very tasty! Thank you for sharing.
Brenda Widger
I would like to try this crock pot ham but I'm allergic to pineapple. Is there anything i can use besides the pineapple juice?
Tammilee
Hi Brenda, We also have 2 other crock pot ham recipes. The first one uses an orange glaze - https://www.tammileetips.com/2015/03/crock-pot-orange-glazed-ham-recipe/
We also have a recipe using Coke that turns out great - https://www.tammileetips.com/2014/11/crock-pot-cola-ham/
Diane
I've used apple juice and it's really good.
Ashley
How big of a crock pot should you use?
Amanda
This was absolutely delicious and super easy. My very picky eaters loved it and asked for 3rds and even 4ths. We eat it at least every two weeks now. My tip is to get a pre cut ham if possible. We've used both cut and un-cut and having it cut already helps the juices to seep down into the middle and make it even more flavorful. Its delicious either way though! Can't wait to try some more of your recipes! Thanks for sharing!
Tammilee
Amanda, I am so glad your family loves the recipe!
Sharon
I will be making Crock Pot Ham for the first time. Is there a difference in cooking times between Bone -In Ham and Boneless Ham?
Teresa cook
My crockpot will only cook 4 hrs on high and 10 hrs on low. Will 4 hours on high work?
Joyce
Couldn't find a ham 7 lbs so I had to cut some off so it would fit in crock pot, other than that this was very easy & came out great!!
trish
Ham looks succulent and tender, Great for bread and pizza toppings.
Coming from The Weekend re-Treat Link Party.Come-by and say hi!
Melissa
Hi again!
I picked up a ham yesterday, but there were no plain hams. They were all pre seasoned, and the one I got was spiral cut, seasoned with honey and brown sugar. Do you have any idea on if I can still follow the recipe? I've never made a ham before and really wanted to stick to your instructions since you hae great reviews.
Tammilee
Hi, does the ham already have the seasoning pack on it or does it come on the side. if it comes on the side you can skip using it and use the recipe instead
Colleen
Hi! The ham I bought is too big for the crock pot. . . .it will fit in the crock pot , but the lid will not stay close. Do yo have any suggestions?
mamamaddawg
After putting on the lid use foil to cover the exposed open area, wrap it tightly after you decide it's ready for its long cooking time. I have had a need to use this technique before and it worked well.
Melissa
Hi, how big of a ham should I get for 11 adults? Sorry if this is a repeat, looks like it didn't post earlier...
Melissa
This looks and sounds great. I am making Easter dinner this year for 11 adults and 4kids. Will a 7lb ham be enough?
Tammilee
Hi, I am not sure how big of a ham to get. I have never cooked for 15 people. You might try asking at the grocery store or the butcher to see if they have any suggestions. I wish I could help more!
Penny
I normally don't leave comments to recipe blogs, but I found this recipe on Pinterest, and had a taste for ham. I used a spiral honey ham, and it was DELICIOUS!!! OMG! I normally prefer my ham cold, as sandwiches, but we ate this hot, and I can't stop thinking about it! Thank you so much for sharing!
Tammilee
Penny, I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe!!! That is fantastic!
Kellie H.
Is this a pre-cooked ham? I'm assuming it is because 4-5 hours on low would not be enough time to cook a 7 pound ham. Looks yummy!
Evelyn C
Hello, what side of the ham do I place down into the crock pot. Cut side or fat side?
Evelyn C
Hi Tammilee, What side of the ham do you place down in the crock pot? Cut side down?
Tammilee
Hi,
I placed the cut side to the side. I am not sure how to describe it. I had the part of the ham with the pre-cuts for serving at the top
Linsey
If I were to do this in the oven, what temp should I set it at and for how long? My crock pot will be working on a holiday hot chocolate recipe for 2 1/2 hours before my party and I want the ham to be just cooked when I serve.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Leilani
Have you ever put actual pineapple in with it?
Tammilee
I have not tried fresh pineapple with it. It sounds fantastic.
Leilani
Gonna give it a try w/pineapples 2morrow. 🙂
Tammilee
Please let us know how it works out. It sounds delicious! I love anything with fresh pineapple in it.
Leilani
Made it with slices pineapples & it turned out amazing!! It ended up being the star of the meal even over the turkey. There wasn't any left!! Ty so much for this awesome/easy recipe.
Lori
Has anyone tried this with spiral cut ham? I am just wondering if it will be too dry.
Thanks,
Lori
Tammilee
Hi,
Spiral Cut Ham worked great for me.
Lori
Should I wrap it in foil or just put it in the crock pot?
My co-worker and I were debating this. 🙂
Tammilee
I just put it in the crock pot. I didn't wrap it. I have heard of a couple of readers making a foil ring around the bottom for the ham to sit on so it was not in its juices.
Marie
Should the ham be room temperature before it goes in the crock pot, or is it OK to put in right out of the refrigerator?
Kristin
This sounds great but my husband hates pineapple! Is there any other juice you would recommend?
Phyllis Satterfield
Use Apple juice
Stephanie
Do you think this recipe would be ok with ham steaks? Ill have about 10 of them.
Tammilee
I have not tried it with ham steaks. The only thing I would worry about is if they are sliced making sure they do not dry out or over cook.
Stephanie
Thanks for the reply, I'm giving it a try. I'll let you know. 🙂
Amy
If I use a 3.5 lb ham, would it take the same amount of time to cook it?
Diane Migues
I cooked this ham, it was a hit at the camp ground. This weekend I will be cooking another for a girls get away to Galveston, TX. This time I will incorporate pineapple slices between the layers for added pineapple flavor and possible pineapple preserves. Will let you know how that comes out.
Tammilee
Diane, I am so glad everyone loved the ham. Placing pineapple slices in between the layers sounds amazing! I can't wait to hear how it turns out.
Carrie
I just put this in the crock pot right now but I was wonder, does it matter which way you lay the ham in the crock pot? Not sure if the ham part should be laying flat down or is it ok if I just lay the ham on its side. Can't wait till dinner! 🙂
Tammilee
Hi, I put the ham on the side when I cooked it. I wanted to be able to get the juices all over it.
Melanie
This looks amazing. I can't wait to try it! Is there a particular kind of ham that works best for this recipe!
Tammilee
I used one labeled a pork shoulder picnic ham. I just tried to find one that would fit in the crock pot and was also not pre-flavored.
Angie DeFord
Have you ever let it cook in the crock pot 8-10 hours on LOW? I know I've never had issues with anything else cooking longer than directed...Thanks!
Tammilee
I have not let it cook that long but I think it would be fine.
Angie DeFord
Thank you for the reply...I will try to remember to post my results.
Jamie
It really only needs 1 hour to cook a 7lbs ham?
Tammilee
It takes 4-5 hours to cook the ham
Jamie
Thanks! Making this for an event on Sunday-- it looks so delicious!
Rachel
Hi! So I plan on making this today for Easter. We have a small family (just 4 of us) so I have a 3.5 lb ham and a small crock pot - it's also a pre-cooked spiral ham. Will this work? I just plan on halfing the recipe, so I'm sure that'll be fine, but I know sometimes the TYPE of ham makes a difference in each recipe! Thanks!
Tammilee
Hi, I think it should work great.
Samantha Higgins
I just made this for Easter tomorrow and it turned out sooo yummy! I'd never cooked a ham and was nervous but I love to cook things in my crockpot and it turned out perfect! I'll be doing it again! Thanks for sharing!
Tammilee
Samantha, I am so glad you loved it!
Kylene
Hello, you said at the end of your directions that an hour before serving pour juice over the ham, what juice are you talking about? In the first part of the directions you say to pour the pinneapple juice over it after putting the brown sugar on the ham so just trying to figure out your directions! This sounds wonderful. Thanks for sharing.
Tammilee
Hi, There will be juice in the bottom of the crock pot after the ham has cooked. A mixture of brown sugar, pineapple juice and ham juice. I spread this back over the top of the ham so it would be nice and juicy.