Slow Cooker Maple Brown Sugar Ham
A slow cooker ham that is juicy, flavorful, and so simple! The maple, brown sugar and pineapple flavors are perfect for a tasty glaze.
I used to always bake my holiday ham in the oven according to package directions, occasionally using the sugary glaze that comes with the ham and sometimes not.
That’s what my sweet momma did, and I’m not one to veer too far from tradition.
However, when I decided to live on the edge and try my hand at a slow cooker ham years and years ago, I had no idea it would revolutionize my life.
It was fantastic. Really fantastic.
And it has since taken the internet world by storm! This is one of my most popular recipes all year, and it absolutely blows up during Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas (this Sweet Baked Ham is a very close second).
This slow cooker ham is more flavorful than so many other hams I’ve made before, and the flavors are so perfect – maple, brown sugar and pineapple.
Delicious – not to mention super simple.
I’ve noted this in the recipe below, but over the years, the only change I’ve made is to reduce the amount of time in the slow cooker.
My ham was slightly overdone after cooking for 7 hours, so for me and my slow cooker, 4-5 hours on low is the sweet spot.
I’m definitely not the only one who loves this simple, life-changing slow cooker ham! A quick glance through the comments and you’ll see there are a lot of fans of this best-ever slow cooker ham.
It is simple and delicious, and perfect for any time of the year, not just on holidays.
FAQs for Slow Cooker Maple Brown Sugar Ham
Orange juice should work instead of pineapple.
You’ll want to adjust the time accordingly, and continue to check it throughout.
I’ve never used the broth for anything much because it’s a bit too sweet for my taste but you could definitely experiment.
Yes, the recipe calls for a pre-cooked ham.
What To Serve With This:
Tender biscuits like these Buttermilk Biscuits or Cream Biscuits
Homemade Baked Tater Tots
Classic Deviled Eggs
Slow Cooker Maple Brown Sugar Ham
Ingredients
- 7-8 pound spiral-cut ham, bone-in or boneless
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 cups pineapple juice
Instructions
- Use a 6-7 quart slow cooker. Unwrap the ham and discard flavor packet. Place the ham into the slow cooker stoneware, flat-side down. Rub brown sugar on all sides. Pour on maple syrup and pineapple juice.
- Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours. An hour before serving, baste ham with the collected juices from the bottom of the slow cooker.
- When cooking is done, remove carefully and let it rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before carving.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from Year of Crockpotting
302 Comments on “Slow Cooker Maple Brown Sugar Ham”
I have a large roaster pan. I was wondering if getting a bigger ham and using that would give me the same results? Thanks so much!
Yes, should work just fine! Just make sure not to over cook it.
Omg! So delicious! Best ham ever!
(Me thinking out loud) Hmmm . . . I wonder if I can cook this in the instant pot?
This recipe is absolutely delicious! We just had it for Thanksgiving and my husband keeps talking about how tender and flavorful it was. The only change I made was to mix the brown sugar with some Dijon mustard. I also reduced the cooking liquid and served it as a sauce on the side. Thanks Mel!
Hi Melanie, how much Dijon mustard did you use? Did you still use the pineapple juice also?
Does the ham have to be spiral-cut? I have a bone in shank but it’s not spiral cut. Will this still work.
Yes, you can make this with a ham that is not spiral sliced.
Would you be able to crockpot sliced ham? How long would you cook it for? 🙂 thanks!
Hi Mel! Would this work buying ham that is already sliced and then cooking it in the crockpot? If so, how long would you cook it for?
Hi Tammy, yes, the recipe calls for a spiral sliced ham.
Okay….so I’m looking at my question and I need to clarify…LOL
What if I got thicker slices of ham from the deli and then put it in my crockpot…would that work for this particular recipe and if so, how long would I cook it for?
(Sorry for the dumb question)
Oh, gotcha. Yes, I think that would work. You really just want to heat the ham through and not cook it too much or else it turns dry and jerky-like. I’d suggest 2-3 hours on low.
Hi Mel! I love this recipe! It’s always a bit with the family. I am trying to make some make-ahead meals before meeting my new grandson. I am wondering if this can be made ahead, sliced, and left in juices for a couple of days before reheating the slices. Or can it be frozen in slices? I am trying to keep cooking time short and grandma time long! I also was hoping for a quick clean up if prepped and cooked ahead of time! What do you think? Thanks!
Hi Kelli! Yes, I think it could be made ahead and refrigerated or even frozen!
I don’t have pineapple juice or OJ. What would be a good substitute? I do have maple syrup and frozen concentrate for strawberry daiquiri mix (non-alcoholic). Would maybe syrup plus some vinegar work? (sweet + acid).
I’ve made tons of your recipes and really appreciate your blog.
Hi Danielle – you’ll have to experiment with that combination – I haven’t used anything other than pineapple juice or orange juice so I can’t say in full confidence if other substitutes will work out. Good luck!
Just had this for Easter dinner, phenomenal! My favorite used to be your sweet baked ham, but I may love this one just a hair more! Thank you, thank you!
My husband’s comment, this Mel woman is amazing, everyone of her recipes is excellent, and this ham is the best. We invite friends when I try a new recipient and they now ask, is it a Mel recipe. Thanks Mel, because of you I am considered a good cook.
Bertha
Thank you so much, Bertha!!
Any pineapple juice substitutions? My daughter is allergic to pineapple (and mango, kiwi, and tropical fruit in that vein)
Can she have orange juice? That would work!
I made this ham for Christmas and it was excellent. My husband said it was the best ham he ever tasted. Our guests took leftovers but we were able to save enough for two meals. We were sad when it was gone but I will be using this recipe from now on. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipes.
I was hoping the glaze would of been a lot thinker ..when cooked the ham adds so much juice that it makes the glaze watery .. but the flavor was there will try again ..maybe cook the ham about an hour first.. then drain then add glaze and slow cook another 3-4 hrs
Can you come a ham in an oven bag in a crock pot?
Have you ever made this with light brown sugar instead of dark?
Yes, works great!
I want to make this slow cooker maple brown sugar ham on Sunday for Easter. I have a 13 pound spiral sliced ham and a 10 quart crockpot that it will fit in. Do I double the brown sugar and pineapple juice? What about cooking time? Thanks for any help you can give me.
You probably can leave the cooking time the same or maybe increase by 30 minutes or so, but yes, I’d probably double the other ingredients.
Thank you so much for your help. The ham was wonderful — it got rave reviews from everyone. Moist & delicious. BYW – our daughter brought carrot cake made with your recipe, and our daughter-in-law brought your cheesy potatoes to the family dinner yesterday. We said it was a Mel dinner. Thanks again.
Oh, yay! Thanks for the update, Connie! Happy Easter!
Is this a pre-cooked ham?
Yes
I have been making your crock pot ham for the past few years ever since I found the recipe. It’s so easy and delicious! I always make it for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.
Hubby says it’s the best ham I ever made – my go to recipe!
I made this for Easter dinner – sooooo good! Juicy and sweet and tender, perfect. I’ll never cook ham in the oven again.
Made this for Thanksgiving. Turned out great I did cut the ham off the bone first, so it would fit on the Crock-Pot. Also added the spice packet. Made sure all slices were coated with sugar/syrup mixture before warming in the Crock-Pot.
SO good!! I can’t gush enough about how wonderful this recipe is. Fall off the bone ham. Will definitely be writing this one down and making it often!
I generally use tinned pineapple rings (chunked by me) and the juice…always turns out a beautiful ham/gammon, perfect for sandwich ham or thick cut gammon with eggs etc…
How would this recipe adapt for an electric roaster oven?
I’m not sure, I haven’t tried it – but maybe cooking it in a roaster at 250 degrees?
I have an uncooked ham from
Butcher. Would I just increase cooking time with this recipe or do I cook it first and then use your recipe? This is my first time with an uncooked ham so not sure how to proceed.
Hi Brenda – honestly, I’m not sure. I’ve never used an uncooked ham before, so you might try googling cooking times in a slow cooker for an uncooked ham to see if you can come up with a general guideline.
Why have I not tried this????? I’m gonna go buy me a ham for the helluvit!!!
What if I have a 5 pound boneless ham? How should I adjust recipe and cook time?
I’d probably check it after about 3 hours.
Horrible! .The meat turned into mush. I will keep my hams in the oven. The slow cooker changed the texture of the meat. ad to trash it and go out to eat.
I don’t really know what I’m doing. I got a whole hog from the butcher so I couldn’t tell you if this is spiral cut, but it’s certainly raw and has a bone, small maybe 4lbs. Most of the recipes I’ve come across are for pre cooked or cured hams that are larger. I’m just going to give this a try and see if it’s done when my husband gets home in 4hrs.
Wow, this was amazing! The best ham I have ever had! I was slightly concerned about how it would turn out because it was a bit too big for my crockpot and I couldn’t fit the lid on. I covered it tightly with many layers of foil and it turned out perfectly. Thank you for a delicious recipe!
I’ve never commented before, but I love your blog and many of your recipes are my go-to. Thank you for all the time and effort you put into this blog!
I’m so happy this ham worked out so well for you, Marisa! Thanks for letting me know!
Thanks, Marisa!
I have made this several times and it’s great. I was planning to make it for a family dinner but my niece has a pineapple allergy. What would you suggest to replace the pineapple juice?
You could try orange juice.
Apple juice is a must try.
Peach juice with ham is de-lish!!
I have done it with apple and with apple orange mix didn’t notice a difference between the two personally maybe it was to long between but both were amazing and had rave reviews
Can you do this with ends and pieces as well? I need to with this before it goes bad
Could certainly try but I’d definitely cut the cooking time way down so they don’t burn.
i have a half spiral ham its 10 pounds and i want to slowcook it how would i do that im a newly wed and my husband is in US. Army and i want to make him a nice dinner i need to know how long to cook it and if it should be on low medium or high temp.?
Will that size of ham fit in your slow cooker? If so, I’d cook it per the recipe instructions.
You can base it it with brown suger , cloves. And pineapples too
My ham wont’ fit in the crockpot. Can I carve it and then warm it in crockpot?
I think that would work fine.
how long do you think it will take to warm 10# of carved ham in a crockpot?
Not completely sure but I would guess 4-5 hours.
Hi Mel. I am making your maple brown sugar ham in the crockpot on Friday night for 26-32 guests. I have purchased four 4 pound boneless smoked hams and I think in the past, I have put two in a crockpot next to each other, with the side of each one up rather than putting them in on top of each other, which may not fit in height. I have two 8 qt fairly new oval crockpots so I think that two will fit in each crockpot. Since it is not one solid 8 pound ham in each one, but two 4 pound ones each, do I still cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. Last year I started them too early and the crockpot that I used, did not have a warm setting so it was hard to keep them hot and yet not overcooked. I bought new crockpots with a keep warm setting this time. I am hoping to cook them about 4 hours, slice them early to keep from having to do it while a ton of people are around me, and then just keep them on warm in the juices, until served. Also last time there seemed to be so much pineapple juice that the maple brown sugar flavor was diluted and the pineapple juice could be tasted (don’t love pineapple with ham). I think I used two cups pineapple juice in recipe. I have two 12 oz cans pineapple juice this time. Would only using 12 ounces per crockpot be enough to keep it moist without drowning out the maple, brown sugar flavoring? I just don’t want to overcook it this time or have it taste too pineapply. Thanks so much for this recipe. Have used it 3 years in a row and guests usually love it. .
Hi Cathleen – I would keep the cooking time the same, especially if the slow cookers are pretty full of ham. Err on the side of four hours instead of five. I’ve found this ham is ok even after 3 1/2 to 4, depending on thickness. You could definitely decrease the pineapple juice or use a combo of pineapple + orange juice to help the flavor and let the brown sugar and maple taste come through.
My comment is not showing up so I will try again. Sources on the internet say to cook a spiral cut ham until an internal temp of 140 F. It took about 4.5 hrs on low for my 8.5 lb to go from cold to 130F, when I took it out. This was in a Hamilton Beach Stay or Go slow cooker with temperature probe. This was far too long and resulted in a very dry ham. I’m not sure what went wrong since it didn’t even reach 140. But I hope this will help anyone else who is trying to guess cooking times! If I try again I think I’ll start checking at 2 hrs and go from there.
More comments for future users of this recipe: I have a Hamilton Beach Stay or Go slow cooker that comes with a temperature probe, so you can set it to cook only until reaching a certain internal temperature. The Wise Internet told me that spiral cut ham should be heated to 140 F, so that’s what I set it on. An 8.5 lb spiral cut ham took about 4.5 hours on low to go from refrigerator-cold (~32 F) to about 130 F, which is when I finally took it out. (Already fully cooked so no issue.) Despite not even reaching the recommended temp, I feel like the ham got way too dry. It was tasty anyway, but I would definitely not cook it that long again. I’m thinking sticking with the 12-15 min/lb the package usually says might work well. Hope this info will help someone else who wants to give it a shot!
Hello Mel,
I have a 11 to 11.5 lb. ham that I want to cook in my 8 quart oval slow cooker. It is a bit too big so I will cover it with tin foil. But I have a newer slow cooker that has warm, low and high settings. I don’t want it to be over done or the texture to be dry and want it have lots of the flavor in the ham. Since I have a newer model slow cooker how long do you suggest I leave a 11 to 11.5 lb ham in the slower cooker for with the tin foil on it. Also I don’t have a spiral ham. I have a ham shank that is fully cooked but not spiral cut. Hopefully I can get a quick response from you since I only have 5 days till Xmas to cook it. Thank you
I’ve never cooked a shank ham this way – it will take longer to heat all the way through and so, so much of this depends on how hot/cool your slow cooker warms things up (there’s a vast difference from slow cooker to slow cooker I’m afraid). Because I’m not familiar with your slow cooker, you’ll really have to experiment. Perhaps try the low setting and check on it every few hours. Good luck!
Yesterday was a “triple Mel day” 🙂 I made this ham recipe with your baked garlic mashed potatoes and your Romaine/Light Poppy Seed Salad… all 3 were great! My kids and husband loved it! Do you have any suggestions for a meal that I could use the left over ham in?
Hi Rachelle – here are a few of my favorite dishes for leftover ham:
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/ham-and-pasta-skillet-dinner/
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/cheesy-ham-and-broccoli-quinoa-bites/
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/hawaiian-fried-rice/
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/ham-and-sweet-potato-hash/
I made this for Easter & it was easy, very good & easy cleanup.
Making this for missionaries tonight. Hooray for good deal on ham! Also, making these really really good rolls. =)
I am going to give this a go today for dinner. I have to say 95% of the ham pics on pinterest (which is where I found yours ) show the most overcooked dried out hams I have ever seen. I wouldn’t photograph my ham if it looked that dry. For the life of me I kept thinking why in the world would a precooked ham need 6 to 8 hours? I am so happy to see you admit the time should be cut down to maybe 4 hours. I plan on doing exactly that if even that long. I want flavor but certainly not a dried out ham. I will post how the lower time works out as I am sure that is why everyone’s ham pics look terribly shriveled.
I am worried about the ham being dry! I have a rival crockpot with setting of (4hrs. high 6hrs.high) & (8hrs. low 10hrs. low). I not sure what to do. I think 8 hrs low is to long but do you think 4 hrs high will dry out ham? I have a boneless sliced Kretchmeyer ham.
I also wanted to use dr. Pepper instead of pineapple. I would to hear from you ASAP.
Hi Sandy, I wasn’t available last week due to the holidays and spending time with my family but I hope the ham worked out for you. I would suggest using the 8 hour low setting and checking on it after 4 hours or so. I have never tried Dr. Pepper so not sure how that would sub.
Started with a Carando brown sugar cured spiral cut fully cooked bone-in ham. I also added the usual cloves, pineapple rings and cherries. We did only 4 hrs for a 8lb ham, then removed it, carved it up, put back in crock with only some of the juice it created, left on warm for buffet serving at party. So yummy! Tip: there was a ton of liquid in crock after cooking. Removed ham, lifted bag with liquid. Cut tiny hole in bottom of bag to transfer some good liquids to a measuring cup. Discarded bag and remaining unwanted liquid and fat. New bag in crock with the good wanted liquids and carved up ham for buffet serving. Everyone loved it. They thought I got it from a restaurant!!!
Hi there, how long would you suggest for a 12lb spiral ham?
Probably just follow the recipe and check closely to add time if needed.
Hi Mel,
I plan on making this for a Sunday lunch for my husband’s informal birthday party. I was just going to serve with buns and was wondering what sides that are no fuss – no muss – you can suggest. I am also making your classic cheesecake for the first time, so I am trying to minimize side dish stress. Any suggestions you can make would be so appreciated. Thank you.
I would just go really simple and do fresh fruits/veggies, maybe some baked beans? Chips possibly. Good luck!
Hey Mel. This recipe not working quite right with Ziplist. Doesn’t list the recipes…at least for me. Thought I would let you know.
Thanks for the heads up, Beth – I’ll have the ziplist folks look into it.
Hi! I tried this recip and it was good but the ham was still a little dry-ugh 🙁 But that could be due to operator error;-) I tired the below recipe as I was a little desperate to NOT have another dry ham. This recipe is amazing and it is nice that it uses the sugar and spice packet that is included with the ham. The recipe is from the food.com site. Enjoy!
Savory Spiral Cut Ham”
Ingredients
1 tablespoon flour
1 (7 lb) spiral cut ham
honey glaze mix ( packet that came with the ham)
1 (14 ounce) cans swansons chicken broth
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
Directions
You will also need: 1 large Reynolds Oven Cooking Bag (turkey size).
Heat the oven to 325°F.
Put the flour into the cooking bag and shake the bag until it is completely covered with the flour.
Do not remove remaining flour from the bag (I didn’t anyway).
This prevents the bag from exploding in the oven while baking.
Place the bag in a large cake pan or a roasting pan.
Open the bag and put the ham in it, cut side down.
Set aside.
In a small sauce pan mix the chicken broth, honey glaze mix, mustard and orange juice over medium heat until the glaze mix and orange juice concentrate are dissolved.
Pour it over the ham.
With a tie that came with the bag, tightly seal the bag.
Page 2 of 3Savory Spiral Cut Ham (cont.)
Directions
Cut 6-1 inch slits into the top and upper sides of the bag to allow steam to escape.
Make sure the bag is completely inside the pan.
Do not allow any of it to hang over the sides of the pan.
Place on middle rack of the oven, allowing enough room for the bag to expand without touching the top heating coil.
This prevents the bag from melting.
Bake for approximately 1 hour or until the ham slices begin to separate and the top of the ham starts to brown.
Lower the oven temp to 200°F and let the ham sit in the oven until the rest of the meal is ready.
You could probably lower it to 175°F if you want to.
Spiral cut ham is precooked so it does not have to reach a certain temperature.
You are just warming it or making it hot for a hot meal.
When you are ready, remove the ham from the oven.
Allow it to cool enough to touch the bag.
Remove the tie from the bag and slowly tear the bag open at the top of it.
Remove ham and place it on a large plate or a platter.
Allow to cool slightly before cutting it.
Pour the juices from the baking/roasting into a saucepan and make gravy with it or pour it into a container and save it for soup.
Taste the juice from the ham.
If it is very strong tasting, (mine was) you may need to add water, a little at a time until it is at your desired strength.
Save the ham bone to make ham stock or soup with, leaving some of the meat on the bone.
I found this website last week on Tuesday and I tried this recipe on Sunday as well as the Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Potatoes for my Easter supper and OMG both were amazing!!! This ham is to die for! It is so easy and takes no prep time at all and the results are magnificent! The potatoes were creamy and so flavorful, I can’t imagine having mashed potatoes any other way now! Thank you so much for the recipes and I can’t wait to try many more recipes on this site! 🙂
Hi Mel, the honey cured ham turned out great. Everyone loved it! Thanks for another wonderful recipe to add to the repertoire. 🙂
I make this ham with either the brown sugar & maple, or the glaze, or 3 cups of Dr. Pepper in the crockpot too, and cover it with foil. I make a homemade mac n’ cheese, mashed potatoes, corn, and a pineapple and cheese casserole that compliments the ham perfectly…and of course biscuits and sweet tea. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Mel, I’m planning on making this for Easter dinner tomorrow and was only able to find a honey cured ham. Will that work or do you think it will end up way too sweet? This will be my first attempt making a ham so I have no idea!
Melissa – Sorry for the delay in getting back with you. Did the ham turn out ok? I’ve never used a honey cured ham with it but my guess was that it would work out just fine so hopefully it did.
Thanks Mel, you are the best! I thought I had read all of the comments but now I see that I only read the first page and didn’t realize there were several more pages;-) Well, with ham this popular, who needs gravy right? Or, you’re right, chicken broth would work and I have some homemade stock hanging out in my fridge needing to be used or frozen. Thanks for the tips!
Hi Mel,
I’m probably far too late to get an answer to this by tomorrow, but that’s what I get for late recipe-planning… I want to try this recipe but had been planning to make gravy to go with mashed potatoes. Do you normally/have you ever made gravy when making ham this way? Does it already have so much flavor it would be too much, or not match, and does cooking it this way produce the same kind of meat juices that could be turned into gravy?
And thanks for your wonderful blog! I haven’t commented much (sorry) but I use your recipes all the time as well as recommending them to others and you are on a first name basis for my husband and I. 🙂
Cara
Hi Cara – glad I saw your question before I shut down my computer! I think someone else asked this in the comments before but I can’t remember (and I know there are a ton of comments to read through). I personally wouldn’t recommend making gravy from the liquid from this ham. It’s on the sweet side of things and I guess my personal preference is that it wouldn’t make for a well-balanced, savory gravy. However, if anyone else is reading this thread and has tried it, feel free to correct me. I’d probably just whip up a gravy by making a roux with equal parts butter and flour (let the butter melt and then stir in the flour, letting it cook for a good 2-3 minutes until lightly browned) then whisk in chicken broth slowly until the gravy is smooth. Let it simmer until thick and add salt and pepper to taste. Be sure to use a good-quality chicken broth (or homemade) if you decide to do that. I usually use about 2 cups broth for 4 tablespoons flour/butter. Hope that helps! I suppose you could try using part of the liquid from the ham for the gravy – but I’d err on the side of just little to start and taste to see what it needs. Happy Easter!
Love this recipe!!! And it will help make room in the oven for all the wonderful casseroles to go with this delicious ham. Thank you.
Delicious! I went with Cook’s “Carved Off the Bone” Ham (about 6 lbs.) which is yummy on its own — but over the top with this glaze! I substituted apple juice for the pineapple as my husband isn’t a big fan. {grin} At the end of cooking I transferred the ham to a serving platter and tented with foil, then poured the juices into a saucepan and reduced them by about half. Served this on the side — it was surprisingly NOT salty, which was nice!
Hi, I bought half a pig this past fall and I got 3 hams out of it and I had the ham smoked. I haven’t opened the butcher wrap yet so I’m not sure if it is pre cooke dor not. It is bone in. I’m thawing it out inthe fridge right now to have it ready to put in the slow cooker tomorrow. How will I tell if it is pre cooked ? does smoking mean it is pre cooked? I am very new at pork cuts and cooking. if it is not pre cooked how long would i leave it in the slow cooker.
thanks 🙂
Sylvie – I’ve never used an uncooked ham so I don’t know how long you would need to cook it; I’d try googling cooking temps/times for that. Most hams that are smoked are considered fully cooked so I’m guessing your ham is fully cooked but of course I can’t be 100% sure.
hi, I’m fairly new at cooking and was wondering what kind of ham you could use. I picked up an 8lb ham from taste of inspirations that says fully cooked and to warm in over 10 to 12 mins per pound at 250. I looked for a spiral ham uncooked and I couldn’t find any. Help?
Kelly – I think the ham you have should work just fine. You’ll have to carve it since it isn’t spiral sliced but I always use a fully cooked ham for this recipe, too. Good luck!
Never mind, I found the solution in older comments… Sorry
I bought a much smaller ham… 3 or 4 pounds is my guess. How should I adjust the recipe? Should I cut everything in half or should I keep everything as it is?
Thanks
The juice is so awesome! I haven’t tried it yet, but the next time I make the Crock Pot Maple Brown Sugar Ham, I’m going to save the juices and use them to cook carrots and/or sweet potatoes. I think it would be an excellent “broth” for cooking either carrots or sweet potatoes.
Also, I was just reading some recipes on Pinterest for baked sliders. Most of the recipes call for a liquid to be poured over the sliders before baking them. I think this broth would be great poured over the sliders – especially if they are ham sliders!
Hi Mel – I just happened upon your site today & spent a rainy afternoon going over your recipes. Beautiful! I want to try your Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Ham. A question regarding the “juice” in the bottom of the cooker after ham is done. Do you thicken it and use it as a sauce to serve over sliced ham? It just seems it would be too tasty to throw out!!
Thanks!
Barb – I never use the juice at the bottom (It’s a bit too sweet for me) but you could definitely experiment!
I have made this at least 4x and every time I get such great compliments. Especially from my mother. I will never cook ham any other way. I am making it tomorrow for my husband’s side of the family when we have our Christmas get together. Thanks!
Made this for Christmas eve. Everyone loved it. Would like to know what I can do with the broth that it was cooked in. Any suggestions?
Theresa – I’ve never used the broth for anything much because it’s a bit too sweet for my taste but you could definitely experiment. Good luck!
Hi !
I have a 9 lb smoked spiral cut ham and I am wondering if I would be able to use a oven bag instead of aluminum foil to cover the ham while cooking in the crock pot. This is my very first time using a crock pot to cook a ham. Thank you for in advance
Christinaj – I’ve never used an oven bag in a crockpot so you’ll have to kind of experiment. Good luck!
I am going to try this using BEER on the bottom of the crock pot. My mother used to cook all her spiral hams this way and i have got to tell everyone, if you have not tried beer baked spiral ham, you need to, it is the most flavorful – delicious meat you will EVER put in your mouth. I will still glaze this as the recipe says to; but also i am going to use pineapple rings all over the ham. I may omit the maple syrup since i don’t have any and use something else, honey maybe….Talk about a yummilicious smell in your home… smells like bread and meat baking at the same time…. oh my.
Hi Melanie: I’m making this for Christmas (tomorrow my time), but the ham is not thawed. If it is not thawed completely in the morning, how much longer would I need to cook it? Thanks in advance!!!
Hi Susan – sorry for the late response; I took some time off from the computer to enjoy the holidays. I hope this ham worked out for you! I suppose you could add an hour or so onto the cooking time if the ham is partially frozen and check occasionally to see if it is warming through.
I tried this recipe about a year ago. My husband and I were both hooked immediately! It’s fabulous! I made is this Thanksgiving and even my grandson who doesn’t like anything LOVED this ham. I have made it several times. I don’t usually like ham, but I LOVE it this way. One note: Our grocery stores (Texas) say spiral sliced hams are a seasonal item, so stock up during the holidays and put a few in your freezer so you can cook them this way later in the year.
I made my Thanksgiving ham in the crock pot this past year and everyone loved it, but I also made my turkey breast in the crock pot to, my family don’t like the dark meat so I just buy the breast, it just fell off the bone, so no more oven for me.
I made this for Thanksgiving, and everyone raved! I put this in the slow cooker for 5 hours, and just kept it on warm for the approx. 3 additional hours until serving time, and it was perfect. I also took the delicious juice from the slow cooker, put into a sauce pan to thicken it into a glaze that I poured over the ham – it was amazing! I will be using this recipe for every Thanksgiving from here on out – as my family was already asking me if I could do this again next year 🙂
Thank you so much for all your delicious recipes, I am so hooked on your website!!
Considering this is my first time cooking a ham or using my crock pot, how do I determine when my ham is fully cooked/done?
I am definitely going to try the Maple Sugar Ham tomorrow for Thanksgiving.
Does it matter if I use Dark Brown, Golden Brown, or Regular sugar? or can I mix a little of each into 1 Cup? Your advise or suggestion is welcomed.
Ms. Hill – this recipe is fairly flexible but I’d say using light or dark brown sugar will give the best results. I always use a fully cooked ham so all that needs to happen is the ham needs to be warmed through. If you are using a completely raw ham (those are nearly impossible to find where I live) you’ll have to google cooking temperatures and probably use a thermometer to check for doneness. Good luck!
I used a 3 kilo bone-in shoulder cut ham (on sale for $10) Put it on low for 4 hours per other people’s comments and it wasn’t enough time for this cut of ham. It took 7 hours and came out juicy and moist. Will be eating it for dinner tomorrow seeing as how it wasn’t ready until late tonight.
I made this last week and it was delicious! However, I just rubbed the ham with brown sugar rather than measuring out 1 cup. Truthfully I was afraid of all that sugar (for me, anyway). It still turned out plenty sweet enough, and it was delicious, thanks for the recipe!
Absolutely the best ham I have ever eaten bar none (and luckily for me, I’ve got one simmering in the crockpot as I type this!)
This ham absolutely rocks and is virtually foolproof, which is a great thing indeed for a “chef boyardee” like myself. For me, an evening spent with one of these delicious hams goes something like this:
Get up from my desk and make a trip to the fridge for “just one more small slice, just a taste is all…” Sit back down and get comfortable. Get up from my desk and make a trip to the fridge for “just one more small slice, just a taste is all…” Sit back down and get comfortable. Get up from my desk and make a trip to the fridge for “just one more small slice, just a taste is all…” Sit back down and get comfortable.
This is pretty much the rest of the evening until I collapse into a slumbering pork fat and sugar fueled dream of bliss and everything that is good. It’s going to be one of those nights….and I’m so excited.
Hello,
Was wondering if anyone could tell me if this is pure maple syrup or is it maple flavored pancake syrup…. or maybe it doesn’t matter.
Thanks
Angie – it is pure maple syrup.
Instead of pineapple juice could I use apple juice?
Sara – I’ve never tried that so I can’t say for sure how it would work out. I think the acidity of the pineapple juice definitely helps with flavor but feel free to experiment!
I’m pretty inexperienced with big hunks of meat of all kinds. I noticed when trying to purchase a ham that they all say things like “water added” or “cured in natural juices”. I bought the cheapest ham I could find, cooked it in the crock pot following your recipe, and was dismayed by how much it shrunk. Is that because there was a lot of water in the ham I bought? I didn’t notice anywhere that gave the percentage of water, etc., added to the various brands of ham. So besides just avoiding the very cheapest brands, how do you know you’re getting mostly ham rather than mostly water when you buy a ham?
Hi Melinda – I think that’s pretty normal with hams, although I’ve heard others say that you get what you pay for in a ham. Apparently higher quality/better brand name hams have less water added. I’m not really sure how to avoid buying a ham that is injected with a lot of solution other than trying to find an organic ham (like at Trader Joe’s/Whole Foods). I don’t have those stores near me so I try to go for higher-quality hams.
Just got done eating this – it was awesome – I never thought of doing a ham in the crockpot – but it did free me up to finish the stuff that never gets done
Being in Michigan – I used Vernors Ginger Ale instead of water and OMG OMG – to die for
Thank you for this- it’s my new “go to” recipe
Just got done eating this – it was awesome – I never thought of doing a ham in the crockpot – but it did free me up to finish the stuff that never gets done
Being in Michigan – I used Vernors Ginger Ale instead of water and OMG OMG – to die for
Thank you for this
Hi, for my husband and I a 4lb ham is plenty if I use half the ingredients how much time should I cook it for?
Hi Maddy – you’ll have to experiment on cooking times or read through the comments (I know several others have cooked smaller hams) – just be sure to check it after a couple of hours so it doesn’t cook too long.
I’ve been wanting to try this recipe for quite some time now, today I finally had a chance. The ham I had was an 11 pound bone in / spiral sliced. The ham barely fit down into the crock pot, and I had to cover the tip of it with foil. The liquid filled the pot to the brim leaving the ham almost completely submerged.
I’m picking at it now while it cools and MY GOODNESS, it is indeed the best ham I have ever tasted. Thank you so much for sharing this simple and amazing recipe. I look forward to trying your Sweet Baked Ham next time around as it looks like it will be even more of a treat (if that is even possible).
This is a dumb question, it really is. But when recipes call for spiral cut ham (like yours) should I look for raw ham, partially cooked ham, or cooked ham? Thanks! Can’t wait to try this!
Ria – most ham recipes are calling for a fully cooked, cured ham (they are the most common types of hams you can find in the grocery store).
What a lovely recipe! I honestly forgot to comment on it last year, sorry about that.
This year, I knew I have to adjust times & liquids for the Ninja. After placing the spiral ham into the crock pot, I poured the juice next [1 C only] rubbed sugar, poured the syrup and covered tightly with foil since the lid wasn’t sealing well [8lb spiral], covered with lid and cooked for 2 1/2 hours. While the ham was resting, juices were simmering on stove setting-high in the crockpot. OMG, pouring that hot/ thick gold over carved ham was amazing! NO leftovers this year =-(
Hope adjustments help crop potters with newer models as they run a bit hotter.
Thank You!
Thank you for the Ninja version recipe. I am planning to make this for Christmas Eve tomorrow!
Mel, made this again for Easter dinner! This time I used a small 1 1/2 lb ham, halved the other ingredients, cut the ham in 1/2 inch slices almost all the way down to the bottom (like the pages of a book), rubbed brown sugar between all the slices and on the outside, then topped with the syrup and pineapple juice and cooked on low 5 hours. Turned out even better than last time! Loved it so much 🙂
I made this ham for Easter dinner and it was absolutely delicious! I will never make ham any other way! It was moist and the flavors were perfect. My husband is not normally a fan of ham because of how dry it usually ends up, but he raved about this slow cooker ham and had two and three servings of it. What is interesting is that I did not have the pineapple juice, so I just went with the brown sugar and maple syrup and it was still so awesome. I can only imagine what it’ll taste like with the sweetness of the pineapple juice and I can’t wait to try it that way! Thank you for a wonderful recipe! It has been added to the family cookbook. 🙂
happy Easter, Mel ~ i haven’t commented yet, but i’ve made a dozen or so of your recipes and loved every one. i made this ham for our cozy Easter dinner tonight (even though it meant going to the grocery store for a needed ingredient on a holiday!) & the whole family (husband & 4 kids…1 or 2 of which can be more than a bit picky) raved about it. thank you for such simply good recipes….I love how enthusiastically you describe them, & the site and pictures are just as simply good:)
Mel, you weren’t kidding when you said this is the best way to make ham. I used an easy cut and did it in my Nesco and it was amazing! I, too, will never make it any other way again. Also freed up my oven for other side dishes. Thanks for the recipe!
I rarely ever leave comments on sites, but this time I just had to say that this is the BEST ham ever! It was so easy and so delicious! I made a 10 pound ham for Easter and everyone raved about it…even my sister who doesn’t like ham was eating it! I used a slow cooker liner with no problems whatsoever. I cooked it for 4 hours (basted it at 3 hours) and it turned out perfectly. There was so much juice and liquid that we had plenty to make gravy, and still enough to cut the ham and set it back in the juice left in the crockpot to keep it moist until we served it. I will never make ham any other way again! Thanks, Mel!
Made this for Christmas and it was great! I
Am setting my timer on my crockpot so it will hopefully be done in the morning. Cross your fingers.
Hi Tiffany – I addressed this question with Shelly just a few comments above yours so check the blue box above for times. Good luck!
How long would you cook a 4.5 lb ham? I’m making this recipe for Easter dinner tomorrow for my small family
Hahaha, was just going over the recipe before going to the store and I must have missed the word spiral before. So that certainly clears things up. Silly me!!
My question is the same as Kristen’s that you didn’t answer lol! I have a fully cooked spiral ham, 7lbs. I’ve read conflicting times in my search. Any where from 4 hours to 1 and 1/2 hours. I LOVE your blog! Thanks for your help.
Jana – each slow cooker can vary in temp believe it or not which is why the times are all over the place. You’ll really just have to use your best judgment and check the ham. I’d recommend somewhere between 3 and 4 hours.
I have a small ham…4.5 lbs. How long to cook?
Shelly, you’ll have to adjust as needed and watch cooking time. I’ve never made a ham that small in the slow cooker…probably around the 4 hour mark but you’ll need to keep an eye on it to be sure.
I love cooking with my crockpot, ever since I got one 30 years ago! However, I never thought to put my Easter ham in one….don’t know why I didn’t think of it. What a great idea! It works for every other type of meat, e.g. western ribs, beef stew meat, etc. I’m certainly going to try out this recipe! Thanks!
Erin, you almost can’t overcook something in a crock pot–:)
Add some cloves to this recipe–heaven!
I really want to make this ham (anything that frees up my oven is a favorite of mine), but I only have a 4 quart crock pot. Will this still work using a smaller ham, and should I decrease the cooking time even more if that’s the case? Is it better to buy a smaller ham, or just a regular sized one and then cut it in half to fit? Just wondering because this looks DELICIOUS and I really want to try it but don’t want to go out and buy a new crockpot either. Thanks for your help!
Jessica – it really boils down to if your ham can fit in your size of crockpot. But yes, if it is a significantly smaller ham than in the recipe, I’d cook it for at least 30 minutes less (although after checking, you may find that it needs more time so just keep checking).
I’m gonna buy some maple syrup so I can make that crockpot ham of yours. Think I can use some of it in place of maple extract?
Hi Barb – I don’t know what you mean. The recipe calls for maple syrup so if that’s what you buy, you should be good to go!
Thanks for a great recipe! I tried it today and the family loved it. I usually cook my ham in the crock pot but wasn’t really thrilled with my old recipe. Thanks for a new one!
Hi, I am very new to the crock pot life but with two toddlers, a husband, and an 8 year old step son that reports my cooking to my mother-in-law (ahh!), I need all the help I can get to be able to walk away from the kitchen. I have a boneless, 3.16lb ham and am terrified of over-cooking it. I was going to do a 1/4 cup brown sugar rub, sprinkle some of the brown sugar in the bottom with a splash of apple juice…do you think this would work? How long should it cook in the crock pot? Any tips would be greatly appreciated!
Erin – I’ve never used apple juice so I can’t tell you for sure how it will work out that way but if you have time, read through the other comments because many people have made successful adaptations. I’d probably check it after 4 hours on low – if it is well covered and there is enough liquid, it shouldn’t dry out.
I have never heard of cooking that much meat in a crock on low for such a short time, but I guess if that is what the recipe says… my ham has been in for 4 hours now and is only 55*. Guess we aren’t having ham for dinner tonight.
Thanks for the receipe! I made this with pineapple juice, then with apple juice and loved it both ways.
Hi Mel,
Came across your blog in July! Just wanted to say thanks for this recipe! I made it on Christmas Day and I don’t think I have received as many compliments from my brother in my whole 27 years than I have received from him in the past week about this ham!! It was wonderful!
Had this for Christmas. Absolutely the best ham I ever ate, and I’m talking about 66 years of eating ham! (Well, the first few years I don’t remember too well…) Next to try is the Spaghetti Pie. Honestly, I can’t wait!!!
Hi Mel! I made this for Christmas dinner using a little, just under 3 lb ham that was not spiral cut. Before I cooked it, I sliced off a big swath of fat that was on the side (in part to get rid of the fat and also because I was curious about whether the flavor would penetrate the cut side better). I also scored the ham. Cooked it on low longer than I should have- about 5 1/2 hours all in all- but it turned out so well! Absolutely delicious. The texture did change some which people have attributed to being overcooked, but we actually liked it? It’s really tender and the texture is more like a roast than a normal ham. Hard to describe. Oh and the flavor definitely did penetrate the cut side better! I plan to experiment with cutting my ham almost all the way through (kind of like DIY spiral cut, but like the pages of a book instead of spiral), then rubbing it with the brown sugar and cooking it so the flavors get into it even more. I do believe we will have this again next Christmas, it’s so easy when there’s lots of other things going on in the kitchen and my oven only has 1 rack.
I’m trying this recipe now, but I had to substitute regular brown sugar for the dark, and I substituted a five alive mango citrus juice for the pineapple (ingredient list on carton says juices from concentrate: orange, lemon, pineapple, grapefruit, and mango puree, etc).
I’m hoping this citrus blend works…
thank you all for help….let me tell u
my goodness the ham amazing my first attemp to cook ham.
into the slow cooker i popped it with brown sugar. maple syrup. honey. cloves and pineapple jice…was nervous as ham here in bahrain not cheap! well after 5 hrs i removed and finished off to brown in oven…everyone went crazy for the ham including my twp muslim guests lol….merry christmas and a happy new year
I made this tonight for my family’s Christmas dinner and it was a huge success! My mom wasn’t sure how the ham would do in a slow cooker but it turned out wonderfully! I had to use the tinfoil cover method, as our Crockpot was a tad too small but it was still very good. I didn’t have any trouble with the temperature, and the ham was super tender. I would definitely recommend this to anyone wondering how it will turn out, give it a shot!
Thank you for your ham blog. I cook in the crock all the time, but I was betwixted and between with what to do with my Christmas ham! It’s now happily in the crock. I cannot go wrong! 🙂 Thank you…Merry Christmas, everyone!
Sarah Jane – I have never prepared an uncooked ham, only a cured, fully cooked ham. You might try googling cooking an uncooked ham. Good luck!
hi i want to make this but i have a raw ham about 4.5 kg in size it fits in the slow cooker…how do i cook it? the same way as you have? any ideas on how long? do i put extra fluid in the slow cooker? so worried i have 14 ppl for lunch & they are all gagging for a delicious ham…i dont wana screw it up!
many thanks & Merry Christmas from Sarah In Bahrain.
OMG…..my oven just quit and I promised my daughter to do the turkey and ham for her Christmas dinner. I always fry the turkey, but came online for help with them ham. You have saved me!!! This sounds wonderful!! Still debating about using cloves and mustard in there, but at least whatever I will have my oven problem solved!!! Bless you!! Merry Christmas!
I’m making this is my crockpot right now for our Christmas party at lunch. I use your recipe and instead of just juice, I added two cans of pineapple slices in juice. I’m going to grill the slices about 15 minutes before we eat. It’s an Appleton Farms Smoked Honey Ham spiral sliced from Aldi.
Hi Mel. I tried a recipe similar to this a few years ago. I felt it changed the texture of the ham but everyone loved the flavor. I have had a request for it again this year but I am afraid to risk it because I don’t want the texture to change, I just would like the flavor infused in the ham! Since I bought my ham before I was asked to make his recipe, my ham is 14.67 lbs! If it sticks up a lot out of the crockpot and I cover it in tight foil will it still be okay? Do I cook it longer? Should I bake it in my oven first for a couple of hours and then pull off the slices and put them in the crockpot with the brown sugar and pineapple for a few hours? Any suggestions would be appreciated!! Thanks!
Connie – this ham is great as long as it isn’t overcooked (then the texture does change). Your ham might be a bit too big, though. You could try covering the top with foil, pinching it around the edge of the crockpot, but I’m not sure that the flavor of the pineapple juice will infuse throughout if so much of the ham is sticking above the crockpot unless you tried to flip it mid-cooking, which would be a nightmare, I think. You might try par-baking it in the oven first to warm through, like you suggested and then just keeping it warm in the mixture from the recipe. Good luck!
Thanks for the info Mel!! The only reason I ask about the temp is my Mom’s large slow cooker has up and down buttons with temps on it. I’ll just use the lowest setting then for the 4-5 hrs. Thanks for the help! Can’t wait to eat this ham!!
Thank you so Mel!! I will cook on low for about 6 hours (since it’s 10 pds and not 8). I am so excited to taste it 🙂
Thanks again!!!
The cover to my crock pot is not fitting – I bought a 10 pd spiral. Would it be ok to just cover it with foil and cook for about 2 hours on high. Then hopefully the ham will reduce a little bit with the cooking and I can cover it for about 4 more hours on low? Or should I just cook it in the oven and keep it warm in the crock pot for about 3 hours?
Please respond as soon as possible, want to make this tomorrow 🙂
Hi Lisa – I’ve mentioned this in the comment thread above but I usually ditch the lid to the slow cooker if my ham is too big and cover the ham with a double layer of oil, pressing it tightly against the edges of the slow cooker insert to seal completely. I don’t recommend cooking this on high because the outside of the ham tends to get overcooked. The low setting is best, in my opinion (and should work fine if you use the foil to cover).
Becky – I don’t know the exact temperature of a slow cooker. I use the low setting – is there a reason you need to know the exact temp? Are you cooking it in the oven? I think the 4-5 hour range on low in the slow cooker would still be fine for that size of ham.
Hi! I’m doing Christmas dinner for the 1st time at my house & am planning to use your recipe. I love the easy aspect as I’ll have my 3 kids opening presents in the morning & I usually barely have time to get pulled together before we have to leave on Christmas. I don’t want this Christmas to be a stress for anyone – as easy as possible! So I have 2 questions 1) do you know what temp you usually cook it on? You said low, just didn’t know if you knew the temp. 2) I have a #9.5 ham, still stick with the 4-5 hr? Thanks so much!
Hey Mel,
I’m making this ham for Christmas. I can’t figure out how big my slow cooker is. Is a 6-7 quart slow cooker one of the big models? Also, when you cover your slowcooker with foil, do you just place the foil over the crockpot and press it down around the edge of the pot (like you would a casserole dish) and then place the lid on top of tight foil layer? ? I’ve never covered mine with foil before, so I need all the help I can get. 🙂
Haley – the 6-7 quart slow cookers are the large oval ones. I only use foil to cover the crockpot if my ham is too big and sticks up above the top so that the lid won’t stay on. Does that make sense? If that happens, I cover the entire top of the ham and crockpot with several layers of foil and press tightly around the edges. However, if your ham is small enough to fit in the crockpot insert and the lid still fits on tightly, you don’t need the foil.
Hi! I read somewhere that you only need to cook a ham 15 minutes for every pound. If I follow this recipe, will my ham be over-cooked? I’ll be getting a spiral ham that is pre-cooked already.
I did the bag in the slow cooker with the ham for Thanksgiving. I hadn’t even thought about doing ham in the crockpot till I ran out of room…
From now on this is the only way I will make a ham!!
Daisy–The bag did NOT stick to the ham. The ham was incrediblly moist and had the best flavor ever!!
I will try the rub and juice next time!!
Kami E. – probably! You’ll just have to keep an eye on it but maybe an hour less will do the trick.
We are warming 14 boneless pre-cooked hams in big roasters for a party. We are having them pre-sliced and we plan to wrap them in foil to keep the pieces together and keep them moist. I want to use this sauce for the hams but was wondering when I should put the sauce on the hams? I’m afraid if I put it on in the beginning, it might burn. Do you think I could put all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring them to a quick boil and then put the sauce on the hams when they are fully warmed(at that point I would take the ham slices out of the foil and let them sit in the basting sauce)?
I’ve never warmed the ham in those big roaster, Stephanie, so I can’t be sure how they cook exactly but I think your plan sounds like a good one – to add the sauce while they rest.
If my ham is smaller (5 lbs), should I lower the cooking time? Thanks, this recipe sounds great!
Thank you!!!!!!!!!
This recipe is really good! I made it for Thanksgiving and EVERYONE is still talking about how good it was. We don’t eat pork, so I used two turkey hams instead, and I’m allergic to pineapple, so I substituted OJ instead. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I actually have one in the crockpot now for dinner tonight, and we can’t wait to eat!
Tanya – it depends on if you have a lot of other side dishes but I would think that 2 hams would be plenty. I made this recipe (just one ham) for Thanksgiving and it fed 10 kids and 6 adults with lots of leftovers (but there were many other side dishes there).
I want to make this for xmas eve dinner. Any idea how many people it feeds? I need to feed 12 adults and 7 kids. Not sure if I should do 2 hams or 3.
Hi… I’m very interested in doing this recipe tomorrow. My only question is, will this
work with a can ham. Don’t wanna go spend more money on a spiral ham. Let me know.
Jackie – when my ham is too tall like that, instead of using the slow cooker lid, I just cover the ham and crockpot with several layers of foil, making sure to crimp the edges well around the edge of the slow cooker so that moisture doesn’t escape.
What can I do about my ham being too tall for the crock pot? The lid doesn’t sit on the top the way it should, so just wondering if I can cut some of it down? Or anyone have any other suggestions?
Thanks for your advice about the pineaapple rings, I think I will throw them in the last hour. Also, thanks for getting back so quickly:)
Update on slicing ham and putting in slow cooker…… I sliced my old-fashioned ham and placed in the slow-cooker and put 1 cup of apple juice with some ginger and brown sugar added. It was very moist but just a little sweet. I would leave out the brown sugar next time but worked perfect for serving!
Chrissi – yes, a precooked a ham is always what I use so that should work just fine.
Daisy – I’ve never used one of the bags you are referring to so I honestly don’t know how it would work on this ham. Sorry!
Hi Mel! This is my first time using a slow cooker and I plan to try your recipe, it sounds yummy. I bought those bags that are suppose to make clean-up faster and I was wondering if the bag will melt on to the ham.
So…the spiral cut ham waiting in my fridge is already cooked. Can I still make this work? I googled crock pot ham because I thought my life would be so much easier if I could find a way NOT to use the oven for everything. I am trying to figure out to do with the turkey breast, too.
Hello!
I have heard of a variation of this ham, but the person sprinkled the bottom of the crock pot with a dusting of brown sugar and laid pineapple rings across the bottom and then placed the ham on top of the pineapples……do you think this would be too much or would the pineapples over cook?
Ashley – I’ve never tried it that way so I can’t say for sure. Good luck if you try it – sounds like it has potential!
Hi Ty – I don’t think the fresh pineapple rings would be too much at all. Sounds delicious! I’d add them for the last hour of cooking time, if it were me.
Hi Mel! I have a few questions if I may. If I wanted to add fresh pineapple rings to my ham would that be too much, would the flavor be too much ? If the answer is no, when should I add them? Thanks in advance!
Paulette – sure, that’s worth a try – just make sure it doesn’t hang out too long and get dried out.
i was wondering if i could cook my ham early slice it and put it back in the slow cooker to reheat so i’m not slicing my ham as the guests arrive.
Jackie – I think orange juice might work, too.
Hi there. I think I’d like to try this recipe for Thanksgiving this year, but I’m deathly allergic to all things pineapple… Just wondering what I can use as a substitute that won’t alter the flavor much??
Tricia – I like to cover the slow cooker with aluminum foil and top with a lid but that’s just a personal preference. It’s fine either way. And yes, I’d cook for about 4-5 hours on low.
I HAVE AN EIGHT POUND PRECOOKED BUTT HAM. HOW LONG SHOULD I COOK SO I WONT GET DRIED OUT. IM GUESSING 4-5 HOURS. ALSO SHOULD I COVER SLOW COOKER WITH ALUMINUM FOIL BEFORE COVERING WITH LID.
I bought a little ham just so I could try this recipe tomorrow for supper. I usually wrap a few potatoes in foil and put them in the slow cooker as well. Yum!
You’re right–this IS the best ham! I’m not a huge pork lover, but this is definitely the best ham I have ever had in my entire life. It was delicious. And it couldn’t have possibly been any easier to prepare! Thank you!
I made this with a hickory smoked butt ham, about 5-6 lbs. I had a hard time finding one I could fit into my 25 year old, round, slow cooker, but I finally did. Not spiral cut, around here those tend to be very pricey. I scored the ham crosswise at about 1 inch intervals, about 1/4″ deep, before rubbing in the brown sugar (I only had regular brown sugar, and 1/2 cup was plenty!). I mixed the maple syrup (again, I reduced that to only 1/4 cup) and the two cups pineapple juice, then poured it over the ham/brown sugar. After 4 hours in the slow cooker on low, I removed the lid and basted, then covered and cooked for about 45 more minutes. I then removed the ham from the slow cooker, put it on a plattter and covered loosely with foil and let it rest for about 1/2 an hour. Absolutely delicious! I tasted the “juice” in the pot and decided it was so good I couldn’t waste it, so I poured it into a pot and boiled it for about 15 -20 minutes to reduce it and make it kind of syrupy… we used it as a dipping sauce, it was excellent. DH made a point of telling me to save the rest for tomorrow night’s supper…
Served with mashed potatos and fiddleheads (springtime “wild” food in New Brunswick, Canada – tastes sort of like asparagus). And New Brunswick is also a major maple syrup producing region, so that’s good too!
This was the best ham I’ve ever made! I had a houseful so made two hams in a Nesco. It was the first time using a Nesco as a slow cooker. Three hours at the slow cook level would be enough. The hams were so moist and flavorful. I used a can of frozen pineapple juice. Didn’t bother to mix with water. Again, thanks for the terrific recipe.
I made this ham for easter i followed this recipe step by step and the hole family loved it. I made a 10 lb ham and it was gone in a matter of minutes. I normal not like ham but i thought this ham was really good. I am definly making this ham again next year for easter.
I made the slow cooker ham and cheesy au gratin potatoes for our Easter dinner along with rolls and a green salad. Delicious! Thanks so much for sharing these recipes and tips!
Hi Sarah – sorry for the delay in responding. Dark brown sugar isn’t the same as light brown sugar – it has a bit more depth of flavor but you could probably use light brown sugar in a pinch. Hope it worked out if you tried it!
Renee – you know, to be honest, I so desperately need to retake the picture for this recipe. I made it again this Easter and was too busy to snap a new one but in the picture above, I had really overcooked the ham, which is when I realized this ham does so much better with a shorter cooking time. So to answer your question, I don’t get a crunchy glaze on my ham either. I think the ham in the photos was just really overdone!
Made this for Easter. It was the best ham I ever cooked. Thanks!
Mel – you are my hero! I successfully planned and cooked my first ever Easter dinner for my family using all your recipes. Actually it was my first holiday dinner ever cooking entirely by myself. I made the slow cooker ham, cheesy au gratin potatoes, fruit salad with honey dressing, biscuits and the two layer carrot cake. Everything turned out amazing! Thank you so much!
Hello and Happy Easter!
I tried this recipe and our ham was moist and so tender. I usually make brown sugar carrots with ham, but instead threw some carrots into the crock pot as there was plenty of extra liquid and the carrots came out yummy too.
My only question is – the ham in the picture above looks (at least to me) like it has a crunchy brown sugar coating which I guess I thought I would have. I rubbed the ham with the brown sugar, but it melted off. Did I do something wrong or am I interpreting the picture incorrectly? Just wondering. Thanks again for sharing the recipe.
This was the recipe I used yesterday for a family dinner. The ham turned out very well!
(I did end up with an inordinate amount of liquid, however. The ham stuck up over the top so I double-foiled it, and that could be why. I may cut back a little on the pineapple juice next time.)
My husband said this was better than the ham we had at the restaurant Easter buffet today, so this recipe is definitely a keeper. Thanks!
I am trying the crockpot today. However I am using my tried and true glaze of d.brown sugar and coke with a dash of cinnamon. Yum. I hope it turns out well in the crock pot. I like the idea of not heating up my kitchen
I only have brown sugar, not dark brown sugar….assuming they’re not the same thing…is that a big deal? or should i run to the grocery store in the morning?
Jennifer – I always use a cured, precooked ham.
Do you use a pre-cooked or an un-cooked ham for this recipe? It sounds wonderfule!
Love your blog! I have already learned so many helpful hints. This is my first Easter in our new home, and our oven is not that reliable so making a ham in a slow-cooker is a great alternative. I plan on cooking an 11 lb. ham and was wondering how long do I cook it for?
Karen – will a ham that big fit in your slow cooker? Just checking since I’ve bought huge hams before and they didn’t want to stuff their way into my slow cooker. 🙂 I wouldn’t change the cooking time, mostly because you really just want the ham warmed through – the ham can overcook in the slow cooker leaving it a bit dry so I’d just shoot for the recommendation in the recipe. Good luck!
Hi there! I’m looking forward to making this for Easter this year! I was wondering though, how many servings you think this would make? I’m going to have around 15-18 people over. Craziness, but would you recommend making two hams or would one cover it? Thanks so much!
Lisa – it really depends on the size of your ham but I’m planning on making this basic recipe to serve 6 adults and 6 kids. I think with the number of people you have coming over, I would go for the two-ham approach.
Michele – I think the ham may not be as flavorful with those changes but if you really dislike pineapple than it is probably worth a try. Good luck!
What do you think about using water and honey rather then pineapple juice. I very much dislike pineapple. =)
Sarah – 1) yes, use a ham that is already cooked, 2) I think a slightly smoked ham would work great and 3) a bone-in ham tends to be a bit more moist than one that doesn’t have a bone in it.
Hi Mel,
I seriously thinking about making this for Easter. I just to to ask:
1 – is the ham already pre-cooked?
2 – If so, can I use a ham that is slightly smoked? I think the smokiness will compliment the sweetness of the maple nicely.
3 – Is there a reason why the ham needs to be bone-in?
Thanks so much.
I have been making “simmered ham” for over 40 years now. Thats the way they cooked them in the lumbercamps to rid the salts used in curing. I use apple juice, water, brown sugar and 3-5 cloves, to make a sweet broth. Simmer on stove top approx 3-4 hours. Crock pot is certainly an idea, but back then, living in the bush, with no hydro, stove top was only option. It definetely changes the texture of the ham and makes it more roast like. Being on my own now, my favourite is a simmered picnic ham with fat skin removed before simmer, served with scalloped potatoes. Excellent in sandwiches or with a side of homemade potatoe salad. And use the bone and leftover ham for home made pea soup. (whole yellow peas)
This was soooooooo good! Even my harshest critic (3 year old daughter) approved! So I definitely had to share with my 4 faithful readers, but I totally linked back to you because you get the kudos for this one! Thanks again and cheers!
This was so yummy! Had no idea ham could be so full of flavor.
I made this for New Year’s Eve, and it was wonderful. My ham was not pre-cut but the recipe worked fine anyway. Thank you for the work you do to make our lives easier.
I made 4 ham steaks in my crockpot. I first trimmed all the fat and bone off, cut them into pieces. I rubbed dark brown sugar on each piece, both sides. I put them in the crockpot with 2 cups Dole pineapple juice on low for 4 hours. Basted it a couple times while cooking. I didn’t use maple syrup. We loved it. My next family reunion I will be bringing this. Thank You for a great recipe. I will alway make my ham this way……. Very Easy….
I have the Ham in the slow cooker now as recipe suggests by you, hope it turns out well as this is the 1st time doing it this way, will let you know, Happy Christmas ….
Annette – you could use a ham that isn’t precut as long as you are fine carving it yourself already. I think it would work just fine. This recipe is for a cured ham that is already cooked through. Hope that helps!
Mel, I really want to try to cook a ham for guests on Christmas Eve and both your recipes look delish but I can’t do the other one because I can’t find apple jelly over here in the UK and I am not sure I can do this one because I can’t find a spiral cut ham of any sort! Do you have any idea what I can use as a substitute? Do you think there is a way I could use this recipe but do a whole ham that isn’t pre-cut? Is this recipe for a ham that is completely raw or one of those that is already cooked? Sorry I am so dumb! I am a very nervous cook, so any pointers you’ve got would be great 🙂
I’ve made this before when I first saw it on Stephanie’s site, but I felt like it ended up really dry. Seeing your comments about reducing the cooking time made me decide to try it again (with a 10 lb ham at a party for 40 people – why? :)) I made two other adjustments…1) I used cranberry juice instead of pineapple because it’s all I had (I think this was a great substitution) and 2) I placed the ham flat side up in the slow cooker instead of flat side down (because it’s the only way a 10 POUND HAM! would fit in my slow cooker – haha) and I think that might have really helped to keep it nice and juicy because the sliced part of the ham wasn’t touching the hot crock and overcooking/drying out. However you slice it (har-de-har-har), the ham was delicious and SO easy I’d definitely do it this way forever. Thanks for encouraging me to try it again!
Tried this recipe yesterday and it was delicious!
I enjoy your blog very much and I appreciate all of the time and hard work that goes into sharing so many great recipes with all of us 🙂
I don’t usually leave messages on blogs but something prompted me to write.
May you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
This was GREAT ! So easy. Instead of the lid, I used heavy alumium foil to cover the ham but I also placed a large cooking pot upside down on top of the alum. foil to help keep the foil on and heat in the pot. My husband raved about this, so I’m making it again tonight.
Found this recipe on Pintrest. Looks amazing! Just put it in the Crock Pot. Going to serve it with roasted potatoes, brussels sprouts, and garlic parmesan corn. Is it dinnertime yet?
Just made this last night for Sunday dinner. Everyone raved about it and said it was the best ham they had tasted. I would have to agree. I just couldn’t believe how easy it was….my favorite kind of dishes!
i made this for Easter…everyone raved about it! Thank you! I love your site, i have made 3 recipes so far and all were delicious!
I’ve made this several times now (just finished it eating it for our Easter dinner) and it’s delicious every time. I made 3 of them for a wedding reception last year and I heard a lot of “this is the best ham I’ve ever had” that night. It’s so beautifully simple to throw together that it almost feels like cheating. 🙂
Yeah, I’m totally forcing my mom to throw out the nasty glaze packet tomorrow and do it my way. Kinda worked out that my slowcooker was way to small for my ham. LOL
So I kinda fused/tweaked your 2 ham recipes. I did this recipe but in my dutch oven. I poured everything over the ham, (I attached some pineapple rings to the outside cause my mom used to do it that way) then covered it with foil and put the lid on and cooked it in the oven for about 2-3 hrs on 225. Then I took it out, drained the yummy juice out and reduced it on my stove top to about half and cranked the oven to 400. I took brown sugar and mixed in some cinnamon, cloves and dry mustard. Once the sauce reduced I poured it over and carefully patted on the brown sugar and baked it for about 30 min. The hubs liked it so much he told me it was way better than the Honey Baked his mom shells out for ever year. =)
JJ – um, hello…brilliant! My mouth was watering reading your ham adventure. Sounds delicious and am so glad it worked out well for you!
I had to post as a follow up to my post above. Thank you so much for this method of cooking ham. It couldn’t be easier. At first, I didn’t know where to pour the pineapple, on the ham or at the bottom of the pan? I ended up just pouring it at the bottom of the pan. The ham was in the crockpot for 5 hours (covered with 3 layers of foil) on low and it came out so moist and delicious with plenty of glaze at the bottom of the pot. My husband keeps on saying “excellent ham!” We are still enjoying the leftovers up to now with our sandwiches and breakfast. Again, thank you.
Ram – I’m thrilled this ham worked out so well for you! Thanks for checking back to let me know.
Ok, so I was all set to cook the ham in the crock-pot today but my ham is very oval shaped and my crock-pot is one of the little round ones (Santa didn’t remember to bring me the cool one with the locking lid this year) so I’ll be using your recipe in the oven cooking it in my dutch oven. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
I bought an 8 lb. spiral ham yesterday and when I put it in the crockpot, it’s about 4 inches taller than the crockpot. I was so disappointed because I’d really like to try your method of cooking it. But when I saw and read the post about covering it with foil, I felt relieved. Thank you to the one who suggested it. I’ll try doing it that way on January 1st morning just in time for our lunch. Happy New Year!
Thanks for posting, we loved this!
Thanks, Michelle!
Janae – ok, I was worried when you said you were cooking for your mother-in-law and I was crossing my fingers it didn’t end tragically – and it didn’t! I’m so glad the ham was a success and that everyone loved it. Thanks for letting me know!
My mother in law is in town watching my niece and two nephews while their parents are out of town. As an attempt to make the day easier for my mother in law, I offered to make Sunday dinner. I’ve never cooked a ham before in my life and decided I’d try it. I put it in the crock pot in the morning and my husband asked if I got the recipe from “that one lady’s blog online”. I told him I had and he said “Oh good then it should turn out great!” Long story short…it was a hit!!! My niece and nephews (Ages 10, 8, and 5) absolutely LOVED the ham and had fourths and fifths all while saying it was the best meat they’d ever had in their life! I even caught the 8 year old snitching some more ham after dinner was over and we were cleaning up. SO…THANK YOU for the wonderful recipe!!! It will forever be our “go-to” recipe for ham!!!
Tried this the other night, and it was amazing!! I had to do the tin foil top as my ham was tall, and it worked great. Definitely will make ham this way every time! Thank you!
Hi Allison – I always have to do the tin foil thing on top, too, but it seems to work fine. I’m very glad you liked this ham. Thanks for letting me know!
I planned on making this yesterday for Sunday dinner, but I realized on Sunday morning I didn’t have any pineapple in my pantry for the juice. I substituted apple juice, and it was delicious. My husband actually liked it better than last time when I made it with pineapple.
Nanci – oooh, I LOVE to know about adaptations that work as well as the original. Thanks for the tip!
My first visit to your blog – wonderful sounding recipies. I will say I started cooking spiral hams in crockpot about 3-4 yrs ago for the ease and to free up the oven, after the first time my hub won’t have them any other way – he loves the “candied” effect on the meat nearest the wall of the pot! I plan to try several of your sweets for Christmas.
Diane – I’ll be holding my breath wondering if you got past the pineapple-hater or if you decided to substitute something. Let me know how it goes!
Thanks so much for the quick reply. I’m going to make it Sunday. Maybe I’ll “sneak” it in and it will be our secret 😉
Thanks again for your great blog. I so enjoy your writing, even aside from the terrific recipes!
Diane
pipedi – well my gut feeling is to tell you to use pineapple anyway because it mainly acts as a sweetener and creates a delicious glaze with the maple syrup, but if he really hates pineapple, I would probably use orange juice or apple juice. Let me know how it turns out!
Hi, Melanie,
I’ve had your post in mind ever since you published it, and my DH just picked up a spiral ham from Costco. My question is: he hates pineapple. What do you recommend I use? Orange juice? 7-up? Water? I’m just not intuitive about this kind of thing, and don’t want to wreck the ham.
Thanks in advance!
Anonymous – I served this with cheesy potatoes and fresh vegetables and rolls but you could serve it with rice or any other type of grain/starch.
just wondering what people have served this with???
Thanks!
I love my slow cooker for such a meal. Cooking hams in my slow cooker is my favorite thing to do. It usually takes a few hours since I cook it on very low. I have yet to make a bad ham in my slow cooker and will keep on doing it for many years to come.
Your hame sounds so delicious. Going to have to try it out myself and over eat a slight amount.
Thanks for sharing it,
Christine M.
I HAD TO BLOG ABOUT YOU. THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME OUT.
and here i thought a mustard-crusted ham was the way to go. frankly, you don’t have to say anything else to convince me that i’m in the wrong. brown sugar and maple syrup? that’s pancake heaven, so why shouldn’t it work for ham? and i know pineapple works wonderfully with it. great, great recipe, melanie!
Mmm, mmm! Looks delicious!
I’ve seen several recipes for cooking your ham in a crockpot but never actually heard from anyone that had personally tried it. So thank you for the recommendation. I’m going to try that last time. Like you, I usually bake mine (the Costco spiral sliced ham) and while it turns out pretty well, it seems to easily dry out. Looks like this one is very moist and flavorful.
Thanks for posting!
This is the best ham that both David and I have ever had! One word can describe this ham– AMAZING!
I’ll definitely try this. Sounds as delicious as it is easy.
I made this yesterday and it was delicious. I cut the cooking time like you suggested and it came out perfect. Everyone loved it.
Anonymous – thanks for the tip on foil. I’ve tried doing it that way before and I lost a lot of heat out of my crockpot so maybe I need to seal it all the way around better. Glad you liked this recipe!
Queen B. – you are awesome. I love to get your comments. You are so nice and I’m glad you liked the chicken noodle soup (hope your son is feeling better!).
You have convinced me!! I’ve thought about doing a ham in the crockpot but never did it, now I will!!!
this sounds too easy to be true! can’t wait to try this.
Anonymous – I’ve never used anything other than a spiral cut but I’m sure another cut of ham would work just fine. Let me know if you try it!
I love your blog. I don’t believe I have ever commented before but I really enjoy looking at all the yummy things you are making. I have always cooked my hams in the crockpot never with maple syrup or brown sugar. That looks so yummy and I and going to try it the next time I cook a ham. Thanks for sharing your recipes. Jessie
Shirley – I love hearing when people try a recipe. I’m glad you liked this! Thanks for letting me know.
I love sugar ham, but we only eat it at Thanksgiving and Christmas! We gotta try it more often. Anything in the slow cooker is THE way to go.
mmmm, this sounds divine, Melanie. Jed will LOVE it, I’m sure. I’ll have to give it a try. yum yum!
Oh this looks like heaven! Ham is probably my favorite, especially when prepared in a sweet glaze like this!
Thanks, Melanie! I did a spiral cut ham w/glaze for Easter in the oven with my enameled cast iron pot w/lid…followed the instructions exactly, and it was dried out! I will definitely try your way next time!
Thanks for a great blog! I love ham and am always looking for new ways to cook it. I featured your Buttermilk Waffles on my blog today, they are delish!
I enjoy a year of crockpotting too. This is so yummy looking. I love ham! Please stop by an pick up an award I left you.
this type of ham is my husband’s favorite (it’s the brown sugar that gets him) but in a crock pot? I have never heard, but thanksgiving will be much easier this year when I make this! 🙂
I’ll definitely try this. Sounds as delicious as it is easy.
Potentially silly question: can I use a butt portion ham instead of spiral cut, which is considerably more expensive?
Thanks!
Fascinating! I’ve never cooked a ham in a slow cooker, but I will definitely be trying this recipe. The easiest Ham ever!
Very good recipe and great way to make ham. I used a 10 pound spiral cut and cooked it for 4 hours on low. That was more than enough time. If you can’t fit your ham in the crock pot, put a piece of foil over the ham to prevent condensation, and then use a large piece of foil to cover the top of the crock pot and seal it all around. It works well, and you don’t have to tend to the ham at all. I basted it when it was done, and it came out juicy and delicious. It was much moister than making in the oven.
I have done this recipe for about 10 years but I use a large can of crushed pineapple and it works great.