Don’t waste oven space — make this easy crockpot ham recipe for a no-fuss holiday meal, combining the rich flavors of brown sugar and honey with a hint of pineapple! The ham is slow-cooked to perfection, resulting in tender meat with deliciously caramelized edges and it’s ready to go anytime your guests arrive!
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Why I Love this Crockpot Ham Recipe
This spiral ham recipe is so incredibly simple to put together and it makes hosting a family holiday dinner just a little bit easier. If you’re anything like me, Christmas is hosted at your house – and there’s always a lot of stress that comes with that. As much as I LOVE hosting a big family dinner, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. That’s why every year, I always plug in the Crockpot for this super easy holiday ham recipe! Here’s why it’s so trustworthy:
- Perfect Texture: This juicy ham is coated in a sweet glaze made with tangy pineapple juice, honey, and caramel-y brown sugar. It comes out moist and tender on the inside and perfectly crispy around the edges!
- It Saves Space: Making this crockpot ham recipe saves you valuable oven space for cooking other things over the holidays. If you have a large ham cooking low and slow in the oven, where do you cook all of your casseroles and side dishes? That’s exactly where the crockpot comes in to save the day.
- Easy: All you really need to do today is mix the glaze together, get the ham situated in the crockpot, and then wait for everything to finish cooking. Pretty simple!
A quick note: If you love this pineapple glazed ham recipe, you’re going to want to try this baked ham with orange glaze (also made with a spiral ham) or this air fryer ham. They’re also perfect for an easy yet impressive holiday dinner!
What is a Spiral Ham?
A spiral ham is exactly what it sounds like: a ham (usually bone-in) that has been sliced into a spiral shape by a butcher. Thus, once you have cooked your ham in the crockpot, you will have clear lines that will show you where to fully cut the ham into thin, precise slices. (It is worth noting that a spiral ham has actually already been cooked, so what we’re really doing is just reheating and glazing it.)
Key Ingredients
You only need a few ingredients for this easy slow cooker ham recipe. Below you will find helpful notes for key ingredients used to make brown sugar pineapple ham. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full ingredient list and exact amounts!
- Ham: You’ll need an 8-10 pound spiral ham for this recipe.
- Brown Sugar: The toffee-like notes in brown sugar add a rich sweetness to the ham that makes it next-level delicious. Don’t worry, it’s still a savory recipe!
- Honey: If you would prefer to use maple syrup, that will work too.
- Ground Cloves: This spice adds a touch of bitterness that balances out the sweetness in the glaze.
- Pineapple Slices: Make sure to save the juice that they come in as well, as this is a key ingredient that keeps the ham from drying out! If you are not a fan of pineapple, you will want to find a substitute that will still help with the flavor and the tenderization of the ham. If you need, I recommend trying apple cider vinegar or orange juice in place of the pineapple juice/rings.
How to Make Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham in Crockpot
Alright, now let’s get into the step-by-step process of cooking a crockpot ham. Below is a quick overview, but please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions.
- Add the ham to the crockpot: Make sure that the spiral cut side faces downward.
- Mix the glaze ingredients together: Then, press the glaze into the top of the ham.
- Cook the ham: Cover the ham (with the lid, or foil if needed) and cook for 3-4 hours.
- Baste the ham with juice: Finally, let the ham rest for 10 minutes before serving.
How to Get Crispy Brown Sugar Edges on Your Crockpot Ham
Worried you will miss those crispy brown sugar edges on the ham in the crockpot? I won’t lie, I was worried about the same thing when I pulled my crockpot ham out of the pot for the first time. Luckily, I found a solution:
- Heat the broiler on your oven: Next, remove the ham from the crockpot and place it in an oven safe dish, or on a large cookie sheet.
- Press additional brown sugar onto the edges of the ham: Broil for about a minute or two, watching very closely. You just want the edges to start bubbling, which means that the brown sugar is crystallizing!
- Then, remove everything from the oven: Serve immediately!
Chef’s Tips and Variations
- Use a Large Oval Slow Cooker: Because of the size and shape of a ham, you will need a large oval slow cooker in order to cook it properly. My slow cooker is 8 quarts and it fit a 9 pound ham.
- Don’t Slice the Ham in the Slow Cooker: To serve, remove the ham from the pan and place it on a serving platter. It is easier to cut and serve slices of ham from a serving platter than from the slow cooker.
- Give the Ham Time to Absorb the Extra Juice: Baste your ham before serving with all of the good juices in the crockpot, and then let it rest for 10 minutes. This ensures that the ham stays as moist as possible right up until you serve it.
- For Crispy Edges: Follow the directions above if you want the crispy edges that you get in an oven baked ham. It’s definitely not necessary, but it is a nice touch!
What to Serve with Crockpot Ham
Wondering what to serve with your crockpot ham? I’ve got you covered! These are some side dishes that go perfectly with a crockpot spiral ham:
- Green Bean Casserole: Made with creamy mushroom soup, this green bean casserole is a holiday side dish staple in my house.
- Mashed Potatoes: Creamy garlic mashed potatoes will complement your tender ham perfectly.
- Stuffing: What’s a Christmas dinner, or any feast, really, without a classic homemade stuffing recipe?
- Cranberry Sauce: Sweet apple cranberry sauce will fit right in with your fruity pineapple-brown-sugar glaze!
Crockpot Spiral Ham
Ingredients
- 8 to 10 pound spiral ham
- ¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 (20 oz) can pineapple slices, drained, reserve the juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
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Instructions
- Coat inside of crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Place ham, cut side down into crockpot.
- Combine melted butter, brown sugar, honey and cloves until a paste forms. Cover ham with brown sugar mixture gently pushing mixture into ham. Add pineapple slices on top of ham, secure with toothpicks if necessary.
- Pour reserved pineapple juice over ham.
- Add lid to crockpot if possible, if the lid doesn’t fit, cover tightly with foil. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or until an internal temperature of 145°F is reaches.
- Baste with juice and let ham rest for 10 minutes before serving. Store any leftovers in refrigerator in airtight container
Notes
- For Crispy Edges: To get crispy brown sugar edges on your ham like you would if it has been baked in the oven:
- Heat the broiler on your oven.
- Remove ham from crockpot and place on an oven safe dish or on a large cookie sheet.
- Press additional brown sugar onto the edges of the ham.
- Broil for about a minute or two, watching very closely. You just want the edges to start bubbling and crystallizing the brown sugar!
- Remove from oven and serve immediately!
- To Store. Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should last for up to a week in there.
- To Reheat. You can just reheat slices of ham in the microwave! If you want, you can also reheat your ham in a baking dish in the oven for 10-15 minutes (or until warmed through), but the microwave should work just fine.
- To Freeze. You can also freeze any leftover ham in an airtight container for a month or so. Be sure to let it thaw in the fridge before reheating!To Store. Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should last for up to a week in there.
Nutrition
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More of My Favorite Ham Recipes
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This sounds great! If using a 5 pound boneless ham, would you cut back the ingredients in half, or what suggestions would you have to modify??
Hi Wanda! Honestly, I’d probably leave the recipe just as it is. A little extra juice/sauce is never a bad thing to me! However, you could get away with halving it if you would like!
This is the best spiral ham I have ever done. When I do them in oven I have over cooked them and they are tough and dry. Told my husband I am going to quit buying spiral but then I found this recipe it is delicious. This is a keeper
I made for Thanksgiving, we had 2 turkeys and my ham, there was only turkey left for leftovers. I will be putting one in the crockpot in the morning, per multiple requests! Great and easy recipe!
Oops, my ham is too big for my crock pot
Can I cook this in the oven? if so, how long and what temperature?
Hi Cindy! Yes you can! For whole bone-in hams weighing 12 and 16 pounds, cook the ham at 325°F for 22 to 26 minutes per pound. The internal temperature should be 145°F.
Do you have to use a spiral ham?
You can use any type of ham! A spiral ham just works well to get all the flavor and juices down into the ham as it cooks.
Do you cover the ham with foil?
Nope, not needed in the crockpot!
Is the crockpot temperature set on High for 3-4 hours? Did you preheat the crockpot?
Hi Cheri! Yes, low for 3 to 4 hours, and no there is no need to preheat a crockpot!
Do you put all the seasoning mixture between slices at first when you start cooking the ham?
Cook low or high 3-4 hours?
Hi Lin! I just rub it all on top, I don’t try to get it in between each layer. It will cook down into the slices!
Strange question. Where is the pineapple put on top of ham? None of the pictures show the pineapple on top after it is cooked. Is it removed and what is done with it?
I pulled it off for the photos so you could see the actual ham, but we serve our ham with the pineapple! It’s a delicious combination, but you can also discard the pineapple if you aren’t a fan of the fruit itself.
Hello, do you recommend bone in or no? Thank you!! Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Either will work, whichever you prefer!
Can you use honey pack seasoning that comes with ham.
If you would prefer to use that, then yes!
Can this be done with a ham that is not a spiral ham?
Sure!
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. And am so excited about this new recipe ! I just found this !!! It a game changer. Wish I had known about it sooner…. can’t wait to see how it turns out. Thanks so much for sharing. ☺❤
Can I substitute maple syrup for the honey? I just don’t care for honey. I know, I am strange. Everything else sounds wonderful!
Yes!
I really love this!! Packed full of flavors and so good!
This is everything a gourmet meal should be, and then some! Adding this to my dinner line up; looks too good to pass up!
Such a gorgeous ham!! I love that its made in the crock pot!!
This couldn’t look any more perfect!
Perfect way to cook ham everyone will love it!
Such an awesome and EASY way to cook ham! Hubby is gonna love me for this one.
This is the best way to cook ham! Frees up the oven and comes out so tasty!