Holidays, Sundays, and other occasions call for our special homemade glaze-sweetened Crockpot Ham. Always a hit, flavorful, and never dry.
A succulent ham would be the perfect addition to any Easter meal. Using our own maple and brown sugar glaze, not the ham’s grainy packet, to drizzle. The Crockpot is used to slow cook this ham, and it always comes out perfectly! For Sunday dinner, I sometimes make this simple ham in a crock pot if I can find a ham on sale. Then, we can use the leftover ham for a variety of meals throughout the week (more on that below; we have a lot of great ideas for using leftovers). This rich, sweet holiday ham looks stunning on a serving platter. You won’t want to use the flavor packet that comes with it again because the flavor is so delicious and sweet!
Ingredients in Crockpot Ham
This crock pot ham recipe could not be easier! All you need is a ham and three other ingredients to make the tastiest sauce you’ll ever try. Here’s what you need:
- Spiral-cut ham: This recipe calls for an 8-10 pound boneless or bone-in ham. You can easily cook a larger ham, and double the ingredients for the sauce.
- Brown sugar: About a cup
- Maple syrup: For this recipe, use real maple syrup. The thick, sweet syrup will make the best glaze for the ham!
- Canned pineapple juice: For best results do not use fresh pineapple juice.
Benefits of a Slow Cooker (Crockpot)
Spiral hams are delicious all year round, but they are especially good at Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving. Oven space becomes a problem when preparing meals for a big Sunday dinner or even a holiday dinner. By heating the ham in the crockpot, the delicious sauce can simmer in the meat, freeing up oven space for rolls and other side dishes. The fact that the ham is not dried out when cooked in the crock pot is another advantage. The ham remains flavorful and tender. To prevent the ham from drying out before serving, you can always cover it with foil.
Best Maple Syrup for Slow Cooker Ham
I adore using real maple syrup in this recipe. It provides a maple-rich flavor that cannot be beat. Naturally, real maple syrup costs a lot, so you can use any regular breakfast maple syrup or Mrs. Butterworth’s instead. Make sure you use enough syrup. Do what you think is necessary by adding a little more! Follow your instincts. Honey is another option if syrup isn’t your thing.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 8-10 pound spiral-cut ham (boneless ham or bone-in ham)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup canned pineapple juice (do not use fresh pineapple juice)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Remove ham from packaging and place in a large (7+ quart) slow cooker. Discard flavor packet (if any). Place ham flat-side down in slow cooker, but if it doesn’t fit, ham can be placed on it’s side so the lid can close.
- Generously rub with brown sugar all over ham. Pour maple syrup and pineapple juice over the ham.
- Add lid and cook for 2-3 hours on low heat.
- Spoon juices over the ham and cook on low for an additional 30 minutes.
- Remove ham from slow cooker and serve!
NOTES
- Heating the ham in the crockpot saves oven space for side dishes and rolls and allows the meat to simmer in the glorious sauce.
- Another benefit of using the Crockpot is that it doesn’t dry out the ham. The ham stays tender and flavorful.
- Not a fan of pineapple juice? Try apple cider or orange juice instead.
