Crock Pot Holiday Ham - 3-Ingredient Spiral Ham Recipe (2024)

Crock Pot Holiday Ham is slow cooked in brown sugar, maple syrup, and pineapple juice making this crock pot maple ham perfect for the Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner table.

October 24, 2011 By Leah 20 Comments

Disclosure: *This post may include amazon links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

When it is time for the Christmas ham recipe, this crock pot maple ham recipe is sure to be a family favorite and easy to prepare. With just three ingredients of brown sugar, maple syrup, and pineapple juice in addition to the ham, this crock pot holiday ham is so simple to make and perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners. Free up oven space by making this ham in a slow cooker.

While most hams, especially spiral-cut hams come with a glaze packet, I always toss it to make my own ham glaze. This sweet brown sugar glaze is always a fan favorite, but I also love using bourbon like in this Instant Pot Bourbon Ham and Apricot Bourbon Glazed Ham.

Crock Pot Maple Ham Ingredients

So, to make this crock pot maple ham, start with a spiral cut ham or a whole ham that you can slice after cooking when it is warm and tender. I still had one in my freezer, so I put it in the fridge overnight.

• Ham - A spiral cut ham, boneless ham or bone-in ham will all work for this recipe.
• Brown Sugar - Light brown sugar is the brown sugar I keep in the pantry but dark brown sugar will be a fine substitute too.
• Maple Syrup - The real deal maple syrup is what you need to use here. NOT the pancake syrup that is fake maple syrup.
• Pineapple juice - The pineapple juice in a can of pineapple is perfect. I always have small cans of pineapple juice on hand for making co*cktails, which also works perfectly in this spiral cut ham recipe.

How to make a spiral ham in crock pot?

On the day you will be eating your ham, start by placing the flat side down in your crock pot.

Cover the ham with about ½ cup of brown sugar and then pour ½ cup of REAL maple syrup over top.

Finally, pour 1 cup of pineapple juice over top of the ham, brown sugar, and maple syrup.

Then place the lid on the crock pot and cook this crockpot ham on low for 4-8 hours. The holiday ham will be heated through at 4 hours but there is plenty of juice if you pop it in before heading to work.

Carefully pull the ham out. It will be falling off the bone. I promise you! This will be your favorite holiday slow cooker ham recipe.

How Long to Cook Spiral Ham in Crock Pot

It should take about an hour per 3 pounds to cook a spiral cut ham in crock pot, oven or grill on a low setting or 250 degrees. It will cook faster on higher temps but be sure to baste to keep it from drying out.

Leftover Ham Recipes

Leftover ham can be kept in the refrigerator or freezer. Reheating the ham is easy to have a second holiday meal and the flavors just keep getting better. Here is guidance on storing the leftover ham.

• Refrigerator - Keep leftover ham in a large ziploc bag or plastic container for up to three days in the fridge.
• Freezer - Double wrap ham in two freezer bags with all air removed for up to three months.

I made up the Corn Chowdah Mac 'n Cheese from Rachael Ray's magazine this month to go with the ham. I substituted sweet potatoes for baking but otherwise followed the directions. It was yummy! And had a bacon top. The perfect match for the ham. Here are a few more of my favorite leftover ham recipes.

Plus, we had plenty of leftovers! Which means easier meals all week! Yay!

How Long to Cook a Spiral Ham in the Crock Pot

It should take about an hour per 3 pounds to cook a spiral cut ham in crock pot, oven or grill on a low setting or 250 degrees. It will cook faster on higher temps or high setting on the crock pot but be sure to baste to keep it from drying out.

Holiday Side Dishes

While you are cooking ham in the slow cooker, get going on a few of your favorite holiday side dishes either for the Thanksgiving Dinner or Christmas Dinner.

More Ham Recipes

Look right here for more Holiday Ham recipes.

📖 Recipe