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Crockpot Ham Recipe with Maple Brown Sugar Glaze

November 15, 2019 by Melissa 32 Comments

Crockpot Ham – a traditional flavor packed bone-in ham made in the slow cooker and finished with a maple brown sugar glaze. The best way to make a holiday ham! 

Crockpot Ham Recipe with Maple Brown Sugar Glaze

Crockpot Ham

I used the slow cooker to gently heat the ham without drying it out, then made an easy homemade maple brown sugar glaze. Just a few minutes under the broiler caramelizes the glaze and gives it a delicious crunch. This slow cooker ham is gorgeous, and would be beautiful on any holiday table. The best part is, this slow cooker ham recipe is easy and economical. Perfect for feeding a crowd!

What kind of Ham should I use in the Crockpot?

Start with a 7 1/2 pound bone-in butt portion ham. My super market also offers shank portions, but my butcher recommended the butt portion and said it is the better quality cut. For this recipe, stick with the unsliced bone-in ham. Spiral sliced hams can dry out in the slow cooker and under the broiler. Keep in mind that hams are precooked, the trick is adding flavor and reheating them without drying them out which is why a Crockpot is perfect!

How to Make Ham in a Slow Cooker

  1. Start by trimming excess fat and skin from the ham.  Use a paring knife to slice a grid pattern into the ham. The ham will shrink a bit as it cooks and this will leave room for the glaze to drip in and build flavor.
  2. Add a cup of apple juice to the slow cooker to ensure the ham does not dry out, and heat for 5-6 hours on low.
  3. Once the ham is heated through, carefully remove the ham from the slow cooker and let it rest on a baking sheet for about 20 minutes.
  4. While the ham is resting, prepare the glaze by combining pure maple syrup, dark brown sugar, brown mustard and cornstarch. Bring to a boil and let it cook 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly, until the glaze has thickened. Squeeze in fresh orange juice. Set the glaze aside and let it cool for about 5 minutes.
  5. Spoon the glaze over the ham, making sure it is well covered. Finish the ham under the broiler until the glaze starts to caramelize, 5-7 minutes.

Crockpot Ham Recipe

What To Serve with Crockpot Ham

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes  

Corn Casserole 

Sausage Apple Stuffing

Instant Pot Mashed Red Potatoes 

5 from 10 votes
Print
Crockpot Ham Recipe with Maple Brown Sugar Glaze
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
5 hrs
Resting Time
20 mins
Total Time
5 hrs 35 mins
 

Crockpot Ham - a traditional flavor packed bone-in ham made in the slow cooker and finished with a maple brown sugar glaze. The best way to make a holiday ham! 

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Crockpot Ham, Slow Cooker Ham
Servings: 12
Calories: 779 kcal
Ingredients
  • 7.5 pound ham unsliced, bone-in ham
  • 1 cup apple juice
Glaze
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons brown mustard
  • 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
  • 1/3 cup orange juice
  • freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Start by trimming excess fat and skin from the ham.
  2. Use a paring knife to slice a grid pattern into the ham.
  3. Add ham and 1 cup of apple juice to slow cooker.

  4. Heat for 5-6 hours on low, until heated through.
  5. Remove ham from slow cooker and let rest for 20 minutes.
  6. Prepare glaze.
  7. Bring pure maple syrup, dark brown sugar, mustard, pepper and cornstarch to a boil.
  8. Let boil 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly until mixture starts to thicken. Add orange juice.

  9. Let glaze cool for about 5 minutes.
  10. Pat ham dry and spoon glaze over ham.
  11. Heat ham under broiler 5-7 minutes until glaze has caramelized.
Recipe Notes

If glaze cools too long and is overly thick, just reheat to make pourable.

Nutrition Facts
Crockpot Ham Recipe with Maple Brown Sugar Glaze
Amount Per Serving
Calories 779 Calories from Fat 432
% Daily Value*
Fat 48g74%
Saturated Fat 17g106%
Cholesterol 176mg59%
Sodium 3370mg147%
Potassium 888mg25%
Carbohydrates 22g7%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 20g22%
Protein 61g122%
Vitamin A 14IU0%
Vitamin C 4mg5%
Calcium 45mg5%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

More Tips

  • I put the ham back into the slow cooker on before serving.
  • Let the ham rest before slicing. Don’t slice too early or the ham will dry out quickly.
  • Keep a close eye on the ham when broiling. It can brown very quickly.
  • I originally used pure maple syrup in this recipe, but have since started using regular pancake syrup and found it works just as well. So I use what I have on hand. They both give a great maple flavor.

Crockpot Ham with Maple Brown Sugar Glaze

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Filed Under: Dinner, Recipes, Slow Cooker

Previous Post: « Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Next Post: Sausage Breakfast Casserole »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nat & Holly

    April 4, 2014 at 3:45 pm

    That looks seriously delicious! I’ve always been intimidated to try ham, but your recipe gives me hope! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Melissa

      April 9, 2014 at 10:19 am

      Thank you! xo

      Reply
  2. Tonia

    April 6, 2014 at 5:39 pm

    I love glaze on my ham! Using the crock post is great way to make things easier.

    Reply
  3. Carrie

    April 9, 2014 at 7:46 pm

    Sounds tasty and easy.

    Reply
  4. Amanda

    October 22, 2014 at 11:23 am

    Hi! This looks great… I have a large boneless ham in the freezer that I am wNting to cook for a group! Do you think this will still work? Should I remove the ‘skin’ before heating and applying the glaze if so? Thanks 🙂

    Reply
    • Melissa

      November 10, 2014 at 1:03 pm

      I haven’t tried with a boneless ham, but I think it will work for you. My ham did not have skin on, so I would recommend removing it. Let me know how it turns out!

      Reply
  5. Carol

    November 20, 2014 at 7:40 am

    This looks great. We always have a ham on Christmas and I may try this one this year.

    Reply
  6. Julie

    April 5, 2015 at 10:42 am

    Does the lid to the crock pot need to go on? My ham is a little too big and im not sure if it’ll work still

    Reply
    • Melissa

      April 9, 2015 at 11:24 am

      Yes, you need to keep the lid on the slow cooker. I hope you it worked out for you!

      Reply
  7. Tanya

    September 21, 2015 at 10:12 am

    Thank you for such a simple recipe. My only issue is with your instruction to “trim the excess fat off.” Ahhhhh no please dont do that lol. We are a small homestead who focuses on raising pastured/wooodlot raised heritage animals, including pigs. Pastured/woodlot raised pork is the best, premium pork you can buy. An i am here to ask you to leave the fat on. The fat not only keep the meat moist, but it holds the flavour. All our customers have quickly learned to not even buy chops without the bone in & fat on. All our pigs that go to butcher for clients have instructions for NO deboned cuts and NO trimming of fat. You want about 1″ of fat on your pork to add flavour. After cooking, you can cut it off. Again, just a suggestion from a passionate pig farmer who hand raises and feeds our pigs. A pig farmer who sits in the pasture giving belly rubs to the pigs. Happy cooking!

    Reply
    • Vicky

      October 28, 2015 at 2:14 pm

      I agree, Tanya. Fat is flavor and adds moisture.

      Reply
  8. Hayley

    December 16, 2015 at 2:15 pm

    I’m in Australia. Is your brown mustard a liquid or powder?

    Reply
    • Melissa

      February 15, 2016 at 8:27 pm

      Not powdered mustard, it’s a condiment you would put on a sandwich or hamburger.

      Reply
  9. b

    November 15, 2016 at 8:53 pm

    I noticed brown mustard only comes in spicy. My kids don’t like spicy foods at all. Does this ingredient make the ham even a little spicy?

    Reply
    • Melissa

      November 22, 2016 at 6:46 pm

      I don’t think it does, but you can substitute dijon mustard!

      Reply
  10. Danielle

    November 21, 2016 at 4:08 pm

    Hi there! How far in do you slice when doing the grid pattern? I assume you aren’t cutting all the way through, correct?

    Reply
    • Melissa

      November 22, 2016 at 6:45 pm

      I’d say maybe 1/4 of an inch. The slices widen as it cooks and makes the grid pattern more prominent.

      Reply
  11. Genny L. Brezina

    February 15, 2018 at 2:44 pm

    I’ve made this several times now and it’s super delicious. Easy and yummy. The whole family loves it. 🙂

    Reply
  12. Evelyn

    October 8, 2018 at 7:49 am

    I will try it so excited

    Reply
  13. Barb Sauer

    December 30, 2018 at 8:56 am

    5 stars
    I made the slow cooker ham yesterday and it was the best tasting ham we have ever had. I followed the recipe exactly as stated with no changes at all. I did leave it in the cooker for 6 hours. The ham was so tender and tasted amazing. Thank you so much for this simple and fabulous recipe.

    Barbara

    Reply
  14. Swoody

    January 29, 2019 at 11:48 am

    What internal temperature should the ham be cooked to?

    Reply
  15. Brittany

    November 17, 2019 at 7:33 am

    Did the recipe change? I’ve been making this every year for thanksgiving and I don’t remember the recipe calling for Apple juice or orange juice

    Reply
    • Melissa

      November 17, 2019 at 8:49 am

      I just updated the post and recipe! I used apple juice instead of water to heat the ham and added some orange juice to the glaze for freshness. These are the only changes but I think they add a lot of extra flavor!

      Reply
  16. Erin

    December 11, 2019 at 10:18 am

    5 stars
    The maple and orange juice give this so much flavor. Great recipe!

    Reply
  17. stephanie

    December 11, 2019 at 12:04 pm

    5 stars
    I was looking for a new ham recipe and decided to try this one out, it turned out absolutely delicious. I will definitely be making this again.

    Reply
  18. Toni

    December 11, 2019 at 12:07 pm

    5 stars
    This is really amazing! A must-have for Christmas!

    Reply
  19. Natalie

    February 13, 2020 at 9:48 am

    5 stars
    My mouth is watering!! This ham is so juicy & tender! I need to make ham more often, because my family loves it & this recipe is easy!

    Reply
  20. Matt Taylor

    February 13, 2020 at 10:29 am

    5 stars
    I LOVE crockpot ham. This one is fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂

    Reply
  21. katerina @ diethood.com

    February 13, 2020 at 11:24 am

    5 stars
    Slow cooker ham is the best!! This one looks absolutely amazing!

    Reply
  22. Sara Welch

    April 7, 2020 at 11:59 am

    5 stars
    What a beautiful ham! This will surely impress my family on Easter; looking forward to enjoying this soon!

    Reply
  23. Kristyn

    April 7, 2020 at 1:50 pm

    5 stars
    This is a delicious ham!! Oh, I am still making one for Easter, even if it’s my little family. Love the maple brown sugar glaze. It adds a yummy flavor!

    Reply
  24. wilhelmina

    April 7, 2020 at 3:00 pm

    5 stars
    This takes all the stress out of a special occasion dinner! I was able to focus on side and dessert while knowing that the main dish was just over there doing it’s thing!

    Reply

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