Slow Cooker Ham with Brown Sugar and Pineapple Glaze

This Slow Cooker Ham is sweet, juicy, and effortless. Perfect for holidays or Sunday dinner. A brown sugar and pineapple glaze caramelizes beautifully while the slow cooker does all the work, giving you tender slices every time with minimal prep.

Course Dinner Recipes

Cuisine American

Keyword crock pot ham, crockpot ham, slow cooker ham

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 3 30

Servings

Calories 176kcal

Author Jesseca

Ingredients

2 cups packed brown sugar
1 (7–8 pound) boneless cured ham see notes
6 ounces pineapple juice
Optional: pinch of ground cloves for warmth

Instructions

Sprinkle about 1½ cups of brown sugar evenly across the bottom of your slow cooker. This forms a caramelized base that gives the ham a glossy, sweet glaze as it cooks.
Place a boneless cured ham (around 7–8 pounds) flat side down on top of the sugar. If your ham is taller than the slow cooker, don’t worry—a snug layer of heavy-duty foil will seal it in perfectly.
Pour ¾ cup of pineapple juice evenly over the ham, letting it trickle down the sides. Rub the remaining ½ cup of brown sugar all over the top and sides of the ham, pressing gently so it sticks.
Cover with the slow cooker lid or tightly with foil. Cook on Low for about 3½ hours, or until the ham reaches 145°F internally. Boneless hams heat faster than bone-in, so keep an eye on the temperature toward the end.
About halfway through cooking, carefully spoon some of the melted glaze from the bottom of the slow cooker over the top of the ham. This helps build that sweet, sticky coating everyone loves.
Once done, let the ham rest for 10 minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to redistribute and keeps every slice tender. Spoon some of the warm glaze from the slow cooker over the top just before serving for that perfect, glossy finish.

Notes

If your ham isn’t fully covered by liquid, that’s okay! The steam and slow cooking process will keep it moist and flavorful without drying out.

Check halfway through to be sure heat isn’t escaping. If steam is leaking a lot, re-crimp or add another foil layer.

Bone-in ham: Cook on Low for 6–8 hours. Start checking around the 6-hour mark. It should be warmed through and tender.
Spiral-cut ham: Cook on Low for 3–4 hours. These hams are already sliced, so they heat faster and can dry out more easily.
Boneless ham: Cook on Low for 3–4 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F. They’re usually smaller and more compact, so they need less time.

Nutrition