Easy Crock Pot Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze
An Easy Crock Pot Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze recipe is the perfect ham recipe for the holidays. A spiral ham topped with a delicious pineapple and brown sugar glaze and cooked to perfection.
Who does not like a good ham recipe? This easy prep ham recipe takes the stress out of the kitchen. This holiday season, utilize all your kitchen gadgets and tools by starting with your crockpot to make life much easier.
I love to cook, but I don’t like to spend a long time in the kitchen. During the holidays I am always trying to find new ways to spend more with my family and friends. This recipe is the perfect way to not only spend less time but also to have more space in your oven for other dishes. The preparation time does not take long at all. Just 10-15 minutes and 3-4 hours of cooking time, and you will have a delicious ham recipe just in time to set the table.
The Holidays in the Caribbean
I spent most of my childhood time in the Caribbean. I remember the holidays (Christmas and New Year’s Day) very well. The smell of freshly cut flowers on the table, an abundance of freshly made foods, and great times with my family. Thanksgiving is not celebrated in Haiti because it is not one of our holidays. Christmas and New Year’s Day are huge days for us!
You will usually find an Herbed Roasted Turkey or Tassot Turkey at the dinner table accompanied with a whole Roasted Ham. The ham would usually be decorated with a few whole cloves, pineapple, and cherries. Yes, we loved dressing up the ham back in the days. Many people still do it until this day, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. We want to make things much simpler these days.
Rice with Djon-Djon, Macaroni au Gratin, Salad Russe, Fried Plantains or Boiled Plantains, Salad of Lettuce and Tomatoes, and Corn Souffle are just some dishes served on Christmas Day.
What you will need to make the crock pot ham
One of the essential things to remember when buying ham is to choose a sliced smoked ham – tastes much better than regular ham.
- Spiral ham with bone-in: the spiral ham is easier to serve and the bone helps keep the slices attached.
- Dark Brown sugar: I prefer using dark brown sugar because of the finished roasting look. The ham has a wonderful golden roasted brown color that is so appetizing.
- Agave syrup or honey: I prefer using Agave syrup because it is not as sweet as honey and is lighter and smooth. Honey is a heavy type of syrup and much sweeter than Agave. If I have to use honey, I use raw honey. It tastes better and contains more flavor.
- Ginger powder: this is a must in my opinion. This ingredient along with the ground cloves accentuate the flavors of the sugar and the agave.
- Ground cloves: another important ingredient for roasting ham. This is a delightful spice.
- Pineapple juice: fresh is always better if you can. But you can use canned pineapple juice.
- Cooking spray: this is so the ham does not stick to the crock pot bowl.
- fresh herbs for garnish: make your ham look more appealing and appetizing before placing it on the table. You will wow you guess. But don’t kill yourself; a nice platter will do well also.
How to Make the Crock Pot Ham
First, make sure you have a large enough crockpot – an 8-quart ham might work, and if you have a to a quart, that would be better. If the ham does not fit because of the bone, tightly cover the crockpot with aluminum foil while the ham is cooking.
- Coat a crock pot with cooking spray.
- Place the ham cut side down in the crock pot.
- Rub the brown sugar, ginger powder, cloves powder, all over the ham, then pour the agave syrup and rub it all over the ham to coat.
- Slowly, pour the pineapple juice over the top of the ham.
- Cook for 3-4 hours on low heat, or until a thermometer registers 140 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the ham.
- Gently transfer the ham to a serving platter.
- Pour the liquid from the crock pot into a medium size saucepan and over medium heat let the sauce simmer for about 5 – 7 minutes – slightly tick.
- Just before serving, drizzle the sauce over the ham and decorate with fresh herbs or fruits.
Tips and Notes for Crock Pot Ham
- People always ask me where I buy my turkey, ham or rice. So this ham is from Costco. It is the Kirkland Signature Spiral Sliced Ham, Hickory Smoked.
- Use a large enough crock pot if you are cooking for a large crowd – 8 – 10 quart size crock pot.
- Do not worry about drizzling the pineapple juice on the ham after applying the sugar, agave and spices. The ham will be flavorful and will absorb all the flavors.
- This recipe can also be prepared in the oven. Just follow the cooking directions on the ham packaging.
- If you are unable to close the lid of your crock pot, cover the slow cooker with foil as tightly as you can
- Want to thin out the sauce, gradually add hot water and season to taste.
The Tools you will need
What to serve with this crock pot ham recipe.
Your holiday side dishes would be excellent. Rice with Djon-Djon, Macaroni au Gratin, Salad Russe, Fried Plantains or Boiled Plantains, Salad of Lettuce and Tomatoes, and Corn Souffle are just a few of the side dishes that we love to serve with ham.
How to use Leftover Ham
Make room in our refrigerator for leftovers! Here are a few ideas on how to use leftovers.
- Crock pot Ham Soup
- Quiche with Ham
- Ham Sandwich
- Pasta
- Eggs Breakfast
Crock Pot Ham with Brown Sugar
Ingredients
- 8 – 10 lbs spiral cut ham with the bone in
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup Agave syrup or honey
- 1-2 teaspoons ginger powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup pineapple juice fresh is always better
- cooking spray
- fresh herbs for garnish
Instructions
- Coat a large 8-9 quart crockpot with cooking spray.
- Place the ham cut side down in the crockpot.
- Rub the brown sugar, ginger powder, cloves powder all over the ham, pour the agave syrup, and rub it all over the ham to coat.
- Slowly pour the pineapple juice over the top of the ham.
- Cook for 3-4 hours on low heat, or until a thermometer registers 140 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the ham.
- Transfer the ham to a serving platter.
- Pour the liquid from the bottom of the crockpot into a medium-sized pan.
- Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring the liquid to a simmer.
- Cook for 6-8 minutes or until just thickened,
- Pour the sauce over the ham. Decorate the serving platter with fresh herbs if desired, then serve.
Notes
- People always ask me where I buy my turkey, ham, or rice. So this ham is from Costco. It is the Kirkland Signature Spiral Sliced Ham, Hickory Smoked.
- Use a large enough crockpot if you are cooking for a large crowd – 8 – 10 quart size crockpot.
- This recipe can also be prepared in the oven. Just follow the cooking directions on the ham packaging.
- Do not worry about drizzling the pineapple juice on the ham after applying the sugar, agave, and spices. The ham will be flavorful and will absorb all the flavors.
- If you cannot close the lid of your crockpot, cover the slow cooker with foil as tightly as you can.
- Want to thin out the sauce? Gradually add hot water and season to taste.
Nutrition
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
Nutrition info is automatically generated and provided as a courtesy and as an estimate only.
