Super Simple Crock Pot Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham

This Crock Pot Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham is one of those recipes that instantly makes your mouth water. A pre-cooked ham is slow cooked with brown sugar, crushed pineapple and cinnamon. After 3-4 hours in the slow cooker, the ham is ridiculously moist and tender. The drippings are then boiled down to create a sweet and sticky glaze that's unbeatable!

Crock Pot Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham

I'm a sucker for any kind of sweet and sticky glazed pork.

There's just something so magical about the contrast of sweet and salty flavors.

And this holiday ham recipe encompasses all of that tasty goodness!

In this recipe, salty ham is coated in brown sugar, pineapple and cinnamon and is slow cooked until it's tender and moist.

After the ham is done cooking, the residual juices are boiled down to create a sweet and sticky pineapple glaze that is out of this world delicious! 

Trust me when I say you'll be obsessed with this easy recipe!

Not only is it perfect because it takes minimal effort but it also means you have more room in the oven for more tasty side dishes! 

If you'd like some of my favorite sides to serve it with, try my MIL's cheesy green bean casserole or this classic white cheddar mac and cheese.

I also love pairing this with my smashed brussel sprouts or some of these easy Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas! 

How to make it in a Crock Pot

Making this brown sugar pineapple ham in a crock pot is beyond easy as long as you have an extra large crock pot! 

You'll want to start with a defrosted 6-10 lb spiral-cut cooked ham. However, if it's not pre-cut, that's fine too, you'll just want to carefully cut it yourself before it cooks.

If the ham fits in your crock pot, go ahead and place half of the brown sugar, half of the crushed pineapple, and half of the cinnamon in the bottom of the crock pot. If it doesn't, keep scrolling to the next header to read what to do. 

Stir it around and place the ham on top.

Next, use your fingers to create some space between the slices of ham.

Now go ahead and pack the brown sugar on top of the ham - making sure to get some in between the slices.

Then, pour the remaining half of the crushed pineapple on top - also making sure to get some of the pineapple juice and bits between each slice. 

Lastly, sprinkle the remaining cinnamon on top and the seasoning is complete!

Put the lid on the crock pot and seal it. Turn the heat on high and set your timer for 4 hours. 

If you have a smaller ham, around 6 lbs, you can cook it for 3 hours. If you have a 10 lbs ham, you'll want to cook the ham for 4 hours. Anything in between can go for 3.5 hours.

Since the ham is already cooked, you just want to reheat the center of the ham to at least 110 degrees.

Once the timer is done, place the ham in a serving dish and pour the residual juices into a sauce pan.

Simmer the sauce over medium heat for 20 minutes or until the glaze is thick and glossy.

Drizzle the glaze over the ham right before serving. 

What if it won't Fit in my Crock Pot?

To be quite honest, fitting a large bone-in-ham in a regular crock pot is not easy. 

So don't panic! there are ways around it!

If you're facing this issue, I recommend either using an extra large 8 quart instant pot or a large roasting pan. 

How to do it in an instant pot - slow cook setting

If you don’t have a crock pot or your ham won’t fit in the one you have, you can use an 8 quart instant pot on the slow cook setting.

1. Simply follow the directions as-is but when you go to lock your instant pot lid, leave it ON venting.
2. Press the slow cook button on high heat and set the timer for 3 hours.
3. After 3 hours, you'll then switch the venting tab over to lock and change settings to the high pressure cooking function and set it for 20 minutes.
4. Let the instant pot natural release then remove the lid and place the ham in a serving dish.
5. Press the simmer button and simmer the sauce for 20 minutes. Pour sauce on ham before serving.

How to do it in a roasting pan 

If you don’t have an Instant Pot big enough, you could also just use a roasting pan and tinfoil.

1. Prepare the recipe as stated but in a large roasting pan and wrap the whole thing tightly in tinfoil.
2. Bake it in your oven at 300F degrees for about 2 hours or until the center of the ham reaches 110F degrees.
3. Place the ham on a serving platter and transfer the residual juices to a sauce pan.
4. Simmer for 20 minutes over medium heat until the sauce has reduced and is thick and glossy. Pour over the ham before serving.

What if I only have fresh pineapple?!

Don't do it!!! The properties of the fresh pineapple will turn the ham to mush! 

It's super gross so trust me on this one. For some reason, the canned variety is the only way that works!

And if you'd like to save this recipe for later, pin it below!

Recipe: 

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4.62 from 13 votes

Crock Pot Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham

This Crock Pot Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham is one of those recipes that makes your mouth water. A pre-cooked ham is slow cooked with brown sugar, crushed pineapple and cinnamon. After 3 hours, the ham is ridiculously moist and the sauce is boiled down to create a sweet and sticky glaze that's unbeatable!

Equipment

• Extra Large Crock Pot
• Or Large Instant Pot or Large Roasting Pan

Ingredients

• 6-10 lb bone in spiral cut cooked ham
• 3 cups brown sugar divided
• 1 20 oz can crushed pineapple divided
• 1 tsp cinnamon divided

Instructions

• Pour half of the brown sugar, half of the crushed pineapple, and half of the cinnamon in the bottom of an extra large crockpot and stir.
• Place the ham on top and gently separate the layers. Pack in the remaining brown sugar and crushed pineapple and sprinkle the top with the remaining cinnamon.
• Lock the lid of crock pot and turn the heat to high for 3-4 hours. (3 hours for a 6 lb ham and 4 hours for a 10 lb ham - 3.5 for anything in between! ) You just want the center to reach at least 110 degrees since it's precooked.
• Once the ham is done, place it in a serving dish and pour the remaining juices in a pot. Turn the heat to medium and let the sauce simmer for 20 minutes or until it’s thick and glossy.
• Pour the saucy glaze on top of the ham before serving.

Notes

DO NOT USE FRESH PINEAPPLE! The ham will turn to mush!

If you don’t have a crock pot or your ham won’t fit in the one you have, you can use a large Instant Pot on the slow cook setting.

1. Simply follow the directions as is but when you go to lock your instant pot lid, leave it ON venting.
2. Press the slow cook button on high heat and set the timer for 3 hours.
3. After 3 hours, switch the venting tab over to lock and push the pressure cooking function button to high heat set for 20 minutes.
4. Let the instant pot natural release then remove the lid and place the ham in a serving dish.
5. Press the simmer button and simmer the sauce for 20 minutes. Pour sauce on ham before serving

If you don’t have an Instant Pot big enough, you can also use a large roasting pan:

1. Preheat your oven to 300F. Then simply follow the instructions but put everything in a large roasting pan and cover tightly with tinfoil.
2. Bake for about 2 hours or until the center of the ham reaches 110F degrees.
3. Place the ham on a serving platter and transfer the residual juices to a sauce pan.
4. Simmer the sauce for 20 minutes over medium heat until reduced and glossy. Pour over the ham before serving.