Easy Crockpot Ham with Pineapple and Cherries

Crockpot Ham with Pineapple is an easy holiday recipe to make. This old fashioned ham is made with simple ingredients like brown sugar, pineapple slices, and cherries. Free up space in your oven with this simple recipe perfect for a special holiday meal like Easter or Christmas.

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Slow Cooker Ham with Pineapples and Cherries

Call me old fashioned but when it comes to any holiday meal I like to keep them classic. Turkey with mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving, Hot Dogs & Hamburgers on July 4th, & Ham with Au Gratin Potatoes for Easter, you get the idea.

So when it comes to the holiday ham you can imagine I like to keep it easy and simple yet classic.

Adding the pineapple slices and cherries to the ham brings that classic feel I like but putting it in the slow cooker updates the recipe and helps keep everything easy!

By using the slow cooker you are able to free up oven space making it easier to get your side dishes done, plus if you set up the crockpot out of the way you might even save yourself some counter space as well!

Recipe for Spiral Ham in the Crockpot

Ingredients:

• Bone-in Spiral Cut Ham: In order for the ham to cook evenly in the crockpot you will want a 7 to 8 pound ham, anything smaller will work as long as you adjust cooking times but any thing bigger than that probably won’t fit in the crockpot. Depending on the size of your slow cooker you might be able to fit a ham up to 9 pounds but otherwise you might want to use an oven for your ham if it is larger. Another thing to not about the ham is that while the most popular option is a spiral cut you can use a ham that does not come precut.
• Brown Sugar: The sweetness of the brown sugar pairs so nicely with ham, which is why it is used frequently on holiday hams. In this recipe I use the brown sugar as a rub mixed with spices.
• Spices: To flavor our ham I use what is probably considered an ‘old fashioned’ pairing for ham, dry mustard and ground gloves. The cloves and mustard flavor balances out the sweetness of the sugar but without overwhelming the ham.
• Sliced Pineapple: One can of sliced pineapples should be plenty. The juice will be drained, set it aside for another use like a fun beverage or baking. The pineapple rings will then be used to top the ham as it is cooking.
• Maraschino Cherries: Lastly the cherries, kids LOVE this part. While they aren’t absolutely crucial to this recipe they are fun, giving the recipe the ‘holiday flair’ and spirit. I always look for the maraschino cherries marked ‘salad cherries’ when you buy them this way they come without the stem.

Instructions for a Crockpot Ham

This recipe is really simple and only requires a few minutes of prep.

Start by prepping the brown sugar rub. In a bowl mix together the brown sugar, mustard, and cloves.

Now unwrap the ham, and pat off any excess juice with a paper towel. Tip: do this over the sink so your counter isn’t a mess! Add the ham to the crockpot pre-cut side down.

Rub the brown sugar mixture all over the ham, getting inbetween the crevasses and slices for maximum flavor.

Now place pineapple slices overtop the ham, resting on the side of crock if needed. If you have trouble getting them to stay in place you can use toothpicks to hold them in spot but I don’t find it necessary. Add 1-2 cherries to the center of each pineapple.

Cover and cook on HIGH 3-4 hours or LOW 4-6 hours. Time will vary depending on the size of your ham.

When heated through, set aside pineapple and cherries for serving. Carefully remove ham from crockpot, a pair of sturdy large tongs and spatula is helpful here. To get mine out I use my set of grilling tools since the ham is pretty bulky!

To make glaze transfer the remaining liquid in the crockpot to a small saucepan. You can do this with a ladle, or very carefully with oven mits on lift the crock up and pour into a saucepan.

Heat the liquid over medium-high heat and bring to a boil to reduce down until ready to serve. If you want a thicker glaze add a cornstarch slurry made up of 1 tablespoon cornstach and 1 tablespoon water.

To carve the ham place pre-cut side down. Carve down along the bone to remove boneless section of meat, the sprial cut should now be perfect serving slices. Cotinue to cut the meat from off the bone in sections. Transfers the slices to a platter for serving. Serve ham with glaze.

To keep warm transfer sliced ham back to the crockpot on the warm setting.

Refrigerate or freeze any leftover ham.

Recipe Tips & Tricks:

How much ham do I need per person?

About 3/4 pound of bone-in ham per person. So a 7 pound ham should feed about 9.3 people (insert joke about 1/3 of a person here 😉 ) However, if you are hosting a hungrier crowd, you can increase it to 1 pound so you have plenty of leftovers.

How to store baked ham?

Baked ham can be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

Ham also freezes really well and can keep for up to 2 months, giving you plenty of time to make more meals out of the leftovers.

Help I got my ham and it doesn’t fit?!

Breath. There are two different things you can do. First, if the ham is close to fitting go ahead carefully with a knife and trim to make the ham fit. Second, replan your meal schedule and put it in the oven. You can do the same toppings as in the slow cooker and loosely cover them ham in tin foil on a shallow roasted pan. Cook in the oven at 350º F for 10 minutes per pound, so example a 7 pound ham would be 1 hour 10 minutes.

What to serve with the Ham:

• Homemade Au Gratin Potatoes
• Homemade Green Bean Casserole
• Simple Spinach Side Salad
• Roasted Carrots with Dill
• Orange-Spiced Carrot Cake

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