Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham Recipe

16 servings
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes

Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham is a total breeze with just three ingredients and no oven space to lose!

If you love this yummy pineapple recipe, you’re going to love these other Dinner recipes that incorporate the flavors of citrus, like the popular Baked Orange Chicken, the mouthwatering Lemon Pepper Honey Fried Chicken, and one of the gameday favorites: Slow Cooker Meatball Pineapple Smokies

Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham will make your Easter brunch a total breeze with just three ingredients and no oven space to lose! Keep it plugged in and it will stay warm through your entire meal.

Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham is a popular holiday season meal because it frees up oven space while you’re busy working the oven to the max! The allure of the Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham lies not just in its tantalizing flavors and ease of cooking, but in its rich historical backdrop. Hams have been central to celebrations for centuries, a symbol of prosperity and festive feasting. Combined with the tropical sweetness of pineapple and the caramel undertones of brown sugar, this dish becomes a decadent blend of tradition and innovation. Everyone loves slow cooker ham. This recipe takes it up a notch! Slow cooking not only retains the meat’s moisture but ensures that the flavors are deeply infused, making every bite a delicious experience.

In many ways, the Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham embodies the spirit of a festive celebration: traditional yet adaptable, sweet yet savory, and above all, shared with loved ones. Its simplicity ensures that even novice chefs can create a memorable dish, while its versatility allows seasoned cooks to experiment and make it their own. A similar recipe is Bourbon Glazed Ham, another delectable treat for those special occasions.

Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham will make your Easter brunch a total breeze with just three ingredients and no oven space to lose! Keep it plugged in and it will stay warm through your entire meal.

How to Make Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham

The beauty of this recipe is its simplicity and the genius use of the slow cooker to achieve a moist, flavorful ham. No fuss, just set, and forget! Check it out!

  • Step One: Begin by placing the spiral-sliced ham into the Slow Cooker or crock pot. If needed, trim the base of the ham so it fits comfortably within.
  • Step Two: Top the ham with crushed pineapple bits, ensuring even distribution. Sprinkle over two cups of brown sugar. Add the brown sugar in layers because the first half will melt in the slow cooker.
  • Step Three: Set the slow cooker on low, and allow the ham to cook for 2-3 hours. Once done, cover the ham with the remaining brown sugar before serving. If you want a crispier ham you can finish it in the oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of ham works best for this recipe?

A spiral-sliced ham is recommended as it allows for even cooking and better absorption of the pineapple and brown sugar mixture.

How do I choose the right pineapple?

Canned crushed pineapple bits are perfect as they contain their juices, enhancing the ham’s sweetness. If not available, fresh pineapple pulsed in a blender can be a substitute.

Why use brown sugar instead of white?

Brown sugar contains molasses which provides a deep, rich caramel flavor, complementing the savory ham and sweet pineapple.

Can I use a non-slow cooker method?

Absolutely! An oven can be used, but cooking times and temperatures will vary. Always ensure the ham’s internal temperature reaches 140°F. See below for more info on how to do this.

What should the consistency of the sauce be?

The combined juices of the pineapple and the melted brown sugar will form a light glaze. If a thicker sauce is desired, it can be simmered separately.

Can you use a bone-in ham for this recipe?

Absolutely! A bone-in ham can be used in this Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham recipe. In fact, many believe that bone-in hams often result in a juicier, more flavorful end product due to the bone marrow’s contribution to the cooking process. However, be aware that a bone-in ham might require a slightly longer cooking time than a boneless ham. Make sure you adjust the ham to fit your slow cooker, and check for doneness periodically. The bone can also make carving a bit more challenging, but the flavor payoff is often worth the extra effort.

Key Ingredients in Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham

The charm of the Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham lies in its simplicity and the choice of key ingredients that complement each other perfectly. Plus, everything can be easily found in your local grocery store! Here’s a breakdown:

  • Ham: Spiral sliced hams are optimal for this dish, as the slices allow for even flavor absorption. Plus, they are already fully cooked which is why it only takes 2 hours to cook it to perfection, instead of an uncooked ham which can take 6 hours or more!
  • Pineapple: The tropical sweetness of Crushed Pineapple tidbits contrasts with the ham’s saltiness, providing a burst of flavor. Plus, the pineapple juice help keep the ham moist! You can use the canned pineapple chunks that come in the can no matter the size, as long as they are cut up and not pineapple rings.  
  • Brown Sugar: Brown sugar offers a caramel undertone, deepening the taste profile and complementing the pineapple’s acidity.

Oven Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham

For those without a slow cooker, the oven is a fantastic alternative. Preheat your oven to 325°F. Follow the same preparation steps and place your ham in a roasting pan. Cover with foil and bake for about 15 minutes per pound or until it reaches an internal temperature of 140°F.

Can Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham Be Made Ahead of Time?

Certainly! You can prepare the ham a day in advance. After the slow cooking process, allow it to cool and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Before serving, warm it in the slow cooker or oven. Add the final brown sugar glaze just before serving to retain its freshness and texture.

Substitutions in Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham

  • Ham: If spiral-sliced ham isn’t available, a regular bone-in ham will suffice. Adjust the cooking time accordingly.
  • Pineapple: Fresh pineapple, finely chopped or pulsed in a blender, can replace canned pineapple bits.
  • Brown Sugar: You can easily substitute with white sugar. To make the molasses-heavy flavor, mix two cups of white sugar with 4 tablespoons of molasses to make your own! 
  • Traditional Glaze: If you wish for a more traditional glaze, you can heat brown sugar, honey, mustard, and some spices in a saucepan until it turns syrupy and brush it over the ham during the last 30 minutes of cooking. Remember, the key is to frequently baste the ham with its juices and the glaze to get that rich, shiny finish.

Variations on Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham

Looking for a twist? Here’s how you can customize the recipe:

  • Spiced Variation: Introduce a touch of warmth by adding ground cinnamon or cloves.
  • Tropical Delight: Mix in some shredded coconut and a half cup of orange juice with the brown sugar for an added tropical flair. Maraschino cherries are of course a fun and welcome addition!
Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham will make your Easter brunch a total breeze with just three ingredients and no oven space to lose! Keep it plugged in and it will stay warm through your entire meal.

How to Serve Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham

Hams are a festive centerpiece that pairs beautifully with a variety of side dishes. To complement the sweet and savory flavors of this Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham, consider the following accompaniments:

  • Scalloped Potatoes: Creamy, cheesy, and delicious, scalloped potatoes are a classic pairing with ham.
  • Green Bean Casserole: This light and fresh side dish with a hint of crunch is the perfect counterpoint to the richness of the ham.
  • Ham and Bean Soup: You can use any extra or leftover ham for this flavorful recipe.
  • Homemade Cranberry Sauce:
  • Pineapple Upside Down Cake: Have some extra pineapple? This would tie in nicely with the pineapple in your ham glaze, providing a thematic consistency to your meal.
  • Pecan Pie: The nutty and sweet profile of a pecan pie is a delightful way to round off a meal starring this ham.

How to Store Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham

  • Serve: Leave the ham at room temperature for up to 2 hours post-cooking. Refrigerate if not consumed within this time.
  • Store: After cooling, wrap the ham tightly or use an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator and consume within 3-4 days. Reheat at 275°F in the oven for 15 minutes, or until warmed through.
  • Freeze: For longer storage, wrap portions and freeze. Best used within 2 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating. Pineapple texture may alter slightly when frozen and reheated.
Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham will make your Easter brunch a total breeze with just three ingredients and no oven space to lose! Keep it plugged in and it will stay warm through your entire meal.

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Pin Recipe

Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham

Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham is a total breeze with just three ingredients and no oven space to lose!
Yield 16 servings
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes
Course Main
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder

Ingredients
 

  • 1 spiral sliced ham 8-10 pounds
  • 1 can crushed pineapple bits 20 ounces (include the juice)
  • 2 cups brown sugar

Instructions

  • Add the ham to the slow cooker, trimming off the bottom as needed to fit it into the slow cooker. Keep the trimmed pieces around it in the slow cooker.
  • Add the pineapple bits to your ham then cover with one cup of the brown sugar.
  • Cook covered and on low for 2-3 hours, then you can keep warm during your party.
  • Cover with remaining cup of brown sugar before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 36mg | Sugar: 26g | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 0.2mg
Keyword: Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham
Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham Pin

Photos used in a previous version of this post.

Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham will make your Easter brunch a total breeze with just three ingredients and no oven space to lose! Keep it plugged in and it will stay warm through your entire meal.
Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham will make your Easter brunch a total breeze with just three ingredients and no oven space to lose! Keep it plugged in and it will stay warm through your entire meal.
Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham will make your Easter brunch a total breeze with just three ingredients and no oven space to lose! Keep it plugged in and it will stay warm through your entire meal.
Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham will make your Easter brunch a total breeze with just three ingredients and no oven space to lose! Keep it plugged in and it will stay warm through your entire meal.

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. If you enjoyed the recipe and would like to publish it on your own site, please re-write it in your own words, and link back to my site and recipe page. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. Hello, I’d like to make this recipe for thanksgiving! I’ve never made a ham before.
    Did you use a bone-in or boneless ham?

  2. Your use of the brown sugar in the directions is very confusing. Put 1 cup on at the beginning, but does the second cup get any cooking time? Sabrina was told to add 1/2 cup in the second instruction. Doesn’t make sense.

  3. When do you add the remaining brown sugar? After it is on plate, or at end while still in the crockpot? Looking forward to trying this but as you can tell by my question I’m no cook!?

    1. Hi sorry, I am a little confused by your question. Its 1/2 cup brown sugar added in the 2nd instruction. You would add all of it.

  4. Hi Sabrina,
    Do you add water to the slow cooker? I was given a used slow cooker but no manual and don’t know how to use it. Please advise.

    1. No need to add anything additional to what the recipe states. The ham will cook down and release liquid. Just a tip though, sometimes you can key into google the type of slow cooker you have and find an online manual, if you need one. I’ve done that for other products that I’ve lost the original for. Enjoy!

  5. Hello- making this for Xmas dinner and wanted to know when to apply the glaze as most hams come with a glaze to add on… thank you

  6. Hello! Making this for Christmas morning and wondering what to do with the glaze that comes with the ham. At what point would you think its best I add it?

  7. How long do you suggest for an 11 pound, precooked ham in the crock pot. I see cooking times varying from 2-3 hours to 4-5 hours.

  8. I would like to say this is the best “HAM” recipe that you can make. The best for Easter Sunday dinner. I had the pleasure of using this recipe to make a 9 pound “HAM” and ask me if we have any left! NOT! Just know this is the best “HAM” ever! Try It!

    1. Hahaha, I am guessing you liked it? Also wow, you guys managed to eat 9 pounds even this year! That is impressive! Thank you so much for the positive review!

    1. Yes, but a lot of the flavor is in the seasoning cooking between the slices. You are going to have significantly less flavor in the unsliced ham. I would carefully slice it ahead of time.

  9. Only 2 hours on low? Most slow cooker recipes I’m seeing 6-8 hours, making this tomorrow and hoping not to undercook!

    1. Your spiral cut ham is fully cooked. So the two hours is simply to warm through and cook your topping. Don’t be worried about undercooking, just look for the topping to be melted, the meat should be heated through. If you want to be safe you could do three hours, but I’ve made this several times with 2 hours on low. Hope you enjoy it!

  10. Where does it say to use ginger ale?
    I don’t have it….could I use 7 Up?
    Also…..could you use pineapple juice instead of the crushed pineapple? A few of my grandkids might not eat it if they see pineapple pieces.
    Thanks

    1. I didn’t use ginger ale or 7 up for this recipe. Just follow the ingredients in the recipe card. 🙂 Enjoy!

  11. This soup is so delicious! It was quick, easy and turned out perfectly. The only thing I added was a little cayenne pepper. This will become a regular for us. Thank you very much!

  12. I made this recipe twice, it came out perfect the first ham, non sprial, the second was very dry, sprial. I think that using a non spiral ham is the best way to go. The non spiral ham was so juicy. Maybe if using a spiral ham, only cook it half the time.

  13. This recipe looks great and I’m excited to make it for Thanksgiving! My hubby bought the can of ring shaped pineapple slices, not crushed. I plan to crush and use, do you drain the juice??

    1. I’m so bummed that I’m just now seeing this! This was caught in my spam filter.
      You can just dump the whole can into the slow cooker. I hope you enjoyed it!

  14. Do you place the ham on it’s side, bone side down, etc.? Just wanting to make sure I do this correctly. This recipe looks so delicious.

    1. Thank you so much!! You’ll want the ham to be facing up in the slow cooker (as the picture shows). You may need to trim the bone so it fits. Hope this helps!

  15. Your food photographer is BRILLIANT! 🙂 It all looks so wonderful; Pinning & sharing my favorites are fun here!

  16. Yes!! Thank you so much for this recipe! Making this tomorrow for Easter! Can’t wait to eat it, your pictures make my mouth water!! Excuse me while I wipe the drool from my mouth!!

      1. Welp, I made this yesterday for Easter and let me tell you the family RAVED and RAVED about it!! My husband declared this is the best and ONLY way ham should be made from now on!! So thank you for this super simple and easy recipe!

  17. I am trying this right now!  Not only does it sound and look delicious but I have a broken arm and it was SO easy and quick that I made it with one arm-lol!   You just can’t get any better than this!  Thanks very much! ??

  18. I’ll buy my husband and me a ham just to try this recipe! It looks yumsters! After I read – I thought carefully – about the gingerale and not seeing it.I was crazy! But it sure sounded great. I cannot wait to try it…well, I can wait to try it…but it sounds tasty!

    1. Fantastic! You’ll have to come back and let me know what you thought after trying it….don’t wait too long!! 🙂

  19. Thank you for this post! I came across it searching for baked ham as I bought my pineapple, brown sugar and for got the gingerale!! as this was how my Mother always baked her Easter Hams, I got to tell you it made a hit!! never even noticed and was asked if I did something different as the Ham was delicious and juicy, I think I’ll forget the gingerale for now on as it was a step up from other hams I baked with gingerale !! Thank You again and a very Happy Easter To your Family from ours…..

    1. How awesome! I think it was fate then and so happy to hear you received rave reviews from your guests. Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know 🙂

  20. Sabrina, I can haedly wait to try Brown Sugar Ham recipeyour Slow Cooker Pineapple and Brown Sugar
    Ham Recipe. I am also looking forward to receiving you e-Cookbook, Thank you, Edna