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Home Meal Type Holiday
5
/5
4 hours 10 minutes

Crock Pot Ham with Spiced Honey

Dairy Free Dairy-Free Gluten Free Gluten Free Nut Free Nut Free
Jump to Recipe
By: Denise Bustard11 Comments
Posted: 11/18/21 Updated: 11/18/21

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Crock pot ham with spiced honey is an easy hands-off recipe to prepare for your holiday table! Made with spiral cut ham, honey, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg - this recipe only requires ten minutes of prep work!

Just like our dry brined turkey recipe, this crock pot ham with spiced honey is a simple holiday favorite that is packed with delicious flavor!

overhead shot of crock pot ham in the slow cooker
Jump to... show
1 Reasons you'll love This Recipe
2 Ingredient notes
3 Step by step directions
4 FAQ
5 Use up your leftovers
6 Storage + Meal Prep
7 More holiday recipes
8 Crock Pot Ham

This crock pot ham with spiced honey is an easy holiday recipe that requires very little prep work, and frees up your oven for other side dishes or dessert!

The sweetness from the honey balances out the smoky flavors of the ham, and the spices perfectly complement the meat. The glaze infuses so much flavor as it slow cooks, especially with the spiral cut ham we are using - which allows the sauce to absorb into every slice. Best of all, it is very hands-off and it cooks up in 4-5 hours.

Reasons you'll love This Recipe

  • the spiced honey sauce is so delicious, and pairs perfectly with the smoky flavors of the ham
  • you can have it prepared in the crock pot in under 10 minutes - so easy!
  • it frees up your oven for side dishes or dessert
  • you can keep it warm on the 'warm' setting of your slow cooker

Ingredient notes

sauce in mason jar for the slow cooker ham
  • Ham - you will need a fully cooked spiral cut ham for this recipe; these hams are quite large. We tested with a 10 lb (4.5 kg) ham and needed to trim it to fit. You could also use a fully cooked ham that is not sliced, however we recommend spiral cut ham as it allows the glaze to absorb into every slice as it cooks
  • Honey - adds sweetness to balance the savory flavors of the ham; you may swap for brown sugar, but maple syrup does not work in this recipe.
  • Spices - ground cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg add wintery spice to the ham and added depth of flavor.
  • Pomegranate - is optional but is a beautiful and tasty garnish for this ham! Check out this post on how to open a pomegranate for tips and a video!

Step by step directions

Prepare

Place spiral cut ham in a large 6 quart slow cooker (trim the bottom off ham if it's too tall).

pouring the sauce over the crockpot spiral ham

Combine Sauce

Shake together sauce ingredients including honey, apple cider vinegar, dijon and spices. Then pour the sauce over the ham.

Tip - this is our salad dressing shaker that is perfect for mixing together dressings and sauces!

Slow Cook

Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours, basting every hour with the sauce.

Favorite Crock Pot

This 6 quart crock pot is the model that we own and love!

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Broil (optional)

This optional step caramelizes the edges of the ham and gives it a nice presentation. However it can be finicky to get the ham out of the slow cooker and onto the sheet pan, and the flavor benefit is minimal.

Use a baster to pull the liquids out of the slow cooker (reserve for later), and carefully tip the ham out and onto a large, sturdy sheet pan, flipping it so that the cut side points up. Broil the ham for approximately 5 minutes, basting with the reserved liquid halfway through. Serve with additional reserved cooking liquid.

slow cooker spiral ham after cooking (in slow cooker)

Serve

Serve, spooning extra spiced honey sauce over the ham, and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds and fresh herbs.

Tip - you can keep the ham warm on the 'warm' setting of your slow cooker!


FAQ

What kind of ham should I use?

I recommend a fully cooked, spiral-cut ham, and look for one that is no larger than 10 lbs in order to fit into a 6 quart slow cooker. These hams may be only seasonally available; I found mine at Costco!

Not only is spiral-cut ham pretty to serve for a holiday meal, but as you baste with the sauce, it absorbs much better into the ham than an uncut ham.

How much ham should I cook per guest?

Martha suggests ¾ lb per person for a bone-in ham. So for a 8-9 lb spiral ham, you'll have enough for 10-12 guests. Don't worry if you have extras, it's easy to freeze and there are a ton of ways to use up your leftover slow cooker ham!

Do I need to add water to this crock pot ham?

No, not for this recipe. We have seen other recipes that recommend adding water to add moisture, but because we are basting this ham every hour (or so) with a very juicy sauce - it does not require any water!

Do I need to use fully cooked ham for this recipe?

Yes, this recipe requires a fully cooked ham. Actually, most ham that you can purchase at the store is pre-cooked by smoking, curing, or baking. Fully cooked or cured ham is then typically reheated and served warm and/or seasoned with a glaze before serving.

Can I cook this in the Instant Pot?

You'll have trouble fitting a spiral ham in the Instant Pot. Instead you might want to cook it in the oven.

Use up your leftovers

how to cook a ham in the crock pot- overhead view after cooking

This recipe makes a big batch of ham, so it's a good idea to have a plan to use up the leftovers. Here are some ideas:

  • ham sandwiches
  • add to pasta: one pot fajita pasta (swap for black beans), one pan tuscan chicken pasta bake (swap for chicken) or ground turkey pasta in romesco sauce (swap for ground turkey)
  • Add it to my favorite fried rice or cauliflower fried rice recipes
  • Ultimate freezer breakfast burritos
  • Healthy breakfast egg muffins
  • Swap for bacon in this make ahead quiche and this overnight breakfast casserole
  • Add to this sheet pan eggs recipe
  • Swap for turkey sausage in these turkey sausage sweet potato lunch bowls

Storage + Meal Prep

  • Fridge - let cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
  • Freezer - let cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months. We like to chop into cubes to add easily to quiche or breakfast burritos.
  • Thaw - in the fridge overnight
  • Reheat - in the microwave until steaming hot, or in a covered casserole dish in the oven at 350ºF for 10-15 minutes until warmed through
platter with sliced instant pot turkey breast, rosemary and cranberries

More holiday recipes

  • Instant Pot turkey breast
  • Dry brined turkey with garlic sage butter
  • Slow cooker brussels sprouts with cranberries, pecans, and butternut
  • Twice baked sweet potato casserole 

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

ham sliced with spiced honey in crock pot

Crock Pot Ham

5 from 2 votes
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 4 hrs
Total Time: 4 hrs 10 mins
Print Rate
Crock pot ham with spiced honey is an easy hands-off recipe to prepare for your holiday table! Made with spiral cut ham, honey, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg - this recipe only requires ten minutes of prep work!
12 servings

Ingredients

  • 7-9 lbs spiral cut ham fully cooked * see note 1

Spiced Honey Sauce

  • ½ cup honey note 2
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon dijon
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

To serve

  • pomegranate seeds
  • chopped fresh parsley optional

Instructions 

  • Prepare - Place spiral cut ham in a large 6 quart slow cooker (trim the bottom off ham if it's too tall).
  • Combine sauce - Shake together sauce ingredients including honey, apple cider vinegar, dijon and spices. Then pour the sauce over the ham.
  • Slow cook - Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours, basting every hour with the sauce.
  • Broil - **OPTIONAL** use a baster to pull the liquids out of the slow cooker (reserve for later), and carefully tip the ham out and onto a large, sturdy sheet pan. Broil the ham for approximately 5 minutes, basting with the reserved liquid halfway through. Serve with additional reserved cooking liquid.
  • Serve - Serve, spooning extra spiced honey sauce over the ham, and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds and fresh herbs.

Tips:

  1. You will need a fully cooked spiral-cut ham for this recipe. You could use a fully cooked ham that is not sliced, however we recommend spiral cut ham as it allows the glaze to absorb into every slice as it cooks
  2. Honey may be swapped for brown sugar, but not maple syrup.
  3. This optional step caramelizes the edges of the ham and gives it a nice presentation. However it can be finicky to get the ham out of the slow cooker and onto the sheet pan, and the flavor benefit is minimal.
Storage
  • Fridge - let cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
  • Freezer - let cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container for up to 4 months.
  • Thaw - in the fridge overnight
  • Reheat - in the microwave until steaming hot, or in a covered casserole dish in the oven at 350ºF for 10-15 minutes until warmed through

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1/12 of batch, Calories: 479kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 50g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 2648mg, Potassium: 12mg, Fiber: 0g, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 1mg, Iron: 0.1mg
Author: Denise Bustard
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American

© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

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6 Quart Slow Cooker
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Meet Denise Bustard

Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.

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Recipe Rating




  1. Charles D'souza says

    Posted on 1/11/21 at Posted on 1/11/21

    5 stars
    I'm not facilitating christmas at everything except I believe I will make this only so there's ham available for brisk snacks and meals in the bustling impending days.

    Reply
  2. Chelsea says

    Posted on 12/23/20 at Posted on 12/23/20

    This may be a silly question but is it possible to do a variation of this recipe with an uncooked ham? How would you change the cooking time? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Denise Bustard says

      Posted on 1/4/21 at Posted on 1/4/21

      Hi Chelsea! Unfortunately I cannot say without retesting. Wish I could be of more help :/

      Reply
  3. Terry Carlson says

    Posted on 12/21/18 at Posted on 12/21/18

    Does this only work for spiral cut ham. I have a 7 lb ham but not cut.

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 12/26/18 at Posted on 12/26/18

      Hi Terry! My parents tried this recipe with an uncut ham, and while they did enjoy the flavor, they thought it would be much better if it was pre-cut as the sauce will absorb so much better. But yes, it does work for a regular ham as well!

      Reply
  4. Tata says

    Posted on 12/21/18 at Posted on 12/21/18

    What fresh herbs do you use? I’m not a creative cook, I need instructions!

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 12/26/18 at Posted on 12/26/18

      Hi Tata! I just used fresh parsley for the photos, but I wouldn't bother when serving as it doesn't add any real flavor 😉 Hope you enjoyed if you gave it a try!

      Reply
  5. Jen Bartels says

    Posted on 12/3/18 at Posted on 12/3/18

    This looks amazing and a great departure from the soda and pineapple sauced ham we typically make. I'm not hosting christmas at all but I think I'm going to make this just so there's ham on hand for quick lunches & dinners in the busy upcoming days. In the description in the post about the sauce you mention dijon, but there's none listed on the actual recipe ingredients list so how much dijon is used? I'm sure I can eyeball it and taste, but was curious how much you added. Thank you for what is sure to be an excellent recipe!

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 12/3/18 at Posted on 12/3/18

      Hi Jen! Thank you for catching that! It was just a teaspoon. I'll update the recipe asap 🙂

      Reply
  6. joseph says

    Posted on 11/28/18 at Posted on 11/28/18

    Very tasty Crock Pot Ham !!

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 12/3/18 at Posted on 12/3/18

      I am glad you enjoyed!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Denise

Meal prep took me from feeling constantly stressed out about meals to cool, collected and in control. I want to share this amazing and transformational habit with you, so you can feel in control, too! Read more ...

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