This Crockpot Brown Sugar Cola Glazed Ham recipe requires only 5 minutes of prep time to make this incredible brown sugar and cola glaze then pour it over the ham, set it and forget it for a few hours. You’ll be rewarded with the most tender and delicious crockpot ham ever.
This recipe comes complete with instructions on how to cook this ham in the oven or in your pressure cooker!
Easy Crockpot Ham
So are you a turkey or ham fan for big family dinners? I don’t know if I can decide, but my mom always makes turkey. A few years ago I ventured into the land of ham and I’m so glad I did. I really do love ham, hubs too of course, because we just love pork in this house. These are also pretty much the only leftovers in the world that I actually look forward to!
No oven is required for this ham! All of us who have had to prepare a big dinner know how much that helps when there are so many other dishes fighting for some oven space. The best part about this ham is that it’s only 4 ingredients! No, you’re not dreaming! All you need for said ham is your good old crockpot and this easy step-by-step guide.
Ingredient Notes
- Ham – Check out my guide below for tips on buying the best ham.
- Cola – You can use any type of cola that you prefer. No brand is necessarily superior to the others when we end up cooking it down! I used a Mexican cola, Jarritos.
- Brown sugar – I used regular brown sugar. Light and dark brown sugar will also work! It depends on how much of a molasses flavor you want in the glaze.
- Dijon mustard – I’ve made this with both whole grain dijon or regular dijon mustard. You can use any mustard you like, one made with herbs or white wine, or go for a classic yellow mustard if that’s your hit.
That’s it, folks! Dinner doesn’t get any easier than this.
What Is the Best Ham to Buy?
I’ve made this recipe with both a butt-end ham and a spiral cut ham. Precooked whole spiral-cut hams with bone in are probably the best hams to use because that glaze can settle into every slice. If you can only find a butt-end ham, that’s totally okay! I can vouch that it tastes incredible. You can also ask your local butcher to spiralize it for you.
Butt-end hams tend to fit into typical slow cookers better. I once bought a spiral-cut leg of pork that did not fit in my crockpot and my husband had to cut most of the bone out so we could fit it. So, consider your slow cooker size when purchasing a ham.
3 Main Types of Ham:
Fresh Ham is uncured leg of pork and it is uncooked pork roast which must be cooked before serving. Note that it must have “fresh” as part of its name.
Cured Ham is a leg of pork which can be cured in one of two ways; brined or cured with a dry rub and hung to dry. These hams can be ready to eat or may require cooking. If they require cooking, they must be labeled with cooking instructions.
Cured and Smoked Ham is the same as cured ham except they are smoked.
How Sweet Is Glazed Ham?
You’ll most commonly find cured hams at your grocery store which have been brined. This is great because they cook up faster, and they’re seasoned all the way through. With that brine, they’re mush saltier than a fresh ham. By cooking the ham in a nice sweet glaze you create the perfect sweet and savory balance.
The sugar in the glaze mellows out that saltiness and creates the best ham you’ll ever taste. I always reserve the cooking liquid and serve it with the ham. That way, everyone can adjust how sweet their own servings of ham are by spooning some extra sauce over their slices.
How to Make Crockpot Brown Sugar Cola Glazed Ham
- Prepare the glaze: In a small saucepan, add the cola, brown sugar, and the mustard. Cook and stir frequently until the sugar has dissolved completely.
- Cook the ham: Place the ham in the slow cooker. Pour the glaze over the ham, and cook for 6-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high. Baste the ham with the cooking juices every hour or so.
- Serve: Let the ham cool down, then slice up and serve. Reserve the cooking juices and serve in a gravy boat on the side.
How to Make Ham in the Oven
Add the ham to a large roasting pan. Pour the glaze over it and sprinkle with remaining brown sugar. If the lid doesn’t fit over the ham, you can cover it with foil.
Bake at 325F for 15-20 minutes per pound. The internal temperature should read 140F when it’s all done. Baste the ham every hour or so, and you can leave the foil off for the last 15-10 minutes to let the exterior crisp up a bit if you’d like.
How To Make Ham In The Pressure Cooker
- Prepare the glaze: In a small saucepan, add the cola, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and the mustard. Cook and stir frequently until the sugar has dissolved completely.
- Cook the ham: Place the ham in the Instant Pot. Pour the glaze over the ham, then close the lid (follow the manufacturer’s guide for instructions on how to close the instant pot lid). Set the Instant Pot to the Manual/High Pressure setting and set the timer to 20 minutes.
- Remove the Instant Pot lid: Once the Instant Pot cycle is complete, wait until the natural release cycle is complete, should take about 15 minutes. Carefully unlock and remove the lid from the instant pot. Carefully transfer the ham to a large serving platter.
- Serve: Let the ham cool down, then slice up and serve. Reserve the cooking juices and serve in a gravy boat on the side.
How to Serve
Plan on at least 1/3 to 1/2 pound of ham per person and buy according to how many you’re serving. However, I like to buy a larger ham than I’ll need so that I can enjoy those awesome leftovers.
Try this ham with any of your favorite sides! These are some of my go-to side dishes for any big family dinner:
- Mashed Potatoes
- Old Fashioned Green Beans
- No Knead Skillet Bread
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Italian Parmesan Roasted Potatoes
- Brandy Glazed Carrots
- Green Bean Casserole From Scratch
- Loaded Scalloped Potatoes
- Potatoes Au Gratin
How To Store Leftover Ham
Store the ham in an airtight container in the fridge and it will last for 3-5 days. You can also freeze it for 3-4 months. You can reheat it in the microwave, in your crockpot, or covered over medium heat on the stove. Save that glaze and reheat your ham with it!
Try these recipes with your leftover ham:
- Leftover Ham and Bean Soup
- Ham and Cheese Pockets
- Leftover Ham and Cheese Breakfast Muffins
- Olive Ham and Cheese Loaf
- Leftover Ham and Cheese Penne
Craving More Crockpot Recipes? Try These:
- Honey Mustard Glazed Ham
- The Best Crock Pot Roast
- Crockpot Mashed Potatoes
- Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Cabbage Rolls
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Crockpot Brown Sugar Cola Glazed Ham
Ingredients
- 5-8 lb cooked ham bone in
- 1 can Coca Cola
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Place the ham in the basin of a slow cooker.
- In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, cola, and mustard over high heat. Bring to a boil and make sure the sugar has dissolved. Pour the mixture over the ham. If your ham is pre-sliced make sure some of the glaze goes in between the slices.
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours, basting with the cooking juices every few hours.
- Remove ham from slow cooker and let cool a bit until it can be handled. Slice the ham and serve.
- If not serving immediately, preheat the broiler and transfer the ham to a oven-safe baking dish. Brush with some of the leftover liquid and broil for about 5 minutes, glazing with additional liquid as preferred.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Nutrition information based on 5 lb ham.
- Store the ham in an airtight container in the fridge and it will last for 3-5 days. You can also freeze it for 3-4 months. You can reheat it in the microwave, in your crockpot, or covered over medium heat on the stove. Save that glaze and reheat your ham with it!
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
We made this yesterday for our Christmas meal. It wouldn’t fit in the crockpot (Bone -In) so we cooked it in the roasting pan to free up the oven. It turned out beautiful so moist and great flavor, we will be using this recipe often from now on. Saved the none for a big pot of a Ham and Beans.
Thank You
if i do not have a slow cooker, how would i cook in a standard oven?
There are instructions right in the post on how to do that.
Hi Jo, this looks amazing and would like to try for christmas day.
Im a bit confused on timings
Ill be using my pressure cooker – how long to cook for a) a 3kg uncooked ham or b) 3kg cooked ham. Not sure what i can get in the uk. Thanks
I wouldn’t know exactly! My best tip is to get an instant meat thermometer. When the internal temp reaches 140, it’s done!
This will be my first time cooking a ham ever. I actually have to work on Easter and planned on letting this ham cook while I am at work, which is why I looked for an 8+ hour cook time. No one will be home to baste the juices every couple of hours. Will this be a big issue when cooking it? I already got all the ingredients to start this in the morning before I leave for work, and really don’t want to change recipes at this last minute, but I didn’t see the “basting” part of the recipe until just now.
No that’ll still be just fine! Enjoy your dinner 😊
You mentioned different types of ham….fresh, smoked, etc….. but cooking directions are only for a pre-cooked ham. Is the cooking time the same for Crock pot with fresh ham?
For fresh ham you’ll need about 8-10 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high.
U never fail to impress me. I have used this ham recipe for the past few years and I will not go back. I add dijon and honey mustard just for the extra little sweetness. Big hit at christmas or whenever I feel like having ham!
Do I have to baste it every hour? I am at work for 7 hours tomorrow and need to leave it in the slow cooker all day while I’m gone
You don’t have to! The basting will create more of a sticky glaze on the outside of the ham. It’ll still be just as delicious without basting.
Looks and sounds so delicious.
It ham is pre cooked how long in the crockpot. I will be trying this New Year’s day. this sounds wonderful but i do not want to over cook it with guest coming..
This ham we used it a standard pre-cooked ham! Most of them sold in grocery stores are pre-cooked and will specify if they are un-cooked on the packaging.
Hi Jo I have a picnic ham with a thick layer of skin/ fat over the top. Would this recipe still work?
Is it a precooked ham? It should work, but if you want you can either cut the fat layer or roast it in the oven until it melts off.
To use a boneless canned ham, how would the directions differ? Thanks!
This will work just as well with the same instructions! If your ham is smaller than the one we used for this recipe, you can reduce the time slightly.
How long to cook if frozen? I’m wondering if all night and maybe done tomorrow…in crockpot with brown sugar and Dr Pepper???
I would thaw the ham for a full day in the fridge- I don’t recommend putting a fully frozen ham in the crockpot. You’ll risk uneven cooking!
I must put this in my crock pot.
Instead of Dijon, I used Spicy Brown
mustard. I can’t wait to try this.
can’t wait to try this ham recipe
Quick and easy to assemble.