Slow Cooker Ham with Apple Sauce is a classic holiday dinner main dish recipe or an easy Sunday supper that comes together in the matter of minutes and slow cooks for 5 hours. Producing the most flavorful ham with a delicious apple sauce to serve alongside.
I love making my ham in the slow cooker. It’s truly the only way to make it in my book. I have two other slow cooker ham recipes that are also my favorite. My Slow Cooker Maple Glazed Ham and Brown Sugar Honey Glazed Ham. If you are looking for an even quicker way to make ham? Then try my Grilled Honey Bourbon Glazed Ham Steaks. My Slow Cooker Ham with Apple Sauce recipe is what I like to call a two-for one. We love to eat our ham with apple sauce, and I created a recipe where you make homemade apple sauce right in the slow cooker with the ham itself. It only adds a little extra prep work, but totally worth it.
I love to serve my holiday ham with the apple sauce it’s made in and gratin dauphinois, green beans with caramelized pearl onions, and sweet honey carrots.
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Why This Recipe Works
This slow cooker ham recipe requires only 7 ingredients!
Minimal hands-on time which means you have more time with family.
You cook a main dish and a side dish all in one!
Ingredients
Here are all the ingredients you will need to make a half ham in the slow cooker.
- Ham – You need to make sure you get a whole ham, and not a spiral ham. The spiral ham dries out when you cook it in the slow cooker.
- Apples – I like to use Granny Smith apples, but you can use any apples you have on hand. I also like to take the time to peel my apples.
- Brown Sugar – I find that brown sugar gives a deeper flavor for both the ham and the applesauce.
- Cinnamon – I like to use a little bit of cinnamon both for the brown sugar rub on the ham and also in the apple sauce. You could also use a pinch of nutmeg or even clove if you’d like. Or get crazy and use an apple pie spice in replace of cinnamon.
- Apple Juice – You can use either apple juice or apple cider.
- Raisins – I love to add a few raisins in my apple sauce. That’s totally a preference thing!
- Whole Cloves – I use the whole cloves to tack the apple slices onto the ham.
How to Cook a Whole Ham in a Slow Cooker
Whether you have a lot of experience in the kitchen or this is your first time ever cooking a ham. I’m here to share with you the step-by-step process of making ham and applesauce in the slow cooker.
Apple Sauce Ham Glaze
In a bowl combine ¼ cup brown sugar and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon. Mix well and set to the side. This mixture will be used both for rub on the ham that turns into a glaze and also for the apple sauce.
Apple Sauce for Ham
Peel and dice 3 of the Granny Smith apples. Place the diced apples in the slow cooker, add 1-½ tablespoons raisins, and 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar/ cinnamon mixture.
Mix well then pour the apple juice over the apples.
Peel the remaining Granny Smith apple, using a hand-held mandolin slicer cut 10 slices on the thickest setting (about ¼ inch thick). Put the thinly sliced apples to the side. With the remaining apple, dice it and place it in the slow cooker with the other diced apples.
Place the ham flat side down in the slow cooker (making sure to remove the plastic insert usually found on the flat part of the ham). I don’t know what the actual name is for this plastic disc. But I once cooked my ham with this plastic thing in–needless to say our meal was ruined. Don’t make my mistake!
If your ham is too tall and sticks out of the height of the slow cooker, carefully trim off that piece until the lid can shut close.
How to cook a Precooked Ham in a Slow Cooker
Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon and sugar mixture on top of the ham. Rub the mixture all over.
Carefully add thinly sliced apples (evenly spaced) to the top and sides of the ham. Secure each apple slice with 1 whole clove each.
Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 5 hours on low.
Once warm and internal temperatures reaches at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit, remove ham from slow cooker and slice.
I like to use an electric carving knife, but a serrated knife will also work. Mix apples together, (strain juice if desired) and place in a bowl. Serve together immediately.
FAQs
Here are all the frequently asked questions that have been asked over the years about cooking a ham in the slow cooker.
Even though you could technically eat a fully cooked ham, the FDA recommends reheating a fully–cooked ham to 140°F to prevent food borne illness. This is where the slow cooker comes into play. After 4-5 hours the internal temperature of a 5lb. ham should get to 140°F. Always check the internal temperature by using a meat thermometer.
It’s tricky to figure out how much ham to cook per person. But a good rule of thumb when making any large dinner or holiday meal is to plan for about ½ pound per person for a bone-in ham and about â…“ pound if you are cooking a boneless ham.
Some say to reduce the amount of salt in a ham you can soak it in water the night before cooking. I have not tried this method, but have only heard rumor this helps reduce the saltiness.
If you cut any meat including ham with the grain, it will turn out chewy. Always, cut meat against the grain for juicy and tender bites.
Tips & Tricks
Here are all the tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years when making my Crock Pot Ham Recipe.
- Ham – NEVER use a spiral sliced ham in the slow cooker. It will dry out by the time you are ready to eat. Always by a whole ham that you need to carve. Trust me–I learned the hard way one year and accidentally grabbed a spiral ham. We had the driest ham ever that Easter!
- Dicing – When dicing the apples for the applesauce make sure that you keep them even in size. You can do a small dice, a rough chop, or even wedges.
- Smooth Applesauce – If you prefer a smoother applesauce feel free to run the apples in a food processor until smooth. Or take an Immersion Hand Blender to the slow cooker and puree them right in the pot. Less dishes!
- Apple Juice – If you don’t have apple juice on hand you can also use apple cider or even water.
Leftover Ham Recipes
If you find yourself with leftover ham you will want to bookmark this recipes in order to use up the leftover ham for breakfast, lunch, or even dinner!
If you make this Slow Cooker Ham, I would be honored and love for you to take the time to leave a star rating and comment! I spend hours developing and testing these recipes, and always love to hear feedback and user experience!
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Slow Cooker Ham
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
- Measuring Cups
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 4.5 pounds Semi-boneless half smoked ham
- 4 granny smith apples peeled and diced
- 1-½ tablespoons raisins
- ½ cup apple juice
- 10 whole cloves
Instructions
- In a bowl combine ¼ cup brown sugar and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon. Mix well and set to the side.¼ cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Peel and dice 3 of the Granny Smith apples. Place the diced apples in the slow cooker, add 1-½ tablespoons raisins, and 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar/ cinnamon mixture. Mix well then pour the apple juice over the apples.4 granny smith apples, 1-½ tablespoons raisins, ½ cup apple juice
- Peel the the last Granny Smith apple, using a hand-held mandolin slicer cut 10 slices on the thickest setting (about ¼ inch thick). Put the thinly sliced apples to the side. With the remaining apple, dice it and place it in the slow cooker with the other diced apples.4 granny smith apples
- Place the ham flat side down in the slow cooker (making sure to remove the plastic insert usually found on the flat part of the ham). If your ham is too tall and sticks out of the height of the slow cooker, carefully trim off that piece until the lid can shut close.4.5 pounds Semi-boneless half smoked ham
- Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon and sugar mixture on top of the ham. Rub the mixture all over.
- Carefully add thinly sliced apples (evenly spaced) to the top and sides of the ham. Secure each apple slice with 1 whole clove each.10 whole cloves
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 5 hours on low.
- Once warm and internal temperatures reaches at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit, remove ham from slow cooker and slice. Mix apples together, (strain juice if desired) and place in a bowl. Serve together immediately.
Notes
- Ham – NEVER use a spiral sliced ham in the slow cooker. It will dry out by the time you are ready to eat. Always by a whole ham that you need to carve. Trust me–I learned the hard way one year and accidentally grabbed a spiral ham. We had the driest ham ever that Easter!
- Dicing – When dicing the apples for the applesauce make sure that you keep them even in size. You can do a small dice, a rough chop, or even wedges.
- Smooth Applesauce – If you prefer a smoother applesauce feel free to run the apples in a food processor until smooth. Or take an Immersion Hand Blender to the slow cooker and puree them right in the pot. Less dishes!
- Apple Juice – If you don’t have apple juice on hand you can also use apple cider or even water.
Kathy P
i have no rating as of yet. im preparing as a test run before my Easter dinner. my question to you is Your slower cooker ham with apple sauce is for a 4.5 lb ham. if i cook a 9-10 lb boneless, fully cooked ham would i double the ingredients and cook time
Katie
Hi Kathy, I would definitely double ingredients but unsure about adding more time. I feel like the amount of time I give for a fully cooked ham would be fine. My biggest piece of advice would be to make sure the ham can fit in the crock pot prior to UN-packaging and/or cooking!
Nutmeg Nanny
Wow this is such an awesome recipe, I can’t resist a good slow cooker recipe 🙂 love it!
Katie
Thanks Brandy! I love making our ham in the slow cooker! 🙂
danielle
Love this idea!!
Katie
Thanks Danielle! Super easy way to entertain!
Erin | The Law Student's Wife
My fam is all about ham at the holidays! My grandma always make a ham, in addition to whatever other meat is on the menu. Love it with the sweet pineapple.
Katie
Erin–we always have ham too during the holidays. Making it in the slow cooker frees up the oven for all the tasty baked sides!