This Easy Brown Sugar Cola Glazed Ham is made in the slow cooker! It's the perfect shortcut for the holidays.
Nothing says Christmas to me like a ham! We had ham on the table every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Yes, Thanksgiving and Christmas!
I grew up in a family that didn't care for turkey, so it never made an appearance on our "turkey day." I was ok with that for my childhood, because I had never even tried turkey until I met my husband.
When I met Zack 15 years ago, we enjoyed Thanksgiving at his mom's house, of course there was turkey. It was the first time I had ever eaten it.
It was only the beginning of bringing turkey to our Thanksgiving table. Who would have thought that I missed out on so much turkey!
Enough turkey talk, this is a ham recipe, if you're looking for turkey, you must try out delectable Pomegranate Glazed Turkey!
Let's talk ham. As you can tell from my childhood I have eaten my fair share of ham.
3 holidays a year; Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. I know a tasty ham! 😉 This ham is not only tasty, it's made in the slow cooker.
A slow cooker ham? That means you have a chance to sit and relax. I don't know about you, when it comes to hosting a holiday, it can be a lot of fun, and a lot of on your feet in the kitchen cooking and baking.
How do you ham in the slow cooker?
First let's choose our ham, I like buying a pre-sliced bone in ham. You need to take into account the size of your slow cooker, and how many you will be feeding. This ham is a 5 pound bone in ham and it will feed about 5 people. I have a slow cooker on the smaller side, and it wasn't feeding very many people.
Once you have the ham picked out (more about how to choose the size below) You should line your slow cooker with a slow cooker liner. Reynolds makes them, and they are so great at keeping clean up to a bare minimal.
Then you're going to make the brown sugar cola sauce according to the directions. Once that's made, pour it over your ham, making sure to get in between all the slices. Cover and cook for 6 to 8 hours on low or 4 to 6 hours on high.
How do I know what size ham that I need?
The general rule is ¾th's to 1 pound of ham per person, when buying a bone in ham. We like having leftovers for sandwich's, so for our family of 4, a 5 pound bone in ham is perfect.
What are the best sides to serve with ham?
- The Best Southern Cornbread
- Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Cranberries
- Cranberry Orange Relish
This short cut ham tastes as if you baked it in the oven, and took care of it. Tenting the foil just right.
You can tell everyone your secret if you want. Or it can be our little secret. 🙂 No big deal, when you place this juicy flavorful ham on the table, nobody will be none the wiser.
Easy Brown Sugar Cola Glazed Ham
This Easy Brown Sugar Cola Glazed Ham is made in the slow cooker! It's the perfect shortcut for the holidays.
Ingredients
- 1 5 pound pre-sliced bone-in cooked ham
- 1 can cola we use Whole Food's brand, because it's made with real sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar divided
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
Instructions
- Place the ham into the slow cooker.
- In a small sauce pan, pour in the cola, ¼ cup light brown sugar, and Dijon mustard.
- Bring to a boil over medium to high heat.
- Pour this mixture over the ham in the slow cooker, making sure that you pour some between the slices.
- Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 4 to 6 hours. Baste with the juices every couple of hours or so.
- Remove the ham from the slow cooker, place in a large baking dish, sprinkle the remaining brown sugar on top of the ham, and sit it under the broiler in the oven, on the lowest rack, until the sugar caramelizes on the top.
- Baste with some of the juices before slicing.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 237Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 975mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 0gSugar: 28gProtein: 20g
Angela Tolsma says
oh I've never had any luck with cola and ham but I like that you mentioned trying cola from whole foods because it's made with real sugar. Definitely going to try that!
Joanna says
Thanks Angela. I think it makes a huge difference as compared to the corn syrup.
Karen says
Ok - I am pinning this recipe because I LOVE ham but have yet to have made it successfully in a slow cooker. I like how yours is cooked in the slow cooker but then the glazing part is in the oven. Smart. And yummy...
Joanna says
Thanks Karen! Let me know how it turns out for you!
Logan says
Yum! We eat ham every New Years Eve for dinner! I forget what, but it stands for something like good fortune or something. Anyways, we love it! Your recipe sounds delicious!
Joanna says
Interesting. I love all the things that food mean when you eat them on New Years. I think that greens stand for money. 🙂
Allison says
Yum! We are having ham for Christmas this year, this sounds like a great way to cook it! I will have to keep this in mind!
Joanna says
Allison, you'll love the time it saves, as well as the space in the oven. 🙂
Adaleta Avdic says
I actually didn't care for ham for a long period of my life, but I'm come to the dark side and enjoy it during the holidays. This brown sugar is making me drool just looking at it! xx Adaleta Avdic
Joanna says
Ham is one of my favorites!
Terri Steffes says
This is my momma's go to ham. You are correct in saying it is a juicy, delicious ham. We all pick at it all day, not really having a meal, just snatching bits of delicious ham when we want it!
Joanna says
Right?! It is the best ham! 🙂
Krystal // The Krystal Diaries says
My husband loves to make ham and he is always trying different recipes. I'm going to share this one with him.
Joanna says
Great Krystal! Let me know if he makes it. 🙂
Debra says
This looks like a great recipe, I've seen cola with shredded pork but not with ham. It sounds delicious!
Joanna says
It's quite yummy Debra!
Chelsea Damon says
How interesting to glaze the ham in coca cola! I've used sodas and beers in pulled BBQ chicken so it makes sense that this would taste great as well!
Joanna says
The cola makes the ham so tasty!
Ana De- Jesus says
I can think of a few friends who would devour this in a couple of seconds . What a great idea to glaze the ham with brown sugar.
Joanna says
Thanks, we've been eating brown sugar with ham for years. 🙂
Jennifer (JenuineMom) says
This sounds REALLY delicious! I never thought to make our ham this way, but I will try your recipe next time for sure. We've always got some Coke around. Thanks!
Joanna says
It's a great way to cook ham. If you give it a try, let us know what you think!
Jessica H says
I make a pulled pork like this, but doing it with ham sounds delicious. The pictures make it look amazing as well and I will have to add this to the menu this week!
Joanna says
Awesome, Jessica! Let me know how it turns out for you!
Blythe Alpern says
I've used cola before when making a brisket. It does amazing things to the flavor and helps keep the meat very moist.
Joanna says
Cola is great when it comes to meat!
Krystal says
I am always looking for more slow cooker dishes, and this is an easy and flavorful idea. Love brown sugar! k
Joanna says
Thanks Krystal!
Kiwi says
This is a great recipe for ham in a slow cooker. Great staple holiday dish people will be anticipating to eat.
Joanna says
Thanks Kiwi!
Carolyn says
My daughter is a picky eater and is obsessed with ham right now which is great. I need to make this for her.
Joanna says
If you get the chance to try it out, I'd love to hear what your daughter thinks!
Dawn McAlexander says
I have actually tried a ham like this before and it is good. It is a little bit different than what you would normally expect from a ham, but it is good.
Joanna says
Sometimes a little bit different is a good thing! 😉
Rachel says
I've never found the cola adds that much to my meats. Maybe its the combo of brown sugar here? This sounds really delicious.
Joanna says
It's the mixture here of the brown sugar and cola. However, the cola isn't there to lend a flavor, it's really there to help keep things moist.
Tabitha Shakespeare says
This looks so yummy! I'm obsessed with anything glazed in brown sugar so this is a real winner for me!
Joanna says
Isn't brown sugar glaze yummy?!
Sara says
Oh it looks so delicious! I just bookmarked this post to save the recipe for future use
Joanna says
Thanks Sara!
Reesa Lewandowski says
You know, I always do orange juice and marmalade and I am so bored with that! I need to try this instead!!
Joanna says
Orange juice and marmalade sound delicious!
Debbie-jean Lemonte says
This looks delicious and so easy to make. You're always giving me cool ideas to try in the kitchen.
Joanna says
I hope you try this recipe out!
Angela says
My family always has a ham at the holidays and we try to make it a different way every year just to change things up! I will definitely be suggesting this recipe as our preparation for thus year!! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Joanna says
I hope y'all enjoy this one as much as we do Angela!
BRittany says
This looks so good! I've always wanted to make a ham but it seemed overwhelming. I didn't know you could pop it in the slowcooker! This is why I love my crockpot! You can do so much with it!
Joanna says
Ham is so simple in the slow cooker! I hope you try this recipe out!
Taylor Mobley says
I have never heard of this before. but it definitely looks delicious. I can practically smell it from here! I don't eat a lot of meat but my husband does so I am sure he would love it.
Joanna says
He would love this ham Taylor! 🙂
Julie says
Oh man, we could have used this recipe before Thanksgiving! My mom decided that since she doesn't really like turkey anyways we were going to have a ham for Thanksgiving (which I supported!) but then we had to find a glaze recipe!
Joanna says
Perhaps give it a try for Christmas! 🙂
CourtneyLynne says
Omg can we say yum?!?! I just love a good ole ham recipe!!! Must give this a try
Joanna says
Ham is one of my favorites. 🙂
Yona Williams says
I wish my parents made ham more often, but they don't. I love it with grits in the morning after the holidays. I think making it with cola adds such a nice twist that I'd like to try out.
Joanna says
Oh, that sounds great! Leftover ham warmed up with grits the day after Christmas. Yum!
Nikki says
I needed a recipe to cook ham for a holiday party so I'm excited for this, esp since I can use my slow cooker!
Joanna says
Enjoy it Nikki! It turns out a perfect ham.
Christina Aliperti says
Oh boy, this looks amazing! I love ham and this glaze sounds so good. I am going to make this for Christmas.
Joanna says
Great Christina, enjoy!
Toughcookiemommy says
My family loves eating ham for the holidays. I usually just garnish mine with pineapples and pineapple juice. I think your recipe guarantees a juicy ham for everyone to enjoy.
Joanna says
I grew up eating ham cooked with pineapple and it's juices. I sure miss that. My youngest daughter is allergic to pineapple. :-/
robin rue says
That glaze sounds awesome. We don't usually eat ham in our house, but I am hosting Christmas dinner and a ham was requested so now I know what to do with it 🙂
Taylor Aube says
Ham is my favorite during the holidays! This recipe sounds so delicious and easy to make, thanks for sharing!
http://stopdropandvogue.com
Jeanette says
I wish I saw this before Thanksgiving. We had ham and turkey at Thanksgiving and I was looking for a great glaze to put on the ham.
Lynz says
I always cook roast ham for christmas and usually use a brown sugar and honey mix. I will have to try it with cola!
Doria says
We always have ham during the holidays, but I've never heard of using cola in your glaze! I'll have to give this a try and see if people notice 🙂
Sondra Barker says
I usually don't try to make my own ham for the holidays. If I do eat it, I always just buy it from a Honey Baked Ham store haha The recipe still sounds delicious and pretty easy, maybe I'll try it this season!
Sondra xx
prettyfitfoodie.com
Krystal Butherus says
I love ham! A lot! I've tried many different variations of hams, and this looks amazing!
Tomi C says
I have a slow cooker and I have a roaster and I have baked hams in both with brown sugar but never with brown sugar and cola. YUMMY! I am so going to try this recipe using our Christmas ham. It looks so delicious and simple and that's one heckuva combination.
Jessica says
Next time I make ham I'm going to try this recipe. I honestly didn't know I could use cola for the glaze!
Angelic Sinova says
Thanksgiving is all about turkey but I'm excited for Christmas ham! That Brown Sugar Cola Glazed Ham looks so delicious. Let the countdown to Christmas begin!
Keki Cannon says
oh wow! this looks so good. I haven't ever thought of this recipe, I will have to pin it and give it a try this holiday season. thanks for sharing
Cassie says
I've actually never made a glazed ham before but this sounds absolutely delicious! I can almost taste it just by looking at it
Sapphire Kharyzma says
I know a lot of ham lovers who would absolutely love this recipe. Especially my bff.
kim says
That sugar glaze sounds awesome!!! I love a good baked ham with a little sweetness. I'm sure the cola is a favorite among many.
valmg @ Mom Knows It All says
I always make ham for Christmas, it's what my Grandma did years back so I do it now. I love it. Your ham sounds and looks terrific.
Heather says
I love a delicious sugared ham. It's so easy to make too and everyone eats it!
Jenn @ EngineerMommy says
Ham is such a classic dish for Christmas. I love how easy you made this recipe! I totally want to try it for our Christmas party.
Heather @ Kraus House Mom says
My uncle makes our holiday hams. He swears by Dr Pepper and pineapple. It comes out perfect all the time. Everyone looks forward to it every year.
Laura @ MommyDearest says
This actually made my mouth water reading about it. I love that it goes in the slow cooker. I'm saving this recipe so I can try it out over the holidays. I'll have been on turkey over load. Thank you for sharing
Pam says
Cola and pork go so well together. This slow cooker ham sounds like it is loaded with flavor.
Heather says
Wow, making it with cola I'm sure totally makes it a sweet caramel flavor. I'm sure it tastes amazing. I prefer ham over turkey, but we still do turkey for Thanksgiving and ham for Christmas.
Claudia Krusch says
This looks so delicious.I have tried a few recipes that had Coke as an ingredient. I am planning on making a ham this year for the holidays. I will have to save this recipe.
Erlene says
Yum! My kids prefer ham to turkey, so we ate turkey at a relatives house and cooked ham for our this year. I'll to try this recipe as I'm sure we'll be making another ham for Christmas.
Milton Goh says
Never tried ham glazed with cola before but that sounds like it goes together perfectly! Can’t wait to give this a go!
Terri Steffes says
I love the combination of sweet and salty and nothing does it better than brown sugar glazed ham. So good, and Christmas is a fabulous time to have it!
corinne & kirsty says
I have never thought of ham and cola together. So interesting and intriguing. You made me super curious and I might give it a go this weekend
Sandy N Vyjay says
The use of Cola is not something that we have tried out. But looking to your successful use, would love to try this with some of our own recipes too. Hope it turns out well.
Tayla says
Brown sugar and ham is such a magical combination! This will definitely be my next big meal, thanks so much!
Rosey says
What a great glaze idea. I think we'll be making a ham this holiday too.
Cynthia Nicoletti says
Looks and sounds delicious. We also make a ham for the Holidays. Sugar glazed is so good.
Kimberly Lewis says
I have never tried coke on my ham before but everything else that I have done it too, it tastes amazing. I guess I need a ham and some coke@
Cindy Ingalls says
I've used cola to make a roast once and it was amazing. The meat was so moist and full of flavor. It's amazing what a little can of cola can do.
HilLesha says
I don't eat ham, but my family loves it! I'll have to share the link to your recipe with them. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Nicole says
I love brown sugar cola glazed ham! It is so tastey! I always love seeing how other people make theirs, so I'll definitely give this a try! We haven't had it in a while anyways! Thanks for sharing!
Nikka Shae says
My family loves ham especially during Thanksgiving. I’ve never tried it with the cola. I’m putting this on the list for next year!
AnnMarie John says
Talk about good tasting ham! We love having ham at our table during the Holidays as well. This recipe is worth checking out! I'm sure it's going to make the ham even more tasty with the cola! Thanks for the recipe!
Akamatra says
I am slow cooker addict I have to admit. Here in Greece it's really popular (I know all the other 10 people that have one lol) so I need all the recipes I can get from the net. This sounds delish!
Adrienne says
I don't usually eat pork, but I still think it's a must at holiday events. Most people like it and hey, I can always make one and not eat it, right? lol
Jeanine says
This looks delicious! Love ham and it’s perfect for Christmas dinner with some tasty side dishes. I’ll have to try this ham!
Yona Williams says
I bet this tastes really good. I haven't had homemade ham in a long time...it usually takes a backseat to turkey in our household, but I wish we had it more.
reesa says
I am ALWAYS seeking new recipes for ham, because I use the same glaze year after year and I am bored! I am saving this to try for the holidays!
David Elliott says
I wouldn't have thought to do ham in a slow cooker. But it does appear to have come out very tender. Looks delicious and I can imagine even better retaining all of it's juices.
Sincerely Ophelia says
Such a perfect Holidays potluck recipe! Love it! Love how brown sugar and cola glaze the ham to perfect flavors! Really compliments each other ! Thanks!
Kiwi says
Wow thats an interesting ingredient. I wonder if this glaze can be used on other meats too.
Joy says
This sounds like a good recipe for the holidays. I'll be trying this recipe of yours. I hope mine is as good as yours.
Melissa says
I love having ham for Christmas! And this looks like such a tasty yet easy recipe to try out. Definitely will be making it for the holidays. Thank you so much for sharing it!