Slow Cooker Maple-Glazed Ham with Brown Sugar and Cloves
A tender slow-cooked ham glazed with maple syrup, brown sugar, and studded with warm cloves, ideal for a festive holiday centerpiece. This American-inspired holiday recipe, ready in about 315 minutes, pairs bone-in smoked ham, pure maple syrup, brown sugar for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 450 calories and feeds 10, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 5 pounds bone-in smoked ham
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 20 whole cloves
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup water
The slow cooker we’d leave this in all day → Best Slow Cookers in 2026: Top Picks + Buying Guide
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Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: Score the surface of a 5-pound bone-in smoked ham in a diamond pattern using a sharp knife, about 1/4 inch deep, then stud each diamond with whole cloves, using about 20 cloves evenly distributed.
- Step 2: Place the ham in the slow cooker with 1 cup water at the bottom to keep it moist during cooking.
- Step 3: In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup pure maple syrup, 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon until smooth.
- Step 4: Brush the maple glaze all over the ham, reserving some glaze for later.
- Step 5: Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours, basting the ham every hour with the reserved glaze, until heated through and caramelized on the outside.
- Step 6: Remove the ham and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing to serve warm with extra glaze on the side.








