Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Ham Recipe

Dr. Pepper Slow Cooker Ham is an amazing crockpot ham option! With kids who don’t care for turkey, a ham often shows up on our Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter dinners. Plus, this is a tasty dinner any time of year, not just for holiday dinners.

Now I love using my crockpot; this frees up oven space for other dishes. You need to get one if you don’t have a large one. A larger crockpot allows a larger ham to cook at once and more for leftovers. I tend to stock up on hams at the grocery store when they are on sale. Even cooking just for the central part of dinners, later on, is a money saver.

Crockpot Dr. Pepper Ham Ingredients:

• Ham– I use a bone-in ham when I make this. Spiral ham tends to fall apart and be harder to remove from the crockpot whole.
• Ground Mustard
• Dr. Pepper– A can of Dr. Pepper works, or you can measure out of a 2 liter of Dr. Pepper.
• Brown Sugar 

You can use any ham; precooked ham, small ham, country ham, boneless ham, spiral ham, or any ham. There is no best ham for this recipe.

My Coca-Cola Ham has always been my kid’s favorite, so swapping out the soda flavor seemed safe.

How To Make Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Ham

I made this in a 10-quart crock pot, which could also fit in an 8-quart crockpot. If the lid does not fit well, you can create a seal with aluminum foil over the cover of the crockpot. I have done this often, and it works great.

Spray your crockpot with a nonstick spray or line it with a slow cooker liner. Doing either of these will make cleaning up a breeze.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and ground mustard. The mustard doesn’t add a strong flavor, and this recipe works if you skip it or are out of the seasoning.

Place ham in the crockpot; you will want this to be with the meaty part down and the part that arches up towards the crockpot’s lid.

Take the bowl with the brown sugar and mustard and sprinkle it over the ham.

Pour your Dr. Pepper into the crockpot. I pour a small amount, then wiggle the ham so the Dr. Pepper goes under it as well. Only minutes of prep time are required for an easy holiday cooking day.

Cover and turn your crockpot to low. The best part is it cooks with no more work from you.

Actual cooking time will vary depending on whether your crockpot cooks hot or has a gap in the lid.

Average cooking time is four to six hours.

Use a meat thermometer to verify the internal temperature is at least 140 degrees for cooked hams and 165 degrees for uncooked hams.

Now, a good meat thermometer is a must! I have fallen in love with this Thermapen from Thermoworks. It is a pricier thermometer than I have bought before, but I love how fast it reads and how easy it is to read, and I’ve tested it next to my cheaper ones from Amazon with no problems. (My ham was hotter than I wanted it to be; it was my first time using a new crockpot. I “flipped” it to keep warm, but turned it up too high instead.) See all of Thermoworks’ products for cooking -> here.

How To Store Leftover Ham

Remove your ham from the bone and trim any excess fat. Cut the leftover ham pieces and store them in an air-tight container or a zip-lock bag. You can keep the bone for use in leftover ham recipes or just toss the bone.

Ham can be stored in the fridge for up to five days or frozen for up to 3 months.

A ham bone can not be given to dogs; it is unsafe for dogs to chew on it as it will break and harm their digestive system.

Storing leftovers properly requires the right tools! My preferred storage method is if the leftovers can be sealed in a food saver. If not, then an air-tight container or Ziploc bag for the fridge is the way I go. The airtight container or a freezer Ziploc bag are the next best bet for freezing the leftovers. I also use a food scale to measure portions into serving sizes.

 What To Serve With Ham: 

Main Dishes: Oven Roasted Turkey, Smoked Turkey, Smoked Brisket, Smoked Prime Rib,

Bread: Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread, Garlic Parmesan Biscuit Pull Apart Bread, English Muffin Garlic Cheese Bread, Easy Cheesy Monkey Bread, Corn Bread

Side Dishes: Air Fryer Bacon Asparagus, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Oven Roasted Baby Potatoes, Air Fryer Brussell Sprouts, Green Beans, Caesar Salad, Honey Carrots, Acorn Squash, Green Salad, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Air Fryer Broccoli, Grilled Zucchini, Grilled Corn On The Cob, Air Fryer Zucchini Chips, Macaroni And Cheese, Broccoli Salad, Cole Slaw

Other Ingredients For Crockpot Ham

• Dijon Mustard
• Cayenne Pepper
• Orange Juice
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Chili Powder
• Black pepper
• Apple Cider Vinegar

Recipes using Leftover Ham:

Are you looking for more recipe ideas using leftover ham? Check out my leftover ham recipes -> here. These leftover ham recipes are the perfect way to use your holiday ham.

• Easy One Pot Cheesy Ham Noodles
• Ham Pot Pie
• Cheesy Ham Noodle Casserole
• Crockpot Ham And Bean Soup
• Ham Cheesy Broccoli Soup