How To Make Sweet Pulled Pork In The Crock Pot (Minimal Equipment Required)

Crock Pot Sweet Pulled Pork features slow cooked pork in a special sweet sauce. This recipe uses a slow cooker, the best cut of meat for pulled pork and a yummy sauce inspired by our grandma.

Crock Pot Sweet Pulled Pork Recipe

Growing up on a pig farm, Mom fed us a lot of pork; however, I don’t remember her making pulled pork. MOM—what were you thinking? How could this be? In my book, there’s nothing better than pulled pork. It’s perfect.  Moist pork in a sweet sauce.  I like it in a bun, on top a simple piece of bread, served on top of a baked potato or a sweet potato, leftover cold from the icebox fridge. I think you get the point.

This best ever crock pot pulled pork has all the flavors that remind me of my Grandma. She made a very special homemade ketchup, filled with a blend of spices including cinnamon and ground cloves. All of those flavors from Grandma’s ketchup are in the sweet sauce that this pork slow cooks in.

Ingredient List

• Pork Roast, Pork Shoulder Roast, or Boston Butt
• Tomato Sauce
• Granulated Sugar
• Dry Minced Onion
• Ground Cinnamon
• Ground Cloves
• Salt
• White Vinegar

How to Make Sweet Crock Pot Pulled Pork

Step by Step Instructions

1. Score pork roast and season on all sides with salt.
2. Add to the crock pot insert.
3. In a small bowl, mix tomato sauce, sugar, dry minced onion, cinnamon, cloves, salt and vinegar.
4. Pour sauce over pork.
5. Cook on low heat for 8 hours or until it shreds easily.
6. Remove, shred, and add back to the insert. Mix with the sauce, and warm through.
7. Serve on a bun along side coleslaw or potato salad.

For the full recipe for best ever crock pot pulled pork, scroll to the bottom of this post. 

Let’s talk pork.

What is the best cut of meat for pulled pork?

You want a fattier cut of meat to keep it moist.  I recommend a pork butt, also known as a pork shoulder roast as your best option. It is hard to overcook a pork butt. Another option is to use a pork loin roast with the fat cap intact. Many times you will find these in the meat case at around 4 pounds per roast.

What is a fat cap?

It’s that layer of white fat that you find on some cuts. Do not trim it off! That is where all the flavor comes from.

Recipe FAQs

• Don’t be scared of cinnamon and cloves in your pork. It gives a subtle spiced flavor that pairs perfectly with the sweetness from the tomatoes and sugar.
• This slow cooker sweet pulled pork recipe is inspired by Grandma’s Homemade Ketchup.  I used up the leftovers on some baked pork chops, and it was a home-run.
• Use a pork butt (pork shoulder roast) or pork loin roast for the best pulled pork. They are commonly around 4 pounds in the meat case.
• Leave the fat cap on your pork. It will slowly baste the pork as it cooks to keep it moist.
• Be sure to put the fat side up in the crock pot.
• You can cook this sweet slow cooker pulled pork on high; just note, it will take about 3 to 4 hours.
• Do not overcook your pork. You do not want dry pulled pork.  Cook until the pulled pork shreds easily with 2 forks.
• We highly recommend making Pulled Pork in the oven too. Try this version!

Recipe Variations

• Use brown sugar instead of white sugar.
• Apple cider vinegar is a good substitute for white vinegar.
• There’s a ton of spices you could add or modify including onion powder, paprika, chili powder, etc.
• Use bottled BBQ sauce instead of tomato sauce.
• Add a can of Coke or Cola to make it extra tender.

How to serve pulled pork bbq?

• Pulled Pork Sandwiches
• On top of a salad
• Mixed into mac and cheese
• On top of baked potatoes or baked sweet potatoes
• Inside a burrito or taco
• On a bed of rice

Try some more of our favorite pork recipes:

Mom’s Oven Baked Pork Ribs

Fancy Baked Pork Chops

Baked Cranberry Pork Chops

Grilled Pork Shoulder Steak

Instant Pot Pork Ribs

Sheet Pan Pork Loin