This glazed ham is coated in a sweet brown sugar and honey glaze, then baked until golden brown and caramelized. The ultimate holiday ham that’s super easy to make and always gets rave reviews.

You can never go wrong with ham for the holidays and this glazed version is both beautiful and delicious. Serve your ham with loaded mashed potatoes and bacon wrapped green beans for a festive meal that your family and friends will love.

A glazed ham on a platter with herbs and cranberries.

Ham is a classic main course around the holidays. The nice thing about buying a ham is that most of the work is already done for you. Hams come pre-smoked, fully cooked and spiral cut, all you have to do is add some flavorings and you’re ready to go. This glazed ham has a rich and delicious glaze that caramelizes in the oven. Best of all, it’s super easy to make!

When you want a main course for a holiday like Christmas, Thanksgiving or Easter, try this one or some of my other favorite Christmas recipes like honey baked ham, smoked turkey or slow roasted prime rib.

Glazed Ham Ingredients

To make this simple glazed ham recipe you will need a smoked spiral cut ham, butter, brown sugar, honey, apple cider, cinnamon and nutmeg. You may want herbs or cranberries for a garnish.

Bowls of ingredients including butter, sugar and seasonings.

How Do You Make Glazed Ham?

Start your glazed ham by making a glaze for your ham. To make the glaze, place butter, brown sugar, honey, apple cider, cinnamon and nutmeg in a pan and simmer until a thick, syrupy mixture forms. Brush half of the glaze over the ham before putting it in the oven. When the ham is almost done, heat up the remaining glaze and pour it over the ham. Increase the oven temperature and cook the ham a few more minutes for a perfect caramelized glaze.

Process shots showing how to make glaze and pour it over a ham.

Tips For The Perfect Dish

  • You’ll need to reserve half of the glaze to use after your ham mostly cooks through. You can store the glaze at room temperature or in the fridge. The glaze may start to harden as it sits – simply microwave the glaze in 30 second increments until it’s liquid when you’re ready to use it.
  • While I prefer to use a spiral cut ham for this recipe, you can also use an uncut bone-in ham and score it in a cross hatch pattern before you glaze it.
  • Leftovers will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for 2 months.
  • First time making a ham? Check out my full tutorial on how to cook a ham!
  • Keep any leftover ham and make one of my leftover ham recipes like ham bone soup, scalloped potatoes and ham or ham casserole.

Quick Tip

This recipe calls for apple cider the juice, do not use apple cider vinegar as it is not the same thing.

A brush adding sauce to the baked pork.

Recipe FAQs

How long do you cook glazed ham?

A ham needs to cook for about 20 minutes per pound in the oven at 325 degrees F. This is for a standard half ham around 7-8 pounds.

How much ham per person?

You can plan on serving about 3/4 pound of ham per person for a standard bone-in half ham. If you’d like a lot of leftovers at the end of your meal, you can increase this amount to 1 pound of ham per person.

How do you know when ham is done?

The overwhelming majority of hams are already cooked. All you’re actually doing is warming your ham through to the proper food safe temperature. A ham is ready to eat when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the ham reads at least 145 degrees F.

How do you cook a glazed ham?

There are two common ways to cook a ham. You can bake a ham in the oven, or cook it in a crock pot. Either way you will make a glaze and pour it over the ham before cooking. In an oven, after you bake it most of the way, pour more glaze on top and increase the heat until done. If you choose to cook your ham in a slow cooker, check out my crock pot ham recipe.

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Sliced glazed ham on a serving plate with a garnish of berries and herbs.

Glazed Ham Variations

I typically make this recipe as written, but sometimes I use other ingredients depending on what I have on hand.

  • Juice: Instead of apple cider, try using pineapple juice, cranberry juice or orange juice.
  • Spices: Skip the cinnamon and nutmeg, and try pumpkin pie spice, allspice with a pinch of cloves, cinnamon with a pinch of ginger or even a bit of cardamom.
  • Sweetener: Feel free to use maple syrup or molasses instead of honey. If you don’t have a liquid sweetener on hand, use an extra 1/4 cup of brown sugar instead.
  • Tangy: Add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard for a tangy glaze.

This glazed ham is sure to become a favorite with your family as it has been with mine!

What To Serve With Ham

Glazed Ham Video

Love This Recipe?

Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

5 from 73 votes

Glazed Ham for the Holidays

AuthorSara Welch
A glazed ham on a platter with herbs and cranberries.
This glazed ham is coated in a sweet brown sugar and honey glaze, then baked until golden brown and caramelized. The ultimate holiday ham that’s super easy to make and always gets rave reviews.
Time
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 10 minutes
Course Main
Cuisine American
Serves 8

Ingredients 

  • 8 lb bone in spiral cut ham
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup apple cider
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • cooking spray
  • cranberries and herbs for garnish optional

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a baking pan with cooking spray.
  • Add the butter, brown sugar, honey, apple cider, cinnamon and nutmeg to a pot. Place the pot over medium heat.
  • Bring the pot to a simmer and cook for 5-7 minutes or until glaze is syrupy.
  • Place the ham in the pan and pour half of the glaze over it. Cover the ham with foil. Reserve the remaining glaze for later user.
  • Bake the ham for 2 1/2 hours. Uncover the ham.
  • Pour the remaining glaze over the ham. If the glaze has started to harden, you can microwave it for a few seconds to loosen it back up.
  • Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
  • Place the ham, uncovered, in the oven. Bake for another 15-20 minutes or until glaze is caramelized and browned.
  • Transfer the ham to a serving platter and garnish with fresh herbs and cranberries. Spoon pan drippings over the ham. Slice the ham, then serve.

Notes

  1. You’ll need to reserve half of the glaze to use after your ham is mostly cooked through. You can store the glaze at room temperature or in the fridge. The glaze may start to harden as it sits – simply microwave the glaze in 30 second increments until it’s liquid when you’re ready to use it.
  2. This recipe calls for apple cider the juice, do not use apple cider vinegar as it is not the same thing.
  3. While I prefer to use a spiral cut ham for this recipe, you can also use an uncut ham and score it in a cross hatch pattern before you glaze it.

Nutrition

Calories: 488kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 855mg | Potassium: 373mg | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 355IU | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1.2mg

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Could I also use this on a non spiral sliced ham , then cut as I normally do once I get ready to serve.

  2. 5 stars
    I love how easy the recipe is to follow. My ham turned out perfect and sooooo delicious. I won’t be needing any store-bought ham from now on.

  3. 5 stars
    This looks so hearty and satisfying! Can’t wait to make it the next time we have family over!

  4. 5 stars
    this ham turned out perfect! i really loved it – plannning on making it again for easter!

  5. 5 stars
    This was so easy to make and so flavorful! I swapped out the brown sugar for coconut sugar and it was still amazing! Will be making this again for sure.

  6. 5 stars
    We made this last night, WONDERFUL! It was a glorious thing of beauty when I put it on the table ~ will be making this glaze with every ham!

  7. Hi! I love this recipe and ive used it the last couple of years. I was wondering though, instead of using foil to cover the ham could i just use the lid to the pan?? Or would foil be the better route to take?? Thank you!!

  8. This is kind of a weird question, but what did you use to serve the ham on. I noticed you had some green garnishes underneath, but I am unsure of what they are?

  9. Excellent recipe! It was the best ham I’ve ever made! I used the suggestion of pumpkin pie spice. Otherwise followed it as written. It smells amazing while it’s cooking too. Made for a homey feeling on Christmas. Thank you!

    1. Hi! It’s Jennifer again and I will be making this excellent recipe again for Easter tomorrow. Can you please let me know if you used salted or unsalted butter? Thanks!!

      1. You’d cook for about 15 minutes per pound for boneless hams, so around an hour. Make sure you use a large pan and the hams aren’t touching each other so that the air can freely circulate and heat them all the way through. Use the glaze as directed and just divide it between the two pans!

        1. When you say an hour, should this be an hour for the entire recipe? So 35-40 minutes covered and 15-20 minutes uncovered? Or 1 hour covered and 15-20 uncovered?

  10. So I went to the store and all I could find was 13 lb hams that already have brown sugar added, I really want to make the recipe tomorrow for Easter can you please get back to me and let me know how to make it work with what I have?

    1. 5 stars
      Great recipe I would make it again. I also smoked it for 1.5 hours on out Treager before baking it. Was the best glazed ham ever.

  11. 5 stars
    Chose a no nitrate spiral ham and this was the best tasting ham ever! It even made the left overs the best lima bean soup. Will make again next Christmas!