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Home » Sauces » The Best Ham Glaze Recipe

August 26, 2020 By Sara 15 Comments

The Best Ham Glaze Recipe

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This ham glaze is a combination of butter, brown sugar, pineapple juice and spices, all simmered together until thickened. Coat a ham in this glaze, then bake the ham to golden brown perfection and watch the rave reviews come in.

When the holidays roll around, I always make family favorites including crockpot mashed potatoes, candied yams and this brown sugar glaze served over a spiral cut ham.

This ham glaze is a combination of butter, brown sugar, pineapple juice and spices, all simmered together until thickened. This ham glaze is a combination of butter, brown sugar, pineapple juice and spices, all simmered together until thickened.

Ham glaze brushed onto a baked ham.

A homemade ham glaze turns an ordinary store bought ham into a flavorful and festive dinner option. This glaze has just a handful of ingredients and is ready in 10 minutes. Skip the store bought glaze packets and make your own – you’ll be happy you did!

How do you make ham glaze?

To make this recipe, place butter, brown sugar, pineapple juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in a pan. Bring the pan to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook the glaze for 5-7 minutes or until it has started to thicken. Cool the glaze slightly, then pour it over your ham and bake.

Brown sugar, butter spices in a pan.

Tips for the perfect glaze

  • You can use fresh, frozen concentrate or canned pineapple juice; they all work well in this recipe.
  • I’ve made this recipe with both dark brown sugar and light brown sugar. The light brown sugar produces a more neutral flavor, while dark brown sugar has a stronger molasses flavor. You can use either one with good results.
  • Use freshly ground nutmeg if you can, the flavor is way superior to ground bottled nutmeg. You can buy whole nutmegs and grate them yourself on a microplane grater.
  • This glaze is best made right before use. It doesn’t store well because it will harden if chilled. If your glaze has cooled and becomes overly thick, you can microwave it for about 30 seconds to loosen it back up again.

Brown sugar ham glaze in a pan.

Do you have to glaze a ham?

You do not have to glaze a ham, but I highly recommend it. A glaze adds a lot of flavor and helps to keep a ham from drying out as it bakes. It also gives your ham that glossy sheen which makes it look so attractive. An alternative to a glaze would be a dry rub, such as my homemade BBQ rub.

How do you glaze a cooked ham?

I like to pour half of the glaze over the ham, then cover the ham and bake it until it’s warmed through. I then uncover the ham, add the rest of the brown sugar mixture, and finish baking the ham at a higher temperature so that the ham gets browned and caramelized from the glaze.

A ham covered in brown sugar glaze.

Ham glaze variations

This is a basic recipe to get you started, there are so many different ingredients you can add to customize it to your tastes.

  • Juice: Try using apple cider, cranberry juice, pomegranate juice or orange juice instead of pineapple juice.
  • Spices: Mix up the spices by using ground ginger, allspice or cardamom.
  • Flavorings: Feel free to add other flavorings to your glaze. Add up to 2 tablespoons of mustard for a savory kick, or 2 minced canned chipotle peppers for some heat. You can also add up to 1/2 cup of crushed pineapple to add texture to the glaze.

How do you cook a ham?

The simplest way to cook a ham is to bake it in the oven. The ham should bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes per pound. Be sure to cover your ham so that it doesn’t dry out. Ham is ready to serve when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 145 degrees F.

A spoon drizzling ham glaze over a ham.

I serve this recipe for every holiday and it always gets rave reviews! The pineapple and brown sugar pair beautifully with the flavor of the ham, and people always ask for seconds.

More holiday recipes to serve with your ham

  • Pecan Pie Bars
  • Creamed Corn with Bacon
  • Glazed Carrots
  • Butterflake Rolls
  • Sauteed Asparagus

Ham Glaze Video

Ham glaze brushed onto a baked ham.
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5 from 12 votes

Ham Glaze Recipe

This ham glaze is a combination of butter, brown sugar, pineapple juice and spices, all simmered together until thickened. Coat a ham in this glaze, then bake the ham to golden brown perfection and watch the rave reviews come in.
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword glazed ham, ham glaze
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 143kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup pineapple juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • pinch of cloves

Instructions

  • Add the butter, brown sugar, pineapple juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves to a pan. Place the pan over medium heat.
  • Bring the pot to a simmer and cook for 5-7 minutes or until glaze is syrupy.
  • Pour half the glaze over your ham. Cover the ham with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes per pound.
  • Uncover the ham and pour the remaining glaze over the top. Increase the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until ham is caramelized and browned.

Nutrition

Calories: 143kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 73mg | Potassium: 37mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 236IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg

Filed Under: Sauces Tagged With: Christmas, Easter, Ham, Thanksgiving

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Comments

  1. Anita says

    January 1, 2021 at 5:06 pm

    5 stars
    This glaze was easy and delicious definitely will make again

    Reply
  2. Risa says

    November 28, 2020 at 9:24 pm

    Hi! I was wondering what size ham you used for this recipe?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      November 28, 2020 at 10:22 pm

      8 pound ham!

      Reply
  3. Cathy says

    September 7, 2020 at 10:09 am

    The perfect glaze for the holidays!

    Reply
  4. Suzy says

    September 3, 2020 at 3:11 pm

    5 stars
    The spices with the pineapple juice is such a tasty pairing! Loved it!

    Reply
  5. Jessica Formicola says

    September 3, 2020 at 3:33 am

    5 stars
    What a gorgeous ham! I can’t believe it’s already almost time to start thinking about the holidays!

    Reply
  6. Pris says

    September 2, 2020 at 1:21 pm

    5 stars
    This ham looks absolutely stunning! The glaze is so shiny that I think it can be used as a mirror… way to make any table a great event!

    Reply
  7. Andrea Metlika says

    September 2, 2020 at 12:53 pm

    5 stars
    This ham looks amazing! I can’t wait to try this flavorful glaze!

    Reply
  8. Alison says

    September 2, 2020 at 12:48 pm

    5 stars
    That ham is glistening with glaze! It really makes for a special holiday meal!

    Reply
  9. Tara says

    September 2, 2020 at 12:39 pm

    5 stars
    That is one gorgeous ham! The glaze looks absolutely incredible. I can definitely see why you serve this at every holiday.

    Reply
  10. Kevin says

    September 2, 2020 at 8:09 am

    5 stars
    You named this one right! Really is the best ham glaze!

    Reply
  11. Beth says

    September 2, 2020 at 6:44 am

    5 stars
    This recipe looks so delicious and yummy! My family loves ham! Can’t wait to make this!

    Reply
  12. Toni Dash says

    September 2, 2020 at 6:10 am

    5 stars
    Everyone at my house really loved it!! Can’t wait to make it again!

    Reply
  13. Erin says

    September 2, 2020 at 12:25 am

    5 stars
    This ham glaze couldn’t look any more perfect!

    Reply
  14. Jamie says

    September 1, 2020 at 9:19 pm

    5 stars
    I had a ham in my freezer that needed to be used and tried this recipe. My whole family loved it!

    Reply

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With 3 young kids, dinner can feel like feeding time at the zoo! I'm a mom on a mission to create easy, healthy and family friendly recipes ...Read More
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