Brown Sugar Ham Glaze
This baked ham with brown sugar glaze transforms an ordinary ham into a caramelized, sweet-savory masterpiece. The honey-infused glaze creates a gorgeous crust while keeping every slice moist and flavorful—perfect for holidays or Sunday dinners with minimal effort.
Ingredients
- 1 8-10 pound spiral-cut ham, fully cooked (yes, most hams are already cooked—you're welcome)
- 1 cup brown sugar packed (dark or light, we don't discriminate)
- 1/4 cup honey the real stuff, not that bear-shaped impostor
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard fancy!
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar for that tangy kick
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves a little goes a long way
- 1/4 cup orange juice freshly squeezed if you're showing off
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon because it's not just for breakfast
- 2 tablespoons butter because everything is better with butter
- Optional: 1-2 tablespoons bourbon for an "adult" ham—if you know, you know
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C). This is not optional, people.
- Take your ham out of its packaging and give it a quick rinse. Pat dry with paper towels. Judge it silently for being naked.
- Place the ham cut-side down on the rack in your roasting pan. If your ham came with a little plastic cap on the bone end, remove it—it's not a fashion statement.
- Cover the ham tightly with aluminum foil. This is essentially ham tucking-in time.
- Bake for about 15 minutes per pound, until the internal temperature reaches 120°F (49°C). For an 8-pound ham, that's about 2 hours of you pretending you slaved away in the kitchen.
- While the ham is baking, make the glaze: In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, honey, mustard, vinegar, cloves, orange juice, cinnamon, and butter.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves and everything comes together in a beautiful relationship. Add bourbon now if using.
- Simmer for about 5 minutes until slightly thickened. It should coat the back of a spoon—or your finger if you're impatient (please let it cool first; I'm not liable for burned fingertips).
- When the ham reaches 120°F, remove it from the oven, peel back the foil, and crank the heat to 400°F (204°C). It's glow-up time.
- Brush the ham generously with about 1/3 of the glaze, making sure to get it in between those spiral slices. Get in there. Be thorough.
- Return the ham to the oven, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
- Apply another 1/3 of the glaze, return to the oven for 15 more minutes.
- One last glaze application! Then back in for a final 15 minutes until beautifully caramelized and the internal temperature hits 140°F (60°C).
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 15-20 minutes before serving. Use this time to accept compliments on your "hard work."
- Serve with any remaining glaze on the side for those who want extra sweetness (you know who you are).
Notes
- The spiral-cut ham makes glazing easier as the sauce can penetrate between the slices.
- If your ham isn't spiral-cut, score the surface in a diamond pattern about 1/4-inch deep to help the glaze penetrate.
- Don't have orange juice? Pineapple juice works beautifully too.
- For an extra fancy presentation, stud your ham with whole cloves in a decorative pattern before baking.
- Save that ham bone! It makes an incredible base for split pea soup.
- Leftover ham should be refrigerated within 2 hours and will keep for 3-5 days.
- If your glaze starts to burn in the oven, just cover those spots with small pieces of foil.
- Let the ham come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking for more even cooking.