Simple Brown Sugar Glaze for Ham at home
A good ham glaze should give you those sticky, caramelized edges without making it taste like candy or harden on the outside. This one leaves you with the ham that glossy brown sugar coating everyone loves, but still has savory flavor in it. It’s the glaze recipe you’ll reach for when it comes to Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Sunday dinner.
Ham already brings plenty of salty, savory flavor, so we don’t want the glaze competing with it or covering it in a thick layer of sugar. The butter and brown sugar give you the caramelized coating you expect, but the Dijon is what keeps it from tasting flat and too sweet. The cinnamon and allspice give it that warm holiday flavor without making the ham taste heavily spiced.
We highly recommend using this on a spiral-cut ham when you can. You get glaze all over the outside, but more importantly, some of it works down between the slices. That means you’re not relying on one sugary crust around the edge of the ham for all of the flavor.
The other thing that matters is When You glaze it. Brown sugar can burn if it spends the entire reheating time exposed in the oven, so we wait until the ham is nearly hot before adding the glaze. Then it has time to melt into the ham and caramelize without burning or scorching.
Why Brown Sugar Ham Glaze stays in the rotation
- It isn’t too sweet. Dijon cuts through some of the sweetness from the brown sugar and butter.
- It gets sticky and caramelized. Adding it toward the end gives the sugar time to brown without letting it burn.
- It fits well on spiral ham. The glaze can get between the slices rather than coating only the outside.
- It uses ingredients you can actually taste. You get buttery brown sugar first, with a little warm spice underneath.
Brown Sugar Ham Glaze Ingredients
Butter: Unsalted butter leaves you with more control since ham itself is already salty. It also helps the glaze melt into a smooth sauce rather than turning into a dry brown sugar topping.
Brown sugar: Either light or dark brown sugar works. Light brown sugar keeps the molasses flavor a little milder, while dark brown sugar leaves you with a deeper molasses taste.
Dijon mustard: This doesn’t make the glaze taste mustardy. It gives the sweetness something savory to work against so the glaze doesn’t taste like brown sugar syrup.
Cinnamon: You only need a little. It gives the glaze warmth without taking it in a dessert direction.
Allspice: Like the cinnamon, this stays subtle. It fits well with the ham and brown sugar around the holidays.
Fully cooked ham: We prefer a spiral-cut, bone-in ham for this because the glaze can work between the slices. A boneless ham works too, but the amount of glaze and reheating time may need to be adjusted depending on its size.
What Kind of Ham Should we Use?
A fully cooked spiral-cut ham is our first choice for this glaze. The ham is already sliced, which makes serving easier, but it also gives the glaze more places to go.
A bone-in ham tends to stay a little juicier and leaves you with plenty of meat for a full holiday meal. Boneless fully cooked ham works too.
The important part is checking the package. The method is written for a fully cooked ham that needs reheating, not a fresh or cook-before-eating ham. Those require different cooking instructions and temperatures.
If your ham isn’t spiral sliced, you can score the outside before glazing so the glaze has somewhere to settle.
How to cook Brown Sugar Glaze for Ham
- Add the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and Dijon mustard to a small saucepan.
- Heat over medium heat, whisking as the butter melts.
- Once the butter is melted and the glaze is smooth, remove it from the heat.
- If the glaze seems thicker than you want for brushing, add a small amount of water until it loosens enough to spread easily.
You don’t need to cook this down into a thick syrup. It will thicken and caramelize more once it goes onto the ham and back into the oven.
How to Glaze a Ham
Start by reheating your fully cooked ham according to the package directions, keeping it covered for most of the reheating time so it doesn’t dry out.
When the ham is about 20 minutes from being finished, remove the foil and brush it generously with the warm brown sugar glaze. If you’re using a spiral ham, work some of the glaze between the slices rather than putting all of it on the outside.
Return the ham to the oven uncovered and let the glaze caramelize during the final part of reheating. Brush with the remaining glaze before serving.
For a fully cooked spiral ham, we recommend using 325°F as your oven temperature and the package directions as your primary timing guide. USDA guidance says a spiral-cut fully cooked ham can generally be reheated at 325°F for about 10 minutes per pound, with USDA inspected packaged ham reheated to 140°F internally. Repackaged or leftover cooked ham should reach 165°F.
Our Tips
- Don’t glaze it from the beginning. Brown sugar can go from caramelized to burn before the center of the ham is hot. Giving the glaze roughly the final 20 minutes in the oven lets it brown without taking it too far.
- Keep the ham covered before glazing. Spiral hams can dry out because so much of the meat is already exposed. Covering it while it reheats helps hold onto moisture.
- Get some glaze between the slices. You don’t need to pry the ham apart, but brushing a little glaze into the natural openings leaves you with more glazed edges once it’s served.
- Watch the glaze, not the clock. Once it looks glossy, sticky, and caramelized around the edges, you’ve gotten what you need from that final uncovered bake.
How Much Ham Do we Need?
For a bone-in ham, plan on roughly ¾ pound per person if you’re serving it as the main dish with several sides.
For a holiday meal with plenty of sides and desserts, you may have leftovers with that amount, which isn’t exactly a bad problem to have.
This batch of glaze is enough for approximately one 8-pound ham.
What to Serve with Brown Sugar Glazed Ham
Ham is one of those holiday mains where the sides matter almost as much as the meat. Our first choice is always Macaroni and cheese, especially for Easter or Christmas dinner.
You could also serve it with:
- Au Gratin Potatoes
- Roasted Green Beans
- Southern Mashed Potatoes
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Brown Sugar Carrots
- Honey Butter Rolls
Cook ahead
You can make the glaze ahead of time and refrigerate it in an airtight container. Because it contains butter, it will firm up once chilled.
Warm it gently in a small saucepan before using, whisking until it’s smooth again. If it seems too thick for brushing once reheated, loosen it with a small amount of water.
How to keep Leftover Glazed Ham
Store leftover ham in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. USDA guidelines recommends using most cooked leftovers within that window.
Reheating
For a house favorite texture, reheat only the amount you plan to eat rather than reheating the entire ham over and over.
Cover the sliced ham and warm it gently in the oven until heated through. Leftovers should be reheated to 165°F.
Brown Sugar Ham Glaze FAQs
Prep 10 minutesCook 20 minutesTotal 30 minutesMakes 12 servings
Ingredients
For the Brown Sugar Glaze
- ½ cup butter
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
For Using the Glaze
- 8 pounds fully cooked spiral cut, bone-in ham
Method
- Begin reheating the fully cooked ham according to the package directions. Keep the ham covered for most of the reheating time.
- Add the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and Dijon mustard to a small saucepan .
- Heat over medium heat, whisking as the butter melts. Once the glaze is smooth, remove it from the heat.
- About 20 minutes before the ham is finished reheating, remove it from the oven and uncover it.
- Brush the ham generously with the glaze, working some between the slices if using a spiral-cut ham.
- Return the ham to the oven uncovered for approximately 20 minutes, or until the glaze is sticky and caramelized and the ham has reached the appropriate internal temperature for the type of ham you’re using.
- Brush with the remaining glaze before serving.
Notes
- This amount of glaze is intended for approximately one 8-pound ham.
- Light or dark brown sugar both work. Dark brown sugar will give the glaze a stronger molasses flavor.
- If the glaze becomes too thick to brush easily, whisk in water a little at a time until it reaches the consistency you need.
- Add the glaze toward the end of reheating so the brown sugar has time to caramelize without burning.
- For a spiral ham, brush some glaze between the slices for more glazed edges throughout.
- Follow the package directions for reheating your specific ham since timing varies by size and type.
