Brown Sugar Ham Glaze Recipe
Easter is just a few weeks away – do you usually have a nice Easter brunch or dinner? Pretty much every year we’ll have a nice spiral ham dinner with colcannon and homemade yeast rolls. I love being able to get spiral hams at such great prices this time of year and will often get an extra one or 2 to stick in the freezer and they are certainly cheaper than the ready-made ones you can buy at places like HoneyBaked Hams, as tasty as they may be. The same goes for around the holidays.
With that said, a spiral ham just isn’t as good as it can be without a tasty glaze on top to me. While I know many like to go to the trouble of all the cloves or pineapple with cherries bells and whistles, which certainly look beautiful, I just like a simple glaze that’s slightly sweet and spiced. Even though many hams now come with a glaze packet, I like making my own. Shocker, I know. 
Another benefit I have found to ham glazes is that they can really help for those times we inevitably over-cook at least part of the ham. Just store any dry parts wrapped up in the leftover glaze, then when ready to re-heat, transfer the ham with glaze into a baking dish, adding just a touch of water if it’s really thick, cover with foil and bake. This essentially fuses the wonderful glaze flavors into the ham while the steam will provide a moisture buff, resulting in delicious leftover ham that you’d never realize was originally dry! Not that I would know from experience or anything…
This is our favorite brown sugar ham glaze recipe. It’s sticky and sweet from the brown sugar and honey, while the vinegar provides a bit of tang and the flavor notes end with a slight spice. While you can also cover the ham with the glaze and whole cloves or pineapples and cherries, I think the sheen from the glaze itself makes the ham look gorgeous. This glaze would be great on all sorts of ham types, but we always get spiral and make sure to get the glaze down in between the slices. So, if you have a ham that isn’t sliced, I’d suggest at least scoring a bit so the glaze can seep down and really help flavor the meat. I’ve also made up the glaze and thickened slightly over low heat when cooking ham steaks for dinner.
When baking a ham, make sure you have a large enough pan to hold the large ham and glaze. I like using a roasting pan lined with a few layers of foil for easy clean up. On to the Brown Sugar Ham Glaze recipe!
This brown sugar ham glaze has a tangy-sweet and slightly spiced flavor. The recipe makes enough to glaze an average half to whole ham, but I love having extra glaze to reheat with.
Ingredients
1 cup (packed) brown sugar, I always use light, but dark would result in a bit richer flavor
2 Tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon mustard (powdered or prepared)
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves (skip if you're putting on whole cloves)
3 Tablespoons vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1-3+ Tablespoons water
Instructions
- Whisk together brown sugar, flour, mustard, spices, vinegar and honey until thoroughly combined.
- Thin out as desired with water, keeping in mind that glaze will thicken while cooking.
- Spread over ham before putting into the oven, being sure to get the glaze in between the slices or scores. I like to put it on the ham, wrap the ham in foil, then take the foil off the last 20 minutes or so, basting with juices in the pan as needed.
Notes
Feel free to change up the seasoning to your liking, using different spices such as ginger or paprika.
I hope you enjoyed this Brown Sugar Ham Glaze Recipe – be sure to check out our other recipes and Easter recipes and ideas!
About Money Savvy Michelle
YUM! This looks delicious! My family, except for me, doesn’t like ham. I think I will have to convince them otherwise when I try this. Thanks!
YUM! Perfect for Easter too! Thanks for the recipe!
This looks unbelievably good!
That looks perfect for Easter! Very juicy and tasty!
At what temp and how long do you cook yours?
Hi Jenny,
I have always bought pre-cooked hams and follow the directions for reheating on the packaging. I believe it is usually 325° for 10-15 minutes per pound.
The spices is what will make this special, thanks!
Yum! I bet this is delicious! Perfect to serve my family for Easter!
This looks so delicious that my mouth is watering just from looking at the picture. I definitely have to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing it.
That looks so delicious! I’m copying this recipe and can’t wait to taste it
This sounds perfect for Easter dinner! It looks like something I can actually do. Thanks!
There is no other way to have it. Love a candied ham.
I totally agree! I especially love the flavor it adds to make great leftover sandwiches the next day.
Yum this looks so good. Maybe we’ll try it this Easter!
This sounds good
. We haven’t had ham in a while – this makes me look forward to easter 
I may have to give up my usual tradition of going to Honey Baked Hams and making my own. Thanks for inspiring me!
Thanks for stopping by, Sarah. I love the Honey Baked Hams too, especially when I don’t feel like putting together a huge from-scratch meal. I just wish they weren’t so expensive! Luckily this is a pretty painless and just as tasty alternative.
Ham is one of my favorite dishes! And Easter is usually the only time we prepare it. This sounds amazing!
Thanks Danielle! We love it too, though I think part of the reason I may love it so much is because of all the leftovers so I don’t have to cook again for a day or two, haha.
That looks really delicious! A good ham with a simple glaze is fantastic.
Thanks, Greta, and yes, yes it is!
My husband does not like a sweet glaze on his ham but I LOVE IT!! This sounds delicious and something that my husband might actually try because it doesnt have the pineapple on it.
Hi Amanda, I think your husband may very well like it. The vinegar and mustard really help lessen the sweetness. My boyfriend also isn’t much of a sweets fan, especially on meats, and he loves this glaze so much he won’t let me try any others. lol
YUM! This looks and sounds amazing
Thanks, Ashley!