Brown Sugar Spiral Ham
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Brown Sugar Spiral Ham is a holiday favorite that's glazed with brown sugar, maple syrup, mustard, apple cider and warm spices. It's the perfect main dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter dinner, and will be the star centerpiece of any celebration!
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Recipe at a Glance
- Easy Meal: a spiral cut ham is an easy way to serve a holiday meal.
- Great Flavor: the brown sugar glaze recipe is the perfect compliment.
- Versatile: leftover ham is a great way to stretch your food budget.
Notes From My Kitchen
A spiral-cut ham is easy to prepare, and will be everyone's favorite main dish at your holiday dinner. Serve it with sides such as Lemon Butter Asparagus and Homestyle Mac and Cheese for a simple, yet hearty meal.
Making the brown sugar ham glaze in advance makes a difference in the taste of this recipe and is so much better than a pre-packaged glaze packet. I like using cinnamon and cloves with apple cider, brown sugar, and maple syrup to create a sweet glaze you'll want to eat by the spoonful! Stone ground mustard adds a savory twist that cuts through the sweetness.
Ingredients You'll Need
Spiral hams are delicious with or without glaze, but if you're going to serve one, why not make it the best you've ever tasted? This brown sugar glaze recipe contains warm spices that will enhance the taste of your holiday ham.
- spiral ham - choose bone in or boneless that is fully cooked
- brown sugar - the base for the delicious glaze
- maple syrup - adds flavor and thickness
- stone ground mustard - provides the savory component
- apple cider - goes well with maple syrup and brown sugar
- juice from an orange - adds a twist of citrus
- zest from an orange - enhances the glaze
- ground cinnamon - gives this recipe its depth
- ground cloves - warms everything up
- minced garlic - balances out the sweetness
- cornstarch and water - thickens the glaze to the right consistency
See quantities in recipe card.
How to Make a Brown Sugar Spiral Ham
This is a fully cooked ham recipe, which means it's ready to serve without doing another thing. Honey Baked Ham Company recommends you let the ham sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Afterwards, slather it with this hot brown sugar glaze which provides all the warmth it needs. It's juicy, savory and delicious!
If you prefer to warm it up, set the oven to 200 degrees F. Wrap ham in aluminum foil and place it in a large baking dish or roasting pan. Place it in the oven for 10 minutes per pound. That's 1 hour for a 6 pound ham, which feeds 8 to 12 people. Apply the brown sugar glaze immediately after it comes out of the oven.
How to Make Brown Sugar Glaze
Add brown sugar and maple syrup to a skillet or pot on the stove. Blend in the apple cider, orange juice, zest, mustard, garlic, cinnamon and cloves. Stir constantly for 3 minutes over medium heat until brown sugar is melted.
Mix cornstarch and water together, then add to the glaze to thicken it further. Cook for 1 more minute, then let glaze cool slightly before applying to ham with a brush or drizzle on top.
Add a Fruit Garnish
Want to dress up your store bought ham for a special occasion? Use apples, lemons, limes and oranges to make your ham 'pop'! Tuck in some greenery and place everything on a wooden cutting board for a natural look.
It only takes a few minutes to make a beautiful centerpiece with food. Colorful fruit is your best friend when decorating. Plus, it's totally edible!
Recipe FAQ
It's best to glaze the ham after it sits at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Use a brush to apply warm glaze to the top and inside of the ham, then provide extra glaze for serving.
Orange or pineapple juice is a good substitution. I like using apple cider because it goes well with maple syrup and brown sugar.
You can always use yellow or dijon mustard instead of stone ground. However, you won't see the coarse mustard on the surface of the ham if you switch types. I like the taste and also the visual appeal of stone ground mustard.
Storage Guide
- For stronger flavor, make the glaze up to three days in advance and store in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stove when it's time to serve.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 6 months. To thaw, leave in the refrigerator overnight. Warm in the microwave until heated throughout for best results.
What to Serve with Spiral Ham
If you're lucky, you'll have leftovers which is a very good thing! Add chopped ham to a Meat Lovers Quiche for brunch the next day. Be sure to save the ham bone for a big pot of Yellow Eye Beans or Pinto Beans And Ham that taste amazing with a cake of Southern Cornbread.
Turn your leftovers into this Old Fashioned Ham Salad, a dish of Ham and Noodle Casserole, or these cheesy Scalloped Potatoes and Ham.
Every main dish needs great sides to make a perfect meal. The recipes below pair well with Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner when served with a brown sugar spiral ham:
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Recipe Card
Brown Sugar Spiral Ham
*See notes in blog post for detailed tips, photos and instructions.
Ingredients
- 6 pound spiral ham feeds 8 to 12 people
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup coarse ground mustard
- 1 cup apple cider or water
- 2 Tablespoons juice from an orange
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest from rind
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 Tablespoons of water
Instructions
SPIRAL HAM
- Remove ham from packaging and place on a serving dish or platter.
- Let ham rest for 30 minutes, then brush with warm glaze (below).
- If you prefer to warm it up, wrap ham in aluminum foil and place in a 200 degree oven.
- Warm ham for 10 minutes per pound. Brush with glaze after removing from oven.
BROWN SUGAR GLAZE
- Add brown sugar and maple syrup to a skillet or pot on the stove.
- Stir in ground mustard, apple cider, orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon, cloves and minced garlic.
- Cook for 3 minutes over medium heat until brown sugar melts.
- Mix cornstarch with water and add to mixture. Cook 1 more minute until glaze thickens.
- Brush warm glaze over the top and insides of ham.
- Serve the rest of the glaze on the side in a small bowl.
Notes
- If desired, make the glaze up to three days in advance and store in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stove when it's time to glaze the ham.
- Leftover ham can be stored in the refrigerator in an air tight container for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 6 weeks. To thaw, leave in the refrigerator overnight.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is an auto generated estimate.
This glaze is on my list for Easter 2025!
Yay! Let me know what you think! 🙂
This looks so tasty! I am pairing it with your pineapple casserole for a full Quiche My Grits recipe experience 🙂
Great idea Mary! Pineapple and ham are a perfect pair. 🙂
I'm serving this ham at Easter this year! Love this recipe!
Yay! Thanks Meg! I'm so glad you like my ham recipe. Hope you love the glaze! 🙂
This recipe lets the flavor of the ham come through. Most are too thick and cover up flavors but this is perfect!!!!
That's what I like about this glaze too! Thanks a bunch! 🙂
We are already planning on ham at Easter. This is just in time to make it perfect!
I can't wait to hear how your ham turns out! 🙂
This ham is at the top of my list of recipes to make for Easter!
Awesome, Kara! 🙂