Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze Recipe: Easy Holiday Centerpiece

There’s something special about a beautiful ham with brown sugar glaze recipe sitting in the center of your dinner table. The golden, caramelized surface glistens under the lights, and the sweet aroma fills your home with warmth. Making an easy ham with brown sugar glaze might sound fancy, but it’s actually one of the simplest impressive meals you can prepare!

What Makes Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze Special?

This quick ham with brown sugar glaze represents practical, elegant home cooking. Unlike a turkey that requires hours of careful attention, a ham is much easier to prepare. Most hams you buy at the store are already fully cooked, which means you’re really just heating it up and adding that gorgeous, flavorful glaze.

Recipe Quick Stats

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the Ham:

• 1 fully cooked ham (7-9 pounds)
• ¼ cup water

For the Brown Sugar Glaze:

• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

These simple ingredients create a glaze that transforms an ordinary ham into something spectacular! The glaze caramelizes on the surface, creating a sweet, sticky coating that everyone loves.

How to Make Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze Recipe

This festive ham with brown sugar glaze comes together with straightforward steps anyone can follow!

Step 1: Prepare Your Oven and Ham

Turn your oven to 325°F so it can heat up while you prepare the ham. Take your ham out of its packaging and place it on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, score the surface of the ham in a diamond pattern. Make cuts about ¼-inch deep, spacing them about 1 inch apart. This scoring helps the glaze soak into the meat and makes the ham look beautiful!

Step 2: Set Up for Baking

Place a rack in a large roasting pan and put the ham on the rack, flat side down. Pour ¼ cup of water into the bottom of the pan—this prevents drippings from burning and keeps the ham moist. Cover the entire pan tightly with aluminum foil, making sure it’s sealed well around the edges.

Step 3: Initial Baking

Put the covered ham in your preheated 325°F oven and bake for 1½ hours. This slow, gentle heating warms the ham all the way through without drying it out. Set a timer so you don’t forget!

Step 4: Make the Glaze

While the ham bakes, it’s time to make the delicious glaze! In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, honey, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, and ground cloves. Put the pan on your stove over medium heat. Stir the mixture occasionally as it heats up. When it starts to simmer with small bubbles, keep stirring until all the brown sugar dissolves completely. The glaze should look smooth and shiny. Remove it from the heat and set it aside.

Step 5: Increase Temperature and Glaze

After the ham has baked for 1½ hours, carefully remove it from the oven (it’s hot!). Remove and discard the foil. Turn your oven temperature up to 375°F. Using a pastry brush or spoon, generously brush the glaze all over the ham, making sure to get it into those diamond cuts you made earlier.

Step 6: Final Baking with More Glaze

Return the uncovered ham to the now-hotter oven. Bake for 35-45 minutes, but here’s the important part: every 10 minutes, take the ham out and brush more glaze all over it. This creates beautiful layers of caramelized sweetness. You’ll use most or all of your glaze during this process.

Step 7: Check Temperature and Rest

The ham is done when the outside looks caramelized and golden, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 140°F. Remove the ham from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing. This resting time lets the juices redistribute, making the ham even more tender and juicy.

Step 8: Slice and Serve

Place your beautiful glazed ham on a serving platter. Slice it into pieces and arrange them nicely. Pour any pan drippings over the slices for extra flavor and moisture.

Pro Tips for the Best Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze

1: Save the ham bone! After everyone has eaten, wrap the bone and any meat scraps in plastic wrap and freeze them. Later, use the bone to make delicious split pea soup or bean soup. The bone adds incredible flavor!

2: If your glaze starts to get too dark or burn during the final baking, loosely tent some foil over the top of the ham. This protects it while still allowing it to finish cooking.

3: For extra flavor, add whole cloves into some of the diamond cuts before the initial baking. Remove them before serving. They add a warm, spicy aroma!

Classic Ham with Brown Sugar Tradition

This classic ham with brown sugar became especially popular during the 1950s post-war era. After years of rationing during World War II, families were excited to celebrate with special meals. Hams became symbols of abundance and prosperity.

Sunday dinner after church became an important family tradition. The ham could be put in the oven before church, and by the time the family returned home, it was nearly ready. Mothers would quickly brush on the glaze and finish baking while everyone changed out of their church clothes. Within an hour, a beautiful meal would be on the table.

Glazed ham also became the centerpiece of Easter dinners, Christmas celebrations, and Thanksgiving tables alongside turkey. It represented celebration, family togetherness, and the joy of sharing a special meal.

Holiday Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze

This holiday ham with brown sugar glaze works perfectly for any special occasion! Whether you’re celebrating Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, or just having family over for Sunday dinner, this ham makes the meal feel festive.

The beauty of ham is that it feeds a crowd easily. One 7-9 pound ham can serve 12-15 people with enough leftovers for sandwiches and other meals throughout the week. This made it economical for families who wanted to serve something impressive without spending a fortune.

During holidays, grandmothers would often prepare two hams—one for the holiday meal and one to send home with a younger family member who was just starting out and might not be able to afford such a large roast themselves.

Serving Suggestions

Serve your glazed ham for family dinner with traditional side dishes:

• Scalloped potatoes or mashed potatoes
• Green beans with almonds
• Dinner rolls with butter
• Sweet potato casserole
• Macaroni and cheese
• Coleslaw or salad
• Cranberry sauce

The combination of savory ham and these classic sides creates a meal that feels like a celebration!

Storage and Leftover Advice

One of the best things about making ham is the leftovers! Store leftover ham in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Here are delicious ways to use leftover ham:

• Ham sandwiches with cheese and mustard
• Breakfast hash with potatoes, onions, and fried eggs
• Ham and bean soup using the ham bone
• Split pea soup with chunks of ham
• Ham and cheese omelets for breakfast
• Diced ham in scrambled eggs
• Ham salad mixed with mayonnaise and pickles
• Ham and potato soup for cold days

You can also freeze leftover ham for up to 2 months. Cut it into portion-sized pieces, wrap well in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight when ready to use.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Do I need to cook a fully cooked ham?

Yes, but you’re really just heating it through and adding the glaze. Fully cooked hams are already safe to eat, but heating makes them tender and brings out the flavors.

2. Can I use a smaller ham?

Absolutely! For a 5-6 pound ham, reduce the initial baking time to about 1 hour. The glazing process stays the same.

3. What if I don’t have Dijon mustard?

You can use yellow mustard instead, though Dijon adds a nicer flavor. You can also skip it entirely, though the glaze will be sweeter.

4. Why is my glaze not sticking?

Make sure you’re brushing the glaze on while the ham is hot. The heat helps the glaze stick and caramelize. Also, brush on multiple coats during that final baking time.

5. Can I make the glaze ahead?

Yes! Make the glaze up to 3 days ahead and store it in the refrigerator. Reheat it gently before brushing it on the ham.

A Note from NostalgicEats

This ham with brown sugar glaze recipe represents the heart of family celebrations and Sunday dinners. During the 1950s and 1960s, serving a beautiful glazed ham showed love and care for family and guests.

At NostalgicEats.com, we preserve these recipes because they remind us that special meals bring people together. The tradition of Sunday dinner—taking time to prepare something nice, sitting down together, and sharing not just food but conversation and connection—is something worth continuing.

This recipe has graced thousands of family tables, witnessed countless celebrations, and brought joy to multiple generations. When you make this ham, you’re part of that beautiful tradition.

Conclusion

This ham with brown sugar glaze recipe proves that easy ham with brown sugar glaze creates an impressive meal! This baked ham with brown sugar glaze is a homemade ham with glaze that delivers classic ham with brown sugar perfection. Whether making this simple ham with brown sugar glaze for beginners or preparing holiday ham with brown sugar glaze, this old fashioned ham with brown sugar always satisfies.

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Ready to create a memorable family meal? Try this classic glazed ham recipe and watch it become your new tradition! Visit NostalgicEats.com for more timeless recipes!