Easy Brown Sugar Honey Glazed Ham Recipe

The Best Ham Glaze Recipe Ever!

This spiral ham recipe delivers a mouthwatering combination of sweet and savory flavors, gently spiced with cinnamon and cloves. It is sure to impress your guests and is perfect for any holiday gathering.

Brown sugar and honey creates a glossy honey glaze that pairs perfectly with the tender spiral ham. This incredible glaze is the perfect combination of sweetness and spice for a delicious holiday meal. It’s an ideal dish for Christmas, Easter, or any special occasion.

Ingredients for Brown Sugar Honey Glazed Ham

This is definitely the best ham glaze recipe I’ve ever had and it’s perfect for any ham, any time! You have got to try it!

Ingredients

• Ham (spiral or regular) at room temperature
• Water
• Unsalted butter
• Brown sugar
• Honey
• Dijon mustard
• Cinnamon
• Ground cloves
• Garlic, minced

Supplies

• Baking dish, roasting pan, or silicone pan
• Aluminum foil
• Meat thermometer
• Small saucepan
• Pastry brush
• Air fryer (optional)

How to Make Brown Sugar Honey Glazed Ham

Step 1: Prepare the ham

Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C). Line a baking dish or roasting pan with foil. Score the ham with a knife in a 1-inch diamond pattern to allow the glaze to penetrate more easily. Place the ham in the baking dish and add water to cover the bottom, no more than ¼ inch deep, to keep it moist while baking.

Step 2: Bake the ham

Cover the ham with foil and bake until the internal temperature reaches 140°F (60°C), about 15-20 minutes per pound. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature. 

Timetable for Cooking Ham

Refer to this USDA Timetable for Cooking Ham for a good idea of how long to cook your ham. A meat thermometer is also super handy.

My 5-pound boneless ham baked for about 90 to 100 minutes, then another 30 minutes with the glaze.

Step 3: Make the Brown Sugar Glaze

While the ham bakes, prepare the glaze. 

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it turns golden brown and aromatic, about 3-4 minutes. 
2. Stir in the brown sugar, honey, Dijon mustard, cinnamon, and cloves until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. The timing is essential here, as burning the butter and sugar can make it hard.
3. Reduce the heat to low and add the minced garlic, cooking until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. 
4. Remove from heat and set aside. The glaze will thicken as it cools.

Step 4: Glaze the ham

1. About 30 minutes before the ham is done cooking, remove it from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 425°F (218°C). 
2. Brush or spoon one-third of the glaze over the ham. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes, 
3. Apply another third of the glaze and some pan juices to ensure it is nice and moist! Continue to bake for another 10 minutes. 
4. Apply the remaining glaze and bake until the internal temperature reaches 140°F, about another 10 minutes.
5. (Optional) If desired, broil the ham for 2-5 minutes to create a caramelized crust. Keep a close eye on it to avoid burning.

Step 5: Let rest and serve

Allow the ham to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving. The resting time helps the juices redistribute, ensuring tender slices.

Cooking Ham in an Air Fryer

For a smaller ham, you can cook it in an air fryer following these instructions:

1. Preheat the air fryer to 350°F (176°C). Use a silicone pan to catch all the juices and to keep the air fryer clean.
2. Cook the ham, covered with foil, for 20 minutes.
3. Remove the foil, apply the glaze, and cook for another 10 minutes. You can even slice it, put the glaze on every slice, and cook it up that way because the glaze is just that good.
4. For more caramelization, slice the ham, add more glaze, and cook for 2-5 minutes.

Note: A 2-3 pound ham fits best in an air fryer. You can also cut down a larger ham to fit as needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do you glaze the ham before or after baking?

The ham is glazed during the last 30 minutes of baking to prevent the sugar from burning. Apply the glaze in multiple layers for a glossy, flavorful finish.

2. What Is brown sugar glaze made of?

The brown sugar glaze includes butter, brown sugar, honey, Dijon mustard, cinnamon, cloves, and garlic. Each ingredient plays an important role:

• Butter adds creaminess and helps carry the flavors throughout the glaze.
• Brown sugar and honey bring a rich sweetness that balances the savory flavors of the ham.
• Dijon mustard adds a tangy note that complements the sweetness and enhances the overall flavor.
• Cinnamon and cloves provide warmth and gentle spice, giving the glaze a festive touch.
• Garlic adds depth and a hint of savory contrast to the sweetness.

3. How long can you store ham? How to heat leftovers

You can store leftover ham in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat, wrap slices in foil and heat in a 325°F oven until warmed through, about 10-15 minutes.

4. How to freeze ham

Wrap leftover ham tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating. Reheat as mentioned above to maintain the best texture and flavor.

5. What size of ham will fit in the air fryer? How to cut down a larger ham to fit

A 2-3 pound ham fits well in most air fryers. If you have a larger ham, trim it to fit by cutting it in half or however much you can fit in the basket. Or you can cut it into slices and layer them in a silicone pan to catch the juices.

6. What pan do you use to cook a ham in the air fryer

A silicone pan is ideal for cooking ham in an air fryer as it helps catch all the juices and keeps the air fryer clean.

Final Thoughts

This Brown Sugar Honey-Glazed Ham is an absolute showstopper for any holiday gathering. The sweet and savory glaze gently spiced with cinnamon and cloves, brings out the best in the ham, making it tender, juicy, and full of flavor. Whether you cook it in the oven or try the air fryer method, this ham will impress your guests. Perfect for Christmas, Easter, or any special occasion, it’s easy to prepare and even better as leftovers.

Ready to make your holiday meal unforgettable? Try this Brown Sugar Honey Glazed Ham recipe and let it be the star of your table!

Dishes with leftover ham

• Easy Ham Pasta Skillet Recipe
• Ham and Cheese Breakfast Egg Roll
• Ham & Scalloped Potatoes
• Ham and Cheese Sliders

Favorite holiday side dishes to go with your ham

• Homemade Creamed Corn
• Savory Carrots in the Air Fryer
• Easy 1-Hour Dinner Rolls
• Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts Apple Pecan Salad

Delicious dessert recipes for after dinner

• The BEST Instant Pot Cheesecake
• Pumpkin Pie Cake Bars
• Soft and Creamy Fudge
• Peppermint Snowball Cookies

Would you like to see more of our favorite recipes? Subscribe to our recipe email.

Easy Brown Sugar and Honey Glazed Ham Recipe [+ Air Fryer Ham]

This ham glaze recipe is perfect for any ham, any time! Gently spiced with cinnamon and cloves and sweetened with brown sugar and honey. Definitely my favorite ham glaze! It will be a big hit for Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas!

4.69 / 5 ( 70 Reviews )

Print Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Serves: 6

Adjust Servings: 6

US CustomaryMetric

Equipment

• Air Fryer
• Oven

Ingredients

• Ham at room temperature
• water enough to cover bottom of pan but no more than 1/4-inch deep
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup honey
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 4 cloves garlic minced

Instructions

Oven Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line baking dish or roasting pan with foil.
• Use a knife to score a 1-inch diamond pattern over the whole ham, allowing more surface area for the glaze. Place ham in baking dish with some water to cover bottom of pan, no more than 1/4-inch of water.
• Cover ham with foil and plan to bake until ham reaches 140 degrees F with thermometer inserted into thickest part, about 15-20 minutes per pound, depending on the type and size of ham. (See Timetable for Cooking Ham for detailed cooking time estimates.) Glazing will happen during the last 30 minutes or so of baking time.
• As the last 30 minutes of baking time approaches, brown the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, until it begins to turn golden brown and aromatic. Swirl it around in the pan occasionally to help it brown evenly. Stir in the brown sugar, honey, mustard, cinnamon, and cloves. Stir until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add the garlic. Cook for a minute or two until it becomes fragrant and just begins to simmer. Right as it begins to simmer, remove from heat and set aside. As it cools, it will become the consistency of a thick honey.
• Remove ham from oven about 30 minutes before done and increase oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Brush or spoon 1/3 of the glaze over the ham. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes. Brush or spoon another 1/3 of the glaze and some pan juices, then bake another 10 minutes. Repeat with pan juices, remaining glaze, and bake.
• Ham is done when internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F. Broil for 2-5 minutes if you want more of a glaze crust, but don't let it burn. Let ham rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Air Fryer Ham Instructions:

• Follow all directions from above, but cook covered ham at 350˚ for 20 minutes in air fryer. Then remove foil and add glaze and cook for 10 more minutes. Slice and add more glaze, cook for 2-5 more minutes, if desired, and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 21646kcal | Carbohydrates: 362g | Protein: 1729g | Fat: 1435g | Sodium: 95385mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 353g