Here’s a classic Christmas Ham recipe—glazed, juicy, and perfect for a holiday centerpiece 🎄🍖
Christmas Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze
Ingredients (serves 8–12)
Ham
- 8–10 lb fully cooked bone-in ham (spiral-cut works great)
- 1 cup water, apple juice, or pineapple juice (for roasting pan)
Glaze
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup honey or maple syrup
- ¼ cup Dijon or yellow mustard
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves (or allspice)
- Optional: whole cloves for studding the ham
Instructions
- Preheat oven
- 325°F (165°C).
- Prepare the ham
- Place ham cut-side down in a roasting pan.
- Pour liquid into the bottom of the pan.
- Tent loosely with foil.
- Heat the ham
- Bake about 15 minutes per pound, until internal temp reaches 140°F (60°C).
- Make the glaze
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, honey, mustard, butter, cinnamon, and cloves.
- Simmer 3–5 minutes until smooth and glossy.
- Glaze & caramelize
- During the last 30–45 minutes of baking, remove foil.
- Brush ham generously with glaze every 10–15 minutes.
- Finish
- Optional: broil 2–3 minutes at the end for a sticky, caramelized crust (watch closely).
- Rest & serve
- Let ham rest 15 minutes before slicing.
Flavor Variations
- Pineapple-Cherry: Add crushed pineapple & maraschino cherries
- Orange Maple: Use orange juice + maple syrup
- Spiced Apple: Apple cider + apple butter in the glaze
- Bourbon Glaze: Add 2 tbsp bourbon to glaze
Perfect Side Dishes
- Scalloped potatoes or mashed potatoes
- Green bean casserole
- Creamed peas & potatoes
- Dinner rolls or cornbread
If you’d like, I can also share:
- A slow cooker Christmas ham
- A no-sugar glaze
- Leftover ham recipes (soups, casseroles, sandwiches)
Just tell me!
