Don't tell anyone, but I actually prefer ham over turkey at Thanksgiving, so when I switch things up like this, you know it has to be really good. This Brown Sugar and Mustard Glaze is so delicious and a classic combination for ham. It starts with brown sugar and Dijon, then we ramp up the flavor with orange juice, whole-grain mustard, garlic, allspice, and clove. It glazes the ham with huge flavor, and then caramelizes beautifully at the end.
Brown Sugar and Mustard Glazed Ham is a traditional entree to have on Easter and at Christmas time. It is also a very economical choice if you are serving a crowd or planning a big Sunday Dinner. Pair it with some cheesy potatoes, asparagus, and deviled eggs for a great meal.
Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love this Brown Sugar Ham Glaze
- Ingredients Needed for Brown Sugar Glaze
- How to Make Brown Sugar Glaze for Ham
- How to Make Ham wtih Brown Sugar Glaze
- How To Cook and Glaze a Spiral Cut Ham
- Easily Double Recipes on Mom’s Dinner
- Storing and Reheating
- Ham Glaze Recipe FAQs
- What To Serve With Brown Sugar Ham
- Leftover Ham Recipes
- 35+ Leftover Ham Recipes
- More Ham Glazes
- Brown Sugar Glaze for Ham Recipe + Video
- Leave a comment and rate this recipe!
Why You’ll Love this Brown Sugar Ham Glaze
- Not overly sweet Enhances the ham instead of turning it into dessert.
- Sweet and savory with depth of flavor Adding Dijon mustard and garlic keeps a perfect balance.
- Not too sticky It glazes and caramelizes on the ham without turning into candy shell.
- Spices for depth of flavor Warm spices like allspice and clove add subtle flavor in the background.
- Easy to make A quick stir-and-simmer situation
- Make ahead friendly You can put this together 1-3 days in advance so it’s ready when the ham is ready to be cooked.
Ingredients Needed for Brown Sugar Glaze
- Orange Juice- this is the main liquid in your Brown sugar and Mustard Ham Glaze. This just adds a hint of orange and nice sweetness. To ramp up the orange flavor you can add some orange zest too.
- Dark Brown Sugar– we opt for dark brown sugar in this glaze recipe because it has a stronger molasses flavor which pairs really well with the smoky ham and the tangy mustard. This ingredient also caramelizes really well on the outside of the ham.
- Mustards- the mustards add a nice tangy spice to the glaze. You will use both Dijon mustard and whole grain mustard for this glaze recipe.
- Garlic- a MUST in this brown sugar and mustard ham glaze. The garlic adds amazing flavor and will fill your kitchen with the best aroma when the ham is baking. Everyone will come running to dinner.
- Spices- adding a little all spice and ground clove to the ham glaze gives it layers of flavor and a nice warmth to the taste.
How to Make Brown Sugar Glaze for Ham
Making Brown Sugar and Mustard Ham Glaze is SUPER simple. It is so easy you will gladly toss the packet of glaze that came with your ham and opt for this recipe instead.
- Add all the ingredients to a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk everything together so it is well combined.
2. Bring the pot to a boil and let it boil for about 1 minute. Then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
3. It is ready to use or you can let it cool and place in a container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Doubling the Recipe
This Brown Sugar and Ham Glaze Recipe will make a little over 1 cup, which is enough to glaze one 7-10 lb. spiral cut ham. If you have a ham over 10 lbs. you may want to double the recipe.
If you want to have leftover glaze to serve at the table you will also want to double the recipe.
How to Make Ham wtih Brown Sugar Glaze
There is a whole article on Mom's Dinner sharing how to cook, glaze, cut and serve a spiral cut ham if you want more in depth information. But here I will share the basic steps on how to cook and glaze a 7-10 lb. fully cooked spiral cut ham.
How To Cook and Glaze a Spiral Cut Ham
If this is your first time cooking a spiral cut ham, this article and recipe gives in depth instruction on prepping, cooking and glazing you ham.
- Make sure you begin by taking note of the weight of your ham. This will determine your cook time; 300°F for 12 minutes per pound.
- Start your ham by preheating your oven to 300°F. Place your spiral cut ham, cut side down, in a baking pan. Remember to remove the plastic disc from the bone on the cut side of the ham.
- Brush all sides of the ham with ⅓ of your glaze. Add ½ cup water or juice to the bottom of the pan.
4. Then cover the pan and ham tightly with foil. Bake at 300°F for 12 minutes per pound.
5. Remove the foil from the pan. Increase the oven to 400°F. Brush the ham with all of the remaining glaze, getting some between the slices too. Return to the oven, uncovered, for another 20-25 minutes.
6. Take out of the oven and tent the ham with foil for about 10 minutes.
Easily Double Recipes on Mom’s Dinner
In the recipe card below, hover over the serving icon at the top. A +/- slider will appear. You can use that to increase the amount you will need. All the ingredient amounts will automatically change for you.
Storing and Reheating
STORING
- Save the bone!
Before you package anything, cut the remaining meat off the bone and wrap the bone separately. That bone is liquid gold for ham and bean soup, or red beans and rice. Freeze it if you're not using it within a couple days. - Keep pieces as large as possible.
Instead of pulling all the slices apart, store the ham in bigger sections. Less exposed surface area means less drying. - Add moisture.
Spoon a little leftover glaze or pan juices over the ham before sealing it up. This helps protect the meat and keeps the flavor intact. - Wrap airtight.
Place in an airtight container or zip-top bag. Spiral ham dries out fast if air can get to it. - Refrigerate or freeze.
- Fridge: use within about 4-5 days.
- Freezer: wrap very well and freeze up to 2 months for best texture.
REHEATING
Best Method: Oven (for big portions)
- Place ham in a baking dish
- Add a splash of liquid to the bottom (broth, apple juice, pineapple juice, or even water).
- Cover tightly with foil.
- Reheat at 300°F, just until warmed through.
- If you want the glaze sticky again, uncover for the last few minutes and spoon glaze over the top.
Fast Method: Microwave (for slices)
- Put slices in a microwave-safe dish.
- Add a spoonful of water, broth, or glaze.
- Cover loosely with a damp paper towel.
- Heat in short bursts, flipping or rearranging between rounds.
Skillet Method (great for breakfast ham or sandwiches)
- Heat a skillet over medium-low.
- Add ham and a small splash of liquid.
- Cover and warm gently, turning once.
Ham Glaze Recipe FAQs
The glaze can be made 1 to 3 days ahead of time, the flavors will continue to develop as it rests in the fridge.
Remember that a spiral cut smoked ham is already fully cooked, so there is no reason to overcook it (which dries it out). You want to gently warm it up with moist heat. First make sure you add a little liquid to the pan before you put it in the oven, bake on a lower temp around 300°F and make sure you cover the pan tightly with foil. This ensures that the ham is warming through with moist heat.
There is a sweet spot for ham glazes. You want it to be thick and sticky enough to cling to the ham slices, but not so thick that you end up with a candy coated ham! Stick a spoon into the glaze and then pull it out, some of the glaze liquid should stick to the spoon and run off slowly, that's the sweet spot. If you need it to be thicker, keep simmering and stirring.
What To Serve With Brown Sugar Ham
Often we serve spiral ham at Easter, Thanksgiving and/or Christmas, which have very specific menus. But if you are serving Brown Sugar Ham on a weekend that’s not a holiday, here is what I would pair it with (+dinner rolls):
Leftover Ham Recipes
If you are having a big feast with a spiral cut ham, chances are you will have leftovers. You will definitely have a leftover ham bone; don’t throw that away! Check out this post for 35+ Leftover Ham Recipes.
35+ Leftover Ham Recipes
A whole list of recipes to use up your leftover ham and ham bone. Everything from Savory Ham and Cheese Waffles to Deluxe Scalloped Potatoes and Ham.
More Ham Glazes
We have some really delicious ham glaze recipes on Mom’s Dinner. If you want to check out some other flavor profiles besides Brown Sugar and Mustard Glazed Ham:
Brown Sugar Glaze for Ham Recipe + Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup orange juice
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard
- 3 Garlic clove minced
- ¼ teaspoon ground all spice
- ⅛ teaspoon ground clove
- 7-10 lb. bone-in spiral cut smoked ham
Instructions
Brown Sugar and Mustard Ham Glaze
- NOTE: If you want extra glaze for serving at the table or you have a ham over 10 lbs. you may want to double the recipe. Simply hover over the serving and move the +/- to 2 servings.
- In a saucepan over medium heat add all the glaze ingredients. Whisk together so that it is well combined.
- Bring to a boil. Then let it boil for 1 minute.
- Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- The glaze is ready to use. Or you can let it cool and pop it in the fridge in a covered container for up to 2 days.If you are making ahead you will want to slightly reheat before using as a glaze, it will thicken in the fridge.
Cooking and Glazing a 7-10lb. Spiral Cut Ham
- PRO TIP: if this is your first time cooking a ham and you need more in depth instructions on cooking a spiral cut ham, pop over to this post.
- Place your spiral cut ham, cut side down, in a baking pan. remember to remove the plastic disc from the bone on the cut side of the ham.
- Brush all sides of the ham with ⅓ of your glaze. Add ½ cup water or juice to the bottom of the pan.
- Cover the pan and ham tightly with foil. Bake at 300°F for 12 minutes per pound.
- Remove the foil from the pan. Increase the oven to 400°F. Brush the remaining glaze over the ham, getting it between the slices too.
- Return to the oven, uncovered, for another 20-25 minutes.
- Take out of the oven and tent the ham with foil for about 10 minutes. Then cut and serve.
Recipe Tips and Notes:
MORE HAM GLAZE RECIPES Mango Chutney Ham Glaze Marmalade Ham Glaze Bourbon Maple Ham Glaze
Tracy says
Made this for my Easter ham – excellent!
Tracy says
Made this for my Easter ham – so good!!
Susie Weinrich says
The brown sugar caramelizes perfectly on the outside of the ham. Perfect for Easter!