Brown Sugar Glaze is the perfect addition to your holiday ham. A combination of brown sugar and honey are flavored with the addition of orange juice, dijon mustard and some warm spices.

Simply simmer the mixture until thick and brush the glaze over your ham at the end of cooking.

Brown sugar glaze in a jar with a brush and a ham in the background

Glaze for Ham

Glazing a ham is not required but adds a lovely sweetness to the outside while the ham is tender and juicy inside.

We score the ham to allow the juices to seep into the meat a bit (plus it gives a pretty presentation).

This glaze can be used on the following:

Ingredients for brown sugar glaze for ham on a marble board

Ingredients and Variations

Making ham glaze couldn’t be easier. The ingredients in this glaze include:

Brown Sugar & Honey These are the base of the glaze and caramelize to create a thick, sticky and flavorful glaze.

Dijon Mustard I love to use a dijon or grainy mustard for a little bit of zip. If you don’t have these on hand, you can also use a splash of apple cider vinegar.

Juice Orange or Pineapple pair well with the smoky flavor of ham in this recipe

Warm Spices I add cinnamon and a bit of ginger. You can sub in apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice. Any warm spices work, nutmeg, clove (be conservative), allspice. Rosemary is also a lovely addition to this glaze!

Brown Sugar glaze for ham in a pot with a whisk

How to Make Brown Sugar Glaze

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.

  1. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Allow to boil at a low temperature 15 minutes or until dark and slightly thickened. (Mixture will thicken more upon standing).
  2. Cool at least 20 minutes before glazing ham. This allows the mixture to thicken which will coat the ham better.

Keep in mind, as brown sugar glaze is boiling, it is almost becoming candy-like and the sugars are at a VERY high temperature. It is extremely hot so be aware if you have little ones or pets around.

When to Glaze a Ham

Oven Glaze the ham in the last 20-30 minutes of cooking. If you glaze for longer than that, the glaze can burn.

Crock Pot When making slow cooker ham, the glaze can be added near the beginning with a little bit of liquid (broth or juice) added to the slow cooker. Because of the moist environment in the slow cooker the glaze won’t burn. If making the ham in the slow cooker, I don’t generally pre-cook the glaze. Simply mix it together and brush it on the ham.

If the ham is spiral cut, I try to ensure a little bit gets in between the edges of the layers.

image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text
Brown sugar glaze in a jar with a brush and a ham in the background
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Brown Sugar Glaze for Ham

A sweet glaze with warm spices is the perfect glaze for any kind of ham!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 17 minutes
Servings 12 servings
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Ingredients  

  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ½ cup juice orange or pineapple are great
  • 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard or grainy mustard
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Instructions 

  • Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer on low about 15 minutes or until thickened.
  • Remove from heat and allow to cool 10-15 minutes to thicken.
  • Brush over cooked ham during the last 20-30 minutes or until golden.

Notes

Crock Pot Directions
When making slow cooker ham, the glaze can be added near the beginning with a little bit of liquid (broth or juice) added to the slow cooker. Because of the moist environment in the slow cooker the glaze won't burn. If making the ham in the slow cooker, I don't generally pre-cook the glaze. Simply mix it together and brush it on the ham.
5 from 11 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 99 | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 48mg | Potassium: 44mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Main Course
Cuisine American

Categories:

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Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
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Comments

  1. This is very tasty as is. I did increase the mustard and added a touch of vinegar as I was hoping to get a similar flavor profile as a commercially made glaze that isn’t available in my new hometown area. But I did taste it before my additions, and it was very lovely.

    I don’t tend to glaze hams. What I like to use brown sugar glaze on is corned beef brisket. I cook in the slow cooker, instant pot or sous vide first. When fully cooked, I pull it out of the liquid, pat it dry and glaze it. Then I put it under the broiler set at low to set it and caramelize it a bit more. It adds such a nice touch to the spiced meat.5 stars

  2. Delicious! Can you save leftover glaze that was not put on meat or veggies. Or do you need to throw out.5 stars

    1. If the glaze wasn’t on meat or veggies it can be saved as a marinade or glaze for another meal.