Brown Sugar Glaze Spiral Ham Recipe

Spiral Ham is a must-have holiday dish. Skip the long lines at the honey baked ham store and make a delicious Brown Sugar Glaze Spiral ham at home in your own oven. Your family will love this deliciously caramelized ham, especially when you pair it with tasty side dishes. This ham is fantastic with Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole, Homemade Scalloped Potatoes, Easy Glazed Carrots, Green Beans Almondine, Sweet Potato Casserole and Easy Homemade Dinner Rolls. 

With Easter around the corner, it’s time to start planning the holiday dinner menu. Our family loves the classic holiday dishes such as spiral ham. While I used to buy Honey Baked Hams, once I realized how easy it is to make a delicious ham glaze and a juicy baked ham at home, there was no turning back. No more long lines in the parking lot to get a ham!

Spiral Ham Recipe

Cooking a spiral ham is actually very easy. It’s  just a matter of mixing up a brown sugar glaze for ham, pouring it on, then cooking the ham in your oven.

Spiral Ham Glaze

In addition to your ham, you only need three ingredients for this homemade ham glaze – brown sugar, maple syrup and apple juice. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

How To Glaze A Ham

To glaze a ham, the ingredients are combined in a saucepan and simmer for 10-15 minutes. After the glaze has reduced and thickened, then half of the glaze is poured over the spiral ham, and into the oven it goes.

The remaining half is added at the end of cooking, allowing you to get those deliciously caramelized edges that make your ham both look and taste fantastic.

How Long To Cook A Spiral Ham?

Wondering how long to cook ham in the oven? Since most hams are precooked, you want to cook them until they reach an internal ham temperature of 140 degrees, when measured at the thickest part of the ham.

For the average 7-10 pound ham, this will take around 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Approximately 12 minutes of cook time per pound for this brown sugar ham is a good guideline to work with, but make sure to always double check the internal temperature.

Storing Leftover Ham

Store leftovers, tightly covered, in refrigerator for 2-3 days or in freezer for 1-2 months. I recommend wrapping in plastic wrap, then placing in a freezer style bag. Try to get as much air out as possible.

Sides Dishes For Ham

While we love easy Maple Glazed Ham, it just wouldn’t be complete without sides to go with ham. Because this ham bakes in the oven, I am a big fan of side dishes that can be made in the crockpot. I even have a few extra inexpensive crockpots that I purchased for holidays and potlucks.

Crockpot Side Dishes

• Crockpot Mashed Potatoes – we simply cannot have a holiday without mashed potatoes.
• Sweet Potato Casserole – sweet potatoes are my all time favorite side for hams.
• Crockpot Creamed Corn – this is the recipe that made me fall in love with creamed corn.

Side Dishes That Don’t Need The Oven

While these sides aren’t made in the crockpot, they aren’t made in the oven either.

• Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole – the perfect combination of cheese and potatoes.
• Easy Mac & Cheese – a classic that the kids can’t get enough of.
• Sweet Tooth Salad – the perfect salad for those of us with a sweet tooth.

Make Ahead Side Dishes

Making a few of your sides the day before is always a great plan.

• Ambrosia Fruit Salad – this is a great dish to whip up the night before.
• Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad – this classic creamy macaroni salad is perfect with ham.
• KFC Coleslaw – I still can’t believe how much this tastes like the restaurant version!
• Rotini Pasta Salad – packed full of veggies, I love adding pieces of leftover ham to this the next day!

Bake Ahead Side Dishes

While these dishes need the oven, they can be made ahead of time.

• Easy Homemade Dinner Rolls – perfectly fluffy rolls, they make great sliders with leftovers.
• Jiffy Cornbread – this doctored cornbread recipe is hands down the best I’ve ever had.
• Cheddar Bay Biscuits – if you have cheese lovers like I do, they will want seconds.
• Corn Casserole – you can bake this ahead of time, then heat up in the microwave.

Oven Baked Side Dishes

These dishes are made in the oven. If you have a double oven, or if you want to have them ready to pop in the minute you pull out your ham (my method) they are great compliments to your holiday meal.

• Easy Glazed Carrots – my kids ask for these all the time, they are fantastic.
• Homemade Green Bean Casserole – a creamy green bean dish with no “can of” soups.
• Cheesy Garlic Rolls – imagine a savory cinnamon roll filled with cheese and garlic. These are amazing.

Holiday & Easter Dessert Recipes

We never forget dessert! Here are some decadent desserts to serve after your spiral ham dinner.

• Carrot Cake Recipe – this is hands down one of my all time favorite desserts. The texture, flavor and cream cheese frosting are all incredible.
• Chocolate Malt Ball Cake – if you love those chocolate malt ball eggs, this cake is for you.
• Coconut Cream Cupcakes – can’t decide between cake or pie? Have them both with these easy cupcakes.
• Macaroons – dreamy, creamy and packed with coconut flavor.
• Lemon Bundt Cake – this quick cake makes a fantastic spring dessert.
• Easter Cupcakes –  delicious homemade vanilla cupcakes, dressed up for Easter.
• Flower Pot Pudding Dirt Cups – these are a huge hit with the kids.
• Carrot Cake Cupcakes – based off my amazing carrot cake, but in cupcake form.
• Birds Nest Cookies – such a fun way to dress up cookies for Easter.

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