This is one of the easiest ham glaze recipes to make, with the most delicious sweet and savory honey brown sugar flavor. It perfectly caramelizes on your ham for a beautiful finish.
The holidays are right around the corner, and while I’ve already shared my baked ham recipe that includes this honey brown sugar glaze, I’ve never posted the glaze on its own until now.
If you’ve been searching for that classic, sweet and tangy ham glaze to wow your guests, this is the one. The combination of the simple ingredients creates the perfect sticky, golden coating.
After you’ve finished your ham, be sure to save the bone and make my ham bone soup. It’s hearty, flavorful and a great way to use up leftovers.
Pair your ham with glazed carrots or my sweet potato casserole. Both are delicious sides that complement the sweetness of the glaze.
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Ham Glaze Ingredients
- Brown sugar: Dark brown sugar for a deeper flavor or light brown sugar for a sweeter flavor.
- Honey: Helps create a stickiness for the glaze to cling to the ham. Any kind of honey will work.
- Apple cider vinegar: Adds a subtle tang and balances out sweetness of honey and brown sugar.
- Dijon mustard: Adds a nice savory flavor to the glaze.
- Cloves: If you don’t have cloves you can use allspice.
How to Make Honey Brown Sugar Ham Glaze
- Step 1: Combine brown sugar, honey, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard and cloves in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Step 2: Continuously stir until smooth and melted.
- Step 3: Allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes or until slightly thickened.
- Step 4: Brush generously over your ham before and during baking. Use my baked ham recipe for further instructions.
Helpful Tips and Variations
- Spice it up: Add a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg.
- Citrus lovers: Replace apple cider vinegar with orange juice.
- Extra sticky glaze: Brush the ham several times with glaze during baking for a deeper color and flavor.
- Other purposes: It’s great drizzled on leftover ham sandwiches or roasted vegetables!
Shortcut
If your short on time, you can warm the ingredients in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between until smooth. This quick method will give you that same delicious flavor with less cleanup!
Storing Leftovers
Store leftover ham glaze in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in microwave to desired temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can prepare the ham glaze up to 3 days ahead and store in the fridge. Reheat before brushing on ham.
Absolutely! Maple syrup gives a deeper flavor and a great alternative to honey.
Scoring helps the glaze soak into the ham for the best flavor so it’s highly recommended.
Recipe
Honey Brown Sugar Ham Glaze
Ingredients
- 2 cups brown sugar dark or deep flavor or light for sweeter
- 1 cup honey
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Combine brown sugar, honey, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard and cloves in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Continuously stir until smooth and melted.
- Allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes or until slightly thickened.
- Brush generously over your ham before and during baking. Use my baked ham recipe for further instructions.
Nutrition Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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