Okay, so I messed this up twice before getting it right. True story.
The first time I tried making a baked ham with maple glaze recipe, I thought I could just slap some maple syrup on top and call it a day. Spoiler alert: that turned into a sticky, burnt disaster that my smoke alarm enthusiastically announced to the entire neighborhood. My husband still brings it up at family gatherings. Thanks, honey.
But here’s the thing—once I figured out the right balance and technique, this became THE recipe everyone asks for during the holidays. Last Christmas, my sister-in-law literally texted me at 6 AM asking if I’d make it again. So yeah, I guess I’m the ham person now.
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Why This Maple Glazed Ham Recipe Actually Works
Look, I’m gonna be honest with you. Most glazed ham recipe easy tutorials online skip the important stuff. They don’t tell you that your glaze can burn in like two seconds if you’re not paying attention (learned this the hard way… twice). They don’t mention that the type of ham you buy makes a HUGE difference.
Here’s what makes this easy maple glazed ham different: the glaze has just enough brown sugar to caramelize perfectly without turning into charcoal, and we’re gonna baste this beauty multiple times. I know, I know—it sounds fussy. But trust me on this one.
The maple glaze for ham combines real maple syrup (not the fake stuff, please), Dijon mustard for tang, and a secret ingredient I stumbled upon by accident—apple cider vinegar. Was reaching for apple juice, grabbed the vinegar bottle instead, and somehow it worked better. Happy accidents, right?
What You’ll Need for This Baked Ham with Maple Glaze Recipe
The Ham Itself (Important!)
Get yourself a spiral cut ham recipe ham—specifically, a 7-9 pound bone-in spiral-cut ham. I usually grab mine from Costco because they’re always good quality and I don’t have to think too hard about it. Make sure it’s pre-cooked (most are). We’re just heating and glazing here, not cooking from scratch.
(Oh, and if someone tries to sell you a boneless ham, just… don’t. The bone adds flavor and it looks way more impressive on the table.)
For the Maple Glaze:
- 1 cup pure maple syrup (I use the medium amber kind—Grade A is what they call it now? Honestly the labels confuse me)
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed (light or dark works, I’ve tried both)
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard (the grainy kind is even better if you have it)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (remember, happy accident)
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves (optional, but it makes it smell AMAZING)
- Pinch of black pepper
Don’t skip the butter. I tried making this “healthier” once by leaving it out. Big mistake. The butter helps everything caramelize and stick to the ham instead of just dripping into the pan.
How to Make This Moist Tender Baked Ham
Step 1: Prep Your Ham (Don’t Skip This!)
Take your ham out of the fridge like 30 minutes before you start. Cold ham straight from the fridge takes forever to heat through—I’ve served semi-cold ham before and it’s not cute.
Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line a roasting pan with heavy-duty foil because cleanup is going to be sticky otherwise. Place a roasting rack in the pan (or scrunch up some regular foil into a makeshift rack—works fine).
Unwrap your ham and remove that weird plastic disk thing on the bottom. Place it cut-side down on the rack. Use a sharp knife to score the outside in a diamond pattern if it’s not already spiral cut on the outside. Makes it look fancy and helps the glaze soak in.
Step 2: Make the Best Maple Syrup Ham Glaze
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine maple syrup, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, and melted butter. Whisk it all together—it’ll look kinda separated at first but keep whisking.
Let it simmer for about 5 minutes until it thickens slightly. You want it to coat the back of a spoon. Add your cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper. Give it a taste—it should be sweet, tangy, and a little spicy. If it’s too sweet for you, add another splash of vinegar.
(I burned this once because my neighbor knocked on the door to return my mail. Set a timer. Seriously.)
Step 3: The Baking Process (Patience Required)
Pour about a cup of water into the bottom of your roasting pan. This keeps everything moist and prevents burning. Cover your ham loosely with foil—and I mean LOOSELY. If it’s too tight, the glaze won’t caramelize properly.
Bake for about 15 minutes per pound. So for an 8-pound ham, that’s roughly 2 hours. But here’s where the magic happens…
Step 4: Basting (The Most Important Part!)
Every 20-25 minutes, you need to baste this holiday ham recipes masterpiece with your maple glaze. Use a basting brush or just spoon it over generously. Don’t be shy with it.
Around the last 30 minutes, remove the foil completely. Crank the heat up to 400°F and baste one more time. This is when that caramelized glazed ham crust forms. Watch it like a hawk during this part—it can go from perfect to burnt in about 3 minutes. Ask me how I know.
The ham is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 140°F (use a meat thermometer in the thickest part without touching bone).
Step 5: Rest and Serve
Let it rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. I know it smells incredible and you want to dive in immediately, but letting it rest keeps all those juices inside.
Transfer to a serving platter (put down extra napkins first—it drips), spoon extra glaze over the top, and watch everyone lose their minds.
My Hard-Won Tips for the Perfect Christmas Ham Glaze
About that glaze: Make extra. Seriously, make 1.5x the recipe. People will want to drizzle more on their plates and you’ll want some for leftovers.
Timing hack: You can prep this the night before. Score the ham, place it in the pan covered with foil, and keep it in the fridge. Make your glaze and store it in a jar. Day-of, just let everything come to room temp and follow the baking steps. Saves SO much time on Easter ham recipe day when you’ve got 47 other things to cook.
Leftover magic: This make-ahead ham recipe produces incredible leftovers. Ham and cheese omelets, ham fried rice, ham sandwiches with that leftover glaze as a spread… we ate ham for four days straight last time and nobody complained.
If you mess up the glaze: Made it too thick? Add a tablespoon of water or apple juice. Too thin? Simmer it longer or add a teaspoon of cornstarch mixed with water. I’ve done both multiple times.
What Makes This the Best Baked Ham Recipe
Here’s why this beats the store-bought honey glazed ham recipe versions or even restaurant ham: you control everything. Want it sweeter? Add more maple syrup. Want it tangier? More mustard. Can’t do cloves? Leave them out.
Plus, homemade ham glaze recipe versions just taste more… real? The store-bought ones have that artificial sweetness that coats your teeth weird. This tastes like actual food made by actual humans.
And honestly? It’s not that hard. Yeah, you need to babysit it a bit with the basting, but you’re not doing anything complicated. If I can make this while simultaneously preventing my cat from jumping on the counter and texting my mom back, anyone can do this.
Serving Suggestions from Real Life
I serve this with roasted Brussels sprouts (the crispy kind with bacon), creamy mashed potatoes, and those Hawaiian rolls from the orange bag. Some people do green bean casserole, but I think that’s overkill.
My kids eat this with ketchup. I’ve given up judging their choices.
For easy weeknight ham dinner vibes, you can absolutely make a smaller ham using this same method. A 3-4 pound ham works perfectly for weeknight meals—just adjust your cooking time to about 45 minutes.
Final Thoughts
This baked ham with maple glaze recipe has become my signature dish, which is wild because three years ago I couldn’t cook a ham to save my life. It’s perfect for holiday ham recipes, impresses people way more than the effort required, and the leftovers are actually better than the original meal.
Is it fancy? Not really. Is it delicious? Absolutely. Will people think you’re a cooking genius? Probably.
Give it a try and let me know how yours turns out! Seriously, drop a comment or send me a message because I love hearing about other people’s ham adventures (and disasters—we all have them).
Happy cooking, and may your smoke alarms stay quiet! 🍁✨
