Maple Glazed Spiral Ham (2024)

This Maple Glazed Spiral Ham recipe rivals any store-bought glazed ham and at a fraction of the price. Save yourself some money and make your own spiral ham at home!

Serve this easy glazed ham with Scalloped Potatoes and Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic and Goat Cheese for a delicious holiday meal.

Spiral sliced ham is one of the easiest main dishes you can prepare for a large group on Easter or for any holiday buffet. This convenient cut comes to us fully cooked and sliced so it’s just a matter of warming it through and adding a glaze. If you’ve had issues with dry, lifeless ham, this recipe will be a game changer.

The method I’m sharing today ensures a super moist and tender ham every single time. If your ham came with a glaze packet, toss it and make the simple but insanely delicious homemade maple glaze recipe instead.

FAQ and Valerie’s Tips

Ingredient Notes

• Spiral sliced ham -During the holiday seasons you’ll find spiral sliced hams available at most major grocery store chains. I highly recommend the Kirkland brand Applewood Smoked Cured Spiral Ham available at Costco. This is the brand I typically use for my Easter ham and we love it.
• Pure maple syrup – The basis for the glaze is pure maple syrup. We aren’t talking pancake syrup which is mainly comprised of corn syrup. We’re talking 100% pure maple syrup. Check Trader Joe’s or your local big box store for a better price.
• Stone ground mustard – The rustic, graininess of stone ground or whole grain mustard adds a great element and helps balance the sweetness in the maple glaze. I love Inglehoffer Stone Ground Mustard but there are lots of good choices out there. You can substitute Dijon mustard if you’d like.
• Brown sugar – Either light or dark brown sugar will work just fine.
• Cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves – Just a touch of each give the maple glaze classic holiday flavor.

How to Make Glazed Spiral Ham

1. Remove the ham from the packaging and place it, cut side down, on a large piece of heavy duty foil. You need the extra thickness and sturdiness of heavy duty foil for this task so pick some up if you don’t have any on hand.
2. Enclose the ham completely in the foil. Be sure the opening is on the top so you’ll have easy access when it’s time to glaze the ham. Place the foil wrapped ham in a large roasting pan and transfer it to a lower rack in a preheated 325 degree F oven. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes per pound or until heated through.

Glazing a Spiral Ham

1. Add the brown sugar, pure maple syrup, stone ground mustard, cinnamon, nutmeg and a dash of ground cloves to a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Bring the glaze mixture to a simmer for just a couple of minutes and remove it from the heat.
3. Remove the ham from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Carefully peel back the foil, creating a foil bed for the ham, and pour about ¾ of the glaze over the top and sides.
4. Return the uncovered ham to the oven for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or just until the glaze has caramelized (watch it carefully to avoid burning). Remove it from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Spoon any glaze that has been captured in the foil over the ham as it rests and then brush all over with the reserved glaze.

Slice and Serve the Ham

Transfer the ham to a cutting board to slice and serve. It will slice up easily and beautifully in a manner of minutes and you can get on with your holiday meal.

Storage Tips

Transfer any leftover ham to a plastic storage bag or other airtight container and refrigerate within two hours. Use refrigerated ham within 3 to 4 days. For longer storage, wrap the ham in plastic wrap and then in a layer of foil or a freezer-safe plastic storage bag and freeze for up to 1 to 2 months.

There’s nothing more comforting than a pot of Baked Beans from Scratch or Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup in the days following the holiday.

Glaze recipe adapted from Dave Lieberman via Food Network

This post was originally published on March 31, 2015. It has been updated with new text and images.