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Brown Sugar Ham Glaze

Brown Sugar Ham Glaze is a quick stovetop caramel-style sauce that turns glossy and thick in just 3–4 minutes. It’s brushed onto a scored, fully cooked ham for sticky, amber drips.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 220
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Brown Sugar Ham Glaze
  • 1 cup brown sugar packed
  • 0.25 cup honey
  • 0.25 cup pineapple or orange juice
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp ground cloves

Equipment

  • 1 saucepan

Method
 

Make the Glaze
  1. Add brown sugar, honey, pineapple or orange juice, Dijon mustard, butter, apple cider vinegar, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves to a saucepan. Stir to combine until the mixture looks evenly blended.
  2. Heat the saucepan over medium heat until the mixture reaches a simmer, stirring as it warms. Keep an eye out for small bubbles breaking at the surface.
  3. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened and glossy. The glaze should coat the back of a spoon and look amber and shiny (visual cue: glossy sheen).
Glaze the Ham
  1. Brush the glaze over a fully cooked ham during the last 30 minutes of baking, every 10 minutes. Use a basting brush to work the glaze into the scored diamond pattern (visual cue: sticky glaze drips).
  2. Spoon the remaining warm glaze over sliced ham at the table. Serve while still warm so the glaze stays glossy (visual cue: thick amber coating).

Notes

Pro tip: Pack the brown sugar tightly so it dissolves smoothly and the glaze turns glossy instead of grainy. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 5 days and rewarm on the stove over low heat, stirring, until pourable. Freezing isn’t recommended for best texture. For a lighter version, use reduced-sugar honey or a brown sugar alternative that measures 1:1.