Sweet and Sticky Maple Glaze for Bone In Ham
This sweet and sticky maple glaze for bone in ham adds rich maple sweetness and a beautifully caramelized finish. Perfect for Easter, Christmas, and holiday dinners.
This sweet and sticky maple glaze for bone in ham adds rich maple flavour and a beautifully caramelized finish to a classic baked ham. As the glaze warms in the oven, it creates a glossy coating that complements the savoury, salty meat. It’s an easy homemade ham glaze that makes a lovely centrepiece for Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, or a special family dinner.
A Sweet and Sticky Maple Glaze for Beautifully Baked Ham
This homemade maple glaze for bone in ham creates a glossy, golden coating with a lovely balance of sweetness and savoury flavour. As the ham bakes, the glaze thickens and caramelizes around the edges, giving each slice a delicious finish. It’s a simple way to make a traditional baked ham feel extra special.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Homemade Maple Ham Glaze
The natural sweetness of maple syrup pairs beautifully with the salty, smoky flavour of ham. The glaze adds richness without overpowering the meat, and those slightly caramelized edges are especially delicious. It’s an easy way to give your holiday ham a beautiful presentation without complicated preparation.
Perfect for Easter, Christmas, and Holiday Family Dinners
Serve this maple glazed bone in ham as the centrepiece of an Easter celebration, Christmas dinner, or festive family gathering. It pairs wonderfully with scalloped potatoes, roasted carrots, green beans, and homemade dinner rolls. Any leftover ham is also delicious in sandwiches, soups, and breakfast dishes the following day.
Beautifully Caramelized Maple Glazed Ham with a Golden Finish
The Secret to a Golden, Caramelized Maple Ham Glaze
This beautifully roasted bone in ham has a rich, golden crust with slightly crisp, caramelized edges. As the maple glaze bakes, it creates a glossy coating that brings out the ham’s savoury, smoky flavour. I like to brush on additional glaze during the final stages of roasting, allowing it to build up gradually without burning. The result is a sweet and savoury maple glazed ham that makes a stunning centrepiece for Christmas, Easter, or any special family dinner.
Perfectly Roasted Bone In Ham with a Rich Maple Glazed Crust
This beautifully roasted bone in ham shows just how delicious a homemade maple glaze can be. The outside has developed a deep, caramelized crust, while the sliced interior reveals tender, juicy meat surrounding the bone. The sweet maple coating complements the savoury ham without overwhelming its natural flavour. For the best presentation, let the ham rest briefly before carving so the slices hold together nicely. It’s a wonderful centrepiece for Easter, Christmas, or a special family dinner.
Tips for the Best Maple Glazed Bone In Ham
• Choose a good quality bone in ham. A fully cooked bone in ham is ideal for this maple glazed ham recipe. The bone helps retain moisture and adds flavour as the ham warms in the oven.
• Use pure maple syrup. Real maple syrup gives homemade ham glaze a rich, natural sweetness and helps create a beautiful golden coating. Avoid pancake syrup, which has a different flavour and consistency.
• Apply the glaze in layers. Brush the maple glaze over the ham during the final stages of baking. Adding thin layers allows the glaze to build a glossy, caramelized crust without burning.
• Watch the oven temperature. Maple syrup contains natural sugars that can darken quickly. If the ham begins browning too much, loosely cover it with foil to protect the glaze while the meat finishes heating.
• Let the ham rest before carving. Allow the maple glazed bone in ham to rest for 10–15 minutes before slicing. This makes carving easier and helps keep the meat juicy. Use a sharp knife and cut around the bone for neat, tender slices.
My Kitchen Secret for a Beautifully Caramelized Maple Glazed Ham
One thing I’ve learned when making maple glazed bone in ham is that you don’t need to rush the glazing. I like to warm the ham first, then brush on the maple glaze in thin layers toward the end of baking. This gives the natural sugars time to caramelize without turning too dark or bitter. Keep an eye on the edges, especially where the glaze collects, as those areas brown quickly. A final light brushing of warm glaze before serving adds a lovely glossy finish and brings out that delicious sweet and savoury maple flavour.
Maple-Glazed Bone-In Ham
Equipment
- Large roasting pan
- Roasting rack, optional
- Small saucepan
- Sharp chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Pastry brush or silicone basting brush
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Aluminum foil
- Large serving platter
- Carving knife
- Meat thermometer
- Large spoon or baster for pan juices
Ingredients
For the Ham
- 1 ham fully cooked bone-in ham, approximately 8 to 10 pounds
- ½ cup water apple cider or orange juice, for the roasting pan
For the Maple Glaze
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed light or dark
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or orange juice
- 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard optional
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves or ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C).
- Remove the ham from its packaging and discard any plastic covering, netting or glaze packet. Pat the surface lightly with paper towel.
- Place the bone-in ham cut-side down in a large roasting pan. Pour ½ cup of water, apple cider or orange juice into the bottom of the pan. The liquid creates a little steam and helps prevent the pan juices from burning.
- If the ham has a thick outer fat layer and has not already been scored, use a sharp knife to make shallow diagonal cuts about 1 inch apart. Turn the ham and cut in the opposite direction to form a diamond pattern. Avoid cutting deeply into the meat. If the ham is already scored, spiral-sliced or smoothly trimmed, skip this step.
- To prepare the maple glaze, add the maple syrup, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, whole-grain mustard, garlic powder, ground cloves and black pepper to a small saucepan.
- Cook the glaze over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Once the sugar has dissolved and the glaze has thickened slightly, remove it from the heat.
- Reserve a small amount of the glaze in a separate clean bowl if you would like extra glaze for serving. Do this before brushing any glaze onto the ham.
- Brush a generous layer of maple glaze over the entire exposed surface of the ham. Let some of the glaze settle into the scored lines, if applicable.
- Loosely cover the ham with aluminum foil. Bake for approximately 15 to 18 minutes per pound, following the heating instructions on the ham package when available.
- Baste the ham with additional maple glaze every 20 to 30 minutes. I like to spoon a little of the warm pan liquid over the ham before adding each fresh layer of glaze. It helps keep the surface moist.
- During the final 20 to 30 minutes of cooking, remove the foil and brush the ham with one last generous coating of glaze.
- Continue baking uncovered until the glaze is sticky, glossy and caramelized around the edges. Watch it closely during this stage because maple syrup and brown sugar can darken quickly. If any areas begin to brown too much, loosely tent them with foil.
- Check the internal temperature in the thickest part of the ham without touching the bone. Heat the ham according to the temperature recommended on its package.
- Remove the maple-glazed ham from the oven and transfer it to a large cutting board or serving platter.
- Let the ham rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving. This short resting time helps the juices settle and makes the ham easier to slice.
- Warm the reserved glaze in a small saucepan, if desired, and spoon it over the sliced ham before serving.
Notes
- An 8- to 10-pound bone-in ham will usually serve approximately 12 people, with enough left over for sandwiches, soups or breakfast dishes.
- This maple-glazed ham recipe is designed for a fully cooked bone-in ham. A fresh or uncooked ham requires a longer cooking time and different internal temperature guidelines.
- Use pure maple syrup rather than maple-flavoured pancake syrup. Real maple syrup gives the baked ham glaze a deeper, richer flavour and creates a glossy caramelized finish.
- Apple cider vinegar gives the maple Dijon glaze a balanced sweet and tangy flavour. Orange juice can be used instead for a slightly sweeter, fruitier glaze.
- Scoring the surface of the ham helps the maple glaze settle into the shallow cuts and creates more caramelized edges. The recipe also works well with an unscored or trimmed bone-in ham.
- Keep the ham loosely covered with aluminum foil for most of the baking time. The maple syrup and brown sugar can darken quickly, so remove the foil only during the final 20 to 30 minutes.
- When using a spiral-sliced ham, carefully brush a little maple glaze between the slices without pulling them too far apart. Spiral ham can dry out faster than an unsliced bone-in ham.
- Cooking time depends on the weight, shape and style of ham. As a general guide, allow approximately 15 to 18 minutes per pound at 325°F, but always follow the heating directions on the package.
- Check the internal temperature by inserting a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the ham without touching the bone.
- Allow the baked ham to rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving. This helps keep the meat juicy and makes it easier to cut into neat slices.
- Store leftover maple-glazed ham in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat it gently with a splash of water, broth or apple juice to prevent it from drying out.