3-Ingredient Brown Sugar Glazed Ham

Toss that glaze packet that came with your ham—THIS is the glaze that you want to use! 3-Ingredient Brown Sugar Glazed Ham uses dijon mustard and dark brown sugar to create an irresistible glaze for a spiral cut ham.

You will be so glad you tossed that glaze packet after getting a taste of this easy recipe! Brown sugar and dijon mustard team up to create a sticky, sweet, tangy, flavorful glaze for this 3-Ingredient Brown Sugar Glazed Ham.

I love how easy this recipe is. Warm the ham, stir the glaze, brush the ham, finish in the oven. That’s it!

It’s so easy, that you’ll have plenty of time to prepare sides like Scalloped Potatoes and Ham, Scalloped Pineapple, or Creamed Corn Casserole while it bakes.

I used a spiral sliced half ham, but you can use this recipe for a unsliced ham or a whole ham (see the notes in the recipe card for increasing the amounts for a whole ham).

Kate’s tips for glazing a ham

• Roast the ham cut-side down in a roasting pan. This will ensure the slices don’t dry out.
• After you brush the outside with the glaze, separate the slices and brush any extra glaze inside the ham. Even more sticky goodness!
• When serving the ham, run your knife around the bone in a circular motion to release the slices easily for serving.
• You can serve the ham warm from the oven, at room temperature, or cold.

Ingredients

Be sure to check the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and instructions!

• I used a spiral sliced half ham. You can also use a whole ham or an unsliced ham. Discard the glaze packet (if it comes with the ham).
• Dark brown sugar lends the perfect amount of sweetness. Light brown sugar is fine, too.
• Dijon mustard adds tanginess and some zip!

How to make a 3-ingredient glazed ham with brown sugar

Start by placing a spiral sliced half ham, cut side down, in a 13×9 inch pan. Cover with foil and bake at 325°F for one hour. While the ham is warming up in the oven, stir the brown sugar and dijon mustard together in a medium bowl.

After removing the ham from the oven, brush the glaze all over the ham. You can turn the ham on its side and separate the slices slightly to flavor the ham even more.

Turn the ham cut-side down again, then return to the oven. Increase the oven temperature to 350°F. Cook for an additional 30 minutes, or until the ham is warmed through and the glaze is sticky to the touch.

That’s it! Your 3-Ingredient Glazed Ham is ready to serve.

📖 Recipe

3-Ingredient Brown Sugar Glazed Ham

Published by Kate

You just need three ingredients to create an amazingly delicious ham for your holiday dinner table.

5 from 6 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Servings 14 servings

Calories 421 kcal

Ingredients

  

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• 1 (8–10 lb) spiral sliced half ham
• ½ cup dark brown sugar (light brown sugar also works)
• ½ cup dijon mustard

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Place the ham, cut side down, in a 13×9 inch baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour.
• While the ham is baking, stir together the brown sugar and dijon mustard.
• Remove the ham from the oven and remove the foil. Increase the oven temperature to 350°F.
• Brush the brown sugar mixture over the ham.
• Place back in the oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until the glaze is sticky and the ham is warmed through.
• Turn the ham on its side and run a knife along the circular bone in the middle. This will help release the slices from the ham nicely.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

Video

Notes

Making this recipe with a whole ham? Increase the brown sugar and dijon mustard to ¾ cup each. 

If you’re making this with an unsliced ham, score the ham on the top in a diagonal pattern, about ½-inch deep, before brushing on the glaze.

The ham can be served while warm, at room temperature, or cold. You can make it ahead and either refrigerate it, or let it sit at room temperature for up to 4 hours (after that, it needs to go in the fridge).

Leftover ham can be refrigerated and enjoyed within 5 days. You can also freeze ham for up to 3 months. 

Tips for carving: Since the ham is sliced already, you aren’t technically carving it, but you do need to get the pieces out! Use a small, sharp knife (like a paring knife) to cut all the way around the circular bone in the center. Check out the video in this post for a demonstration. You may need to run the knife around, remove some slices, run the knife around again, etc.

I usually save the end that’s not sliced and cube that for other dishes like Scalloped Potatoes and Ham, split pea soup, Asparagus & Ham Quiche, etc.

Variations: 

• • Add a few tablespoons of pineapple juice or orange juice to the glaze.

• • Substitute half of the brown sugar with honey or maple syrup.

• • Stir ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg , and a pinch of ground cloves into the glaze (these are the spices that Honey Baked Ham uses).

• • Add some heat by sprinkling some cayenne pepper into the glaze.

•  

Nutrition

Calories: 421kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 49gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.001gCholesterol: 189mgSodium: 800mgPotassium: 752mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 6IUVitamin C: 60mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 2mg

Keyword glazed ham

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Note: this recipe was originally published in April 2023 and updated in March 2025. 

Side Dishes that pair perfectly with Ham

Uses for leftover ham

Here are a few ideas for leftovers!

• Make Hawaiian Roll Sliders (my favorite party sandwich!)
• Create sandwiches with homemade flaky biscuits and mustard
• Make an Asparagus & Ham Quiche or a frittata
• Add it to scrambled eggs, an omelette, or a breakfast hash
• Put on a pizza
• Whip up a simple split pea soup
• Add to an old fashioned potato soup