We know what makes a next-level Pineapple Glaze for Ham after 30 years of cooking for an large extended family. The secret is in the balance of spices, plus the sweetness of the pineapple juice and brown sugar. Together, they create a sticky, flavorful glaze that clings to the ham and caramelizes beautifully as it cooks. Slather it over a moist, tender ham for a crowd winning main dish.
This doesn't have to be the only star of your holiday table! Check out all of our most favorite Thanksgiving Recipes for more inspiration!
This Ham Glaze with Pineapple is the fastest and easiest way to make your ham something truly special. It has so much more flavor than the little brown sugar glaze packet that comes with many store-bought hams, and it only takes a few minutes to make.
Omg!!! I Made this glaze for a church function and it was a hit! Super delicious!!!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Eleni
This is our go-to glaze for our Electric Roaster Ham recipe. But it is equally delicious on a classic baked ham or spiral ham recipe for your Christmas dinner or favorite Easter Recipes. Also try our 3-Ingredient Ham Glaze for another simple but amazing option.
Recipe Notes from Danielle & Misty
We take our meat seriously around here. For years, we bought the Honey Baked Hams, but as their cost kept increasing, we started looking for a more cost-efficient option. I must say, we nailed one that arguably better!
We started by testing the juice for sweetness and flavor. We tried orange, pineapple, and apple, but the background flavor and brightness in the pineapple juice proved to be the winner. Then we moved on to getting the balance of spices correct.
Brown sugar gives the deep sweetness we wanted, plus it provides the sticky consistency needed for it to cling to the ham. The end result is a caramelized, truly flavorful ham.
Omg!!! I Made this glaze for a church function and it was a hit! Super delicious!!!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Eleni
Ingredients for pineapple glaze for ham
It appears to be quite a few ingredients, but each one makes a true difference in the final flavor. Here are some suggestions to ensure best results; quantities are in the recipe card below.
- Pineapple juice: You can use the juice from canned pineapple slices or pineapple chunks, or just buy juice. You will need one cup total.
- Brown sugar: We prefer light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar can be used for an even deeper flavor.
- Cornstarch: Just a touch to thicken. This should be stirred into the glaze while it is room temperature, before you start cooking it to avoid clumps.
- Butter: We use salted, but unsalted butter is fine too.
- Stone ground mustard: You can substitute with dijon mustard or spicy brown mustard instead.
- Seasonings: You'll need garlic powder, onion powder, cinnamon, paprika, nutmeg, and cloves.
How to make pineapple ham glaze
These step-by-step instructions show how easy it is to make a homemade glaze in just minutes.
Start by whisking everything together in a medium saucepan. You want the mixture to be fully combined without any lumps.
Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring often. Once simmering, cook for one minute, or until it is slightly thickened. Keep in mind that it will thicken a bit more as it cools.
Remove the glaze from the heat, being careful not to overcook it so that it doesn't get too thick.
If you're making this ahead, see the storage instructions below. If you're using it immediately, brush the pineapple glaze on the entire outside of the ham. It is is spiraled, be sure to separate the slices gently and allow some of the glaze to drip in between.
Do you glaze a ham before or after baking?
Both! We glaze ours before baking it, then add another layer after it bakes to get those really sticky edges. We also love to broil it for just a couple minutes at the end to caramelize it slightly.
Tips & Tricks
- Whisk the it really well before and during cooking to prevent the cornstarch from clumping.
- Don't simmer the sweet glaze too long or it will become too thick.
- If reheating, use a low heat on the stove or half power in the microwave until it is loose enough to brush.
- Brush a little glaze on leftover ham to make it as delicious as the first time!
More recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe
Pineapple Ham Glaze Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup pineapple juice (canned or bottled)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon stone ground mustard or dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves
Instructions
- Whisk everything together in a small saucepan off the heat.1 cup pineapple juice, 1 cup brown sugar, 3 tbsp cornstarch, 2 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp stone ground mustard, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp paprika, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ⅛ tsp cloves
- Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until simmering gently. Once simmering, cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
- Use on a ham or store in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.
Notes
- Whisk the it really well before and during cooking to prevent the cornstarch from clumping.
- Don't simmer the sweet glaze too long or it will become too thick.
- If reheating, use a low heat on the stove or half power in the microwave until it is loose enough to brush.
- Brush a little glaze on leftover ham to make it as delicious as the first time!
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
Vickie A says
We bought the precooked ham butts that are not pre-sliced. Will your glaze work for this?
Danielle says
Absolutely! The slices allow for a bit more flavor to seep down into the meat, but this definitely works with your ham. Don't hesitate if you have any other questions. Happy Thanksgiving!
Barbara Raymond says
Hello there! I'm looking forward to trying this recipe for Thanksgiving. Could I use crushed pineapple with a cup of the juice? Thank you!
Danielle says
Hi! You can absolutely strain the juice off of a can of crushed pineapple! As long as you have one cup you will be good to go. I am not sure if you are wondering about adding the crushed pineapple to the glaze as well, so I will answer just in case. We have not tried adding crushed pineapple to the glaze, but in my opinion it will make the glaze too thick and chunky. For the glaze to work best it should be able to glide over and in between the ham slices. Hope that helps! Please feel free to ask if you have any other questions. Happy Thanksgiving!
Phyllis says
Hey all you Borrowed Bites fans,
I just roasted my third ham following this recipe and using my roaster and it was a WINNER! If you have not tried it yet you’re missing out on lots of compliments and a real good feeling of having done something really well.
Thank you Danielle and Misty for helping me to conquer the old dried out ham problem.
Danielle says
So glad to hear!
WILLIE P Hyman says
CANYOUUSE WHOLE PINE PAPPLE AND CHERRIE
Misty says
Hi Willie. We do not use whole pineapple and cherries in the glaze, just pineapple juice. You can add whole pineapple slices to your ham when baking if you wish.
Eleni says
Omg!!! I Made this glaze for a church function and it was a hit! Super delicious!!!
Misty says
We love to hear that, Eleni! Thanks for taking the time to let us know.
Shaina says
What could I use as a substitute for pineapple juice? My husband is allergic, but I still want to try this recipe!
Danielle says
Goodness! I don't know if there is a good substitution. Maybe peach juice/nectar? I haven't tried it so I can't say for sure, but that might be worth trying. I would make the sauce first and taste it to make sure you like it before putting it on the ham. Please let us know if you do try a substitution!
Andrea says
Orange or cherries juice would go well with the spices, I think.
Joann S. says
Superb flavor, my classroom really loved it.
Danielle says
So happy to hear you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for taking the time to let us know!
Phyllis says
Hello Danielle and Misty
Well I just have to say that you are right about this glaze making my spiral cut ham taste as good or better than the expensive one that we sometimes spring for. . Never again though. I was so happy with how the glaze and ham turned out. Thank you for your directions. This is a repeat recipe for sure
By the way, my ham was a bit to big for my roaster so I oven cooked it at 260 degrees and tightly covered with heavy duty tin foil. I let it rest a short while and then caramelized it under the broiler. Perfect. Moist and tasty.
Misty says
So glad you liked it!
Phyllis says
Hello Danielle and Misty
Well I just have to say that you are right about this glaze making my spiral cut ham taste as good or better than the expensive one that we sometimes spring for. . Never again though. I was so happy with how the glaze and ham turned out. Thank you for your directions. This is a repeat recipe for sure
Mia says
I use this glaze on your "Glazed Ham In A Roaster" recipe. It was amazing. The thick consistency helped the glaze stick to the ham and get into the sliced pieces. This will be by "go to" recipe for ham glaze.
Danielle says
So happy to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review. It really does make our day!
Lori says
Hi do you cook the ham covered after putting glaze on or not? I covered with foil but doesn’t seem to be getting caramelized after 30 mins. And what temp? Thank you.
Danielle says
The glaze will not caramelize if it is covered in foil. The cooking instructions for ham vary widely depending on the type of ham you are cooking and the method of cooking. Once the ham is cooked through you can broil the glaze to caramelize it. If you are cooking a spiral ham in an electric rooster we have step-by-step instructions for that. For the recipe type "ham" in the search bar. Happy eating!
ESTHER says
Can you let us know how long to cook in oven and 300 or 350 heat? Thank you.
Danielle says
Esther,
We usually cook our ham in an electric roaster. That recipe is linked in the post. You could try modifying the electric roaster recipe for a regular oven, but I haven't done that so I can't tell you for sure how long it would take. If you give it a try please let us know how it turns out!
Mike says
How to reduce the recipe for smaller amounts.
Misty says
Hi Mike, you can use half the ingredients if you would like to make a small batch. Enjoy!
Bradley D Tjapkes says
I have been baking and glazing hams for 40 years and this year I found this glaze recipe. I always get compliment on my ham gravy made with ham drippings and glaze bot today for Christmas dinner I got wow!
I love the flavor and that it is thick and sticks to the ham with better coverage.
This recipe is a winner!
Misty says
Wow, what high praise! We're so glad you liked it. Thank you for sharing.
Kenny Harge says
Please send me all the delicious recipes listed here
Danielle says
To find any of the recipes listed jut click on the colored words. That will take you right to what you are looking for.