There's something irresistibly nostalgic about the combination of sweet pineapple and rich brown sugar on a beautifully baked ham. This Baked Ham with Pineapple and Brown Sugar Glaze Recipe brings classic flavors together that create a centerpiece perfect for gatherings, holidays, or any day you want a little something special on your table.

A cooked ham covered with shiny brown glaze, topped with multiple yellow pineapple rings arranged in a scattered pattern. Each pineapple ring holds a bright red maraschino cherry at the center, held in place by wooden toothpicks. The glaze looks thick and sticky, coating the ham and fruit evenly. The ham sits on crumpled silver foil, and the background is a white marbled surface. photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients & Why They Work
Make It Your Way
Step-by-Step: How I Make Baked Ham with Pineapple and Brown Sugar Glaze Recipe
Top Tip
How to Serve Baked Ham with Pineapple and Brown Sugar Glaze Recipe
Make Ahead and Storage
Frequently Asked Questions:
Final Thoughts
Baked Ham with Pineapple and Brown Sugar Glaze Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

I’ve made this baked ham more times than I can count, and it never fails to impress. The balance of sweet and spice with juicy pineapple literally melts in your mouth, and the brown sugar glaze gives it a shiny, caramelly finish that’s too good to resist.

Simple to Prepare: Even with a fancy look and flavor, this recipe is straightforward—you don’t need to be a pro chef to nail it.
Perfect for Big Gatherings: The glaze and pineapple make it festive and beautiful for holidays or celebrations.
Customizable Flavors: You can easily tweak spices or sweetness to suit your family’s taste.
Excellent Leftovers: This ham keeps well and works wonderfully in sandwiches or soups the next day.

The image shows a close-up of a sliced baked ham on a white plate. The ham is sliced into many thin, even layers that fan out, showing a mix of shiny, golden-brown glazed edges and pinkish inner meat. The surface of the ham has a caramelized, slightly crispy texture with darker brown spots. The plate also has bits of cooked pineapple near the bottom left, adding a soft yellow contrast to the rich brown and pink colors of the ham. The background surface is a white marbled texture with a small part of a white and black checkered cloth visible at the bottom right. photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Ingredients & Why They Work

The magic of this recipe lies in how the ingredients naturally complement each other, creating layers of flavor. The sweetness of the pineapple and brown sugar blends perfectly with the warm spices, and the cornstarch thickens the glaze just right so it clings beautifully to the ham.

Flat lay of fresh bone-in spiral-cut ham with a natural pink hue, a small pile of golden yellow pineapple slices glistening with juice on a simple white ceramic plate, a small white bowl filled with glossy amber honey, a small white bowl containing light to medium brown granulated sugar, a small white bowl with fine ground cinnamon powder, a small white bowl with ground cloves, a small white bowl holding a smooth white cornstarch powder, a small white bowl with clear water, and a few bright red maraschino cherries all arranged in perfect symmetry on a clean white marble surface, soft natural light, photo taken with an iPhone, professional food photography style, fresh ingredients, white ceramic bowls, no bottles, no duplicates, no utensils, no packaging --ar 2:3 --v 7 --p m7354615311229779997

Canned Pineapple Slices: Using canned pineapple makes things easier and ensures you get plenty of juice for the glaze; just don’t toss that juice!
Honey: Adds natural sweetness and a lovely sticky texture to the glaze.
Brown Sugar or Sweetener: This caramelizes coaxing a perfect glossy finish that’s classic and comforting.
Ground Cloves: A pinch adds that distinctive warm, aromatic spice that works beautifully with ham.
Cinnamon: Provides a gentle, sweet-spicy note complementing the cloves and pineapple.
Cornstarch & Water: This simple slurry thickens your glaze without lumps or graininess.
Fully Cooked Ham (Bone-in, Spiral Cut Preferred): Bone-in keeps the ham moist during baking, and spiral-cut means easy slicing and serving.
Maraschino Cherries (Optional): For that classic holiday vibe and a pop of color.
Toothpicks & Foil: For securing pineapple and cherries and wrapping the ham to keep it moist.

📝

Note: You'll find the complete list of ingredients, along with their exact measurements, in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Make It Your Way

One thing I love about this baked ham recipe is how easy it is to make your own. Whether you prefer it sweeter, spicier, or want to skip the cherries, you can tailor it to your family's favorites without losing the heart of this dish.

Variation: Sometimes I toss in a splash of apple cider vinegar to the glaze for a little tang; it cuts through all that sweetness and balances the flavors nicely.
Dietary Modification: You can swap honey for maple syrup or agave if you want to keep it vegan-friendly.
Seasonal Touch: Try adding fresh rosemary or thyme sprigs tucked under the pineapple for a fragrant herbal note during winter holidays.

Step-by-Step: How I Make Baked Ham with Pineapple and Brown Sugar Glaze Recipe

Step 1: Bring the Ham to Room Temperature

Before you even touch the oven, take your ham out of the fridge and let it sit for about an hour. This step is a game-changer — you don’t want to shock the meat by putting it straight into a hot oven. It heats evenly this way, so your ham cooks perfectly moist and tender.

Step 2: Prepare Your Oven and Scoring

Preheat your oven to 325°F. If your ham isn’t spiral cut already, take a sharp knife and lightly score the surface in a diamond pattern. This helps the glaze soak into all those delicious nooks! I usually skip scoring if my ham’s spiral — the cuts are already done for me.

Step 3: Make the Brown Sugar and Pineapple Glaze

Pop a saucepan on medium-high heat and combine the brown sugar, honey, pineapple juice, cinnamon, and ground cloves. Stir this for about 3-4 minutes until the sugar dissolves and everything is smoothly blended. While it heats, whisk together your cornstarch and water in a small bowl until fully combined.

Slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into the glaze, stirring continuously. You’ll notice it start to thicken nicely — that’s just what you want, so it sticks beautifully to your ham.

Step 4: Glaze, Pineapple, and Bake

Place the ham on a foil-lined baking sheet or roasting pan, then brush your luscious glaze all over the surface, making sure to get into the cuts if you scored it. Use toothpicks to secure pineapple slices and maraschino cherries on top — that’s what gives it such a stunning presentation and a tasty bite every time.

Next, loosely tent the ham with foil. This traps moisture without sticking to your beautiful glaze. Bake it for about 1 ½ hours (this depends on your ham size, see notes below). Then take off the foil, baste it with extra glaze, and bake uncovered for another 30 minutes to get that gorgeous caramelized finish.

Step 5: Rest and Serve

Your oven work isn’t quite done until you let the ham rest for at least 20 minutes after baking. I know it’s tempting to dig in, but resting keeps all those juices locked inside so every slice is tender and juicy.

Top Tip

Over the years, I’ve learned a few tricks that elevate this ham from good to unforgettable. Here are some tips to help you nail it on your first try (and every time after!)

Bring Ham to Room Temperature: This prevents uneven cooking and keeps the ham juicy throughout.
Don’t Wrap Foil Too Tight: It traps steam and keeps the glaze from sticking to your foil tent.
Glaze Thickness: The cornstarch slurry is key – add it slowly and stir continuously to avoid lumps in your glaze.
Use Bone-In Spiral Ham: In my experience, this keeps the meat more flavorful and makes slicing easier for guests.

How to Serve Baked Ham with Pineapple and Brown Sugar Glaze Recipe

baked ham with pineapple - Serving Suggestion

Garnishes

I usually leave the pineapple slices and cherries I baked on top for a charming, classic look. If I want to get fancy, I add fresh parsley or a sprinkling of chopped toasted pecans around the platter for texture and color contrast — it makes the presentation pop without adding fuss.

Side Dishes

My go-to sides are creamy mashed potatoes, roasted green beans with garlic, and buttery dinner rolls — they balance the sweet glaze perfectly. For something lighter, a crisp apple coleslaw or a fresh spinach salad with vinaigrette works beautifully too.

Creative Ways to Present

For special occasions, I’ve arranged the sliced ham around a festive platter with pineapple chunks scattered and tiny skewers for easy serving. Another favorite: carving the ham into thick chunks and layer it with pineapple rings on the buffet for guests to help themselves.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

Once your ham has cooled, I like to slice what I’ll need and store portions in airtight containers. It holds beautifully in the fridge for about 4 days. I always recommend saving some of the leftover glaze separately to drizzle when reheating – it keeps the ham moist and flavorful.

Freezing

If you plan to freeze ham, wrap individual slices tightly in foil or plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer bag. From my experience, it freezes well for up to 3 months without losing much flavor or texture — just thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Reheating

To reheat, cover your ham slices with foil and warm them gently in a 275°F oven. Adding a splash of water or leftover glaze helps prevent drying out. You can also warm smaller portions in the microwave on medium power, but watch to avoid overheating – the ham should be warm, not tough.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I use fresh pineapple instead of canned?

Absolutely! You can use fresh pineapple rings or chunks, but keep in mind you might need to add extra juice or a bit of water to get enough liquid for the glaze since fresh pineapple is less juicy than canned.

Do I have to score the ham before glazing?

If you’re using a spiral-cut ham, scoring isn’t necessary since the cuts are already made, but if your ham isn’t spiral cut, scoring the surface helps the glaze penetrate better and creates a lovely presentation.

How do I know when the ham is fully heated?

Because this recipe uses a fully cooked ham, you’re really warming it through. Bake times vary based on size, but generally bake for 10 minutes per pound at 325°F. Using a meat thermometer, it should reach about 140°F internally for serving.

Can I prepare the glaze ahead of time?

Yes! You can make the glaze a day before and store it in the fridge. Just warm it up a bit before applying, and add the cornstarch slurry at the last minute so it stays thick and glossy.

Final Thoughts

This Baked Ham with Pineapple and Brown Sugar Glaze Recipe has a special place in my heart because it’s one of those dishes that instantly feels like a celebration. The flavors bring warmth to the table, and it’s surprisingly easy to prepare despite its show-stopping look. I hope you enjoy making it as much as I do—and even more, enjoying the smiles it brings to your family and friends.