Candy Apple Glazed Ham
Indulge in the delightfully festive flavors of Candy Apple Glazed Ham, a show-stopping centerpiece for your holiday table. This recipe transforms a tender, bone-in ham into a sweet and savory masterpiece with a luscious candy apple glaze made from apple cider, brown sugar, honey, and warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. The glaze, thickened to perfection with a cornstarch slurry, blankets the ham in a glossy caramelized coating that’s further enhanced by decorative red apple slices. With its balance of tangy apple notes and rich spiced sweetness, this oven-baked ham pairs beautifully with seasonal sides and feeds a crowd with ease. Perfect for Christmas, Easter, or any celebration, this elegant dish is sure to impress both eyes and taste buds!
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 8 pounds bone-in, fully cooked ham
- 2 cups apple cider
- 1.5 cups light brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 0.5 cups honey
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 0.5 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 0.25 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 large red apple (sliced into thin rounds)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water (for cornstarch slurry)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C). Position the oven rack to the lower third of the oven.
Place the ham, cut side down, on a large roasting pan fitted with a rack. Use aluminum foil to tent the ham lightly, covering it but allowing air circulation.
Bake the ham in the preheated oven for about 1.5 hours (12-15 minutes per pound), or until heated through. Meanwhile, prepare the candy apple glaze.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the apple cider, light brown sugar, unsalted butter, honey, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves. Stir the mixture occasionally until the sugar dissolves and the ingredients are combined.
Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-12 minutes, until slightly thickened and syrupy.
In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water to create a slurry. Gradually add the slurry to the glaze, stirring constantly, and cook for another 1-2 minutes until the glaze thickens further. Remove the glaze from heat.
After 1.5 hours of baking, remove the ham from the oven and discard the foil tent. Brush a generous amount of the candy apple glaze all over the ham, making sure to coat the surface evenly.
Arrange the thinly sliced red apple rounds decoratively around the ham and secure them with toothpicks if needed.
Return the ham to the oven and bake for an additional 30 minutes, basting with more glaze every 10 minutes, until the ham develops a shiny, caramelized coating.
Remove the ham from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving. Transfer it to a serving platter and remove the apple slices if desired.
Serve warm and enjoy the sweet, tangy, and spiced flavors of the Candy Apple Glazed Ham with your favorite sides.
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
8250 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 348.4 g | 447% | |
| Saturated Fat | 135.0 g | 675% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.2 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 2258 mg | 753% | |
| Sodium | 43658 mg | 1898% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 535.4 g | 195% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 7.7 g | 28% | |
| Total Sugars | 508.2 g | ||
| Protein | 770.7 g | 1541% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.0 mcg | 0% | |
| Calcium | 715 mg | 55% | |
| Iron | 23.8 mg | 132% | |
| Potassium | 11858 mg | 252% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
