This bone-in, spiral cut ham is flavored with real maple syrup, instead of brown sugar glaze, to give it a natural sweet maple flavor without refined sugar. It’s not SO sweet! Also, it’s flavored with fresh orange juice and zest, and ground cloves. This Thanksgiving ham recipe not sweet is flavorful and perfect for your Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter feast. Made with just 4 ingredients!
Thanksgiving Ham Recipe Not Sweet
I’m one that doesn’t like sugar in my coffee but, will eat nice piece of Brown Sugar Sweet Potato Pie or Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie with it. I just don’t like most of my savory foods to be sweet. In my humble opinion, sweet is more for desserts.
Baked Ham Recipe Not So Sweet Maple Glaze
This baked ham recipe “not so sweet” maple glaze is perfect for those who want the flavoring of maple syrup but, with a hint of sweetness rather than a brown sugar glaze which, I’m not bashing because I like that too. But, brown sugar glazes can be very sweet to too sweet at times.
Nonetheless, I’m convinced you’re going to like this recipe either way because if you use a good quality ham, you can’t go wrong.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links which means, if you make a purchase, I’ll receive a very small commission which helps with blog expenses so you can continue to receive FREE recipes but, the price you pay is the same.
As I mentioned above, this ham recipe is perfect for your Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter feast. I’ve also included some delicious ham leftovers recipes near the recipe card.
Bone-in Ham
Bone-in hams are quite versatile because you can keep the ham bone and make soup with it later along with the multitude of recipes you can make with leftover ham. Freeze the bone for later use.
Ham bones give delicious, natural flavor to soups and make a flavorful ham broth that you can freeze too. Freeze the leftover ham for ham recipes.
Spiral Ham
Spiral hams, which are also bone-in, are so convenient because you don’t have to get out an electric knife and possibly cut yourself. Going to the E.R. on a holiday is not much fun at all. I’ve had to do it before.
The ham with bone in is spiral-cut around the bone. It’s so much easier to cut and serve. The picture below is of the ham cooked, not before cooking. It’s perfect for beginner cooks and seasoned cooks alike.
Roasting Pan
You need a roasting pan for this recipe but, you don’t need a lid because you’re going to cover it with aluminum foil. Most times, the lid doesn’t fit anyway depending on the size of your pan and ham.
Oil spray it with any kind of oil spray you like except the one with flour in it, which should be reserved for holiday baking for sweets.
If you don’t have oil spray, the ham probably won’t stick, so don’t sweat it out.
After you oil spray the roasting pan, put the ham wide side down as shown. It looks like a mountain you don’t have to climb and get to eat instead. Don’t add water to the pan as its own juices will excrete during the cooking process.
Aluminum Foil
For this recipe, and many ham recipes, you’re going to cover the roasting pan containing the ham with aluminum foil. This allows the ham to release its juices and steam itself while cooking. It’ll come out moist, hot and delicious. You don’t need to add water to the roasting pan because the ham will excrete all of its own juices.
Maple Syrup
I buy a good quality, pure maple syrup for cooking and my husband’s pancakes and waffles. Sorry Mrs. Butterworth! But, I do use it for my kids’ pancakes and waffles as that is their preference for now.
Internal Temperature
The internal temperature of the ham should reach 140F. The temperature should be taken near the bone and in the largest section of the ham.
Meat Thermometer
You can use a meat thermometer to check the temperature. Insert it in the meat near the bone, in the middle of the ham.
Don’t overheat the ham, which means don’t let it sit in the oven for longer than it requires or it will dry out and become tough. Let it rest 10-15 minutes before serving and keep it covered in the meantime. It’ll stay hot.
Doesn’t it look amazing?
Grocery Store
I buy my spiral-cut hams at the grocery store and Costco. As a matter of fact, I’m eligible for a free Christmas ham as I write this. You can also get the maple ham glaze ingredients there too so, it’s convenient to make this recipe as a one stop shopping trip.
Best Ham
I enjoy the free spiral cut hams I get at my local Giant grocery store or the reasonably priced ones I get at Costco. Generally, those are the two places in which I buy ham. However, I’ve heard wonderful things about Virginia Baked Hams and would order one possibly in the future. We have friends that live in Virginia too.
Leftover Ham
What do you do with all of that leftover ham? First of all, keep the bone. Put it in a gallon size plastic freezer bag and put it in the freezer until you’re ready to make Ham Potato and White Bean Soup or make ham broth with the bone and use it to make One Pot Ham, Potato and Corn Chowder!
One Pot Ham Potato and Bean Soup
Djon Mustard
Djon mustard is a wonderful, low calorie spread you can put on a ham sandwich and add some Swiss cheese! Make it into a grilled ham and cheese sandwich and add the Djon mustard after you take it off the griddle. YUMMY!
I use Djon mustard to make my Baked Panko Djon Salmon sometimes. It’s a great combo.
Leftover Ham Recipes
One Pot Ham, Potato and Corn Chowder
Ham, Egg and Gouda Breakfast Muffins
Easy Ham Noodle Casserole with Leftover Ham
Boneless Ham
This maple syrup glaze can be used on a boneless ham as well and in the same way. Check out my 10 Tips to Host a Stress-Free Holiday Dinner with Ham. There is a Honey Pineapple Ham Glaze recipe included.
Thanksgiving Dinner
Plan your Thanksgiving Dinner, learn how to keep Thanksgiving sides warm, get Thanksgiving air fryer recipes, Thanksgiving recipes and desserts.
Christmas Dinner
Plan your Christmas dinner with this Christmas Dinner Planner. See all of my Christmas recipes and Christmas Cookies!
Easter Ham
This ham recipe is perfect for Easter as well. Plan your Easter Dinner with this organized planner. Get delicious Easter recipes too. I have some great Italian heritage Easter recipes.
Conclusion
This bone-in, spiral cut ham is flavored with real maple syrup that gives it a natural sweet maple flavor without refined sugar and flavored with orange zest and juice and ground cloves. Make this Thanksgiving ham recipe not sweet spiral cut ham recipe for any holiday that feeds a crowd and freeze leftover ham for easy, go-to 30 minute meals.
Save the ham bone and use it to make flavorful soups or ham broth to be frozen and later used to make soup.
If you make this recipe, please come back and rate it.
I took this recipe to Weekend Potluck.
Thanksgiving Ham Recipe Not Sweet
Equipment
- 1 large roasting pan without lid 13"x9"x3" or larger will work.
Ingredients
- 1 10 lb spiral cut, bone-in ham without seasoning nor pre-glazed
Ham Glaze with Maple Syrup
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 navel orange
- 1 tsp ground cloves
Instructions
- First, preheat oven to 275F.
- Next, remove ham from plastic coating and place it wide face down into the roasting. No need to add water to the pan as the ham will produce its own moisture and juices.
- Then, using aluminum foil, cover the ham lengthwise and width wise. You'll need two long pieces of foil. Cover it tightly. Bake at 275F for 15 minutes per pound. If you're using a 10 lb ham, that'll be 2 hrs and 30 minutes, however, set the timer minus 15 min to apply the glaze.
- Next, closer to the time of removing the ham from the oven, make the glaze.
Maple Syrup Ham Glaze
- First, turn up the oven temperature to 375F.
- In a small mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup of maple syrup, zest of one navel orange, juice of the same navel orange, and one teaspoon of ground cloves. Stir until well combined.
- Next, at the total cooking time minus 15 minutes remove the foil and brush on the maple syrup glaze to the ham. Do not cover it again with foil.
- Then, put the ham back in the oven and cook at 350F for the last 15 minutes. Wait about 10 minutes to cut the ham to allow it to rest and absorb its juices and flavoring.
Nutrition
