Maple Baked Ham

Just three ingredients and you get a ham with a gorgeous, lacquered maple glaze that caramelizes into sticky, sweet edges with every baste. Real maple syrup does all the work here, no brown sugar, no mustard, no cloves competing for attention.

The technique is simple but makes all the difference. Bake the ham plain for the first half, then drain off those initial drippings and start the maple syrup basting. This way the syrup doesn’t burn during the long cook and instead builds up in thin, glossy layers.

Don’t toss those drippings. They get combined with the maple-infused pan juices and thickened with flour into a savory-sweet gravy that’s worth the whole roast on its own.

Basting every 20 minutes sounds like a lot, but each pass adds another layer of caramelized maple to the surface. By the time the ham is done, the outside is dark, glossy, and slightly crisp at the edges.

Kitchen Tips

• Use real maple syrup, not pancake syrup. The artificial stuff won’t caramelize properly and tastes flat when cooked down.
• Remove the skin but leave a thin layer of fat on the ham. The fat renders during baking and helps the glaze stick.
• Save the first set of drippings in a separate bowl. Mixing them back in with the maple drippings at the end gives the gravy body and depth.
• Let the ham rest for 15 minutes before carving. This lets the juices redistribute so slices stay moist.

Variations

• Maple-Dijon glaze: Whisk a couple tablespoons of Dijon mustard into the maple syrup before basting for a sharp, tangy contrast.
• Bourbon maple ham: Add a splash of bourbon to the syrup for a deeper, smokier glaze.
• Score the fat: Cut a diamond pattern into the fat cap before baking so the glaze penetrates deeper and creates beautiful presentation lines.