Pineapple Ham (Spiral Ham Recipe)

This baked Pineapple Ham starts with a brown sugar glaze and a generous helping of crushed pineapple. I bake it all in the oven to create sweet, caramelized slices of ham fit for any holiday or get together. This is my favorite spiral ham recipe to serve for Easter, Christmas, or any other time we need a show stopping main course.

Easy Spiral Ham Recipe

When my Mom made this for Christmas dinner a few years ago, I was hooked. It’s a classic spiral ham recipe with that sweet and savory combo we all know and love. It’s simply perfect for your holiday menu. It’s easy—spiral ham is pre-cooked and pre-sliced, which makes it really easy to cook, slice, and serve. It’s flavorful—the mixture of brown sugar, cola, mustard, and pineapples creates a sweet and delicious glaze. And it’s juicy—basting the ham throughout the baking process ensures it stays moist and delicious.

If you want to skip the oven, follow instructions in this Instant Pot Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham.

Recipe Card

Pineapple Spiral Ham Recipe

4.55 from 537 votes

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Servings: 12

Author: Becky Hardin

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This spiral ham is covered in pineapple chunks and a sweet brown sugar glaze, then baked into a juicy, sweet dish.

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

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Ingredients 

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For the Pineapple Ham Glaze

• ▢ 1 cup dark brown sugar packed
• ▢ 12 ounces cola or Dr. Pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• ▢ 1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
• ▢ 1½ tablespoons grainy mustard
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ▢ ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

For the Spiral Ham

• ▢ 1 (6-9 pound) spiral-sliced city ham
• ▢ 20 ounces crushed pineapple (1 large can)

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Instructions 

For the Pineapple Ham Glaze

• Combine all glaze ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring often, 20-30 minutes, or until glaze is the consistency of syrup. Remove from heat and set aside.
  1 cup dark brown sugar, 12 ounces cola, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce, 1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard, 1½ tablespoons grainy mustard, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  

For the Brown Sugar Pineapple Spiral Ham

• Heat oven to 325°F.
• Use a sharp knife to score the surface of the ham with ½-inch-deep slices spaced 1 inch apart. Cover and bake for 1 hour.
  1 (6-9 pound) spiral-sliced city ham
  
• Brush half the glaze over the ham, being sure to spread some down into each cut. Spread the crushed pineapple over the ham, again pressing down,  and then pour half the remaining glaze over the surface. Bake the ham, uncovered, 15 minutes then repeat glazing as follows:
  20 ounces crushed pineapple
  
• Continue cooking and glazing/basting the ham (once you have run out of glaze, just baste with the glaze from the bottom of the pan) every 10 minutes until the internal temperature registers 140° on an instant-read thermometer. This could take a total 40-60 minutes.
  

Becky’s Tips

• You absolutely must use canned or cooked pineapple for this recipe. Fresh pineapple contains enzymes that will turn your ham to mush!

Storage: Store pineapple ham in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Serving: 0.5poundCalories: 451kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 43gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 166mgSodium: 2765mgPotassium: 737mgFiber: 1gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 39IUVitamin C: 57mgCalcium: 41mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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How to Make Pineapple Ham Step-by-Step

Make the Glaze: Combine 1 cup of packed brown sugar, 12 ounces of cola (or Dr. Pepper), 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon of low-sodium soy sauce, 1½ tablespoons of Dijon mustard, 1½ tablespoons of grainy mustard, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, ½ teaspoon of onion powder, ¼ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes, and ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring often, for 20-30 minutes, or until the glaze is the consistency of syrup. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Bake the Ham: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Use a sharp knife to score the surface of a sprial-sliced city ham with ½-inch deep slices spaced 1 inch apart. Cover and bake for 1 hour.

Glaze the Ham: Brush half of the glaze over the ham, being sure to spread some down into each cut. Spread 20 ounces of crushed pineapple over the ham, pressing down, then pour half of the remaining glaze over the surface. Bake the ham uncovered for 15 minutes.

Keep Glazing the Ham: Continue cooking and glazing/basting the ham (once you run out of glaze, continue basting with the glaze from the bottom of the pan) every 10 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 140°F on an instant-read thermometer. This should take about 40-60 minutes.

Variations

This spiral ham recipe gets its delicious flavor from the glaze. I recommend using dark brown sugar instead of light. Brown sugar contains more molasses, which I’ve found creates a deeper and richer flavor. However, when you’re in a pinch, light brown sugar is fine as a substitute.

I’ve developed this recipe using soda in the ham glaze as it adds a sweet flavor and helps to create that syrupy consistency, perfect for getting that crispy crackle. I’ve also found that soda is a secret ingredient for tenderizing meat! You can use a plain coca cola, or use Dr. Pepper. I love Dr. Pepper, which has a distinctive taste that adds an extra kick.

How to Store

The easiest way to store leftovers is to fully carve the ham into slices. I place the slices in a resealable bag, or stack and wrap tightly in aluminum foil. We keep it in the the refrigerator up to 4 days.

If you want to save the pineapple chunks, scoop them up and place them into a separate container, and refrigerate. It’s fine to store the ham and pineapple together, but it can get a bit messy so I prefer them separate.

How to Freeze and Reheat

To freeze, carve ham into slices. Wrap stacks of slices in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then place in a freezer-safe resealable bag. You can freeze leftovers up to 2 months.

When ready to reheat, thaw a stack of slices in the fridge. Then heat ham in the oven at 325°F until fully heated through.

Serving Suggestions

Whether I’m serving this oven-baked spiral ham for the holidays, or for a nice family dinner, it goes so well with most of our favorite side dishes. I love to serve it with crockpot potato casserole for a quick side. It also pairs nicely with pineapple bread pudding, these cheesy loaded scalloped potatoes and corn casserole.

Check out also these amazing recipes for leftover ham!

More Spiral Ham Recipes

Honey Glazed Ham Recipe (Baked)

Orange Glazed Ham

Pecan Bourbon Glazed Ham

Honey Mustard Maple Glazed Ham