Easy Baked Ham with Pineapple and Cherries

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Nothing says Christmas or Easter like an old-fashioned Baked Ham with Pineapple and Cherries. Scored and studded with cloves and slathered in a decadent sticky-sweet, brown sugar glaze with a touch of bourbon, this glazed ham is a holiday classic.

This easy recipe is the simple baked ham you remember from your youth, the festive centerpiece on the holiday table, topped with pineapple slices and bright red maraschino cherries.

A baked ham covered with pineapple slices and cherries.

Baked hams like this one and my Double Smoked Ham with Spicy Peach Glaze plus, the traditional holiday side dishes that go with them are legendary, and there was always enough to feed a crowd with plenty of leftovers, including the prized ham bone, which is full of rich smoky flavor.

The thick, tender, and juicy slices of this sweet and salty, bone-in, oven-baked ham have an amazing texture and flavor that modern-day spiral-cut hams can’t match.

Ingredients – here’s what you will need:

Ingredients for baked ham including a ham, pineapple and cherries.

Bone-in, smoked, and fully cooked ham – either shank or butt cut works in this recipe, and it should weigh about eight pounds.
Whole cloves – give it a wonderful flavor, and they also make your whole house smell like the holidays.
Pineapple slices – provide beautiful color contrast and a sweet fresh taste.
Maraschino cherries – add a gorgeous red pop of color and another layer of sweetness.
Brown sugar – is the main ingredient in the glaze. Either light or dark sugar works and gives it a rich sweet flavor. Dark brown sugar will have a deeper molasses flavor.
Bourbon – brings a complex sweet deep rich flavor to the glaze. You can leave it out if you prefer.
Dijon mustard – works with the rest of the glaze ingredients to add a delicious sweet-savory element that perfectly complements and elevates the dish’s flavor.
Butter – (not pictured) provides richness and gives the glaze a glossy finish.

Directions – here’s how to make this recipe:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Using a sharp knife, score the ham by cutting shallow lines across the top, going one-way about an inch apart. Then, cut shallow lines across the lines you already cut, making a diamond pattern.

Insert a whole clove in each diamond or square.

Place the ham cut side down in a 9×13 baking pan or a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Pour all of the pineapple juice except two tablespoons into the pan or skillet, and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for one and one-half hours or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center, not touching the bone, reads 140 degrees F.

Add the glaze ingredients to a small bowl, including two tablespoons of pineapple juice.

Pour in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Add the butter and cook just until the sugar melts, stirring constantly. Then, take it off the heat. Set aside.

A saucepan full of brown sugar ham glaze.

When the meat comes up to temperature, remove it from the oven and turn it onto its side. Use a spoon or pastry brush to cover the surface with the glaze.

Using a pastry brush to apply glaze to a ham.

Top with pineapple slices and cherries. Secure them with toothpicks, if necessary. Brush on more glaze.

A butt cut ham covered with pineapple rings and cherries.

Put the ham back in the oven uncovered and bake for approximately 30-35 minutes or until the glaze is sticky and caramelized.
Ham can be served hot, warm, or at room temperature. Top with the remaining glaze before serving, and also be sure to remove the cloves and any toothpicks.

A ham topped with pineapple rings and cherries.

Frequently asked questions:

What to serve it with?

I usually serve ham with either Southern Sweet Potato Casserole with Bourbon, Candied Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans, or my yummy Southern Potato Salad.

To round out your meal, try my Roasted Carrots with Lemon Vinaigrette, or Copper Pennies and Green Bean Bundles Wrapped in Bacon, Broccoli Cheese Casserole, or Sweet and Sour Green Beans.

Classic Southern Strawberry Shortcake, Old-Fashioned Strawberry Pie, or Luscious Lemon Swirl Cheesecake would be terrific choices for dessert.

What’s the difference between the butt or shank cut of ham?

When a whole ham, which is from the hind leg of a pig, is cut in half, the top half is called the butt, and the bottom half is called the shank.

The shank cut looks a little like a triangle, sometimes with a bit of skin left close to the smaller end where it tapers down. It comes from the lower portion of the leg. Ham steaks are cut from the shank.

As you might guess, the butt cut is more rounded and comes from higher up on the hip. I prefer the butt cut and think the meat is more flavorful and tender. However, it is a little harder to carve into pretty slices. Either cut works in this recipe.

How to use leftovers?

The only thing better than baked ham is having leftovers that can be repurposed and used in numerous recipes.

Breakfast ideas include Ham and Cheese Quiche and Eggs Benedict Breakfast Casserole. Leftover ham is also delicious added to frittatas and omelets.

It doesn’t get any better than my Devilishsly Delicious Deviled Ham or Cornbread Salad for lunch. And don’t forget ham sandwiches, sliders, and wraps.

Leftover ham is the main ingredient in my Au Gratin Potatoes and Ham and Fettucini Alfredo with Broccoli and Ham. I also always save leftover ham pieces to use in seasoning for Southern Peas like White Acres and Purple Hulls, and collard and turnip greens.

Last but not least, the leftover ham bone is an essential ingredient in soups and stews such as ham and bean soup, potato and ham soup, split pea soup, and black-eyed pea soup.

Is my ham already cooked?

Most ham in the grocery store is smoked and fully cooked. If in doubt, verify by reading the label. Technically, you could eat these fully cooked hams without cooking, but they should be heated before serving for the best flavor.

How do I store leftovers?

Leftovers can be stored covered in your refrigerator for up to five days and, if tightly wrapped, in the freezer for up to two months.

Sharon’s tips:

This recipe calls for a bone-in, half of a whole ham that is smoked and fully cooked. You can use a spiral cut, but since they tend to dry out, follow the instructions on the package instead of my recipe for heating it.
Baked ham is popular during the holidays for many reasons, including it will feed a crowd. However, it is also perfect for dinner parties, potlucks, and Sunday suppers.
For the best flavor and texture, use an instant-read digital meat thermometer and insert it in the thickest part of the ham to measure the internal temperature. The goal is to heat it through without drying it out.
When buying a bone-in ham for this recipe, plan on about three-quarters of a pound per person for hearty appetites and maybe a bit more if you want leftovers. But, of course, this can vary depending on the other side dishes you are serving.
This recipe and the times listed assume you have an eight-pound bone-in ham. If it’s larger or smaller, the cooking times will be longer or shorter.
Turn on your broiler for a few minutes before taking the ham out of the oven if you would like more caramelization and some crispy charred edges.
Be sure to remove your glaze from the heat just as soon as the sugar melts. If you let it cook too long, it will form a hard candy-like substance and you won’t be able to brush it on your ham. If it does begin to thicken too much, try adding some of the pan juices to thin it. It should be the consistency of syrup.

Looking for more Christmas or Easter menu ideas? Check out these roundup posts: