A Christmas ham that is sure to impress! This cranberry orange glazed ham is perfectly balanced with sweet and savory flavors. Not only is it delicious, but it’s super simple to make! {Gluten-free}Hi friends! Are you ready for Christmas? I don’t think I’m ever “ready” – there’s always so much to do and never enough time! It always comes together just fine, though.
I’m really excited to share this cranberry orange glazed ham recipe with you – it’s AMAZING.
I know I say that about a lot of things, but this ham is simply amazing! The glaze is made ahead (yes!) and the flavor is super gourmet. Classic glazed hams (you know, the ones covered in pineapples and tons of brown sugar) can be a bit too sweet for my taste. I’ve always been more of a savory person and this glaze has the perfect balance of sweet and savory.
Growing up, we never had ham on Christmas. We basically did the Thanksgiving meal all over again. However, once I took over I decided we should switch up the meal a bit. We make both ham and turkey and the sides change from year to year – there’s always mashed potatoes, though. Because you can’t have a holiday without them, right?
Part of the fun of the Christmas meal is coming up with new sides and new ways to prepare the ham.I’ve done various glazed hams over the years, but I think it’s safe to say this is my new favorite. Though, this one is a close second.
What I love most about the glaze is that it’s made ahead – so 1-5 days before the big day. Then, all you have to do is warm the ham up, cover it with the glaze during the last 30 minutes, carve, and eat it smothered with even more glaze.
The flavor of the cranberry orange glaze is so good it’s almost indescribable. You’ll want to eat it with a spoon, it’s that good.
For the base of the glaze, I picked up a jar of cranberry orange marmalade by Stonewall Kitchen – I highly recommend that brand if you can find it! I picked mine up at Wegmans. If you can’t find a cranberry orange marmalade, pick up a jar of orange marmalade and a cranberry jam or relish and mix them! Or, if you’re really ambitious you could make your own. ?
Combine the marmalade, with cranberry juice, the juice of an orange, vinegar, and dijon mustard. Bring it to a boil, simmer it for 5 minutes and then that’s it! At this point you’ll want to cool it completely and then refrigerate it until it sets up some. You can do this up to 5 days ahead of time.
When your ham has 30 minutes left of cooking simply brush the whole thing with some glaze and let it finish. The remaining glaze can be heated on the stove and served alongside the ham. You’ll want that extra glaze, trust me.
If you’re looking for a new way to prepare your Christmas ham I highly recommend you give this terrific cranberry orange glaze a try!


- 1 (13oz.) Jar Cranberry-Orange Jam*
- 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- ½ Cup Cranberry Juice
- 1 Large Orange, juiced
- 1 (8-10 lb.) Boneless Smoked Ham
- Combine the jam, vinegar, mustard, cranberry juice, and orange juice in a small pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisk until smooth, and then lower the heat to low. Allow the glaze to simmer until it starts to reduce/thicken a bit - about 15 minutes.
- Remove the glaze from the heat, cool completely and then refrigerate until cold and set. This is best made ahead. You can prepare the glaze up to 5 days in advance.
- Preheat the oven to 325º.
- Place the ham a foil or parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Cook the ham for 1 hour, remove it from the oven and brush some of the glaze all over the ham. Return it to the oven for 30 minutes longer. The internal temperature should be around 140º. Remove the ham from the oven and let it rest (tented with foil) for 20 minutes before carving.
- *If you can't find a cranberry orange marmalade, simply mix a jar of orange marmalade and cranberry jam or relish together.

Gosh! We always did a repeat of the Thanksgiving too! You make the best glazed hams! I’m loving the orange cranberry combo! I personally can’t think of a holiday that’s complete without mashed potatoes!
Rachelle @ Beer Girl Cooks recently posted…Holiday Breakfast Casserole
High five for Thanksgiving repeat! Thanks for the kind words, Rachelle! And yes, mashed potatoes are must 😉
I love everything from stonewall kitchen! I love ham, but I never make it because I never quite know how to ‘dress it up’ for a gathering. You’re recipe sounds perfect for the holidays 🙂
Ali recently posted…Delectable Gift Ideas
And by ‘you’re’ I meant ‘your’ lol! Sometimes my fingers are typing faster than my brain!
Ali recently posted…Delectable Gift Ideas
This is the perfect (and easy!) way to dress up a ham! Oh, and no worries on the grammar – it happens to me all the time! 🙂 Thanks Ali!
I’ve never actually cooked a ham before! But I do love them, so I think I need to change that after seeing this delicious recipe. I love the glaze on top, Keri! It sounds so light and refreshing. Just perfect for the holidays!
Cooking a ham is super easy – basically all you have to do is heat it through since it’s already cooked. The glaze is a nice bonus on top! 🙂 Thanks Gayle!
It seems that it’s only around the holidays that we make ham but with all the lovely flavor you have going on here I’m thinking we need to change that! Delicious!
annie@ciaochowbambina recently posted…Mini Baked Chicken Meatballs with Peperonata
I’ll be honest, I can’t stand ham… I don’t know what it is about it, texture maybe? BUT, If I had to eat ham, I would want it to be THIS ham! You actually make ham look GOOOOOOD, Keri! That is saying a lot!! 😉 Sending this link over to my mom, because she loves a good holiday ham! Cheers, doll! <3
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary recently posted…Cranberry & White Chocolate Jumbo Muffins