Last Updated June 28th, 2021 at 06:57 pm by Lisa
Kahlua Pineapple Glazed Ham is classic party food elevated. This spiral cut baked ham recipe has an amazing ham glaze for the holidays or Easter dinner plus wedges of pineapple brushed with the heavenly Kahlua pineapple glaze... and baked...it is so GOOD!
This ham recipe has pineapple juice, grated ginger, honey, vanilla, Kahlua, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and orange zest/juice.
Enjoy this fun fresh take on a classic ham, it could start a "new tradition" for holidays, family get-togethers, or brunch...
Why This Recipe Works
- Buy a spiral-cut ham! These are easy to find in supermarkets and grocery stores year-round.
- Hams that are spiral cut means they are presliced and cooked, so all you are really doing is adding a glaze and reheating, now what could be easier?
- Hey, you know those little packets that come with your ham? Well, they have nothing on this glaze recipe.
- As you guys know, I love using fresh seasonal ingredients and skipping preservatives and chemicals. So ditch that packet that comes with your ham!
- Ham and pineapple are a flavor combination loved by so many people. Remember when Candian Bacon and Pineapple pizza was all the rage? I still really enjoy it to this day.
You Will Need
- One 8 lb bone-in spiral ham
- Kahlua pineapple glaze
- 2 pineapples - bake one cut in half with the ham and cut one into chunks for fresh pineapple juice that goes into the glaze
Kahlua Pineapple Glaze
- 1 cup Kahlua (rum & coffee liquor)
- 1 cup fresh pineapple juice
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice (½ orange)
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
- 4 couple of drops of vanilla extract
Prepare The Pineapples
- Cut the first pineapple into chunks. To make fresh pineapple juice: place pineapple chunks in a high-speed blender, and turn on high for about 15-20 seconds.
- 1 cut pineapple makes approximately 3 cups of fresh pineapple juice if you blend all the pineapple chunks or you can keep some cut pineapple for snacks. The pineapple juice will be thick, and that is fine for this glaze recipe.
- Cut the second pineapple in half, set it aside.
Kahlua is a coffee-flavored, rum-based liqueur from Mexico. It is typically used in coffee drinks and cocktails. But I thought it would make a spectacular ham glaze, and went to work putting full fresh flavors together for this recipe, and the pineapple works so well with ham.
First, smell the bottom for sweetness. This is the first tell-tale sign to determine how sweet and ripe your pineapple will be. Sugar comes from the bottom of the fruit, where it migrates to the top as it ripens. The bottom of the pineapple is where it should be most fragrant, so put your nose there (not on the crown).
If it smells sweet, like pineapple juice, it is ripe. If you smell nothing, that means there is insufficient sugar and the fruit will not be sweet ( it has been harvested too early). Pineapples ripen very little after they have been harvested, so you don't want to pick one that is underripe, hoping it will get ripen later. Unfortunately, it won't.
Look at the pineapple before you buy it, is it all GREEN?
What you want to look for is a yellow-golden color. As the fruit starts to ripen, starting from the bottom, the higher the yellow rises toward the crown, the more sugar (and sweetness) it will have! Yellow on the bottom and green on the top will yield inconsistency in sweetness (i.e., some parts sweet, other parts not). Ideally, you want the yellow color to rise all the way to the crown, which means the sugar is distributed evenly through the fruit.
The greener the pineapple, the earlier they were picked.
Use the "Press Test." A sweet (and ripe) pineapple will yield slightly to pressure.
Make sure to avoid overripe pineapples: they usually have reddish-brownish skins and dark dried leaves that crumble when you touch them and have a fermented smell. Pass on that pineapple, it will taste-off, and be mushy and overripe inside.
Make Pineapple Glaze
- In a small saucepan, combine Kahlua, pineapple juice, brown sugar, honey, orange zest (zest the orange first then juice it), orange juice, Dijon mustard, cinnamon, grated ginger, and vanilla extract.
- Bring just to a boil, keep stirring with a whisk, reduce heat, and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Set aside off the heat to cool.
Make This Ham Recipe
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Place spiral ham in a low roasting pan flat side down uncovered for a total of 2 hours for an 8 lb. ham (approximately 120 internal temperature). Depending on the size of your ham, bake it 12-15 minutes per pound.
- After 1 hour, pull the ham out of the oven, place the 2 pineapple halves on each side of the ham and brush the ham and pineapples with the yummy glaze.
- Place the ham back in the oven for 1 more hour until the glaze forms a nice crust. Reglaze the ham and pineapples every 15 minutes. You will have extra glaze let over.
- Remove the tops from the pineapple halves and cut into smaller portions away from the pineapple skin. Carve and serve the ham and pineapple warm, enjoy!
More Party Food
Party Appetizers: Crudites with Light Green Goddess Dressing, Crostini with Edible Flowers and Garden Herbs
Main Dish Dinner Ideas: Cherry Balsamic Roasted Pork Loin is an elegant dish to serve at a dinner party (and it's easy!) Grilled Lamb Chops, Peaches, and Mint Pesto, or Cabernet Rosemary Grilled Rack of Lamb
One pan Gorgonzola Leek Stuffed Chicken is a hit for entertaining, special occasions, or a romantic date night dinner.
Side Dishes: serve with gorgeous Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls and Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes!
Popular Classic Spiral-Cut Ham Recipes
- Maple Glazed Ham ~ Recipe Tin Eats
- Brown Sugar Ham Glaze ~ Recipe Tin Eats
- Glazed Baked Ham ~ Simply Recipes
- Orange Baked Ham Recipe ~ Ina Garten / FoodNetwork
- Classic Glazed Ham ~ Food Network
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Kahlua Pineapple Glazed Ham Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
MAKE THE GLAZED HAM
- 1 8 lb bone-in spiral ham
- glaze
- 2 pineapples - bake one cut in half with the ham and cut one into chunks for fresh pineapple juice
KAHLUA PINEAPPLE GLAZE
- 1 cup Kahlua (rum & coffee liquor)
- 1 cup fresh pineapple juice *see below
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice (½ orange)
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
- 4 couple of drops of vanilla extract
Instructions
- Cut the first pineapple into chunks. To make fresh pineapple juice: place pineapple chunks in a high-speed blender, and turn on high for about 15-20 seconds. 1 cut pineapple makes approximately 3 cups of fresh pineapple juice if you blend all the pineapple chunks or you can keep some cut pineapple for snacks. The pineapple juice will be thick, and that is fine for this recipe. (set aside-this will go in the pineapple glaze)
- Cut the second pineapple in half, set aside.
- In a small saucepan, combine Kahlua, pineapple juice, brown sugar, honey, orange zest (zest the orange first then juice it), orange juice, Dijon mustard, cinnamon, grated ginger, and vanilla extract. Bring just to a boil, keep stirring with a whisk, reduce heat, and simmer for 3-5 minutes on low heat. Set aside off heat to cool.
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Place spiral ham in a low roasting pan flat side down uncovered for a total of 2 hours for an 8 lb. ham (approximately 120 internal temperature). Depending on the size of your ham, bake it 12-15 minutes per pound.
- After 1 hour, pull the ham out of the oven, place the 2 pineapple halves on each side of the ham and brush the ham and pineapples with the yummy glaze.
- Place the ham back in the oven for 1 more hour until the glaze forms a nice crust. Reglaze the ham and pineapples every 15 minutes. You will have extra glaze let over.
- Remove the tops from the pineapple halves and cut into smaller portions away from the pineapple skin. Carve and serve the ham and pineapple warm, enjoy!
Notes
Top Glazed Ham Tips
To get the ham glaze crystallized, you can put it in a 450 degree (really hot) oven for 5-7 minutes or so, but keep a very close eye on it so doesn't burn, this forms the darker crust on the ham and is flavor-packed!- Buy a spiral-cut ham! These are easy to find in supermarkets and grocery stores year-round.
- Hams that are spiral cut means they are presliced and cooked, so all you are really doing is adding a glaze and reheating, now what could be easier?
- Hey, you know those little packets that come with your ham? Well, they have nothing on this glaze recipe.
- As you guys know, I love using fresh seasonal ingredients and skipping preservatives and chemicals. So ditch that packet that comes with your ham!
- Ham and pineapple are a flavor combination loved by so many people. Remember when Candian Bacon and Pineapple pizza was all the rage? I still really enjoy it to this day.
I'm making this for my next Hawaiian themed party. It will be perfect with Mac Salad.
Laura, what a great idea...I love to do this ham out on the grill to get everyone outside during the party! Aloha, sounds like a lot of fun at your house.
Oh good lawwwwddd. Does this ham look amazing!? Such wonderful flavors and a homemade glaze. Who needs that store-bought glaze packet anyway? It's loaded with preservatives. Loving the Kahlua, pineapple, and touches of ginger. YUM!