Serve up a showstopper with this simple, slow cooked Glazed Baked Ham recipe.
Perfect for a weekend dinner or holiday table, this recipe uses a simple homemade glaze and hands-off cooking. Plus, it's paleo-friendly and gluten free, so your guests aren't left to wonder what's in the glaze!

How to cook a pre-cooked bone-in ham
For this baked ham recipe, I used a pre-cooked bone-in ham, which is what seems to be most widely available in my area.
So, how long does it take to make a pre-cooked ham?
Cook it too quickly at a high temperature, and it'll get dry and tough. Set the temperature too low and you'll be waiting all day for that ham to heat through. The goal is a happy medium where the ham stays tender but heats down to the bone, just enough for the fat and tendons in the meat to start loosening up.
Set the oven to a low 325 degrees F. When you put the ham in the oven, cover it with foil. This prevents the edges and top from drying out (and the glaze from burning).
About an hour in, you'll baste the ham and remove the aluminum foil cover before returning it to the oven for another 45 minutes.
For an 8-ish pound ham, that's it! If your ham is larger, you may need to add a half hour or so of cooking time while the ham is covered.


How to make a paleo ham glaze from scratch
Fortunately, it's pretty easy!
Similar to a standard ham glaze, my version swaps the brown sugar for coconut sugar. Along with that, you'll add fresh orange juice, stoneground mustard, a little melted ghee or butter, and spices.
You won't have to cook the glaze separately — just brush it on as instructed and you're good to go. The oven will help it thicken and get sticky.

How many people will an 8 pound ham feed?
As a general rule of thumb, at minimum I make ½ pound of meat per person. This same rule applies to turkey, baked ham, or any large piece of meat I'm prepping.
During a holiday or large gathering, people tend to eat a little more than they normally would, hence the ½ pound per person. But, you generally aren't serving JUST meat, so you can expect your guests to also fill up on whatever else is available, including appetizers, sides, and dessert.
The ½ pound per person minimum has never steered me wrong yet! But I also tend to bump up what I buy by a couple pounds so I know I'll have leftovers.


Can you freeze leftover ham?
Yes, you can!
Baked ham should freeze for up to 3 months. But try to use that ham in soups, stews, or casseroles — I just find defrosted cooked meat tends to lose some of its flavor if eaten alone.
Ways to use up ham leftovers
A few gluten free recipes to serve with baked ham
- Sautéed Carrots w/ Garlic & Herbs on Stovetop
- Simple Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Savory Roasted Garlic Herb Sweet Potato Mash (No Sugar)
- Carrot and Sweet Potato Casserole (Whole30)

📖 Recipe

Paleo Glazed Baked Ham
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 100 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 14 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Serve up a paleo, gluten free version of a classic glazed ham! With coconut sugar, orange juice, and spices, this is a must-have recipe for the holiday season.
Ingredients
- 8-10 pound precooked spiral cut ham
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- ½ cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons grass-fed butter or ghee, melted
- 2 tablespoons stoneground mustard
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon clove
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Two hours prior to starting, take the ham out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. (Highly recommended! But if you forget this step, you may have to cook the ham for 20 minutes or so longer.)
- When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the ham flat side down on the aluminum foil. Using a sharp knife, score 1-inch deep diagonal slices across the top of the ham, working around the bone. Repeat going the other direction, creating diamonds in the top of the ham. Wrap the aluminum foil up around the sides of the ham.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix the coconut sugar, orange juice, butter or ghee, mustard, coriander, cinnamon, allspice, clove, cayenne, and salt. Pour about half of the mixture over the ham, using a brush to make sure the glaze touches every side.
- Cover the top with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and take the top of the aluminum foil off. Pour remaining glaze over the ham, again using a brush to make sure all sides get a little glaze. Return to the oven, uncovered, and bake for another 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and use the brush to baste the ham in the glaze collected at the bottom one last time. Let the ham rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Keywords: paleo, gluten free, ham, baked ham, glaze
Theresa Brandon says
Chelsea I am allergic to coriander. Could I leave this out or is their a substitute for the coriander I could use.
Chelsea says
You can leave it out! 🙂