This dairy-free ham glaze made with honey, brown sugar, and Dijon mustard gives a fully cooked ham that sticky, glossy, caramelized finish, with no butter at all. The ham bakes over chicken bouillon broth, which keeps it moist and gives you savory pan juices for an easy gravy, made dairy-free with a dairy-free butter or oil. It’s a big, generous batch of glaze, so there’s plenty to brush on and extra to serve at the table. It’s perfect for holiday dinners and Sunday suppers.
Allergens: Contains: wheat (flour in the gravy; use a cornstarch slurry for gluten-free), mustard. Free of: dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (use a nut-free dairy-free butter; check the ham and bouillon labels).
Why You’ll Love This Dairy-Free Ham Glaze
- No butter needed: Honey, brown sugar, and mustard make plenty of shine on their own.
- Extra sauce: This scaled-up batch (3/4 cup honey) makes roughly 1 1/2 to 2 cups of glaze.
- Moist ham: The chicken bouillon broth steams and flavors the ham as it bakes.
- Two sauces: A sweet glaze plus a savory gravy from the drippings.
What You’ll Need
- A large roasting pan with a rack
- An instant-read or leave-in meat thermometer
- A basting brush (silicone is easy to clean)
- A fat separator or measuring cup for the drippings
- Chicken bouillon cubes or a bouillon base, like Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base
Ingredient Notes
- Ham: An 8 to 10 lb fully cooked, bone-in ham. Spiral-cut works great.
- Chicken bouillon: Low-sodium is best, since ham is already salty. Some bouillon products contain milk, soy, or wheat, so check the label.
- Glaze: 3/4 cup honey, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar, and 4 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, plus optional cinnamon, ginger or cloves, and a pinch of cayenne.
- Gravy: Dairy-free butter or a neutral oil, flour (or cornstarch for gluten-free), and pan drippings topped up with broth.
How to Make Baked Ham with Dairy-Free Glaze
1. Prep. Let the ham sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. Set it on a rack in the roasting pan and pour 1 to 2 cups of chicken bouillon broth into the bottom.
2. Bake covered. Bake at 325 to 350°F, loosely covered with foil, about 15 minutes per pound, basting with the pan broth every 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Make the glaze. Simmer the honey, brown sugar, Dijon, and spices for 4 to 6 minutes, until glossy.
4. Glaze. For the last 20 to 30 minutes, uncover the ham, brush on about half the glaze, and baste every 10 minutes until the ham reaches 140°F and is caramelized.
5. Rest and make gravy. Rest the ham for 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make a roux with the dairy-free butter or oil and the flour, then whisk in about 2 cups of drippings and broth and simmer until thick.
Baked Ham with Dairy-Free Ham Glaze Recipe
Baked Ham with Chicken Bouillon Gravy and Dairy-Free Honey Mustard Glaze
Ingredients
Method
- Let the ham sit at room temperature 1 to 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 325–350°F. Set the ham in a roasting pan, on a rack if you have one, fatty side up if not spiral-cut. Score the surface in a diamond pattern if desired.
- Pour 1 to 2 cups of the chicken broth into the bottom of the pan (it shouldn’t touch the ham if using a rack).
- Cover loosely with foil and bake about 15 minutes per pound (roughly 2 to 2 1/2 hours for a 10 lb ham), basting with the pan broth every 20 to 30 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 140°F.
- While the ham bakes, whisk the honey, brown sugar, mustard, and any spices in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 4 to 6 minutes, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves and it thickens slightly into a glossy, pourable syrup. Simmer 1 to 2 minutes longer if you want it thicker.
- For the last 20 to 30 minutes of baking, remove the foil and brush about half the glaze over the ham. Baste with more glaze and a little pan broth every 10 minutes until caramelized and the ham reaches 140°F.
- Tent the ham with foil and rest 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.
- Pour the pan drippings into a measuring cup, scraping up the browned bits. Skim excess fat if you like, and add chicken broth to make about 2 cups.
- Melt the dairy-free butter (or heat the oil) in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 1 to 2 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in the broth mixture. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes until thickened. Season with salt, pepper, and herbs. Thin with more broth or simmer longer to thicken.
- Warm the leftover glaze and serve it on the side with the sliced ham and gravy.
Notes
Tips for the Best Honey Brown Sugar Ham Glaze
- Taste it. This is a sweet glaze. If it’s too sweet, stir in an extra teaspoon of mustard or 1 to 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or orange juice.
- Want it thicker for basting? Simmer it 1 to 2 minutes longer.
- Don’t boil it hard. It thickens more on the ham.
- Make it ahead. Leftover glaze keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days. Rewarm it with a splash of water or broth.
- Gravy too thick? Add broth. Too thin? Simmer longer.
What to Serve with Baked Ham
Serve it with mashed potatoes made with dairy-free butter and a plant milk, roasted vegetables, or green beans. Leftovers? Dice the ham into my freezer egg patties for breakfast sandwiches. For more family dinners, try my slow cooker chuck roast or stuffed peppers without cheese.
Storage
Leftover ham and gravy keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, and the gravy freezes well.
Dairy-Free Ham Glaze FAQ
Is ham glaze dairy-free?
Many glazes are, but some include butter. This one uses only honey, brown sugar, mustard, and spices. Store-bought glaze packets vary, so check the label.
When do you put glaze on a ham?
During the last 20 to 30 minutes of baking, after you remove the foil, so the sugar caramelizes without burning.
Can I bake a ham in chicken broth?
Yes. Pouring chicken bouillon broth into the pan keeps the ham moist and gives you drippings for gravy.
How long do you bake a fully cooked ham?
About 15 minutes per pound at 325 to 350°F, until it reaches 140°F inside.
How do you make gravy from ham drippings without butter?
Make the roux with a dairy-free butter or oil and flour, then whisk in the drippings and broth.
Can I use maple syrup instead of honey?
Yes. Maple syrup works in place of the honey for a maple brown sugar glaze.
A quick note on photos: I’ve been perfecting these recipes for years, but I never published them because photographing everything takes so much time. As a busy working, homeschooling mom, I decided it was more important to get them out there to help other allergy families. So many of the photos here are AI-generated to show what the dish looks like, but the recipes themselves are real, made in my kitchen and tested on my family.
You Might Also Like
Helpful tip: Best Egg Substitute for Pancakes: Flax vs. Applesauce vs. Banana (and More)
Allergy note: I write these recipes with allergy families in mind, but every allergy is different. Always check labels on every product, every time, for allergens and cross-contamination (“may contain” or shared-facility) warnings, since formulations change. When in doubt, check with your allergist.
Leave a Reply