From family gatherings to holiday dinners and every occasion in-between, this Keto glazed ham is a perfect way to feed a crowd! And no one will ever guess that the butter and brown sugar glaze is actually sugar-free.
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Keto Glazed Ham
When I think of holiday meals growing up, I always think of a big, spiral-cut ham. From Christmas to Easter, it was often on the table. And if someone didn’t like turkey, you might find it at Thanksgiving, too!
Like most meats, ham itself is a very Keto-friendly and low-carb food. But you may have noticed that these “honey-baked hams” have a bit of sweetness to them.
That, my friends, would be sugar.
Sometimes it’s honey, sometimes it’s brown sugar, sometimes it’s maple sugar. Sometimes, it’s Grandma’s secret recipe that she’ll never share (but that we all know is definitely some kind of sugar).
So does that mean we shouldn’t serve this delicious meal at the next holiday or family gathering?
NO WAY! Instead, just skip the pre-glazed ham (or ditch the pre-made glaze) and use a combination of Keto-friendly ingredients instead. It’s so easy, and no one will ever guess it’s a totally sugar free ham!
How To Make Keto Glazed Ham
Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Once it’s hot, place your unseasoned and unglazed spiral sliced ham (say that three times fast!) in a baking dish, flat-side down. Cover it loosely with tin foil, then stick it in the oven.
You’ll cook it according to the package instructions until it has about 30 minutes left of cook time, then remove it from the oven.
When you’re about 5 minutes from pulling the ham, add the butter to a saucepan over medium heat.
Let it melt, then add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and ginger paste.
Whisk until the sugar substitute is completely dissolved, then let the mixture cook for another 2-3 minutes. This is your glaze!
Once it’s time, take the ham out of the oven and remove the tin foil.
Baste the ham with your butter and brown sugar glaze. Don’t be shy — you want it nice and coated! But make sure to save a little glaze for after the bake.
When your ham is well-glazed, throw it back in the oven and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes.
Finally, take the ham out of the oven and baste it with the extra glaze plus juice from the pan. Now you can grab yourself a slice and dig in!
What Kind Of Ham Is Keto Friendly?
Pig products like pork and ham can be great for Keto and low carb diets. These recipes for ginger pork and pork shoulder pot roast are some of my favorites!
The traditional curing process uses very little (or no) sugar. For super strict Keto, you may want to look for some uncured ham options. For me, regular cured ham is just fine.
But what about a traditional glazed ham with brown sugar or maple syrup? As you probably guessed, these are NOT great for Keto. They can spike your insulin and kick you out of Ketosis without you even realizing it.
That’s why I always look for spiral sliced ham that has not been seasoned or glazed. That way, I can ditch the sugar and make my own Keto ham glaze instead!
What To Serve With Keto Glazed Ham
If you ask me, I don’t think there’s ever a bad time for this sugar free ham. Sure, it’s perfect for the holidays… but it’s also great any time you have friends and family coming to town! It’s an impressive meal, and the leftovers can feed people for days.
That being said, I do love a few of the traditional sides you’ll see with a holiday baked ham… Keto-fied, of course!
For some nice greens, I highly recommend my green bean casserole or garlic Parmesan asparagus. If you want something hearty that is secretly low carb, try my Keto stuffing and Keto bread rolls instead.
Can You Store Leftover Baked Ham?
ABSOLUTELY!
In fact, I think one of the best parts of a spiral ham is the leftovers. You can heat up the slices on their own, throw them into some scrambled eggs or an omelet for breakfast, or toss them in a soup like this nice Instant Pot ham chowder.
Or just eat it with your hands right out of the refrigerator. No judgement here.
To safely store your leftovers, just cover the ham and keep it in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days or in the freezer for 1 to 2 months.
Other Dinner Recipes From The Keto Option That You Might Like
Keto Glazed Ham
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 pound Spiral sliced ham that has not been seasoned or glazed
- 4 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar substitute
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Place the ham flat side down in a baking dish or high sided baking pan, and cover loosely with tin foil. Cook according to package directions until there are 30 minutes of cook time left, then remove.
- When the ham has almost 30 minutes of cook time left, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat on the stove.
- Add the brown sugar, cinnamon and ginger paste to the melted butter, and whisk until the sugar substitute is completely dissolved.
- Continue to cook the mixture for another 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the ham from the oven, remove the tin foil, and baste the ham with the brown sugar mixture.
- Place the ham back into the oven and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes.
- Remove the ham from the oven at the end of the cook time, baste with the extra glaze and juices in the pan and serve.
Nutrition
Trina Krug is a Holistic Nutritionist, Integrative Health Coach and host of the Carbless Conversations Podcast. With a Master’s Degree in Complementary and Alternative Medicine, her single mission in life is to facilitate self-healing in herself and those around her through awareness, lifestyle shifts and low-carb eating. As a current Doctor of Science student, she continues her studies in functional nutrition.
