Baked Ham With Pineapple

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/7/22
Baked ham with pineapple recipe

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 3 hrs 30 mins
Total: 3 hrs 55 mins
Servings: 10 servings

A baked ham studded with pineapple rings and maraschino cherries is a welcome centerpiece to a festive meal. It might be a tradition for your family for Easter or Christmas, or it can simply hearken back to days gone by.

This pineapple baked ham is made with a picnic ham, which is not a true ham. The picnic is cut from the front leg or shoulder instead of the back end of the animal. The shoulder is cured like a true ham, so it has ham flavor. A shank ham is easier to carve, but a picnic ham is more economical.

Pineapple and honey help to flavor the glaze for this tasty smoked shoulder ham. They serve the purpose of providing sweetness to offset the saltiness of the ham, so the fruit is not just there for decoration.

As well, the pineapple is a symbol of hospitality. New England colonizers would herald their returns by spearing a pineapple outside their front doors. The symbol spread throughout the American colonies and can be seen in colonial Christmas decorations.

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 1 (5-to 7-pound) smoked picnic shoulder ham

  • 1 (15-ounce) can pineapple slices in juice

  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 

  • 1/4 cup honey

  • 1 (10-ounce) jar maraschino cherries

  • Whole cloves, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for baked ham with pineapple
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Remove the skin from the ham.

    Remove skin from ham
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Place the ham on a rack in a baking pan, fat-side up.

    Ham
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.

    Cover in foil
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Bake at 325 F for about 30 minutes a pound, or to 140 F on ​the meat thermometer.

    Ham
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Place a sieve or colander over a bowl and drain the pineapple.

    Pineapples
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Measure 1/4 cup of the pineapple juice into a saucepan.

    Saucepan
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  8. Add the brown sugar and honey to the saucepan and then cook over low heat until sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally.

    Stir
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  9. Remove the foil from the ham and score the fat in a diamond pattern.

    Remove the foil from the ham
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck 

  10. Brush the ham with the pineapple-honey glaze mixture.

    Brush ham
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  11. Arrange the pineapple slices and cherries in a pattern over the top of the ham, securing with toothpicks.

    Arrange pineapple slices and cherries
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  12. Stud with cloves, if desired, and brush again with the pineapple-honey mixture.

    Glaze
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  13. Bake, uncovered, for an additional 30 minutes at 325 F, basting with ​the pineapple-honey mixture.

    Bake
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  14. Remove the ham from the oven and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

    Remove ham
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  15. Slice the ham in slices that are 1/4-inch thick.

    Slice ham
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  16. Serve your ham with your favorite savory side dishes. Suggestions include garlic mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, rice, creamed spinach, green beans with mushrooms or pearl onions, roasted asparagus, green salad, and hot rolls with butter.

    Serve ham
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Tips

  • Cover and refrigerate any leftover ham. It will keep well in the refrigerator for several days.
  • Enjoy slices of ham the next day for meals, rewarmed in the microwave or in a skillet.
  • Sliced ham is great for sandwiches.
  • Use ham slices for breakfast along with eggs and hash browns.
  • Dice or cube leftover ham for use in casseroles and soups.
  • Save the ham bone to use for making soup. You can freeze the bone for later use.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
503 Calories
8g Fat
53g Carbs
57g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10
Amount per serving
Calories 503
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 3g 14%
Cholesterol 70mg 23%
Sodium 2861mg 124%
Total Carbohydrate 53g 19%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 29g
Protein 57g
Vitamin C 6mg 30%
Calcium 45mg 3%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 592mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)