A great way to infuse a ham with flavor is to soak it in, bake it in, and brush it with a homemade glaze. Glazes can be fruity or sweet or spicy.
Jump to RecipeAmish cooks have come up with some wonderfully tasty and economical glazes that could make your ham come to life this Christmas. Emma Yoder's Molasses Ham Glaze is an amazing addition to anyone's Christmas ham.

I used sorghum from a Mennonite farm as my molasses. You can learn the difference between sorghum and molasses here.
I had this old, easy, sweet ham glaze recipe on file and decided to make it. I admit that I was on a tight timeline when I made this, but I figured that was fine, most people making a glaze are probably in a hurry.
You can whip this Yoder's molasses ham glaze glaze up in a matter of minutes. You can brush it on cooked ham and it'll give it a splash of flavor or you can brush it on your ham and bake it. Both will give you good results, putting the glaze on before baking will give you something more carmelized, while brushing it on after will give you a lighter "broth-ier" glaze.
The above version is a much more liquid version.
The amount of cornstarch in the recipe can be adjusted to make a thicker glaze if you wish, I prefer the thinner kind. But feel free to tweak.
🧑🍳 Molasses Glaze Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons dark molasses
- 1 cup water mixed with 2 tablespoons cornstarch
📋 Cooking Instructions
- In small pot, combine ingredients and bring to simmer, then turn off heat.
- Brush ⅓ onto your ham before baking, ⅓ on during baking, and ⅓ when out of the oven. OR just brushed it all onto fully cooked ham.
- Makes enough for a small ham. Double or triple as necessary.
👩🍳More Amish Ham Glaze Recipes
Whether it is brown sugar, barbecue, or mustard-based, Amish cooks have developed glazes of all kinds!
A delicious, mustardy alternative!
Easy Amish Brown Sugar and Mustard Glaze
This one has a great blend of flavors
I have the above marked down as an Easter recipe but, obviously, a recipe that works for ham at Easter will do just fine at Christmas also. You don't have to use Sierra Mist, but a clear soda works the best, like 7-Up or Sprite, for instance.
🖨️Printer-Friendly Ham Glaze
Emma Yoder's Molasses Ham Glaze
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons dark molasses
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water togther ,
- Pour water and cornstarch mixture into small saucepan.
- combine ingredients and bring to simmer,then turn off heat.
- Brush onto freshly cooked ham and serve, or brush onto ham before baking for a thicker more caramelized glaze.
Lisa Marx
Hi Kevin, love the ham glazes, have a very blessed Christmas and New year,to you and your family. So glad I came upon amish 365, as that's how Gloria and I became friends such a sweet lady. I live in London Ohio, not too far from Plain City.I love everything Amish, any book I can get my hands on. I too love Kmarts, I met my husband there in 1981, we both worked there.He wrote I love you in the rain on my car window, and I was hooked....
Ha ha. Unfortunately our closest Kmart in Grove City, went out last year. I miss it especially, their christmas items. Blessings,Lisa
Kevin Williams
Thanks for the note, Lisa...I was just in London today, i have always liked Madison County...a shame about the Grove City Kmart, it held on a lot longer than some! Have a very blessed and merry Christmas!