Keto Glazed Ham (Sugar-free)

This keto glazed ham is the perfect centerpiece for your holiday table.  Enjoy a keto ham recipe that won’t kick you out of ketosis.

Made with a keto-friendly glaze that is sweet and slightly spicy, it’s an easy recipe that will make special occasions even more celebratory.

The perfect addition to your holiday meal, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, or any time your main dish needs to be a showstopper.

And get this: the best part is that no one will ever guess that this holiday ham is made with zero added sugar and is completely sugar-free!

Be sure to check out our keto brown sugar mustard glaze ham for a nonspicy option.

If you have any ham leftovers, be sure to add to your keto meal planning rotation our keto ham casserole, which is simply scrumptious!

Keto Glazed Ham

Creating a low-carb version of glazed ham for our family was a top priority. And it’s something I perfected after several attempts.

I knew it had to be stellar in order to fool tastebuds and help those of us doing keto to remain keto during the holidays.

I created a recipe that features a sugar-free glaze that has a slight kick to it with the addition of chipotle powder.

This sugar-free keto glazed ham is the perfect blend of sweet, salty, and spicy. Is there anything better than these three flavors?

The spiciness of the ham’s glaze is very mild, and you can add as much or as little chipotle powder as your family prefers.

Is Ham Keto-Friendly?

Ham, like most meats, is naturally keto-friendly and low in carbs. During the curing process, a small amount of sugar is used, but it’s quite minimal, and it will vary from brand to brand. 

However, things change drastically once you get a “honey-baked ham,” since those are loaded with sweetness due to their glaze made with sugar.

Whether made with honey, brown sugar, or maple syrup, they all have sugar to provide sweetness.

Just toss the packet of glaze that comes with the ham because I cracked the code for you all, allowing you to enjoy a family gathering without sacrificing a traditional recipe. You’re welcome.

What Is The Best Ham?

I chose a 9-pound fully cooked smoked ham, the shank portion that includes the bone. But you can easily double the recipe to make a whole ham or even a spiral ham.

I prefer to use bone-in ham since it is more flavorful and remains juicy. A boneless ham will also work, but you must reduce the cooking time because these tend to dry out quickly. 

Do You Need To Remove The Skin And Fat Layer Of A Ham?

I recommend you remove the rind, or “skin layer,” from your ham while still leaving as much of the fat layer intact. The skin is tough and has an unpleasant chewy texture once cooked, so I removed it.

You will just waste the delicious sweet and spicy glaze that makes this sugar-free ham a star!

The fat keeps the ham juicy and makes the glaze nice and sticky. The fat also naturally bastes your ham as it cooks. So keep your fat layer and ensure your ham is cooked perfectly.

How To Remove Rind And Score Your Ham

1. Trim away the rind (skin), being sure to leave all the fat. Using a sharp knife, cut a line through the skin around the shank’s end. Carefully insert the knife between the rind of the ham and the fat, and run the knife through to separate the layers. Using your fingers, gently pull the rind from the fat. Remove the rind from the ham and discard it.
2. Using a sharp knife, score a 1-inch-wide diamond pattern about 1/4 inch deep.
3. Avoid slicing into the meat and concentrate on only scoring the fat of the ham. Going too deep risks the ham drying out as the fat shrinks during the cooking process.
4. Do this over the entire surface of the ham.

How To Make A Keto Sweet And Spicy Glazed Ham

Making a keto-friendly ham starts the same as any fully cooked, smoked, or cured ham. Start by removing the tough skin layer while preserving the fat.

Then, place your ham, cut side down, in a roasting pan large enough to accommodate it easily in a preheated 325-degree oven.  I like placing my ham on a small baking rack so that it doesn’t touch the bottom of the pan.

This ensures that the bottom of the ham does not overcook.

You could also use a layer of crumpled aluminum foil instead of a baking rack.  You’ll also add a 1/2 cup of water seasoned with allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, 1/4 teaspoon of each.

Adding water helps the ham bake evenly and create steam as it cooks, and the spices add more flavor to the ham.

Cover your ham with aluminum foil and bake at 325 degrees for 12–14 minutes per pound. A fully cooked ham must be cooked to an internal temperature of 140 degrees until heated through. 

I cooked this 9-pound ham for 2 1/4 hours. Keep in mind that the cooking time will vary depending on the size of your ham.

During the last 20 minutes, you will baste the ham with the sugar-free glaze.

Ingredients Needed For A Sugar-Free Glazed Ham

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

The following are the ingredients needed: Note that the full printable recipe card is at the bottom of the page.

• Fully cooked ham (shank portion), although you can also use a spiral-cut ham
• Water 
• Cinnamon powder (spices will season the water)
• Nutmeg powder 
• Ginger powder
• Allspice

Sugar-Free Brown Sugar Spicy Glaze

• Brown sugar substitute
• Allulose
• Unsalted butter
• Brown mustard
• Dry mustard powder
• Cinnamon powder
• Nutmeg powder
• Ginger powder
• Allspice
• Chipotle pepper powder to taste
• Black pepper
• Red pepper flakes, to taste
• Salt

Best Sugar Substitutes For A Sugar-Free Ham Glaze

I have several options when it comes to which sweetener you can use in this ham glaze Lakanto Monk Fruit is my favorite since the texture and flavor are what I have found to be the closest to real sugar. 

I am recommending you use their brown sugar substitute in this recipe, although you can use their golden sugar-free substitute, or even their white granulated sweetener, which is acceptable.  It just will not have the same depth of flavor.

Having said that, I’m also partial to the brand, Swerve brown sugar, which is an erythritol blend. Like Lakanto, it uses sugar alcohols and has a 0% impact on blood sugar.

Another delicious brown sugar substitute is Surkin Gold

You could also use the stevia- and erythritol-based brand Truvia Sweet Complete Brown Sweetener with the Stevia Leaf if you prefer to use a stevia-based sweetener.

In my opinion, Truvia tends to be overly sweet, which is why I recommend half the amount called for in this recipe. This may, however, skew the recipe, not giving you enough glaze since you will need half the recipe.

My glaze also uses Allulose. I find that using some allulose prevents the glaze from crystallizing quickly. It may still crystallize once refrigerated, but will not do so while the ham is warm. 

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Be sure to check out our keto cauliflower mac and cheese and our keto green bean casserole for the perfect addition to this ham recipe. 

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In case you don’t know, I have authored two books for you, Essential Keto Bread and Essential Keto Desserts, both inspired by your requests over the years. It’s my prayer these keto cookbooks will help make keto a delicious breeze for you.

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To say we needed God’s intervention is to put it mildly. When we followed the Holy Spirit’s prompting, we got on the path to real transformation. 

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