Ham with Pineapple and Cherries

Last Updated on April 11, 2025

This Ham with Pineapple and Cherries is the perfect addition to your holiday table.

The combination of pineapple, cherries and ham is a classic that will never go out of style. It would pair well with another classic—mashed potatoes.

One of the nice things about ham is that it can be served warm (for dinner) or cold (in sandwiches for lunch), depending on your preferences.

Looking for a way to use up your leftover ham? Check out this Ham and Cheese Tortellini recipe.

Jump to:

• Health Benefits of Ham  
• SAVE THIS RECIPE!
• ❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔀 Substitutions
• 🌈 Variations / Options / Add-Ins
• 🥄 Equipment Needed / Helpful Tools
• Tired of Ads?
• 🔪 How to Make Ham with Pineapple and Cherries
• 👩‍🍳 Pro Tips
• ❓ Recipe FAQs
• 🙏 Pairing
• SAVE THIS RECIPE!
• 📋 Recipe
• Pro Tips
• Recipe FAQs

Health Benefits of Ham  

Ham is one of my favorite proteins because not only is it delicious, but it’s also full of nutrients such as protein and iron. In fact, ham is a complete protein because it provides all nine of the essential amino acids.

These nutrients support optimal health by helping lower the risk of thyroid disease, heart disease and some types of cancer. They also can help maintain muscle mass and strength which is important when you exercise and just for day-to-day living.

It’s also low in carbs, fat and calories. This helps you feel full for longer which can help if you’re trying to lose weight.

Adding fruit to the ham is a simple, yet delicious way, to make a traditional baked ham even better. Plus, the fruit adds dietary fiber, potassium, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin C.

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This flavorful ham is an ideal addition to any festive gathering. The classic combination of sweet pineapple, juicy cherries, and succulent ham is a timeless favorite that will impress all your guests. 

•  Easy to make: Even though this ham looks super fancy, you’ll be happy to know it’s easy to make. You just put the ham in a dish, use toothpicks to attach the fruit, bake it, make the sauce, and baste the ham.
•  Looks beautiful on a plate: Your guests will be impressed with how pretty and fancy the ham looks—almost too pretty to eat.
•  Fill the house with a delicious aroma: As the ham bakes, your family is going to show up in the kitchen asking you how soon dinner will be ready since it smells so good.

If you are looking for another ham recipe to make for Easter or Christmas give this Instant Pot Brown Sugar Ham recipe a try.

🥘 Ingredients

You only need a few simple ingredients to help you make this main dish. The best part of this recipe is that all of these ingredients are easy to find at your local grocery store. 

• Ham: Look for a ham that is about 4 to 6 pounds. 
• Pineapple: You will need the canned pineapple rings for the beautiful topping. 
• Cherries: Jarred maraschino cherries that you can find in the ice cream aisle of your store will help finish off this beautiful ham. 
• Honey: For the ham glaze, you’ll want a mild to medium-flavored honey that complements rather than overpowers the other ingredients. Clover honey, wildflower honey or orange blossom honey would work well.
• Brown sugar: You will get the best results for the glaze if you use light brown sugar.

See recipe card for complete list of ingredients and quantities.

🔀 Substitutions

If you don’t have the ingredients you need, see if you have these instead:

Pineapple: If you don’t have the rings, you can used canned crushed pineapple. Just spoon it over the ham and you’ll get the same flavor, but not the same look.

Cherries: In case you can’t find maraschino cherries, you can use dried cherries—just rehydrate them in warm juice or water first.

Honey: You can use maple syrup (real, not pancake syrup), agave nectar or corn syrup (although this one has less flavor) instead.

Brown sugar: If you’re out of brown sugar, mix 1 cup white sugar with 1 tablespoon molasses to make light brown sugar.

🌈 Variations / Options / Add-Ins

If you’re looking to switch things up a bit, here are some options for variations and add-ins. 

Glaze Variations: Add 1-2 tablespoons Dijon or spicy brown mustard for a tangy kick to your glaze. Add 1/2 teaspoon each of ground cloves, cinnamon, or allspice to the glaze and stick whole cloves directly into the ham for a spiced ham and glaze.

Fruit Variations: Use canned peach slices, apple slices, or apricot halves instead of pineapple or mix in dried cranberries or raisins around the ham. You could also try a spoonful of orange marmalade or apricot preserves in the glaze.

Herby or Savory Options: Add a sprig of rosemary or thyme to the baking dish. You can also stir in a small bit of minced garlic or onion powder to the glaze or add a splash of balsamic vinegar for a sweet-tangy finish.

🥄 Equipment Needed / Helpful Tools

You only need a few simple kitchen tools to help you make this main dish. Gather these tools and get ready to enjoy this flavorful ham. 

• Baking dish: You will need a deep casserole dish or roasting pan with a rack for baking the ham.
• Saucepan: A 1.5 to 2 quart saucepan will give you enough room to stir the glaze without splashing and simmer gently without boiling over.
• Bbq brush: This is super helpful when basting the ham.
• Meat thermometer: The kind that can stay in the ham the whole time when it’s baking and let you know the temperature whenever you want to check is very convenient for helping you know when to have the rest of the meal ready.

🔪 How to Make Ham with Pineapple and Cherries

Making this delicious protein is so simple. Just follow the instructions below and you will have a delicious meal in no time at all. 

Step 1: Preheat the Oven 

Preheat the oven to 350 F. 

Step 2: Add the Ham

Place the ham in a large casserole dish. 

Step 3: Top the Ham with Fruit 

Cover the top of the ham with pineapple slices and cherries, using toothpicks to keep them secure. 

Step 4: Add Water

Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of the baking dish. 

Step 5: Bake the Ham

Cover the ham with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. 

Step 6: Mix the Glaze Ingredients

While the ham bakes, in a medium saucepan mix together the brown sugar, honey, and pineapple juice. 

Step 7: Cook the Glaze

Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture slightly thickens. 

Step 8: Baste the Ham 

After the 45 minutes of bake time is up, uncover the ham and brush the brown sugar marinade over the outside of the ham. 

Step 9: Continue Baking the Ham

Return the ham to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes uncovered.

Step 10: Repeat the Basting Process

Repeat the basting and baking process three times, or until the pineapple starts to brown. 

Step 11: Check the Temperature of the Ham

After the fourth time, if your ham has reached an internal temperature of 145 F, remove it from the oven. If it hasn’t reached the temperature, keep basting and baking the ham in 10-minute intervals, uncovered, checking the internal temperature each time.

Step 12: Cool the Ham

Allow the ham to cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Step 13: Serve

Serve the ham slices topped with a pineapple and a cherry.

👩‍🍳 Pro Tips

Here are a few pro tips to help you make this delicious ham. 

• Pat the pineapple and cherries dry to help them stay in place better and prevent extra moisture from watering down the glaze.
• Stick the toothpicks into the ham at a slant, not straight in, so the pineapple and cherries cling tighter and don’t slide off as it heats.
• Simmer the glaze until it coats the back of a spoon so it will stick beautifully to the ham.
• If the top of the ham starts to get too dark, tent it loosely with foil to protect the glaze while the inside finishes cooking. 
• Use an electric knife to make the main slices, then switch to a sharp carving or boning knife to trim near the bone or for delicate presentation. 
• Use the pan drippings to drizzle over the slices or simmer them down for a rich, sticky glaze to serve on the side. 

❓ Recipe FAQs

🙏 Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with this Ham with Pineapple and Cherries:

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