This honey baked ham recipe is a copycat of the super popular HoneyBaked Ham Store version. It’s a tender ham baked to perfection and coated in a crispy spiced sugar glaze. The ultimate holiday ham!

When I think of the holidays, I think of honey baked ham. My version costs a fraction of what you would pay if you went to the HoneyBaked Ham Store, but it tastes just as delicious and is actually quite easy to make. Serve your ham with side dish recipes such as crab mac and cheese, delicata squash, mandarin orange salad, cornbread casserole, loaded mashed potato casserole and glazed carrots for a complete meal.

A spiral cut honey baked ham on a serving platter garnished with fresh herbs.

It’s not a holiday without a honey baked ham. I used to frequent the HoneyBaked Ham Store to get one of their delicious and decadent hams for the major holidays. Then I discovered just how easy it is to make a honey baked ham at home. Now I skip the store and make my own and it gets rave reviews at a fraction of the cost!

Honey Baked Ham Recipe Ingredients

To make this recipe, you will need a spiral cut ham, honey, granulated sugar, onion powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, ground cloves and smoked paprika.

How Do You Make A Honey Baked Ham?

Preheat the oven and coat a baking dish or roasting pan with cooking spray. Place the ham with the cut side down in the pan, then drizzle the honey all over the ham. Cover the pan, then bake until ham is warmed through. Remove the ham from the oven, then set the heat to broil. Place the sugar and all the spices in a sauce pan, along with some of the drippings from the ham. Bring the sugar mixture to a boil. Pour half of the sugar mixture over the ham, then broil until the glaze on the ham starts to bubble. Brush on the rest of the glaze, and broil again. Separate the ham slices, then serve and enjoy.

A honey coated ham, face down, in a baking dish.

Tips For The Perfect Ham

  • It’s important to boil the sugar mixture to make the crunchy glaze for exactly one minute. If you boil it longer, it can harden.
  • This ham is best when served immediately to take advantage of the crispy sugar coating on the exterior. Leftovers will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • Use a meat thermometer to gauge when your ham is done. It will be ready for glaze when the internal temperature registers at least 140 degrees F.
  • Be sure to separate the slices of the ham as soon as they come out of the broiler so that they don’t stick together. A fork works well for this task.
  • If you have a lot of ham leftover after your meal, be sure to check out my list of leftover ham recipes for some creative ways to use it up!
  • This recipe works best with a bone-in spiral cut ham.

Quick Tip

Keep a close eye on the ham when it’s broiling, as the sugar glaze can go from perfectly caramelized to burned very quickly!

A spiral cut ham that's been baked and is ready for glaze.

Recipe FAQs

How much ham per person?

For a bone-in ham, you should plan on 1/2 pound feeding one person.

How do you know when a ham is ready?

Hams come fully cooked, so all you need to do is heat them up to a safe temperature for eating. The simplest way to tell when a ham is ready is to use a thermometer. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the ham, but be sure to avoid touching the bone. The ham is ready to eat when the temperature is at least 140 degrees F.

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A ham coated in sugar glaze in a baking pan.

Flavor Variations

While this recipe is fabulous as-is, you can make some flavor adjustments if you prefer. Just be aware that any ingredient changes will make the taste differ from what you’d get from the Honey Baked Ham company!

  • Ham: If you can’t find a bone-in spiral ham, try using a standard bone-in ham and score the top so the glaze can soak in. You could also make this recipe with a boneless ham, although I feel that bone-in hams have more flavor and are less likely to dry out. If you choose a boneless ham, you will need to reduce the cooking time.
  • Flavorings: Instead of pan drippings in the glaze, try using pineapple juice. You can also mix up the spices by adding garlic powder, allspice or even a little Cajun seasoning! You can also add a few tablespoons of butter for extra richness, or try using half brown sugar and half granulated sugar.
  • Garnishes: Finish your ham with a sprinkle of chopped fresh herbs, such as rosemary, thyme or parsley.
Sliced honey baked ham on a serving plate.

You simply cannot go wrong with this ham. It’s full of with flavor, simple to make, and looks so impressive for the holidays.

Ham Side Dish Recipes

Honey Baked Ham Video

Love This Recipe?

Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

5 from 51 votes

Honey Baked Ham Recipe

AuthorSara Welch
A spiral cut honey baked ham on a serving platter garnished with fresh herbs.
This honey baked ham recipe is a copycat of the super popular HoneyBaked Ham Store version. It’s a tender ham baked to perfection and coated in a crispy spiced sugar glaze. The ultimate holiday ham!
Time
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 10 minutes
Total Time2 hours 20 minutes
Course Main
Cuisine American
Serves 8

Ingredients 

  • 8 lb spiral cut ham
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • cooking spray
  • fresh herbs for garnish

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9″ x 13″ pan with cooking spray.
  • Place the ham cut side down in the pan and pour the honey over the top. Cover the pan with foil.
  • Bake for 2 hours or until a thermometer inserted into the ham registers 140 degrees F. Remove the ham from the oven and preheat the broiler.
  • Place the sugar, onion powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and smoked paprika in a medium sized pan along with 1/2 cup of drippings from the pan or water.
  • Stir to combine the sugar and liquid then bring to a boil. Boil for exactly one minute.
  • Pour half the glaze over the ham and place the ham under the broiler. Broil for 1-2 minutes or until glaze starts bubbling.
  • Remove the ham from the oven and pour the remaining glaze over the ham. Broil for 1-2 minutes more.
  • Remove the ham from the oven and separate the slices. Transfer the ham to a platter and serve, garnished with herbs if desired.

Notes

  1. It’s important to boil the sugar mixture to make the glaze for exactly one minute. If you boil it longer, it can harden.
  2. This ham is best when served immediatelyto take advantage of the crispy sugar coating on the exterior. Leftovers will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  3. Use a meat thermometer to gauge when your ham is done.

Nutrition

Calories: 541kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 720mg | Potassium: 491mg | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1.6mg

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Lovely recipe that the whole family enjoyed! Very easy to make that made the whole family with full tummies at Christmas day!♡ “L♡VELY!”😋🤤🤤🤤

  2. 5 stars
    OH SO DELICIOUS! And my children who are Honey Baked Ham snobs, said it was as good if not better! Thanks for sharing!

  3. Silly question, but…..when the recipe says to buy a spiral cut ham, does that mean a fully-cooked spiral ham or an uncooked ham? I only need a small ham, so hope to buy a fully-cooked ham (and if the recipe means an uncooked ham, how long would you bake a fully-cooked ham with the honey before proceeding with the rest of the recipe).

    Thanks for your recipe and help!

    1. I would try a different brand of ham, because the salt level definitely varies from different manufacturers. You can also try rinsing your ham under cool water, then patting it dry to remove any excess salt.

  4. HI Sara….
    I SO want to try this recipe, but have a Major problem. I Don’t have a broiler, and can’t afford a blow torch. Would cranking the oven temp up to 500 work instead of broiling? I only have the lousy 2-4 inch ‘Drawer Broiler’ underneath the oven. (and I hate it)
    Can you help me?

    Thanks,
    Christie

      1. Hi Sara…

        Thank you so much for answering. Now I just hope I have the courage to try it. The Good news…It’ll only be me that I’ll be making it for, so there shouldn’t be too many bad reviews. lol

        Happy Super Bowl!

  5. 5 stars
    The ham turned out delicious and will be making this one again. I have made extra spice mix to have on hand.

  6. 5 stars
    I made this yesterday for Christmas dinner but ran out of regular sugar so I used one cup of regular sugar and one cup of brown sugar. Everything else was the same. it was delicious. My husband has been picking at the ham all day today that’s how I know it was a hit. Thanks for the recipe. I can’t wait to make it again.