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

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

5 from 54 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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5 from 54 votes (32 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Omg can we say yum?!?! I just love a yummy ham dinner. Especially for holidays. I will give this recipe a try.

  2. 5 stars
    Oh my gosh honey-baked ham is making me want Christmas to come now! I absolutely love this and love eating it on Christmas!

  3. 5 stars
    I love a good homemade ham any day! Your recipe looks really good and the ham turned out looking perfect and juicy! I am going to save the recipe and make this soon!

  4. Yum! Ham is a great main dish that the whole family enjoys. We use it for soups, sandwiches and just entree slices.

  5. 5 stars
    Wow, this has got me so hungry right now! It looks so delicious – it’d be perfect for tomorrows Sunday lunch for the whole family!

  6. 5 stars
    Another delicious recipe from you, ham is my favorite but I never tried it like this. I will try it tn.

  7. 5 stars
    This is such perfect recipe to have your own ham specially this coming christmas and new year ., thanks for sharing this recipe.

  8. 5 stars
    I don’t make many meals with meat but – This looks like a great recipe. I bet my sister would love to use it for Christmas time. I’m going to share it with her! Thank you for sharing!

  9. 5 stars
    That sounds delicious! I love making ham for the holidays. Heck, sometimes I’ll make it on a random Tuesday. I”m excited to give this recipe a try.

  10. 5 stars
    I’ve never tried baking my own ham before (I’m a coward in the kitchen) but this makes it seem pretty straightforward! And the flavour sounds delish.