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Honey Baked Ham

Honey baked ham is baked until juicy at 120°F, then glazed with honey-butter and a spiced sugar crust for a crackly, deep-golden finish. Expect a glossy surface with caramelized bits and tender spiral slices.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 14 servings
Course: Dinner Recipes
Cuisine: American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ham and glaze
  • 1 fully cooked bone-in spiral-sliced ham 8-9 pounds
  • 0.5 cup honey
  • 0.25 cup butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp ground cloves
  • 0.5 tsp ground ginger
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp allspice
  • 0.5 tsp paprika

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the ham
  1. Preheat the oven to 325F, then place the ham cut-side down in a roasting pan and cover tightly with foil.
  2. Bake at 325F for 12-14 minutes per pound, until the internal temperature reaches 120F.
Make the honey-butter glaze and spiced sugar
  1. Melt the honey and butter together until smooth.
  2. In a separate bowl, mix the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and paprika until evenly combined.
Build the crust
  1. Remove the foil and brush the ham generously with the honey-butter.
  2. Pat the spiced sugar mixture onto the glazed ham, creating an even coating (aim for full coverage on the surface).
  3. Raise the oven to 400F and bake for 5 minutes, until the sugar starts to set and look lightly caramelized.
  4. Brush with more honey-butter and pat on another layer of spiced sugar, then bake again at 400F for 5 minutes.
  5. Brush with the remaining honey-butter and pat on the final layer of spiced sugar, then bake at 400F until the crust is deep golden and crackly and the ham reaches 140F.
Rest and serve
  1. Rest the ham for 15 minutes before serving to help the juices redistribute and the crust stay crackly.

Notes

For the stickiest, crackliest crust, keep the ham covered only during the initial 325F bake, then uncover fully for the 400F caramelizing rounds. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat gently in a covered dish at 300F until warmed through. Freezing is yes—freeze sliced portions up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lower-sugar option, replace part of the granulated and brown sugar with an equal amount of a baking-style sugar substitute that measures cup-for-cup (avoid sugar-free syrups that won’t caramelize the same).