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Honey Baked Ham

Honey baked ham with a crackly, deep-golden honey-sugar crust baked until slice-ready and tender. Oven-roasted in a tightly covered pan, then glazed and re-sugared at higher heat for bold caramel flavor and glossy shine.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
resting 15 minutes
Total Time 3 hours
Servings: 14 servings
Course: Dinner Recipes
Cuisine: American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Honey Baked Ham
  • 1 fully cooked bone-in spiral-sliced ham (8-9 pounds) Use a pre-cooked, bone-in spiral-sliced ham for the best reheating and crust.
  • 0.5 cup honey For the honey-butter glaze base and glossy coating.
  • 0.25 cup butter Melt with honey to help the crust adhere.
  • 1 cup granulated sugar Balances sweetness for the spiced sugar topping.
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar Adds caramel notes to the crust.
  • 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 and prep
  1. Preheat the oven to 325F, then place the ham cut-side down in a roasting pan and cover tightly with foil.
  2. Bake for 12-14 minutes per pound, until the ham reaches 120F inside.
Make the honey butter and spiced sugar
  1. Melt the honey and butter together until smooth and pourable.
  2. In a separate bowl, mix the granulated sugar and brown sugar with the cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and paprika.
Glaze, sugar, and crisp the crust
  1. Remove the foil, then brush the ham generously with the honey butter.
  2. Pat on a layer of the spiced sugar so the surface looks evenly coated.
  3. Raise the oven to 400F and bake for 5 minutes, until the surface starts to set and turn glossy.
  4. Brush again with the remaining honey butter, then pat on more spiced sugar.
  5. Bake another 5 minutes at 400F, repeating the glazed-and-sugared cycle until the crust is deep golden and crackly.
  6. Continue baking until the ham reaches 140F.
Rest and serve
  1. Rest the ham for 15 minutes before serving so juices settle and slices stay clean.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the ham covered during the first low-temp bake to prevent drying, then only uncover at the 400F stage so the sugar caramelizes into a crackly crust. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days; freeze for up to 2 months (freeze sliced or whole). Dietary swap: use a 1:1 brown-sugar substitute and honey alternative if you need reduced sugar, keeping the same bake temps and coating steps.