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Honey Baked Ham

Honey Baked Ham is baked at 325°F first, then finished at 400°F with repeated honey-butter brushing and a spiced sugar coating. The result is a deep golden, crackly glaze that clings to each spiral slice.
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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: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Honey Baked Ham
  • 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 to warming temperature
  1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Place the ham cut-side down in a roasting pan and cover tightly with foil.
  2. Bake for 12-14 minutes per pound until it reaches 120°F inside. Keep the foil on to hold moisture while the ham heats through.
Make honey butter and spiced sugar
  1. Melt honey and butter together. Stir until smooth and pourable.
  2. Mix granulated sugar and brown sugar with cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and paprika in a separate bowl. Toss well to evenly distribute the spices.
Caramelize the crust
  1. Remove the foil, then brush the ham generously with the honey butter. Make sure glaze gets into the spiral grooves.
  2. Pat on a layer of the spiced sugar over the brushed ham. Press lightly so the sugar adheres.
  3. Raise oven to 400°F and bake for 5 minutes. Look for early browning at the edges.
  4. Brush again with honey butter. Keep the layer thin so the sugar can crisp.
  5. Pat on another layer of spiced sugar. Aim for an even coating across the spiral ridges.
  6. Bake for 5 minutes at 400°F, then brush and sugar once more. Continue until you see deep golden color forming and cracking.
  7. Bake until the crust is deep golden and crackly and the ham reaches 140°F. Use an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the ham.
Rest and serve
  1. Rest the ham for 15 minutes before serving. Let the juices set so the glaze stays crisp.

Notes

Pro tip: Use an instant-read thermometer and check early—fully cooked ham can overshoot fast during the 400°F glaze phase. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3-4 days; freeze up to 1-2 months (freeze without the last sugaring if you want maximum crunch on reheating). For a lower-sugar option, use a reduced-sugar honey and part-skim butter while keeping the spice mixture the same.