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Craving that sweet, caramelized Honey Baked Ham flavor without the sky-high price tag? This easy copycat Honey Baked Ham Recipe gives you the same signature glaze and tender slices right at home, and for a fraction of the cost. It’s the perfect center piece for Easter, Christmas, or any special family dinner.
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Loved this recipe! Made it for Christmas and will make it again this Easter. My family loved the ham and the sauce it made!! Thank you!!!!.” – Judee
“Thank you, Best ham recipe I’ve had. Love it 😀 !!!” – Gloria
“This was even better than the one I bought at the store last year. Definitely going to save all that money and just make this again for the holidays.” – Stephanie
A Holiday Tradition
Honey Baked Ham was the centerpiece of many Christmas Eve and Easter dinners growing up. My parents would pick one up from the Honey Baked Ham store, and it always felt like such a treat. However, I didn’t realize how expensive it was at the time!
Now that I’m hosting those same holiday meals, I’ve found a way to recreate that sweet, caramelized ham at home for a fraction of the cost. It tastes just like the original, and the smell while it bakes is absolutely irresistible.
Serve this Honey Baked Ham with our Homemade Mashed Potatoes or Cheesy Potato Casserole, Frozen Corn (made the right way), and a fresh holiday salad for a meal everyone will remember.
🩷 Erica
Table of Contents
- 5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- A Holiday Tradition
- Ingredients for Honey Baked Ham
- What Type of Ham is Best for Honey Baked Ham?
- How to Make Honey Baked Ham
- How to Cook Honey Baked Ham in the Oven
- How Long to Cook a Pre-Cooked Ham
- How to Make Honey Baked Ham in the Crock Pot
- Recipe Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Storing and Reheating
- Leftover Ham Recipes
- Honey Baked Ham Recipe
Ingredients for Honey Baked Ham
- Spiral Ham – I always use a fully cooked, bone-in spiral sliced ham. The spiral cut makes it easy for the glaze to seep between the slices, and the bone adds flavor and tenderness.
- Glaze – A rich blend of honey, brown sugar, butter, spicy brown mustard, and warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and paprika. This creates that signature sweet, caramelized crust. For a little extra kick, try using hot honey instead of regular honey.
What Type of Ham is Best for Honey Baked Ham?
For the best results, use a fully cooked, bone-in spiral sliced ham.
- Spiral cut – Allows the glaze to soak into every slice for maximum flavor.
- Bone-in – Adds richness and helps keep the meat moist.
- Fully cooked – You’re simply reheating and enhancing flavor, not cooking from raw.
You can use a boneless ham if needed, but bone-in will give you better texture and flavor. Skip pre-glazed hams so you can create that classic Honey Baked Ham coating from scratch.
How to Make Honey Baked Ham
- Prep the Oven:
Preheat your oven to 200°F. Line a roasting pan with foil and place the ham inside.
- Make the Glaze:
In a small saucepan, mix the butter, brown sugar, honey, and spices. Warm over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves.
- First Baste:
Brush about one-third of the glaze all over the ham, making sure to get between the slices.
- Bake Low and Slow:
Cover the ham and bake for 5 hours. Halfway through, baste again using half of the remaining glaze. Bake until the ham reaches 140°F.
- Final Baste:
Remove the ham and turn the oven to broil. Brush on the rest of the glaze, covering the top evenly.
- Broil and Serve:
Place the ham back in the oven, uncovered, and broil until the glaze bubbles and caramelizes. Let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
How to Cook Honey Baked Ham in the Oven
Baking is the best method for achieving that signature caramelized crust while keeping the ham juicy.
The key is low and slow heat. Since the ham is already fully cooked, your goal is to gently warm it while allowing the glaze to build flavor and coat every slice. Rushing the process at a higher temperature can dry out the ham before it’s heated through.
How Long to Cook a Pre-Cooked Ham
For this recipe, bake at 200°F for about 5 hours.
If you’re short on time, you can increase the temperature to 275°F and cook for 2-3 hours, but lower temperatures will give you the best texture.
Always use a meat thermometer and heat the ham to 140°F internal temperature before serving.
How to Make Honey Baked Ham in the Crock Pot
You can also make this ham in the slow cooker for an easier, hands-off option.
Cook on low for 5–6 hours, then transfer to the oven and broil briefly to caramelize the glaze. This gives you the same sweet crust with less effort. Try our Slow Cooker Ham with Maple and Brown Sugar. It’s also delicious!
Recipe Tips
- Line your roasting pan with foil for easy clean-up.
- Cover the ham with foil or a lid while baking. You want to keep all those juices in the ham.
- Use a heavy duty roasting pan if you can. We love the Magnalite Roasting Pan.
- Baste at least once (or more) for a stronger glaze.
- When basting, use a silicone basting brush to avoid stray bristles in the glaze.
- Broil at the end for that signature caramelized crust. You can also use a kitchen blow torch to give the ham the same
- Make sure to let the ham rest about five minutes before slicing and serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Plan for about ½ pound per person for a bone-in ham, or slightly less if serving multiple sides. This also leaves room for leftovers.
Cook it low and slow and keep it covered with foil while baking. Baste at least once during cooking, and remove it from the oven as soon as it reaches 140°F to prevent overcooking.
If your ham is pre-cooked, it should be heated to 140-degrees F before serving.
No, but it can help reduce baking time slightly. If you’re short on time, taking it out of the fridge 30–60 minutes before baking is helpful.
Yes! That quick broil step caramelizes the glaze and gives it the signature golden, slightly crispy crust that makes it taste like the original.
Pour any remaining glaze over the ham slices before serving or serve it on the side as a sweet dipping sauce.
Storing and Reheating
In the fridge:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days
- Keep ham tightly wrapped to prevent it from drying out
In the freezer:
- Freeze sliced or diced ham in airtight containers or freezer bags. For best quality, use within 2–3 months (it stays safe longer if frozen)Tip: freeze in smaller portions for easy reheating
Thawing & reheating:
- Thaw frozen ham in the refrigerator until completely defrosted.
- Reheat covered in the oven or microwave until warmed through (oven is typically about 30 minutes, depending on amount).
- Tip: keep it moist by covering well; you can add a small splash of liquid to the pan if desired.
Leftover Ham Recipes
Don’t let leftovers go to waste. This ham is perfect for quick meals like soups, sandwiches, and casseroles.
- Use leftover ham in this hearty Crockpot Split Pea Soup.
- Stir it into this creamy Mac and Cheese with Ham and Peas.
- Make a quick lunch with this Grilled Ham and Cheese.
- Add it to this comforting Scalloped Potatoes with Ham
- Try it in this cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes.
If you give this Honey Baked Ham Recipe a try, I’d love to hear how it turns out! Leave a comment below and let me know what you served with it, and any variations you may have tried! 🍯🍖👩🍳
Honey Baked Ham
Video
Ingredients
- 1 (8-10 pound) fully cooked bone-in spiral sliced ham
- 1 cup honey
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Heat oven to 200 degrees F. Line a roasting pan with foil or a roasting pan liner. Place ham in prepared pan. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, combine all remaining ingredients. Heat over medium-low until sugar is just dissolved. You do not need to bring it to a boil.
- Baste ham with about one-third of the honey mixture. Be sure to get in between all the slices.
- Cover and bake for 5 hours, basting a second time halfway through using half of the remaining honey mixture. Check the temperature often. When the ham reaches 140 degrees F, it is ready.
- Remove ham from the oven and set the oven to broil. While the oven is getting to temperature, baste ham one last time using the remaining mixture. Be sure to get a nice even coating over the top.
- Place ham, uncovered, back in the oven. Watch it closely! When the glaze starts to caramelize and bubble up, remove the ham from the oven. Allow ham to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Equipment
- Large Roasting Pan
Notes
- Save yourself some cleanup time and line your roasting pan. That glorious honey and brown sugar mixture is delicious but it makes a sticky mess! If you line your pan, then all you have to do is toss the liner out afterward.
- Use a heavy-duty roasting pan if you can. We love the Magnalite roasting pan. Cover the ham with foil or a lid when cooking. You want to keep all those juices in the ham.
- When basting, use a silicone basting brush. The honey mixture is sticky, and you don’t want little stringy fibers getting into your baste wit other types of brushes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Thank you for sharing. It was easy and delicious. I used everything in your recipe except ground cloves because they weren’t available.
So glad you loved it even without the cloves!
I’m sorry, I expected a better taste being i never used maple syrup but no difference than my recipe. Thank you for sharing as I’m always checking out new recipes.
Thank you again
I’m sorry the recipe didn’t work out for you. Just curious, what ingredients do you use in your ham recipe?