Honey Baked Ham is a holiday tradition everyone looks forward to! Sweet and smoky with succulent spices, this copycat recipe tastes just like the original Honey Baked Spiral Ham.
Honey Baked Ham
Honey Baked Ham was a centerpiece at many Christmas Eve and Easter dinners growing up. Our parents often purchased it at one of our favorite places, the Honey Baked Ham store. What we didn’t realize at the time was how expensive that ham could be. Now that we’re in charge of our own Christmas Eve and Easter dinners, we’ve found a way to make that sweet, sugary Honey Baked Ham at home. The price is right, and baking it in our own kitchen makes our house smell absolutely divine!
How Much Does a Honey Baked Ham Cost?
Buying a ham from the Honey Baked Ham store can cost well over $100! Sure, they’re tasty but you can make the same delicious baked ham at home for a fraction of the cost. A similar sized ham from the grocery store will cost you less than $30, and the ingredients for the rich, sweet honey glaze are pantry staples you probably already have! Save that money AND make your house smell yummy all at the same time.
How to Glaze Honey Baked Ham
I actually love the process of glazing this Honey Baked Ham. The rich sauce is easy to make and I love how it seeps into the crevices of the ham and creates a slightly crispy golden crust. Here’s what you do:
- Combine butter, brown sugar, honey and all the delicious spices into a saucepan.
- Bring the whole thing to a boil, just until the sugar dissolves.
- Using a basting brush, spread most of the decadent sauce all over the ham, making sure to brush inside each slice.
- Then, baste the ham once more about halfway through the baking time.
- Finally, broil the top of the ham in the oven at the end so the sauce caramelizes and bubbles. It’s SO delicious!
How to Cook Honey Baked Ham in the Oven
Baking a ham is the best way to get that perfect caramelized crust while keeping the ham plump and juicy. Check out the recipe card below for all the details. But the trick here is low and slow. Since ham comes precooked, all you really need to do is warm it through and allow the honey and brown sugar mixture to coat the meat thoroughly. It’s a lengthy process, but one heavenly slice of ham is worth all that patience.
Tips for Cooking Honey Baked Ham
Don’t be intimidated by cooking a ham. It’s really very simple. But here are a few tips to making the best Christmas ham ever!
- Line your roasting pan with foil. That glorious honey and brown sugar mixture is delicious but it makes a sticky mess! Save yourself some clean-up time and line the pan. Then all you have to do is toss it afterward!
- Use a heavy duty roasting pan if you can. We love the Magnalite Roasting Pan.
- Baste your ham with the honey mixture halfway through the baking process.
- When basting, use a silicone basting brush. The honey mixture is sticky and you don’t want little hair fibers getting into your baste.
- To give your ham that golden, caramel crust, put the ham under the broiler for a few minutes at the end.
- Make sure to let the ham rest about five minutes or so before slicing and serving.
How to Cook Honey Baked Ham in the Crock Pot
If you want to go for the ease of cooking your ham in the crock pot you can! Just make sure to line your crock pot because it’ll get messy with all that delicious sauce. Cook on low for 5-6 hours and then pop it in the oven under the broiler to crisp up the top. Try our Slow Cooker Ham with Maple and Brown Sugar too. It’s so delicious!
How Long Does Honey Baked Ham Last in the Fridge?
An uncooked ham can stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to seven days. After it’s been baked, you can store leftovers for up to a week. Wrap the ham well in plastic wrap, in a resealable bag, or in an airtight container. If you know you won’t use you leftovers that quickly, consider freezing them for later use in casseroles or soups.
Can Cooked Ham Be Frozen?
Absolutely! Freeze any leftover ham in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to four months. It will still be safe to eat after that time, but may not taste as good.To reheat, let it thaw in the refrigerator completely, then microwave or put in the oven, covered, for about 30 minutes.
Leftover Honey Baked Ham Recipes
Ham leftovers make some of our favorite meals! Try it in a few of these delicious dishes:
- Slow Cooker Au Gratin Potatoes and Ham
- Apple Ham and Cheddar Melt Sandwiches
- Homemade Macaroni and Cheese with Ham and Peas
- Restaurant Ham Fried Rice
What Sides Go Well With Honey Baked Ham?
This ham is so delicious and versatile, the possibilities of what to serve alongside a thick slice are endless! But here are a few tried and true combinations we love:
- Funeral Potatoes
- Twice Baked Potatoes
- Parmesan Baked Potato Halves
- Parmesan Garlic Grilled Potatoes
- Corn
- Scalloped Potatoes
- Creamy Potatoes and Peas
- Christmas Salad with Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing
How to Make Honey Baked Ham (Copycat Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 8-10 pound fully cooked ham bone-in, spiral sliced
- 1 cup honey
- 1/2 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
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place ham in a roasting pan lined with foil or roasting pan liner (see tips above). Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, combine honey, brown sugar, butter, brown mustard, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and paprika. Heat over medium-low heat until sugar is just dissolved (you do not need to bring it to a boil).
- Baste ham with about 1/3 of the honey mixture. Be sure to get in between all the slices.
- Cover and bake at 200-degrees for 5 hours, basting a second time halfway through using half of the remaining honey mixture.
- Remove ham from oven and set oven to "broil". While oven is getting to temperature, baste ham one last time using 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 ham from oven. Allow ham to rest for 5 minutes and serve!
Equipment
- Conventional Oven
- Large Roasting Pan
Lisa says
My adult children said, “Better than Honey Baked ham Mom!” A keeper recipe. I made with an uncured ham w/no nitrates. I kept the butter, honey brown sugar, cinnamon the same. I cut nutmeg, cloves, paprika in half and used 1.5 T sweet and rough mustard by The Silver Palate. Excellent! Thanks for the recipe.
Clara says
My ham is between 6-7 lbs. How long do I need to cook it? Also, when I reduce the number of people on the recipe the ingredients cut down to for example .47…..I’m sorry what does that mean? Thanks to explain.
Favorite Family Recipes says
Hi! So, for your ham, I would try 4 hours to start. Since the ham is already cooked, the only thing you need to check for is that is is warm all the way through. As far as the measurements, the numbers are decimals. So, if it says .50 cups, that means 1/2 cups. Hope this helps!
Cindy says
I love this recipe as the ham has a great balance of sweet and savory flavors. Will make it again!
Ethan says
My mouth is watering! I can’t wait to make this for Easter dinner. Thanks again for another great recipe!
ann crawford says
How long do I need to cook it if my half ham weighs 4.29 pounds.
Thanks I am anxious to try this recipe.
Favorite Family Recipes says
I would start with an hour and check it every 10 minutes from there.
Sara Welch says
Such a great recipe that is way better than the store bought version! Looking forward to serving this on Christmas Eve, indeed!
Kristyn says
Ham is my family’s preference! Your pictures are making me hungry! The ham looks so juicy & tasty!
Beth says
This looks so delicious and tasty! I can’t wait to give this a try! My family is going to love this recipe!
Stephanie says
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.
Melissa says
Delicious – my family loved the way it turned out.
Betsy says
Love the way this cooked low and long! Turns out so good like this…mouthwatering and fall off the bone!
Tammy says
I see in the video that you have a roasting pan with a rack in it…..do you need to have one of those or could you just use parchment paper and then put the foil over the ham? Just want to know if I need to buy a rack for my pan.
Thank you!:)
Jennifer says
This ham sounds really good. Do you put it on a higher shelf to broil or just leave it on the same as where you cooked it at 200 degrees? Also, would you broil it on high or low temp? I would love to try this but would hate to mess it up on this last step 🙂
Favorite Family Recipes says
I leave it on the same rack and I would start on low since oven temps can vary. If it’s not going as fast as you want it to, you can bump it up to high.
Chandra Persaud says
Can this recipe be used for any ham if spiral sliced isn’t available? Thanks!
Echo Blickenstaff says
Yes, as long as the ham is pre-cooked. Thanks for asking!
Amy says
Looks delicious! Going to try this for Easter! BUT, this recipe says to do the slow cooker on low for 5-6 hours and then broil. The honey maple ham slow cooker recipe only calls for 2-3 hours on low for the same size ham. What’s the difference? Thanks! Can’t wait to taste them!!!
Erica says
The goal is just to get it warm all the way through. I have noticed with the honey maple ham that it dries out more if it cooks longer. I don’t know if this is due to the pineapple juice or what. I have just noticed that if I cook it for 5 hours it will get dry. I don’t have that same problem with the Honey Baked Ham recipe. You can definitely check it after a couple hours and if it seems like its warm all the way through you can switch it to “warm” until ready to serve. Hope this helps!
Margaret says
I made Christmas treats..popcorn, pretzels, M&,Ms, and peanuts covered with white candy melts..with my 2 granddaughters Christmas Eve. We had a lot of fun and the treats were eaten before Christmas day!!
Kim says
I have a boneless cooked ham. Should I cut it in slices to put on the glaze on each piece before I bake it?
Favorite Family Recipes says
I think slicing then glazing the ham before baking is a good idea. The glaze will be able to get between the slices and flavor the ham evenly. Thank you for asking!
Heather says
Just made this for my Christmas morning brunch. It came out great. I did mine in the crockpot which dried it out a little. Next time I will do it in the oven from start to finish. Tasty glaze. Thank you!
Favorite Family Recipes says
I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you for the 5-stars! 🙂
Paula says
To keep the ham from drying out in the crockpot, couldn’t the ham be wrapped in foil?
Favorite Family Recipes says
I haven’t tried it that way, but let me know how it goes if you do try it!
MRS.CC says
I just tried this recipe the sauce is good the the temperature was too low, other recipes say to cook at 300 to 375 for hours needed per pound. I ended up having to bump the temperature to 325 for another hour and a half just to finish it. I did have the ham above a rack so perhaps that affected the temp, but if you don’t have the luxury of time definitely bump the temp up a bit.
Lani says
Hi, my experience with the slow cooker is it is much more convenient but tended to not be as moist as oven roasLanited.
Favorite Family Recipes says
Yes, this is true. You have to really watch it in the slow cooker so it doesn’t overcook and continue to spoon the liquid over the ham.
LaTisha says
Is this recipe good for a turkey?
Favorite Family Recipes says
We cook turkey really differently than we cook ham. Check out our full guide on how to cook a turkey HERE: https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/how-to-cook-a-turkey/
dave says
Hi the instructions do not state whether to put ham face down or on side , you have two photos here one showing the butt in the air (face down) and the other on its side with slices showing. So how should i do it? thanks.
Favorite Family Recipes says
Either way is fine!
Bryn says
Did you like the oven or slow cooker version better? Did one have a better texture or moisture level? Thanks!