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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?
Am trying this for Christmas this year, 2024. Can I use a cooking bag? Thanks
Yes, you can definitely use a cooking bag if you would prefer. Hope this helps!
Brush on all of the glaze? Or open bag and brush on more after half baking time? Take completely out of the bag to broil at the end? Thanks
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!!!!
Honey Baked Ham Recipe
You are correct, these hams have gotten expensive. When you add in shipping costs, I purchase the grocery store spiral ham. Since moving to the Midwest Honey Baked Ham was always on my table. The crunchy glaze was so good.
Thank you for this recipe. It will bring back memories at Easter dinner. The left overs will be appreciated in my scalloped potato casserole and pea soup. “Gotta” have the pea soup! It’s another tradition.
Thank you, Best ham recipe I’ve had. Love it 😀 !!!
Great ham recipe, kid,s loved it.
Great recipe! Ham was fantastic! Whole family loved it!
The ham was delicious. Kudos just as good as honey baked ham
This was great better than the name brand! I warmed it up on a smoker grill and will definitely do it again!
Super great. Better than the honey baked hams that i order.
I followed the recipe to the letter, but I cooked my ham at 275 for 10 minutes per pound. I bought my 11 pound ham for $10.99 from Target after reading a rave review on Consumer Reports. It was amazing! I will never buy a Honey Baked Ham again. My friends didn’t believe it wasn’t the $100 ham!
I plan to cook my honey bake ham the day before. What do I need to do to the ham the next day to serve it? Do I need to warm it again. The store bought ham says to take it out of the frig. and can eaten it at room temp.
Yes, you can eat it right out of the fridge. Or, you can warm it in the oven or crock pot.
My favorite way to cook a ham for a special occasion 😋
Ham is just synonymous with Easter and this copycat recipe will do the Bunny proud.
Ham has always been our tradition but now Im curious what it might be like with my homemade maple syrup
We love this honey ham. We eat it several times a year.
Thank you, Tammy! I’m so happy you like it!
So delicious!
Hello, I’d like to make this in the Crock pot version so I read to cook on low for 5 to 6 hrs then broil to crisp the top for the Best Honey Baked Ham (Easy Copycat). Stated Bone-in, Spiral sliced.
Then I looked at the recipe for Spiral Ham with Maple and Brown sugar and it said to cook for only 2 to 3 hrs on low. Stated boneless ham or Bone-in ham.
Why the difference in cook time – as it’s the same 8 to 10 lb for each and is stated for the CP Maple and Brown sugar one – boneless ham or bone-in ham? I must be missing something here…?
It all depends on the weight of the ham. The most important thing is to check the internal temperature. It has to reach 140 degrees before serving. Check after the first two hours and then every hour after until it reaches that temperature.
Can this recipe be converted to a crock pot and if so, would it be cooked on high or low and for how long? Thanks.
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 of 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.
Can the ham be cooked the day before and reheated on Easter? Assuming “Yes” at what temperature and for how long?
We suggest reheating the ham, covered with foil, at 275 for 10 minutes per pound. If it gets too hot it will dry out. Hope this helps!
How about anise with this recipe?
That sounds delicious too! Let us know how it turns out!
This copycat recipe is it exactly like the ham from the famous honey-baked stores! I am obsessed with trying to find the real honey-baked ham clone. I have been trolling different recipe sites on the internet for several years now, whenever I see the words copycat recipe for Honey baked ham. So far the closest I have ever gotten to the real thing is only the words “Copycat recipe for honey baked ham”
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.
Made this for Easter and the reviews from the family (I don’t eat meat) were outstanding! My husband and brother were sitting by the ham and had about 1/2 the ham themselves. Husband said it was the best ham ge has ever had. Even my son who doesn’t like to eat much meat asked me to make it again. I used to make another recipe and this one is so easy that it will be my new go to.
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.
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!
I love this recipe as the ham has a great balance of sweet and savory flavors. Will make it again!
My mouth is watering! I can’t wait to make this for Easter dinner. Thanks again for another great recipe!
How long do I need to cook it if my half ham weighs 4.29 pounds.
Thanks I am anxious to try this recipe.
I would start with an hour and check it every 10 minutes from there.
Such a great recipe that is way better than the store bought version! Looking forward to serving this on Christmas Eve, indeed!
Ham is my family’s preference! Your pictures are making me hungry! The ham looks so juicy & tasty!
This looks so delicious and tasty! I can’t wait to give this a try! My family is going to love this recipe!
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.
Delicious – my family loved the way it turned out.
Love the way this cooked low and long! Turns out so good like this…mouthwatering and fall off the bone!
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!:)
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 🙂
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.
Can this recipe be used for any ham if spiral sliced isn’t available? Thanks!
Yes, as long as the ham is pre-cooked. Thanks for asking!
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!!!
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!
Love this ham! While it was cooking 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!!
I have a boneless cooked ham. Should I cut it in slices to put on the glaze on each piece before I bake it?
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!
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!
I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you for the 5-stars! 🙂
To keep the ham from drying out in the crockpot, couldn’t the ham be wrapped in foil?
I haven’t tried it that way, but let me know how it goes if you do try it!
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.
Hi, my experience with the slow cooker is it is much more convenient but tended to not be as moist as oven roasLanited.
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.
Is this recipe good for a turkey?
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/
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.
Either way is fine!
I always order Honey Baked for all holidays. the hams have such a yummy unique flavor. i know what the ham taste like. my question to you is, does your recipe really taste exactly like the real honey-backed ham??
Did you like the oven or slow cooker version better? Did one have a better texture or moisture level? Thanks!