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4.80 from 24 votes

How to Make a Honey Baked Ham

Learn how to make a honey baked ham at home. Get that famous sugary crunch on your spiral honey ham in this popular copycat recipe.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 10 minutes
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 30
Calories: 374kcal
Author: Julie Clark

Ingredients

  • Spiral Cut Bone-in Ham 9-10 pounds
  • ½ cup honey

SUGAR TOPPING:

  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • Dash of ground ginger
  • Dash of onion powder

Instructions

  • Place the ham in a shallow roasting pan (or 9×13″ pan). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Pour the honey over the entire ham. Cover either the ham itself or the pan with aluminum foil.
  • Bake, covered, for about two hours. It will take about 10-15 minutes per pound of ham to heat the spiral sliced ham to 140ºF. In a 350ºF oven, plan for it to take about 1 ½ to 2 hours for a 9-10 pound ham. Baste with pan juices once or twice while the ham is cooking, if desired.
  • While the ham is baking, mix together the sugar and spices.
  • When the ham is fully heated, pat the sugar mixture all over the outside of the ham.
  • Place the ham under the broiler (make sure it is not too close to the top broiler. If it is, move it to a lower oven rack).
  • Set the oven to broil on high for 4-5 minutes. Watch the ham closely! When food is cooking under the broiler it can start to burn very quickly. You’re looking for the sugar to start bubbling and caramelizing.
  • The sugar will be VERY HOT so let the ham rest for a few minutes so that the sugar cools.
  • Honey Baked Ham is traditionally served cold, but you can serve this ham warm if you’d like.

Video

Notes

  • The spiral-sliced ham may come with a glaze packet. Throw that away and use this brown sugar mixture instead.
  • Take the internal temperature in the thickest part of the ham with an instant-read thermometer. Don't overbake if you like a juicy ham.
  • A Butane kitchen torch can also be used to caramelize the ham. I can’t stress enough how important it is to keep close watch on the ham while it is under the broiler. Don’t leave it. Check it often. Take it out of the oven once the sugar is bubbly and caramelized.
  • The sugar topping is going to be VERY HOT when it comes out of the oven. Don’t be tempted to touch it or you’ll burn your finger.

Nutrition

Calories: 374kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 1616mg | Potassium: 394mg | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1.2mg