Honey Ham Recipe

Reader’s agree this Honey Baked Ham recipe is “better than Honey Baked store’s ham!” at a fraction of the price! This recipe is unbelievably juicy, bursting with flavor and boasts an intoxicating caramelized sugar coating. While it is not an exact copycat of the popular store version, I dare say it is the BEST Honey Baked Ham you will ever taste – store bought OR homemade!

up close of sugar coated honey baked ham


 

You will love this Honey Baked Ham Recipe

  • READERS LOVE IT: Just read the reviews!  One reader commented, “EVERYONE loved it, they said it was BETTER than that overpriced ham!!!”  And another, “I made this at Christmas and everyone loved it so much we made it again at Easter.”
  • MULTIDIMENSIONAL FLAVOR: This Honey Baked Ham recipe is glazed with a combination of honey, granulated sugar and apricot preserves for a multi-dimensional sweetness and dripping with flavor due thanks to several warming spices.
  • INEXPENSIVE.  Homemade Honey Glazed Ham is one of the most economical main courses you can make for the holidays.  It doesn’t cost you $75-$100 like the store version, you don’t have to order ahead or wait in line!  
  • MINUTES OF HAND’S ON PREP.  Roasting Honey Ham is one of the easiest and forgiving recipes you can make.  If you’re intimidated – just remember, hams are sold fully cooked and fully sliced – ALL you have to do is slather on the glaze, warm it up and dinner is served!
  • ROASTING HAM GUIDE.  If you’ve never baked a ham before, I’ve included detailed instructions and step-by step photos on everything you need to know about What Ham to Buy, and How to Bake a Ham so you are guaranteed a juicy inside and beautifully caramelized outside every time.
juicy honey glazed ham on a white platter
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Honey Glazed Ham Recipe ingredients

The ingredients for the honey ham glaze are pretty straightforward, the only ingredient you may need to track down are the apricot preserves. Here’s what you’ll need (measurements in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):

  • Honey: Use light-colored and mild-tasting honey such as clover honey.
  • Sugar: Works with the honey to sweeten the glaze. Use granulated sugar so the honey flavor can shine.
  • Apricot preserves: Adds multi-dimensional sweetness that compliments the floral honey. I have seen apricot preserves at almost every grocery store so they should be easy to track down.
  • Apple cider vinegar:  Cuts through the sweetness with fruity tanginess. Please do NOT substitute with any other vinegar.
  • Dijon mustard: Boasts a tangy, sharp, strong flavor to cut through the sweet glaze.  Use more or less to taste.  I don’t suggest using yellow deli mustard because it tastes flat but you could use spicy brown mustard or stone ground mustard.
  • Spices: Honey plays well with a number of spices, so I added a hint of ground cinnamon, onion powder, garlic powder, garlic powder, ground sage, dried parsley, ground nutmeg ground ginger, ground cloves, paprika, pepper and ancho chili powder. It’s a lot of seasonings but they do not overwhelm the honey ham glaze – rather they create a mesmerizing tapestry of flavor.
up close of honey baked ham
up close of honey baked ham with layers of slicces

Tools needed for Honey Bake Ham

  1. 8-11 pound fully cooked, bone-in spiralized ham
  2. Roasting pan preferably with a rack
  3. Foil
  4. Honey Glaze
  5. Pastry brush
  6. Thermometer
  7. Oven

HONEY GLAZED HAM RECIPE VARIATIONS

  • Seasonings: mix up the flavor profile by mixing up the seasonings! Add more or less of your favorite seasonings or go bold with Cajun seasonings, Jerk seasoning,, Mexican inspired seasonings, etc.
  • Glaze: mix up the flavor profile by swapping the apricot preserves with a different flavor such as pineapple, apple, blackberry, jalapeno etc. You can also try swapping the apple cider vinegar for orange juice or pineapple juice.
showing how to make honey baked ham by glazing ham on a roasting rack with honey glaze

How to cook a Honey Bake Ham

Let’s take a closer look at how to make Honey Baked Ham with step-by-step photos (full recipe in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):

Sugar glaze for the Best Ham Recipe

You can just use the honey glaze for your honey glazed ham – and it will be satisfyingly sweet and salty, OR you can also coat the ham in sugar the last few minutes and broil. This extra sugar shell makes the ham, well – sweeter, and creates an even more tantalizing caramelized crust.

I like to use half granulated sugar and half brown sugar for a balanced flavor, but you can use more or less of whatever sugar you prefer.

Both Patrick and I love the Honey Baked Ham both ways – just with glaze – and with glaze and sugar coating – but in the end, the sugar crusted ham is our FAV. Just be aware that the sugar coated ham is on the sweeter side – which we love. If you don’t want it as sweet, you can certainly use less sugar or omit this step completely.

how to make Honey Glaze For Ham

  1. To make the Honey Glaze for this ham, simply whisk together honey, granulate sugar, apricot preserves, Dijon, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, ground sage, pepper and ancho chili powder in a saucepan. Simmer for a minute or two so the granulated sugar dissolves and the apricot preserves melt.
  2. If you’ve never baked with apricot preserves before – they are my FAVORITE way to add multi-dimensional sweetness. The apricot preserves add a sweetness and compliment the honey without overpowering it. I use apricot preserves in my Honey Buffalo Meatballs, Maple Chicken, Roasted Honey Carrots and more. These glazes are all my favorites – and the common denominator – apricot perseveres! So I knew just what to do to make this this the BEST honey glaze for ham.
  3. If you taste the honey glaze by itself – it will be deliciously sweet and tangy, but you might feel like it is missing something – and that something is the saltiness of the ham. Salt enhances all the flavors and rounds out the flavor profile. Once the ham and the honey glaze unite – magic happens.
  4. Come to room temperature: remove ham from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 2-3 hours.  This is the same method we use for roasting a turkey, as it allows the ham to cook more evenly – instead of drying out the outside while waiting for the inside to heat through.
  5. Preheat oven: preheat your oven to 325 degrees F while you place the oven rack on the lowest level. This allows the center of the ham to remain in the center of the oven while baking, ensuring that it’s cooked evenly.
  6. Add water: pour 2 cups water into bottom of roasting pan with a roasting rack. The water steams around the ham creating an even moister ham. If you don’t have a rack, you can skip this step.
showing how to bake ham by adding water to the bottom of a roasting pan
  1. Make Honey Glaze: whisk the Honey Glaze ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves, about 1-2 minutes.  Set aside.
  2. Glaze ham: roll out 2 large pieces of foil to wrap your ham in, making sure they overlap in the center to create one large piece of foil. Place ham on foil, top/flat side up, or on its side if it won’t stand up. Using a pastry brush, slather about ⅓ of the Honey Glaze all over the outside of the ham and in between the slices. 
showing how to make honey baked ham by brushing honey glaze all over ham
  1. Wrap ham: tightly wrap Honey Glazed Ham with the foil its laying on so it stays nice and juicy while baking.
  2. Place on rack: Place the ham FLAT/FACE SIDE DOWN on the roasting rack (or bottom of pan if you don’t have a rack).  Roasting in this position helps prevent the ham from drying out.
showing how to make honey baked ham recipe by wrapping ham tightly in foil
  1. Baste and glaze: remove honey glazed ham from the oven and increase oven temperature to 400 degrees F.  Carefully unwrap ham from foil so the steam doesn’t burn your face. Discard foil, allowing any accumulating juices in the bottom of the foil to drip back into the pan.  Spoon juices from the bottom of the pan all over the outside of the ham. Brush ham all over with ⅓ Glaze, including in between slices.  If your honey glaze has thickened too much, you can heat it on the stove top for 30 seconds or so to loosen (I have never had to do this).
showing how to make honey baked ham by basting with juices
  1. Caramelize: leave ham uncovered and bake for 10- 20 minutes, until it reaches 130 degrees F, spooning juices over ham after 10 minutes.  This gives the ham deeper caramelized flavor through and through before we add the sugar crust.
showing how to make honey glazed ham by caramelizing edges in a hot oven
  1. Sugar Coating: remove Honey Glazed Ham from the oven and spoon juices again all over ham then brush again with Glaze. Next, whisk together half brown sugar and half granulated sugar and press into the surface of the ham. Keep track of where you have added the sugar because it will disappear into the glaze.
  1. Broil: return ham to oven and broil until caramelized, about 4-6 minutes, keeping a close eye on your ham so it doesn’t burn. You’re watching for the outside to start bubbling and turn golden. You may need to cover the top of your ham with foil to prevent excess browning or rotate your ham. I even will turn the baked ham on its side and flip a few times if I’m feeling extra gourmet so it browns evenly.
  2. Can I use a blowtorch? While authentic Honeybaked ham uses a blow torch, I strongly advise against it. It is very risky and unnecessary when the oven can serve as your blowtorch.
  3. Let rest: loosely cover Honey Baked Ham with foil and let rest for 15-25 minutes.  This will allow the crust to harden slightly and more importantly, allow time for the redistribution and reabsorption of the juices throughout the whole ham.
  4. Serve: Now sit back and relax – because you don’t have to carve your Honey Baked Ham! 
honey baked ham on a roasting pan

Honey Ham Recipe tips

  • Bring ham to room temperature:  Plan on removing your ham from the refrigerator 2-3 hours ahead of time so it can come to room temperature and cook evenly.
  • Don’t make glaze too thick: The glaze is ready when it is the consistency of syrup, just thick enough to stick to the ham. To thin the glaze after it thickens for the second glazing, you can heat over low heat in the same saucepan or microwave it for 30 seconds or until it returns to the consistency of syrup. You can add splash of water to help thin if needed.
  • Don’t overcook: Because the ham is already cooked, it can dry out easily if overcooked. Use your meat thermometer and check your ham right at 10 minutes per pound then as needed to achieve the correct temperature.  Better yet, use a digital probe thermometer, and set the desired temperature.
  • Let the ham rest: Do NOT skip the resting period once the spiral ham is pulled from the oven. Letting the pineapple ham rest makes the ham ultra juicy! 
a fork and knife carving honey glazed ham

How to serve this Honey Ham Recipe

You can let your Honey Baked Ham rest just for 15-25 minutes to reabsorb the juices and serve warm or rest closer to an hour if that fits your schedule better and serve it at room temperature. You can even serve your honey glazed ham cold, but I find this temperature more enjoyable and appropriate when using cold ham for sandwiches and not with hot sides.

What sides are best with this Honey Baked Ham Recipe?

This Honey Baked Ham recipe pairs beautiful with all your favorite sides! It goes with:

side view of honey glazed ham on a white platter

How to use leftover Honey Bake Ham

Ham is the gift that keeps on giving! It reheats well for leftovers or can be transformed entirely into something new! Try it in:

Honey Glazed Ham Recipe FAQs

Which is better bone-in or boneless ham?

Bone-in hams boast superior texture and flavor to boneless hams. The bone in hams is surrounded by connective tissue, mostly collagen. As the gelatin melts, it essentially is self-basting and keeps the meat incredibly moist and flavorful. And bonus, you get the ham bone for fabulous stock, stews and soups! 
Boneless hams, on the other hand, are the same cut of bone-in ham but the bone has been removed and the ham has been reshaped so it won’t fall apart when sliced. This process of compacting and reshaping the ham results in a bit of a spongy texture – which has no place in the best Honey Baked Ham.

What is the best cut of ham?

For this Honey Baked Ham recipe, you want a spiral-cut ham. Most bone-in hams come spiral cut which means they are pre-sliced in a continuous spiral all the way around the bone. This is beneficial for two important reasons:
most importantly, slices allow you to slather glaze in between every slice which means the ham is flavorful through and through and not just on the surface – you CANNOT achieve this depth of flavor without a pre-sliced ham.
all the work is done for you! Simply pull the slices away instead of laboriously carving your baked ham.

How do You Check the temperature of Baked Ham?

To check the temperature of baked ham, insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the ham without touching the bone, as the bone conducts heat and will be a much higher temperature than the meat.  Also, only check the ham after 90 minutes and limit the amount of times you check the temperature to prevent the ham from drying out.

Do you cook the ham before you glaze it?

Ham you roast for the holidays comes “pre-cooked,” we are essentially just warming up. It’s best to add the glaze before you pop it in the oven so glaze can deeply penetrate the ham for superior flavor. Next, unwrap the ham from the foil and glaze again and return to the oven without the foil. This time the glaze will deeply caramelize on the outside, creating a glossy, golden-brown exterior that adds a delightful contrasting sweetness.

Are all honey baked hams spiral cut?

Yes, typically all honey baked hams are spiral-cut hams. The spiral-cutting method allows for easily glazing the ham and for easy serving.

How do you keep a precooked ham from drying out?

The key to not drying out precooked ham is to not overcook it. Remember, the ham just needs to be warmed up. Use a meat thermometer and check your ham right at 10 minutes per pound then as needed to achieve an internal temperature of 140 degrees F, Better yet, use a digital probe thermometer. Secondly, Do NOT skip the resting period once the spiral ham is pulled from the oven. Letting the ham rest and redistribute all the juices that have been pushed to the outside of the ham will make it extra juicy.

up close of slices of honey baked ham

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slices of honey baked ham with glaze

Honey Glazed Ham Recipe

Honey Baked Ham is easy to make at home! This Honey Glazed Ham recipe is unbelievably juicy, bursting with flavor and boasts an intoxicating caramelized sugar coating. While it is not an exact copycat of the super popular Honey Baked Ham Store version, I dare say it is the BEST Honey Baked Ham you will ever taste – store bought OR homemade. To top it all off, this Honey Baked Ham costs a fraction of what you would spend at the HoneyBaked Ham Store – and you don’t have to worry about them running out of stock! This Honey Glazed Ham tastes gourmet but is super easy to make and will impress all of your Easter and Christmas guests!
Servings: 10 -15 servings
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours

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Ingredients

  • 1 (8-11 pounds) bone-in, fully cooked spiral-sliced ham
  • 2 cups water
  • Aluminum foil
  • Roasting pan
  • Thermometer

Honey Glaze

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup clover honey
  • 1/2 cup apricot preserves
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
  • 1 tsp EACH ground cinnamon, onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp EACH garlic powder, ground sage, dried parsley, ground nutmeg ground ginger, ground cloves, paprika, pepper
  • 1/4 tsp EACH ancho chili powder may sub chili powder

Sugar Glaze (optional)

  • 1/2 cup granluated sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

Instructions

  • Remove ham from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 2-3 hours.
  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Adjust oven rack to lowest position. Pour 2 of cups water into bottom of roasting pan with a roasting rack. (Skip step if you don’t have a roasting rack.)
  • Whisk together all of the Honey Glaze ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring often, until sugar dissolves and preserves melt, about 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
  • Roll out 2 large pieces of foil to wrap your ham in, making sure they overlap in the center. Place ham on foil, flat side up (or on its side if it won’t lay face up), and brush ham all over with approximately ⅓ of the Glaze, including in between slices. Tightly wrap ham with foil and place ham FLAT/FACE SIDE DOWN on the roasting rack (or bottom of pan).
  • Bake ham at 325 degrees F until the center registers 100-110 degrees F, (approx. 10-13 minutes per pound). Remove ham from oven and increase oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
  • Carefully unwrap ham from foil and discard foil. Spoon juices from the bottom of the pan all over ham. Brush ham all over and in between slices with ⅓ Glaze (If Glaze has thickened, return to heat to loosen).
  • Leave ham uncovered to caramelize surface and bake until the ham reaches an internal temperature of around 130 degrees F, approximately 10-20 minutes, spooning juices over ham every 10 minutes.***
  • Remove ham from oven and spoon juices from bottom of pan again all over ham and brush again with Glaze, including in between slices.
  • Optional for sweeter, more caramelized exterior: Whisk together ½ cup granulated sugar and ½ cup brown sugar in a small bowl. When cool enough to handle, pat sugar all over exterior of ham. Return ham to oven and let broil, uncovered for 4-6 minutes, watching closely so the ham doesn’t burn. You may need to place foil on the top of the ham. Remove ham when the sugar is bubbly and caramelized.
  • Loosely cover ham with foil. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving. Serve plain or like my husband, he loves it with a side of Dijon. See tons of side serving options above the recipe. Enjoy!

Notes

*Yes,  all the spices from the garlic powder to the paprika are ½ teaspoon.
**Take care to insert thermometer into the thickest part of the meat without touching the bone. This temperature is safe as we are just heating the ham – it is already fully cooked. It is better to under “warm” your ham than to overcook it.  Do not overcook your ham or it will be dry.

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16 Comments

  1. Barb says

    Could this be done in a slow cooker.?
    Then sugar glazed under broiler at the end?

  2. Jane says

    Gorgeous photographs. You’ve made me hungry.

    I’m going to try this. I’ve always used brown sugar liquified by the addition of pineapple or other fruit juice. I’m allergic to cloves so I learned to glaze my own ham years ago to avoid that ubiquitous ingredient. Honey and apricot glaze sounds lovely with the addition of some nice herbs and spices.

    • Jen says

      Thank you so much Jane! I hope this baked ham recipe becomes a new favorite!

  3. Valerie Howlett says

    I’ve been looking for A copy cat Honey baked ham recipe to bring to my sisters for thanksgiving (she SWEARS by honeybaked ) so I knew I had a lot of pressure mounting on me…not only did EVERYONE love it, they said it was BETTER than that overpriced ham!!! I was tasked with it’s my job to make this ham every year.

    • Jen says

      Thank you for your awesome comment Valerie! I’m honored everyone thought this Honey Baked Ham recipe was better than the original and is a new requested tradition! That makes my day!!! Happy Thanksgiving!

  4. Fern says

    This ham is the best — better than Honey Baked store’s ham! I have made it once before. Made a very large one this year to split between husband and me, son’s family and daughter during the pandemic stay at home orders. Delivered to their doorsteps and backed away before they came to their doors. Got rave reviews! It was a nice treat for them with leftovers and better than any curbside pickup we could have done from a restaurant! Everyone loves it! Thanks so much Jen for the recipe!

    • Jen says

      That is so sweet/generous of you to make this Honey Baked Ham for both you and your son and daughter’s families! I’m honored it has become a new family favorite!!! Happy Easter!

  5. Natalie S. says

    I made this at Christmas and everyone loved it so much we made it again at Easter. It’s in the oven right now. The ingredients just create this really complex flavor that is amazing and a cut above all the other recipes that only have a few. The caramelizing it at the end is what really does it for that crunchy outer layer. So good.

    • Jen says

      Thank you for your awesome comment Natalie! I love hearing this Honey Baked Ham is a new repeat favorite! Happy Easter!

  6. Colleen says

    Hi, I’ve accidentally bought a ham cut without a bone. Is there anything different I’ll need to do to this recipe?

    • Jen says

      Hi Colleen, you can proceed with the same recipe but boneless hams dry out easier, so just make sure you don’t overcook it- perhaps check the temp earlier. Enjoy!

  7. Suany Alegria says

    Could I possibly substitute the apricot for sweet pineapple?

    • Jen says

      Yes, I think that would be tasty!

  8. Toni says

    Used this recipe on a bone-in ham, NOT spiral. It turned out just perfectly tender and browned! Maybe I’ll try a spiral ham next time with your recipe. Thank you so very much for your awesome instructions. I look forward to trying more of your recipes in the near future!

    • Jen says

      Welcome to my site Toni! I’m thrilled this recipe turned out perfectly!