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A Sweet, Sticky Ham Glaze That Caramelizes Perfectly

3 weeks ago 44

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This copycat honey baked ham is an easy show-stopping main dish that’s perfect for holidays or special gatherings. A spiral-cut ham is brushed with a sweet honey glaze and baked to perfection for a tender, sticky-sweet finish.

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This post, including the recipe, is not associated with nor endorsed by The Honey Baked Ham Company, LLC. This post is not for a product or service. Honey-baked ham in this post refers only to a copycat recipe for ham baked with honey.

Flavor: Rich and savory with a sweet, sticky honey glaze, a little warmth from the spices, and just a hint of tang to balance it out.
Recommended Tools: All you need is a roasting pan, a bit of foil, a pastry brush for that glossy glaze, and an instant-read thermometer to make sure it’s perfectly cooked every time.
Love Your Leftovers: I love having extra slices on hand because I can tuck them into easy sandwiches or add them to cozy soups all week long, making every leftover feel just as delicious as the first meal.

Ingredients for Honey Baked Ham

Ham: Buy a fully cooked, bone-in spiral ham for the best flavor and moisture.
Honey Glaze: The glaze brings that classic honey sweetness, while butter adds richness. Brown sugar deepens the flavor with caramel notes and helps it brown beautifully. A touch of Dijon (if you like) balances it all with a little tang.
Variations: Add a citrus twist with a little orange zest or a spoonful of marmalade, swap the cloves for cinnamon with a pinch of nutmeg, or stir in a tiny pinch of cayenne for a sweet heat kick.

How Much Spiral Ham Per Person?

When buying bone-in spiral ham, plan on about ½ lb per person (or ¾ lb for generous leftovers). I often purchase a bigger ham for leftover ham recipes and use the bone for ham bone soup or split pea soup.

How to Cook a Honey Baked Ham

Place the ham, cut-side down, in the roasting pan, cover with foil, and bake.
Brush the ham with the glaze, turn the oven up, and bake until the ham reaches 140°F.
Remove from the oven and rest at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

A spiral ham is usually fully cooked and just needs reheating (double-check on the package you buy). A lower temperature allows the ham to cook through and become tender and juicy.

Ham should be cooked to an internal temperature of 140°F, and I recommend checking with an instant-read thermometer so you don’t overcook it.

A fully cooked spiral ham will take about 12-16 minutes per pound in a 325°F oven.
A partially cooked ham needs longer, about 20 minutes per pound, when roasting.

Honey Baked Ham FAQ’s

Keep It Moist: Bake cut-side down so the slices stay moist and the juices pool in the pan. Rest 15 minutes before slicing to keep the baked ham juicy.
Prevent It From Drying Out: Keep the ham covered with foil while warming.
Prevent Overcooking: Use a thermometer and pull the ham at 135°F before glazing.
For the Perfect Glaze: Add glaze near the end only, since honey and sugar can burn.
For a Deep Browning: For deeper browning, broil briefly at the end, watching closely the whole time.

Storage, Freezing, and Reheating

Refrigerate: Store honey baked ham in an airtight container up to 4 days.

Freeze: Freeze sliced ham for up to 2 months. Add a spoonful of pan juices before freezing to keep slices moist.

Reheat: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Warm covered at 300°F with a splash of broth or water in the pan.

Leftover Ideas: Add to sandwiches, breakfast scrambles, fried rice, soups, sliders, or scalloped potatoes. Save the leftover ham bone for soup like this ham and bean soup. Find my favorite leftover ham recipes here.

What to Serve with Honey Baked Ham

Did your family love this Copycat Honey Baked Ham? Leave a comment and rating below.

image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes

▢ 1 spiral ham 8 to 10 pounds, fully cooked

Glaze

▢ 1 cup honey
▢ ⅓ cup melted butter
▢ ¼ cup brown sugar
▢ 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard optional
▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
▢ ¼ teaspoon ground cloves or to taste

Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Remove the packaging and plastic disk from the bottom of the ham and discard. Place ham in a shallow roasting pan, cut side down, and cover the ham and pan with foil.
Bake for 12 to 16 minutes per pound until it reaches an internal temperature of 135°F.
While the ham is baking, in a small bowl combine honey, butter, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, and cloves. Mix well.
Once the ham reaches 135°F, remove it from the oven. Turn the oven up to 425°F. Brush the ham generously with the honey glaze, I recommend 2 to 3 coats of glaze.
Return to the oven and cook uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes or until ham reaches 140°F and the glaze is browned.
Remove the ham from the oven and rest at least 15 minutes before cutting. Spoon juices over the ham before serving if desired.

Nutritional information is an estimate and can vary.

The shapes and sizes of ham can vary, to get the best results, use a thermometer to ensure your ham reaches 140°F but doesn’t overcook.

Cloves can be substituted with pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, or other warm spices.

The glaze should be added toward the end so it doesn’t burn. Broil the ham for a few minutes if desired.

Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Dinner, Entree, Ham, Main Course, Pork

Cuisine American

© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.

two images of honey baked ham with writing

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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
See more posts by Holly