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Honey Baked Ham

Honey baked ham with a crackly caramelized honey-sugar crust, baked in stages from 325°F to 400°F. Spiral-sliced ham gets repeatedly brushed with honey butter and coated with spiced sugar for a deep golden finish.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
resting 15 minutes
Total Time 3 hours
Servings: 14 servings
Course: Dinner Recipes
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Honey baked ham
  • 1 fully cooked bone-in spiral-sliced ham 8-9 pounds
  • 0.5 cup honey
  • 0.25 cup butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp ground cloves
  • 0.5 tsp ground ginger
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp allspice
  • 0.5 tsp paprika

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake and preheat
  1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Place the ham cut-side down in a roasting pan, then cover tightly with foil (visual cue: foil should fully seal around the edges).
  2. Bake the ham at 325°F for 12-14 minutes per pound, until the center reaches 120°F inside (visual cue: thermometer reads 120°F in the thickest part).
Make glaze and spiced sugar
  1. Melt honey and butter together until smooth (visual cue: it looks glossy and pourable).
  2. Mix granulated sugar and brown sugar with cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and paprika in a separate bowl (visual cue: evenly speckled spiced sugar).
Glaze, sugar, and caramelize
  1. Remove the foil and brush the ham generously with honey butter (visual cue: glaze coats the spiral ridges).
  2. Pat on a layer of the spiced sugar so it adheres to the honey butter (visual cue: dry sugar lightly clings and looks granular).
  3. Raise oven temperature to 400°F and bake for 5 minutes (visual cue: edges begin to bronze).
  4. Brush again with honey butter after the first 5 minutes (visual cue: shiny layer spreads over the sugar).
  5. Pat on another layer of spiced sugar (visual cue: sugar forms a thicker crust).
  6. Bake at 400°F for 5 minutes (visual cue: crust darkens and bubbles gently).
  7. Brush one more time with honey butter (visual cue: caramel-ready sheen).
  8. Pat on the remaining spiced sugar (visual cue: crackle-ready coating, not bare spots).
  9. Bake until the crust is deep golden and crackly and the ham reaches 140°F (visual cue: thermometer reads 140°F and the surface looks caramelized).
Rest and serve
  1. Rest the ham for 15 minutes before serving (visual cue: juices settle and slices hold their shape).

Notes

Pro tip: For the crackly crust, make sure the honey-butter glaze reaches every spiral ridge before each sugar patting, and bake hot enough at 400°F for quick caramelization. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freezing is yes—freeze sliced portions for up to 2 months and thaw in the fridge before reheating. Dietary swap: use a 1:1 brown-sugar substitute made for baking if you want reduced sugar without changing the technique.