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Honey Baked Ham

Honey Baked Ham with a crackly spiced honey-sugar crust, made by layering brushed honey butter with a cinnamon-brown sugar blend. Bake low to heat to 120°F, then finish hot at 400°F for deep golden, caramelized crackling.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 14 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ham
  • 1 fully cooked bone-in spiral-sliced ham 8-9 pounds
Honey butter glaze
  • 0.5 cup honey
  • 0.25 cup butter
Spiced sugar crust
  • 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
 

Heat the ham low and slow
  1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Place ham cut-side down in a roasting pan and cover tightly with foil.
  2. Bake at 325°F for 12-14 minutes per pound, until it reaches 120°F inside. Keep the foil on during this stage to prevent drying.
Make the honey butter and spiced sugar
  1. Melt honey and butter together until smooth. This creates the base layer that will glaze the ham.
  2. In a separate bowl, mix granulated sugar and brown sugar with cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and paprika. Stir until the color and spice are evenly distributed.
Build the crackly crust
  1. Remove the foil, brush the ham generously with honey butter, and pat on a layer of the spiced sugar. Press lightly so the sugar adheres between slices.
  2. Raise oven temperature to 400°F and bake for 5 minutes. Look for edges starting to caramelize and bubble.
  3. Brush with honey butter again and pat on more spiced sugar. Make sure to cover the spiral ridges for an even crackle.
  4. Bake at 400°F for another 5 minutes. Continue until you see deepening color and glossy caramel patches.
  5. Brush one more time with honey butter and pat on the remaining spiced sugar. Aim for a thick, even coating over the crusted areas.
  6. Bake until the crust is deep golden and crackly and the ham reaches 140°F. The sugar should look set and shattery, not just melted.
Rest and serve
  1. Rest the ham for 15 minutes before serving. This lets the caramelized glaze settle for cleaner slicing.

Notes

Pro tip: pat the spiced sugar firmly into the spiral grooves so it turns crackly instead of falling off—then brush carefully so you don’t wash the crust away. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days in a sealed container; reheat in a 325°F oven until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended for best crust texture. For a lighter option, use a reduced-sugar honey and reduce the total sugar by about 1/3 while keeping the same spice blend.