Oven Baked Honey Glazed Ham (Brown Sugar Honey Glaze)

Honey Glazed Ham is a show-stopping ham recipe that’s sweet, savory, and perfectly caramelized. The spiral ham is brushed with a buttery brown sugar glaze with honey, then baked in the oven until golden brown and full of flavor. Ideal for holiday dinners, special gatherings, or a cozy family dinner. Simple to make with only a few ingredients.

You can never have too many ham recipes! Such an easy main dish for family dinner or a holiday meal. Try these other variations – Crockpot Coca Cola Ham and Crockpot Brown Sugar Ham that uses pineapple juice for a sweet tropical flavor.

Oven Baked Honey-Glazed Ham Recipe

This honey glazed ham is a copycat honey baked ham recipe that you can make in your own kitchen! It’s actually a very simple recipe that makes a big statement at a holiday feast, or at the cozy family dinner table. 

All it takes is a store-bought, fully cooked spiral cut ham and a simple honey glaze mixture that’s only 5 ingredients. 

The sugars from the honey and brown sugar caramelize in the oven, so you end up with a sweet honey ham with those crisp edges. So much flavor with so little effort!

I always recommend to people that when you are serving the ham, to use a turkey baster or large spoon, to scoop up some of that remaining glaze at the bottom of the roasting pan. It’s a goldmine of flavor down there and it’s like an easy sweet honey gravy that you can pour over the honey slices when serving. You can also use a turkey baster to redistribute the juices at the bottom of the pan back into the ham.

How To Make An Easy Holiday Ham Recipe (Printable Recipe Card)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9×13 baking with aluminum foil. You can also use a roasting pan. 

Place the ham into the prepared pan and bake, uncovered, for 1 hour. 

In a small saucepan, over medium heat, mix together the honey, light brown sugar, butter, dijon mustard, and cinnamon. Cook until it starts to simmer (low boil around the edges), while stirring occasionally to prevent the sugar from burning.

Remove the ham from the oven and pour the honey glaze over top of the ham, making sure to coat in between each slice. 

Bake for an additional 30 minutes.

Let the ham rest for about 10 minutes before serving. Spoon the drippings from the pan over the ham, and onto each slice if wanted, and serve.

How To Store Leftover Ham

Oven baked honey glazed ham should be stored in an airtight container, or Ziplock bag, in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. For more extended storage, or to save until a later date, you can place the leftover ham in a freezer-safe container or bag, and freeze for up to 2 months. 

To reheat, put the ham in an oven-safe dish and cover; heat it in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until heated through. You can also microwave individual portions until heated through. If frozen, allow the ham to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. 

I like to add just a splash of water when reheating ham to keep it moist. 

Substitutions & Ingredient Notes

• Honey : Use your favorite honey as the flavor will really shine through. I love using a local, organic honey because I think the taste is so much better. 
• Brown Sugar : You can use light brown sugar or dark brown sugar. Dark brown sugar is richer and earthier in flavor because it has more molasses in it. Light brown sugar is a more ‘normal’ and ‘mild’ flavor that adds sweetness. I use light brown sugar because that is what I always keep in my pantry. 
• Salted Butter : If using unsalted butter, be sure to add a pinch of salt into the saucepan along with the other ingredients. 
• Ground Cinnamon : If you would rather have some heat, replace the cinnamon with cayenne pepper. You could also do half cinnamon + half cayenne pepper. 

Recipe FAQs

Should I Use A Boneless Ham or Bone-In Spiral Ham?

I recommend using a bone-in ham because that will provide the most flavor when cooking ham. Most hams that you buy at the grocery store come already fully cooked or are labeled as pre-cooked ham, so it’s just a matter of reheating until it reaches a safe internal temperature. Hams that have the bone-in tend to be much more flavorful, moist, and juicy compared to boneless hams. But yes, you can use a boneless ham if that’s what you have – I would recommend covering the ham with foil while baking for 1 hour and adding just a splash of water to the bottom of the roasting pan. Once you add the glaze be sure to cook it for the final 30 minutes uncovered. 

Can I Glaze The Ham Before Baking It For 1 Hour?

No, it’s best to wait until the last 30 minutes of cook time after you have uncovered the ham. If you glaze it for the first cook time (1 hour), the sugar will burn before the cooking process is complete. 

How Do I Know When The Ham Is Done and Ready To Serve?

To know if the ham is fully cooked, and safe to serve, the internal temperature of the ham needs to reach a temperature of 145 degrees F. Use a meat thermometer and stick it in the thickest part of the ham to accurately test the temperature. When you first pull the ham from the oven, after the 1 hour cook time, the ham should be around a temperature of 120 degrees F. Add the glaze and then continue letting it cook. 

Do I Need To Rest The Ham Before Cutting and Serving It?

Yes, you want to rest your ham for a minimum of 5-10 minutes. The ham juices have time to redistribute as it sits and rests at room temperature before slicing, which ensures that you serve a juicy ham. 

Should I Cover The Ham While It is Baking?

You can cover it if wanted, I would recommend covering the ham with aluminum foil especially if you live at a higher elevation. I live at a high elevation in Utah so I cover the ham with foil and add a splash of water to the bottom of the roasting pan. This ensures that the ham won’t dry out while cooking. After you add the glaze, the ham needs to stay uncovered (no matter the elevation of where you live) so the sugar can caramelize and the flavors can infuse into the ham slices. 

Recipes Using Leftover Ham

• Scalloped Potatoes With Ham
• Ham Fried Rice
• Ham and Corn Chowder
• Baked Ham & Cheese Sandwiches
• Cheesy Ham Noodle Casserole
• Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole
• Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta Casserole