If you’ve ever had the pleasure of enjoying a Honey Baked Ham from the renowned HoneyBaked Ham Company, you know just how delicious and convenient they can be. However, these hams often come with a hefty price tag that can put a strain on your holiday budget. Fortunately, with this easy copycat recipe, you can create your own Honey Baked Ham at home for a fraction of the cost.
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Why this recipe works
- Using a pre-cooked, spiral-cut ham simplifies the preparation process and ensures even cooking
- The blend of sugar and spices creates a well-balanced, flavorful crust that mimics the original
- Applying the sugar mixture with a blowtorch allows for precise caramelization and a crackly texture
- Making your own Honey Baked Ham at home can save you money without sacrificing taste
What makes HoneyBaked Ham so good?
For many families, honey-baked hams are a treasured part of their holiday traditions, and the best honey-baked hams are the ones from HoneyBaked.
HoneyBaked’s crackly, sweet, and savory crusted hams are legendary, and not just for their outstanding flavor. These hams make serving a crowd easy, and because they are so versatile, using up leftovers is never a problem.
Why this is the copycat recipe for HoneyBaked Ham you should try
The only bad part about HoneyBaked hams is that they take such a huge bite out of any party budget. But you can turn an inexpensive spiral-cut smoked ham into something spectacular with this recipe and save money for other holiday splurges.
Don’t give up on this recipe because you feel intimidated by the glazing process. It is much simpler than you think and worth the effort.
Ingredients
Here’s a list of what you need for this copycat honey baked ham recipe:
- Sugar – Forms the base of the sweet and savory crust
- Onion powder – Adds a subtle savory note to balance the sweetness
- Ground cinnamon – Contributes warmth and depth to the spice blend
- Ground nutmeg – Provides a slightly sweet, nutty flavor (freshly ground is best)
- Ground ginger – Adds a mild spiciness and complements the other spices
- Ground cloves – Delivers a strong, aromatic flavor that enhances the overall taste
- Paprika – Lends a mild, sweet pepper taste and a vibrant red color to the crust
- Precooked bone-in spiral-cut ham – Serves as the base for the copycat Honey Baked Ham
How to make honey baked ham at home
- Combine sugar and spices in a small bowl.
- Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Place the ham open, meat side down, onto the pan.
- Sprinkle the ham with the seasoned sugar mixture.
- Press the sugar onto the outside of the ham.
- With a blowtorch, gently heat the seasoned sugar mixture on the ham until browned.
- Serve immediately, or warm the ham in the oven before serving.
Scroll down to the recipe card below for detailed instructions and video.
Does ham need to be cooked?
One question I have received multiple times is: Do you need to cook your ham when making this recipe? The answer is no if you buy a cured ham.
Most hams are already cured, which means they are ready to eat. It’s your personal preference whether to serve your ham warm or cold.
I like to heat my ham in a 300-degree oven for about 20 to 30 minutes. This will not give you a hot ham, but it takes the refrigerator chill off of it and warms it up to something a bit warmer than room temperature.
Using a blow torch
One suggestion I have is to prepare the ham at home. It’s often windy outside, and you will find that your blowtorch will always go out.
I use a blowtorch I got from the Home Depot. It was inexpensive and works great. You can spend money on those gourmet ones, but they are three times the price.
My philosophy is, why spend extra cash when you don’t have to? You can save so much money when you make honey-baked ham from scratch.
Don’t be intimidated by cooking with a blow torch. It’s easier than you think! Once you unlock the secrets of blow torch cooking, you will soon be a master at creme brulee!
How to heat a honey-baked ham
The best way to enjoy HoneyBaked ham is at room temperature or straight from the fridge, but some people prefer it a little warmer. If you fall into this group, here is how to heat a Honey Baked ham the right way.
- Slice the ham into serving portions. Heating an entire ham can dry it out.
- Wrap the slices of ham in aluminum foil and place in a 300°F oven until warm. Depending on the thickness of the ham, reheating should take between 5 and 15 minutes.
- Make sure to heat any honey-baked ham immediately and throw out any leftovers.
How long can honey-baked ham stay in the refrigerator?
After you glaze the honey-baked ham, it will last in the fridge for up to a week as long as the use-by date on the original packaging is not sooner.
What side dishes go with this ham?
Besides making the perfect sandwich, you can enjoy honey-baked ham in many ways. Here are a few:
- With eggs. Chopped and stuffed inside an omelet, as part of Eggs Benedict, or fried and served with sunny-side-up eggs, you can beat ham and eggs.
- In a ham salad. Using honey-baked ham in a ham salad recipe adds a whole new depth of flavor.
- For a quiche. Make a Quiche Lorraine with any leftovers for another festive meal.
How to store leftover ham
Honey-baked ham can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week when it’s wrapped tightly in aluminum foil or in an airtight container. Just remember that when serving honey-baked ham, slice off only what you want to eat and immediately return the rest to the fridge to prevent spoilage.
You should throw away any honey baked ham that remains on the buffet table after a party.
How to freeze honey baked ham
To freeze leftover ham:
- If you have more ham than you can use at one time, portion it into smaller pieces. Remember that you cannot refreeze the ham once it has thawed.
- Wrap each piece of ham individually in aluminum foil, then place it in a large freezer bag.
- Store in the freezer for up to six weeks
- Defrost the ham in the fridge overnight, then eat within 2 days.
Leftover ham recipes
- Easy Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
- Ham and Cheddar Egg Bites
- Ham and Egg Casserole
- Ham Pinwheels
- Ham Salad
Favorite holiday main dishes
- Apple Cider Pork Loin
- Bone in Ribeye Roast
- Beef Roast Recipe
- Corned Beef in the Oven
- Fried Lamb Chops
- How to Cook a Filet Mignon Roast
- Instant Pot Corned Beef
Be sure to check out more of my ham recipes and the best main dish recipes here on CopyKat!
Copycat Honey Baked Ham
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 8-pound bone-in spiral-sliced precooked ham
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar, onion powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and paprika. Mix well.
- Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and place the ham sliced side down onto the foil. If you do not use aluminum foil, you may have burnt sugar on your pan, and it will take a while to clean off.
- Sprinkle the outside of the ham with the seasoned sugar, pressing the sugar onto the ham. You might not use all of the sugar.
- With a blowtorch, gently heat the seasoned sugar on the ham. Wave the flame quickly over the sugar – you want it to brown, not burn. Staying in one area, and slowly moving out from there will make this easier, as you will be heating the sugar in a continual direction. This process will take about 15 minutes, so be patient. If you prefer a thicker crust, you can sprinkle more sugar on top of the already browned parts of the ham. Be sure to brown the newly added sugar.
- When you are happy with the crust, you can either reheat the ham or serve it cold.
This was a great ham, and I saved more than 50 dollars.
I made this for Christmas this year and it was incredible! I would suggest one thing to help the glaze stick: brush the ham with honey/syrup/corn syrup/something sticky, THEN press the sugar mixture to the ham. I used corn syrup because it’s what we had on hand, and it was great! I also suggest mixing the sugar and spices in advance so the flavors mix. My family preferred this over the Honey Baked Ham we usually serve, and it was 1/3 the price!
What does a TK Pound mean in the US?
It just meant a random weight of ham.
This was great! Thank you!
It just means a random weight of ham.
Can you do this on a whole uncut ham that is the kind I have for christmas dinner
I am sure it would work, adjust the sugar blend if you need to make more.
I would think that you could.
Thanks it turned out delicious!
This recipe is just like Honey baked ham, only better. I am so glad I found this recipe! It saved me a lot of money and was actually a lot easier to do than I thought it would be. Thanks a ton for sharing this recipe!
I made this for Christmas dinner this year (2011) and it was a hit! What a girl and her blowtorch can accomplish! Thank You!
Wow!! This recipe was amazing! Im eating my ham as I write this……this is a must try recipe life of the party for sure!!!! Thanks
at what step are you putting the ham in oven before or after blow torching
It is already cooked/cured. You can serve it cold, or heat it up after adding the coating.
It is already cooked/cured. You can serve it cold, or heat it up after adding the coating.
I love meat 🙂 And this one looks yummy yummy.
I made this for Easter dinner and it was amazing! I first cooked the 13 lb ham shank covered with foil in a roasting pan with a cup of chicken broth until it was 135 degrees. It sat on the counter covered until it reached 155. Then I put the sugar on and torched it. SOOO moist and delicious! I could have cut the sugar mixture in half since I had a lot leftover. I’ll be making this again and again!
This turned out to be not only beautiful but also very tasty. Everyone loved it.
Patricia Gann
Oklahoma City, OK
We did this with a fresh ham after cooking it. Came out great, it’s actually better than Honey Baked in my opinion. The spices are subtle enough to really boost the flavor without being over powering.
I am happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe!
Ok…Easter 2010…tried this recipe…and WOW! I did the ingredients and my DH did the blow torch part on the back porch…we had company over and everyone was lovin’ the Ham! Great recipe…easy instructions. I’ll definitely be doing this more often!
OK…I made this for Easter dinner. AMAZING!!!!! Better than Honey Baked. I can’t say enough. Everyone wanted to take some home. I will make this again and again. Thank you for sharing.
I hope you are still enjoying this tasty recipe.
I got the torch from a friend. going to try this in the am…will let you know how I do! Thank You
Thanks for pointing that out! I never even thought about going to Lowe’s or HD to look for a blow torch. I now see one in my future. Thanks!
You can get a torch at Bed Bath and Beyond. It should be butane and those from Lowe’s might be propane.
Wow, this looks yummy! I’m tossing the glaze package that comes with the ham next time I get one on sale and giving this a try.
Yep, toss that glaze package, make this instead.
WOW! your Ham looks great! you are becoming quite an expert with the photography not to mention with the torch. I really like the micro shot. Can cut me a piece? Looks so tasty. kudos
I would be happy to cut you a slice of this ham.