Best Honey for Glazed Ham
Find the right honey for a holiday glazed ham. Learn when to apply the glaze, how to keep it from burning, and which varieties pair with mustard, brown sugar, and spice.
Quick Answer
Thanksgiving 2026 ham: clover or wildflower for a classic glaze, orange blossom with citrus, buckwheat on smoked ham. 12 tablespoons (¾ cup) honey for an 8 lb ham — 1.5 tablespoons per pound. Brush in the last 30–45 minutes at 325 °F. Fully cooked ham: USDA FSIS 140 °F internal.
Pick a protein and a honey
Culinary amounts only. Thanksgiving 2026 ham is Thursday, November 26. Fully cooked ham: USDA FSIS. Hams and Food Safety. Fully cooked ham reheated to 140 °F (60 °C) internal.
12 tbsp clover honey + 3 tbsp Dijon
Last 30–45 minutes at 325 °F, basting every 15 minutes. Fully cooked ham: USDA FSIS 140 °F internal. 12 tbsp (¾ cup) honey is the 8 lb baseline.
Clean sweetness that lets mustard, spice, and the meat lead. Everyday Thanksgiving ham.
When sugars start to brown
Honey is mostly fructose, so a glaze starts coloring at a lower pan temperature than table sugar. Apply it late so it lacquer instead of burn.
White JW Jr. 1978. Honey. Adv Food Res. 24:287–374. Typical U.S. honey: 38.19% fructose, 31.28% glucose by mass.
Belitz HD, Grosch W, Schieberle P. Food Chemistry. Springer. Fructose caramelization begins at 110 °C (230 °F); glucose and sucrose at 160 °C (320 °F).
What to Look For
Liquid honey brushes on evenly over a scored ham and blends smoothly with mustard, brown sugar, or spices in a glaze. A honey glaze can scorch during a long roast, so apply it during the final stage of your ham recipe and watch the surface closely. Because a glaze is diluted with mustard, brown sugar, or spices, a mid-range honey works just as well as an expensive specialty one; save delicate, pricier honeys for drizzling where their flavor isn't diluted.
Relevant Honey Varieties
The classic, affordable base for a holiday ham glaze — mild sweetness that blends smoothly with mustard, brown sugar, and warm spices without competing for attention.
View honey varietySimilar glazing properties to clover with a bit more floral depth, giving a holiday ham slightly more character in the glaze.
View honey varietyCitrus brightness cuts through a ham's natural saltiness, especially in a glaze that also includes orange juice or zest, cloves, and mustard.
View honey varietyBold, malty depth stands up to a smoky, bone-in ham where a lighter honey would be overpowered by the ham's own richness and any smoke flavor.
View honey varietyBarrel-aged oak and vanilla notes make a natural bourbon-honey glaze for a festive, centerpiece holiday ham — pairs well with brown sugar and a splash of actual bourbon in the glaze.
View honey varietyGet the Honey Buyer's Cheat Sheet (free PDF)
16 varieties on one page — color, flavor, best use and what a fair price looks like — from the 304 honeys we track.
How to Use
Score the fat cap in a diamond pattern. Mix 12 tablespoons (¾ cup) honey with 3 tablespoons Dijon, melted butter, and a splash of cider vinegar for an 8 lb ham (1.5 tablespoons honey per pound from 6–14 lb). Cover at 325 °F until nearly heated, then glaze the last 30–45 minutes, basting every 15 minutes. Fully cooked ham: 140 °F internal (USDA FSIS).
What to Avoid
Don't apply a honey glaze at the very start of a long ham roast — it will blacken and turn bitter well before the ham itself is heated through. Save it for the final 20-30 minutes. Don't skip basting; glaze can slide off a smooth, unscored ham surface instead of building up a caramelized coating. Save your most delicate, expensive specialty honey for drizzling at the table rather than glazing — mustard, brown sugar, and spices dilute its distinct flavor anyway.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I apply honey glaze to a ham?
What's a good honey glaze ratio for ham?
Does honey burn on a baked ham?
What's the best honey for a holiday ham glaze?
Can I make honey ham glaze ahead of time?
How much glaze do I need for a whole ham?
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Edited by Sam French · Raw Honey Guide Editorial Team
Sam French is the founding editor of Raw Honey Guide. This is an editorial guide, not a medical review.
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