Holiday Baking Championship
Eight bakers compete in making delicious and innovative holiday treats for a chance to be named the Holiday Baking Champion and win $50,000.
Genre: Family, Reality-TV
Cast:Nancy Fuller , Duff Goldman , Lorraine Pascale , Jesse Palmer , Bobby Deen , Carla Hall , Maeve Schulz , Steve Konopelski , Adalberto Diaz , Jason Smith , Sarah Wallace , Melissa Yanc , Jennifer Clifford , Megan Rountree , Lorenzo Delgado , Eva Roberts , Julianna Jung , Cheryl Storms
S1.E1 ∙ Holiday Cookie Madness
Two cookie challenges are featured in the premiere of this holiday baking competition.
S1.E2 ∙ Classic Holiday Flavors
Seven bakers remain to compete in challenges revolving around classic holiday flavors, including having to create a swirled treat using eggnog; and get to play with varieties of sugar and spice.
S1.E3 ∙ It's Not the Holidays Without Pie
Six bakers remain to take on the challenge of pie. First, they are given a store-bought crust to transform into something tasty; and later, they have to make three different varieties of pie.
S1.E4 ∙ The Great Holiday Cake-Over
It's all about cake for the five remaining bakers, who are first asked to do something new with fruitcake; and later, they are given the challenge of reinventing the yule log.
S1.E5 ∙ Great Holiday Traditions
Desserts highlighting the flavors of peppermint and hot chocolate are made; and later, the competing bakers are tasked with creating a holiday breakfast featuring three sweet dishes.
S1.E6 ∙ Gingerbread Worlds
Season 1 comes to a close with the three remaining bakers taking on a gingerbread challenge, inspired by a favorite holiday memory. In the end, a winner is declared and awarded $50,000.
S2.E1 ∙ We're Nuts for the Holidays
Season 2 kicks off with 10 competing bakers taking on a nutty chocolate dessert in the first challenge and beautifully decorated holiday pies in the main heat. In the end, one person will be eliminated.
S2.E2 ∙ Holiday Craftiness
The remaining nine bakers get crafty as they attempt to amp up the visual impact of holiday baked goods, while creating festive candy cane and holiday wreath desserts.
S2.E3 ∙ Stuffing Is the Best Part
The eight remaining bakers begin by making their best holiday whoopie pies, that evoke a randomly-assigned theme of turkey, pumpkin, Pilgrims, or fall foliage. Then, they must create stuffed holiday cakes, that reveal a surprise center when sliced open.
S2.E4 ∙ Thanksgiving's Just Around the Corner
Seven bakers remain when the challenge is to get creative with Thanksgiving desserts, featuring canned cranberry sauce. Later, harvest ingredients, including sweet potato, butternut squash, apple, corn, pomegranate, carrot and figs are showcased in sweet dishes.
S2.E5 ∙ Ginger and Spice and Everything Nice
Candied ginger is highlighted in mini-desserts created by the six remaining bakers, who also must prepare three different types of holiday cookies, inspired by family traditions.
S2.E6 ∙ World Class Classics
The five remaining bakers are asked to reinvent two Hanukkah classics: rugelach and macaroons. Then, they must create their own unique versions of a holiday croquembouche.
S2.E7 ∙ Re-Gifting
Re-gifting is the theme, when the four remaining bakers make a candy-apple dessert; and later, they must figure out how to turn the contents of a traditional gift basket into something deliciously sweet.
S2.E8 ∙ Holiday Hoopla
Season 2 comes to a close with the final three bakers showing off their decorating skills, when making sugar cookie trees and cakes that represent an assigned holiday tradition.
S3.E1 ∙ Signs of the Season
Host Bobby Deen challenges the nine bakers to turn seasonal beverages, like hot chocolate and apple cider, into desserts; in the main heat, the chefs make decorative filled Bundt cake wreaths.
S3.E2 ∙ Grandma's Thanksgiving Favorites
Clash of the Grandmas (2015) star Norma Zager joins Bobby Deen to lend her expertise; for the pre-heat, the contestants must make two types of cookies; the bakers compete to create the best pie, without the use of appliances.
S3.E3 ∙ Thanksgiving Joy
The remaining seven bakers create elegant trifles by combining all of their favorite Thanksgiving desserts into one; the bakers make Thanksgiving impostor cupcakes.
S3.E4 ∙ Hearth and Home
In the pre-heat, the remaining six bakers make desserts with toasted marshmallows; the bakers embellish traditional yule logs.
S3.E5 ∙ Sweet Surprises
The bakers must whip up ugly Christmas sweater desserts for the pre-heat; in the main heat, the bakers create edible gift boxes filled with treats.
S3.E6 ∙ Christmas Morning
The remaining four bakers recreate their childhood memories of Christmas mornings by making edible dessert stockings; the bakers build colorful cream pull Christmas trees.
S3.E7 ∙ Live from the North Pole
The final three must make snacks for North Pole characters other than Santa; the bakers must create a North Pole-inspired cake; the winner gets the title Holiday Baking Champion and a $50,000 prize.
S3.E8 ∙ Adults vs. Kids
Three stars from Kids Baking Championship (2015) and three stars from Holiday Baking Championship (2014) compete in a holiday-themed showdown for the $10,000 prize.
S4.E1 ∙ Holiday Party Delights
In the Season 4 premiere, nine bakers must create eye-catching and tantalizing new holiday treats for seasonal parties; in the pre-heat, bakers create a dessert with an unusual candy-cane flavor; for the main heat, they use a holiday cocktail as sweet inspiration; one unlucky baker goes home.
S4.E2 ∙ Season of Sharing
In the pre-heat, eight bakers team up to make a dozen hand pies in a festive holiday shape; for the main heat, bakers create a holiday dessert duo, inspired by classic holiday flavor combinations.
S4.E3 ∙ Thanksgiving Genius
In the pre-heat, seven bakers must create a Thanksgiving dessert, using a mystery canned fruit; in the main heat, bakers whip up new Turkey Day sensations by combining two traditional desserts.
S4.E4 ∙ A New Holiday Spin
The six remaining bakers create new takes on traditional holiday baking; inspired by an internet baking meme, for the pre-heat they use yellow cake mix to make anything but cake; in the main heat, bakers must holiday up a non-holiday dessert.
S4.E5 ∙ Comfort and Joy
The five remaining bakers ignite the holiday spirit with a fiery, pre-heat dessert; in the main heat, they take a traditional holiday cheese board and turn it into an unusual cheesecake.
S4.E6 ∙ Tradition! Tradition!
The four remaining bakers celebrate two classic holiday traditions: Hanukkah jelly doughnuts and ye olde fruitcake.
S4.E7 ∙ Twelve Days of Christmas
The final three bakers grab two last minute holiday gifts and combine them into one impressive dessert.
S4.E8 ∙ Runners Up Redemption
In the Christmas special of Holiday Baking Championship, hosts and judges Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman and Lorraine Pascale welcome back runner-up teams from previous seasons to battle it out for another chance to win. In the pre-heat, baking teams must use real letters to Santa to inspire a holiday dessert. For the main heat, teams bake and decorate cupcakes before assembling them into one giant edible holiday tree. The winning team earns $10,000 in holiday cash.
S5.E1 ∙ Holiday Essential
In the Preheat contestants have to make a pumpkin spice dessert in 90 minutes. Then in the Main Heat they have two hours to make a yule long dessert mash-up.
S5.E2 ∙ Plenty of Gratitude
In the Preheat contestants must work in teams to bake four pies in the same sheet pan in two hours. In the Main Heat contestants must make stuffed cakes with traditional holiday fruits.
S5.E3 ∙ Turkey Day Delights
In the pre-heat, the seven bakers must make a dessert combining cranberry and another flavor of the season. The main heat challenges the bakers to create a sweet treat that pairs coffee with an unusual flavor of coffee syrup.
S5.E4 ∙ Holiday Artistry
In the preheat contestants were asked to create a cream puff family decorated like some of Santa's friends. In the main heat contestants has two hours to make a eggnog cake hand-painted with edible paints.
S5.E5 ∙ Light and Inspiring
For the preheat competitors were asked to reinvented the Hannukah treat rugelach with special flavors. In the main heat competitors choose two of the the judges favorite flavors to create a new version of a tiramisu.
S5.E6 ∙ New Family Classics
For the preheat the bakers got 90 minutes to make a chocolate treats with surprise pantry ingredients. Then in the main heat the bakers had to take one nut and one fruit from a fruitcake and make a new dessert.
S5.E7 ∙ Gifts of Greatness
For the preheat round the contestant have to make 24 edible ornaments. Afterwards they had 5 hours to create a surprise holiday gift cake.
S5.E8 ∙ Homecoming Special
For this post-finale special former winners of the Holiday Baking Championship worked in pairs to make holiday light strings made of eclairs. Then for the main heat the teams had 5 hours to make silver or gold decorated cakes.
S6.E1 ∙ Gearing Up for the Holidays
In the first challenge, host Jesse Palmer asks the 10 bakers to introduce themselves with edible place cards and one-bite signature holiday desserts. The main heat is all about holiday wreath cakes and holiday ingredients.
S6.E2 ∙ Filling Grateful
In the first challenge the bakers must create a dessert inspired by holiday spiced nuts. For the main heat, they must create three pies that are all decorated differently.
S6.E3 ∙ Holiday Survival Guide
Host Jesse Palmer offers tips for surviving the holidays and shows highlights from the past five seasons.
S6.E4 ∙ Thanksgiving It My all
Jesse Palmer asks the eight bakers to create a dozen kicked-up apple cider doughnuts decorated with seasonal themes. Then the competitors must transform a classic holiday yule log into a festive Thanksgiving roll cake.
S6.E5 ∙ Trendsetting Turkey Day
For the first challenge the contestants must make mini pies with brie cheese and jam. Then they must use a ready-made ingredient to make a Thanksgiving dessert.
S6.E6 ∙ Getting Gifty with It
For the first round the bakers must use panettone and turn it into a completely new dessert. Then for the main heat they must make pull apart cupcakes inspired by a pair of pajamas.
S6.E7 ∙ North Pole Vaulting
For the first round the bakers must create desserts inspired by Santa Claus and his friends. For the main challenge they must make cakes shaped like igloos.
S6.E8 ∙ Traditions with a Twist
The four remaining bakers give Hanukkah's gold-covered chocolate coins a twist by incorporating candied orange, espresso beans and more. Then they bake up cheesecakes decorated with edible shiny ice rinks.
S6.E9 ∙ Christmas Day Delights
The three bakers make a Christmas morning brunch using gingerbread, cinnamon and eggnog. Then they must create cakes that are plaid both on the inside and the outside, and one baker is crowned the winner and takes home $25, 000.
S7.E1 ∙ Holiday Style
The competition kicks off for 12 bakers with holiday decorated quick bread wreaths. In the main heat, the competitors must make a winter hat cake to charm the judges.
S7.E2 ∙ Holiday Goodie Games
The 10 bakers must highlight a nut or seed in a holiday dessert. Then, the competitors must use a fundamental holiday ingredient in unseasonable desserts, like icebox cakes or fruit tarts.
S7.E3 ∙ Take Holiday Pies by Surprise
The nine bakers make holiday cookie-topped mini pies. Then, it's pie pandemonium as the competitors celebrate fall with flavor combos such as pumpkin-cider and chestnut-chocolate in cream pies, lattice pies and more.
S7.E4 ∙ Hosting the Holidays
Bakers are challenged to turn breakfast items, like French toast, into Thanksgiving desserts. Then, the competitors team up to create Friendsgiving potluck-inspired desserts to impress the judges.
S7.E5 ∙ It's What's on the Inside That Counts
The seven bakers get advent calendars filled with different types of chocolate to inspire them to make desserts with a surprise inside. Then, for the main heat, the competitors must bake one delicious cheesecake with three different flavors for the judges.
S7.E6 ∙ Topsy-Turvy Holidays
Jesse Palmer challenges the six competitors to work in teams to create jelly doughnut-inspired desserts, a twist on traditional Hanukkah jelly doughnuts. Then, the bakers get creative with the yummiest, gooiest holiday decorated upside-down cakes to satisfy the judges.
S7.E7 ∙ A Classic Christmas
Host Jesse Palmer asks the five bakers to pull out all the stops and create the most-delicious, over-the-top version of a holiday trifle. Then, the classics continue in the main heat when the competitors make the ultimate Charlotte royale for judges Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman and Carla Hall, as well as the king of Christmas -- Santa Claus.
S7.E8 ∙ Christmas Windows in Time
Jesse Palmer kicks things off by asking the final four competitors to honor the holiday tree in the form of a beautifully decorated macaron tower. In the Christmas past, present and future main heat, the bakers must feature an assigned icing style in a stunning cake that evokes their assigned time period -- marzipan from the past, buttercream from the present or mirror glaze from the future. In the end, the judges will decide the one baker who will be crowned Holiday Baking Champion and walk away $25,000 richer.
S7.E9 ∙ Sweet Secrets
In this holiday special, judges Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman and Carla Hall look back at how the final four bakers made it to the finale. They reveal the best bakes of the season, some of the slip-ups, which bakers stood out and who had a roller coaster ride. Plus, they give an exciting behind-the-scenes view into how the show is made and how the judges came to some of their toughest decisions.
S8.E1 ∙ Falling into Winter
The competition kicks off as host Jesse Palmer asks the twelve bakers to embrace the seasonal transition by making fall and winter doughnuts. For the main heat, the competitors combine holiday cheese board staples in creative apple and cheese desserts. A double elimination looms and judges Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman and Carla Hall must send two bakers home for the holidays.
S8.E2 ∙ Yule Be Merry
It's bottoms up for judges Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman, and Carla Hall as the 10 bakers team up to take on a boozy desserts preheat. In the main heat, host Jesse Palmer challenges the competitors with five different styles of yule log cakes in 10 different flavor combinations. In the end, one baker leaves the competition.
S8.E3 ∙ Attitude of Gratitude
In a holiday pantry raid, host Jesse Palmer throws open the cupboards and the Mason jars to ask the nine remaining bakers to create canned fruit desserts. In the main heat, judges Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman, and Carla Hall are in for a treat when the competitors create heartfelt messages on top of everyone's favorite Thanksgiving dessert -- pie. In the end, one baker goes home.
S8.E4 ∙ Best Thanksgiving Ever
In a nod to the day after Thanksgiving, host Jesse Palmer asks the bakers to use Black Friday kitchen gadgets like a spiralizer or an espresso machine to make desserts. For the main heat, the competitors work in teams to create cornucopia bread baskets filled with flavored holiday breads and add tasty dips and spreads on the side to impress judges Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman and Carla Hall. In the end, one baker is eliminated.
S8.E5 ∙ Gifts That Keep on Giving
In honor of the Hanukkah oil that kept burning, host Jesse Palmer asks the seven remaining bakers to create festive Hanukkah olive oil cakes. In the main heat, it's all about gift exchange desserts as the competitors randomly choose a dreaded holiday dessert and attempt to spin it into holiday happiness to please judges Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman, and Carla Hall.
S8.E6 ∙ Make New Friends, but Keep the Old
For the exclusive holiday desserts preheat, the six remaining bakers try to impress judges Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman, and Carla Hall by making tasty treats for guests with a dietary restriction. In the main heat, host Jesse Palmer challenges the competitors to update an assigned vintage holiday dessert to create a new Christmas delight.
S8.E7 ∙ Holidays in All the Ways
Host Jesse Palmer asks the bakers to create sweet potato and spice desserts in honor of Kwanzaa. In the main heat, the competitors make Christmas card cakes that depict a perfect family snapshot for a holiday card to capture the smiles of judges Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman, and Carla Hall. In the end, one baker heads for the exit.
S8.E8 ∙ Ultimate Holiday Party
Host Jesse Palmer kicks things off with a swanky Christmas open house for judges Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman, and Carla Hall and asks the bakers to create dessert charcuterie boards. Then, the bottom two bakers face off in a sudden elimination challenge of dueling holiday pinata desserts. In the final main heat, the competitors take on holiday party theme cakes and incorporate lights into their designs. The most successful cake maker becomes the Holiday Baking Champion and walks away with $25,000.
S9.E1 ∙ First Snow
Host Jesse Palmer challenges the 12 bakers to create meringue pavlova wreaths in yummy fall flavors. For the Main Heat, Jesse settles the debate over the best holiday dessert by dividing the kitchen into the pie team and the cake team.
