The competition returns with a new twist as host Jesse Palmer welcomes twelve of the country’s best holiday bakers into the kitchen. This season, the contestants are immediately divided into two factions: the Nice Team and the Naughty Team. This new format changes the dynamic of the entire contest; in elimination challenges, the team with the best overall dessert wins safety, meaning the losing team must send one of their own home.
For their first preheat challenge, the teams are given thematically opposed tasks. The Nice Team must create warm and toasty desserts, while the Naughty Team is assigned chill and frosty treats. The main event raises the creative bar considerably, as Palmer asks each team to construct a massive, edible holiday village composed of a unique dessert from every single baker. Judges Duff Goldman, Nancy Fuller, and Kardea Brown will evaluate the festive creations and make the difficult decision of which baker will be the first to leave the holiday village for good.
Holiday Baking Championship airs Monday November 3, 2025 at 8/7c on Food Network.
