Baking competition shows are exciting and inspiring programs that appeal to audiences across the world, with the tasty treats dazzling the masses. In recent years, the television genre has seen a resurgence in popularity and has experienced a renaissance of sorts, with networks and streaming platforms jumping at the chance to get in on the baking action. As a viewer, there is something profoundly satisfying about seeing aspiring chefs of all backgrounds creating unique and delicious desserts, with the talented contestants brilliantly tackling a wide array of cupcakes, confections and cakes.
Fans of these reality shows are certainly not lacking in baking content, as there is a plethora of programs available no matter what mood you’re in. Netflix is home to a slew of adored and fan-favorite baking shows, such as the amateur baker series Nailed It!, the wonderfully whimsy Zumbo’s Just Desserts and of course the wholesome and calming TV show The Great British Bake Off. Whether you want to see contestants create show-stopping cakes, cutting-edge confections or delightful cupcakes, there is sure to be a cooking program just perfect for you. These are some of the best baking competition shows.
9 Halloween Baking Championship
The Food Network’s 2015 cooking competition Halloween Baking Championship is a seasonal show in which a group of talented bakers create some deliciously creepy and spooky desserts that are judged by a panel of exceptional chefs headlined by Carla Hall. The program is a spin-off of the Holiday Baking Championship and the contestants participate in two rounds, one in which they must make a small pastry and the other a larger dessert that fits the chosen theme or special baking ingredient; the winner receives a $25,000 and a spot in the Food Network Magazine. The Halloween Baking Championship is a seasonal favorite among audiences who love to see the bakers craft scary and ghoulish treats that dazzle the judges, and remains one of the most delightful (and less spooky) TV shows around Halloween.
8 Cake Wars
In the Food Network reality competition series Cake Wars, four aspiring bakers from all across the country face off in two fun and thrilling rounds, making delicious desserts that center on specific themes like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Nintendo and Alice in Wonderland. Hosted by Mean Girls star Jonathan Bennett, the program has two permanent judges with a third being a celebrity guest, with pastry chef and bakery owner Ron Ben-Israel acting as a permanent presence throughout the five seasons.
The winner of the competition is awarded with a $10,000 prize and also gets to have their cakes front-and-center at parties for pop culture media, such as DC Comics, Sesame Street and Archie Comics. The show remains a great watch that will satisfy any sweet tooth.
7 Crime Scene Kitchen
Comedian and actor Joel McHale hosts the 2021 Fox reality television series Crime Scene Kitchen, in which contestants are tasked with figuring out the dessert that was created in a kitchen using only a few ingredient clues left behind. The bakers are then challenged to recreate the treat they believe it to be from scratch, presenting their desserts to chef judges Yolanda Gampp and Curtis Stone and discovering if their guesses were correct.
The program is an entertaining and fresh take on the traditional baking show, as viewers are left in suspense as to what the actual dessert is, just like the contestants. Fox’s Head of Reality Rob Wade raved about the series, describing it as “unlike any cooking show out there. It’s a truly original format with amazing baking creations, a brilliant play-along guessing game for the whole family, and Joel at the center of it all bringing hilarity at every turn.”
6 Holiday Baking Championship
The yearly Food Network cooking competition series Holiday Baking Championship features aspiring bakers, chocolatiers, and chefs as they create festive and delicious desserts perfect for the holiday season, with the contestants making treats for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Like its sister shows, the competition involves the task of baking small holiday pastries and a larger confection, both of which must follow the episode’s theme, like New Year's Eve or Hanukkah. The cheerful, feel-good program also includes insight and the opinions from revered chefs like Carla Hall, Duff Goldman and Lorraine Pascale, with the winner walking away with a $25,000 prize that they use towards achieving their goals and dreams. It's a great addition to any holiday-themed schedule.
5 Cupcake Wars
The long-running Food Network reality competition series Cupcake Wars showcases the talents of the participating chefs as they bake innovative and unique cupcakes that incorporate unusual ingredients for a given theme. The contestants are presented with three diverse rounds that focus on different elements, with the first round centering on taste, the second taste and presentation, and the final challenging the bakers to make 1,000 cupcakes in just two hours.
The program includes the opinions and input of pastry chef judges Candace Nelson and Florian Bellanger, with a special guest serving as the third rotating judge; the winner of Cupcake Wars receives $10,000 and is given the opportunity to have their desserts featured in a prestigious upcoming event. The series ran for a successful 11 seasons and became a knockout baking show for the Food Network.
4 Sugar Rush
The Netflix original reality competition Sugar Rush features three adrenaline-pumping rounds in which the contestants race against the clock to bake cupcakes, confections and a show-stopping grand finale cake in hopes of nabbing a $10,000 prize. Each episode begins with four diverse teams of varying baking backgrounds participating in three challenges, with one team eliminated per round based on the opinions of pastry chef judges Candace Nelson and Adriano Zumbo and a surprise celebrity guest. Presented by the charming Hunter March, Sugar Rush went on to become a raved about Netflix program that spawned two special Christmas-themed seasons full of festive desserts and treats.
3 Zumbo’s Just Desserts
Netflix’s Australian baking reality competition Zumbo’s Just Desserts features exceptional amateur cooks of varying backgrounds as they create tasty treats and present them to renowned pâtisserie chef Adrian Zumbo and author/chef Rachel Khoo. The competitors often come up with whimsical and innovative desserts that are inspired by specific themes for each episode, with the aspiring hopefuls battling it out to earn a lucrative grand prize of $100,000. After experiencing lackluster ratings on Australia's Seven Network, the program was released on Netflix and its second season was commissioned by the streaming giant, attracting an eager and devoted audience who can’t get enough of the bakers’ inventive creations.
2 Nailed It!
The Netflix reality bake-off competition Nailed It! is a fun and unique take on the traditional cooking show as three amateur bakers are tasked with replicating intricate and off-the-wall desserts in an effort to nab the highly-coveted Nailed It! trophy and $10,000 cash prize. The hilarious comedian Nicole Byer hosts the fan-favorite program, with chocolatier and French pastry chef Jacques Torres serving as the head judge and mentor for the contestants with a surprise third celebrity guest judge.
Since its debut in 2018, Nailed It! has gone on to garner widespread critical acclaim, earning three Primetime Emmy Award nominations with Byer making history and becoming the first Black woman to be nominated for the award for Outstanding Host for a Reality Competition Program. It's one of the best baking or cooking shows on Netflix.
1 The Great British Bake Off
The wholesome and uplifting BBC British competition program The Great British Bake Off is a feel-good show in which highly-skilled amateur bakers compete against one another in three different challenges per episode, showcasing their exceptional baking abilities. Each week, a contestant is eliminated based on their performance in a signature, technical and showstopper challenge, having presented their desserts and creations to a highly-esteemed panel of judges currently headlined by chefs Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith.
There to help ease the bakers’ nerves and provide entertaining and colorful commentary to audiences are hosts Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas, who endearingly engage with the contestants in heart-warming banter. The Great British Bake Off has gone on to help spark a resurgence of interest in home baking, sparking a huge rise in sales of baking accessories and ingredients in the UK.