Baked goods just may be one of the trickiest guilty pleasures, as they’re as delicious as they are unhealthy. That’s one of the many reasons why the renaissance of baking-focused television has been such a blessing. Now, viewers can enjoy watching delicious treats being made from the comfort of their own couch, all without having to worry about counting calories. Of course, they don’t get to enjoy the taste of any of the snacks, but… well, it’s the thought that counts.
Baking competitions also serve as wish fulfillment experiences for aspiring bakers everywhere - whether they’re a future Martha Stewart in the making, or they’d be better off never going anywhere near a kitchen in their entire life. Channels like the Food Network, the Cooking Channel, the BBC, PBS, and even Netflix are all rapidly producing shows about amateur and expert bakers alike competing against each other to create the best baking shows available to stream now.
So whether a seasoned professional baker, a junk food junkie with a craving, or something else entirely, there’s definitely a baking competition show out there that’s just right for any baking fan.
Cake Boss (2009-2020)
Watch On Discovery Plus
When Cake Boss premiered back in 2009 it was one of TLC’s first ever baking shows and helped launch the reality TV genre sub-genre into success. The hybrid baking/family reality series centered on Buddy Valastro and his family-owned Carlo’s bakery in New Jersey. Each episode features Buddy and his talented employees as they create epic, one-of-a-kind cakes while also dealing with the day-to-day struggles of running a bakery with family.
Cake Boss is the perfect show for fans of the reality TV genre at large. There are tons of dramatic moments both in terms of sibling arguments and disagreements about how to properly grow the business, but there are also tons of delicious and eye-catching desserts being made. The baking comes with its own set of drama as Buddy and his team regularly deal with cakes being too large to get out of their shop or, worse, bumpy car rides that threaten the hours of hard work they’ve put into their masterful cakes.
Buddy vs. Duff (2019-)
When Buddy vs Duff first premiered on Food Network in 2019 it was billed as if the two were heading into the UFC ring together. Originally slated for only one season, the reality series currently has four seasons available to stream on Discovery Plus. Each season, the competition shows put Cake Boss’s Buddy and Ace of Cake’s Duff Goldman against each other in an epic battle to see who really is the King of Cakes.
Each episode is unique, with the two bakers competing in mini-challenges before setting out to create monstrous cake displays in the final battles of every episode. Points are allocated for different categories and accumulate over the season until the finale, where only one baker can take home the title of King of Cakes. From delectable treats to a healthy serving of trash talk, Buddy vs Duff is a great baking show to add to the lineup.
Halloween Baking Championship (2015-)
After the success of the Spring Baking Championship, Food Network expanded the “Baking Championship” franchise to include the Halloween Baking Championship. Each season consists of about 6-7 episodes where a group of bakers competes against each other in an elimination competition until one baker earns the total of best Halloween baker.
Like the other shows in the franchise, each episode features a small bake and a larger, more detailed bake. However, Halloween Baking Championship differentiates itself from other baking shows because the three judges judge the final round in elaborate costumes. The two most recent seasons have also included elaborate set designs and themes, which add the spooky factor to the show making it the perfect show for fans of Halloween and baking.
Worst Bakers In America (2016-)
While it’s fun to watch professional bakers create masterful desserts of all shapes and sizes, sometimes it’s even more fun to watch ordinary people fumble their way around ovens, stand mixers, and the struggle of tempering chocolate. Worst Bakers in America is the perfect show for amateur bakers who want to feel better about their limited skills in the kitchen.
Each season of Worst Bakers in America starts out with 12 terrible bakers from across the United States who are brought to baking boot camp. They are divided into two teams – one led by Duff Goldman and the other by Lorraine Pascale, who are tasked with teaching the bakers how to bake like professionals. Contestants are eliminated weekly until only one manages to transform themselves from a terrible baker into a great one.
Zumbo’s Just Desserts (2016-)
Watch On Netflix
Baking shows aren’t only big in the United States which is proven by the popularity of the Australian baking reality show Zumbo’s Just Desserts. With two seasons available on Netflix, it’s a quick binge but one that should not be missed for baking show aficionados.
The competition baking show features renowned patissier Adriano Zumbo who is ready to judge a dozen bakers on their own skill sets. Each episode sees the remaining contestants competing against each other in various challenges, which include all sorts of twists and turns, like one episode where kids were brought in to judge the desserts.
Cupcake Wars (2009-2018)
Sometimes, the best things come in small packages - like in the case of everyone’s favorite pint-sized treats, cupcakes. Since 2009, the hit series Cupcake Wars has followed bakers and inexperienced celebrities alike as they compete in rounds to create delicious, topically themed cupcakes and enormous cupcake displays. The cupcakes could be for anything as disparate as an aquarium launch party or the premiere of a new season of a television show, to the anniversary celebration of a beloved animated character.
The artistry that goes into perfecting dozens - and, at times, hundreds - of these tasty little treats is truly impressive. With winning judges like Candace Nelson and Florian Bellanger, and an adorkable new host in Mean Girls star Jonathan Bennett, Cupcake Wars makes for a truly fun binge-watching indulgence.
Sugar Rush (2018-2020)
While most of the series on this list find competitors participating in the competition on their own, or as a primary baker with a sidekick, Netflix’s 2018 series Sugar Rush totally changes things up and features bakers competing in teams of two for a grand prize of $10,000.
The series is known for its use of larger-than-life baking techniques and finished products. In round one, competitors produce cupcakes. Round two finds contestants making confectionery treats. And, of course, round three requires them to produce a full-size cake in keeping with the episode’s theme. Hosted by up-and-coming game show host Hunter March, Sugar Rush may be a short binge at only eight episodes, but what it lacks in length it more than makes up for in energy.
Sweet Genius (2011-)
Airing from 2011 to 2013 on Food Network, the cult hit baking competition series Sweet Genius is perhaps one of the most intense series on this list. With dramatic voice-overs counting down the time remaining, robotic instructions, and cool metallic settings, Sweet Genius puts an almost steampunk-like twist on the warm and friendly baking competition series that fans of the format are all familiar with.
But what truly sets this series apart from all the others is its host, the world-renowned expert pastry chef Ron Ben-Israel. He’s known for being affable and downright adorable he can be at times, so it’s truly gripping and even jarring to see him take on such a strict, somber tone as he judges the challenging contestants.
Christmas Cookie Challenge (2017-)
Nothing says baked goods like the holidays. Many of the series on this list are seasonally themed and, therefore, only air during certain portions of the year. But that doesn’t make them any less enjoyable - or their baked goods any less appealing. One of the best entries in this subgenre is the Food Network holiday series Christmas Cookie Challenge, which has aired since the holiday season of 2017.
Former NFL player and Food Network favorite Eddie Jackson serves as the host of the rapidly paced competition, which finds five bakers appearing in each episode and competing in mini rounds as they strive to make the best Christmas-cookie-based treats. A rotating panel of judges, including Ree Drummond and Jordan Pilarski, round the cast out.
Spring Baking Championship (2015-)
Springtime represents a time filled with rebirth and renewal, and also offers the opportunity for plenty of bright colors, cute animals, Easter-themed treats, and much more. Leave it to Food Network, then, to fill a gap that most people didn’t even know existed with its introduction of Spring Baking Championship in the spring of 2015.
Currently hosted by its most successful and effortlessly charming host yet, reality TV veteran Clinton Kelly, the series also features Food Network mainstays Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman, and Lorraine Pascale as its talented panel of judges. Eager contestants engage in two rounds of competition per week - a pre-heat that finds them working on smaller desserts in order to gain an advantage in the second round, and the main event itself. This series is worth checking out for Duff’s hilarious facial expressions as he eats each round of baked goods alone.
Kids Baking Championship (2015-)
When kids involved in any kind of competition, hilarity and adorableness will inevitably ensue - as will some unexpectedly emotional moments that might even bring on the tears. Since 2015, Kids Baking Championship has aired on Food Network, with a total of six seasons released so far as of April 2019.
Hosted and judged by the winning duo of actress and celebrity chef Valerie Bertinelli and Food Network icon baker Duff Goldman, Kids Baking Championship is feel good - and taste good - television at its finest. There is very little drama or harsh competition during the show, unlike many other baking series, as the kids genuinely help each other out. And if feelings are hurt or any baking-related injuries occur, Valerie is always there to offer a hug and words of comfort.
Holiday Baking Championship (2014-)
Yet another holiday-themed baking series that is far and away one of the most enjoyable baking series on television is the long-running Food Network series Holiday Baking Championship. Once again featuring the reliable judging team of Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman, and Lorraine Pascale, the series premiered in the winter of 2014 and served as the total launching point for all of Food Network’s Baking Championship series.
Holiday-themed baked goods are often some of the most visually stunning - and often some of the most adorable, too, with cute woodland creatures and elves and reindeer thrown into the mix. Former NFL player and The Bachelor star Jesse Palmer adds an adorably geeky touch to the series as its current host, which finds some of Food Network’s most talented competitors year after year.
Cake Wars (2015-2017
Since premiering in 2015, the Food Network series Cake Wars has consistently proven itself to be one of the most adorable, funniest baking competition series on all of television. Hosted by the almost absurdly charming Jonathan Bennett, the series follows four amateur or professional bakers as they face off in order to create the best tasting and best-looking cakes, for events ranging from an anniversary celebration of Dr. Seuss to the premiere of a new Disney gaming system, to a celebration of all things Peanuts.
The cakes they make are usually larger than life, requiring multiple team members to assist them in their efforts to ensure their safe delivery to the judging stand - which makes for some of the series’ most dramatic moments. Familiar face Ron Ben-Israel stands out as the series’ most valuable and most beloved judge, as he’s never too afraid of joining in on the fun - even if it means donning a bizarre little costume prop.
The Great British Bake Off (2010)
Perhaps one of the most wildly successful and popular baking competition series to ever air on television is the British import, The Great British Bake Off, also known as The Great British Baking Show. The Great British Bake Off, known affectionately to fans as GBBO, first premiered in the year 2010 with a truly winning cast of characters.
Hosted by veteran British television personalities Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins, the series followed aspiring bakers as they faced off round after round in high-stakes competitions. The discerning and often hilarious judges - for most of the series - were expert bakers Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood. During the seventh season, controversy erupted when it was revealed that neither Mel, Sue, nor Mary would be returning for the eighth season. But the good news is that there are still seven entire seasons of amazing baking entertainment to binge.
Nailed It (2018-)
Some people should really just never, ever bake. Ever. But thanks to shows like Netflix’s hit series Nailed It!, viewers get to watch some of the worst bakers in America show themselves to be as truly untalented as they claim they are. The series is about as zany as a baking competition can get, with three self-proclaimed terrible bakers competing in two rounds to replicate professionally crafted baked works of art, ranging from cake pops to multi-layer cakes to intricately iced cookies.
Adding to the madcap fun of the series is the winning rapport between the series’ larger-than-life host, Nicole Byer, and her trusty judge sidekick, chef Jacques Torres. A rotating cast of guest judges - with standouts including comedian Jason Mantzoukas, baking legend Sylvia Weinstock, and pastry chef Ron Ben-Israel - keeps things fresh and even funnier.
