Holiday Baking Championship

Runtime: 1h 25m

Host Jesse Palmer welcomes 12 talented bakers to Santa's Village, where Christmas preparations are in full swing, and assigns the competitors to two teams, The Reindeer Crew or The Elf Squad. In the first preheat challenge, the bakers create an "employee profile" dessert that illustrates what they love most during the holidays. Then, Santa wants the bakers to help him design stained glass for his office expansion, so they must make holiday stained-glass cakes. Judges Duff Goldman, Kardea Brown, and Molly Yeh decide the winner of the $1,000 Ghirardelli prize package, and one baker from the losing team is eliminated.

It's staff appreciation week at Santa's Village, and to shine a spotlight on the hardworking heroes who keep Christmas running smoothly, host Jesse Palmer asks the baking teams to make peppermint holiday desserts to honor the unsung heroes of the Peppermint Dept. In the main heat, the bakers appreciate the seamstresses and tailors who keep Santa's fit fresh by making radical red velvet desserts. Judges Duff Goldman, Kardea Brown, and Molly Yeh choose the winner of the $1,000 Ghirardelli prize package, and each member of the winning team earns 30 minutes of time that they can use throughout the rest of the season. After one baker from the losing team is eliminated, both teams are dissolved - leaving every baker for themselves going forward.

Snow globes are one of the most popular holiday gifts of all, and the elves at Santa's Village are terribly backed up. To help Santa boost output, host Jesse Palmer asks the 10 remaining bakers to create snow globe trifles and decorate the top with a personal holiday scene that depicts a holiday memory. Judges Duff Goldman, Kardea Brown, and Molly Yeh pick the winner to receive a $1,000 Ghirardelli prize package, and the least successful baker is eliminated.

Santa wants to level up chocolate chip cookies, so host Jesse Palmer asks the nine remaining bakers to create amazing chocolate chip cookie holiday desserts using Ghirardelli chocolate chips. The best dessert is selected by judges Duff Goldman, Kardea Brown, and Molly Yeh to win a $1,000 prize package, along with Jesse's thanks for making him look good to the boss. The least successful baker is eliminated.

There's a vending machine in the elf break room that needs something jollier than "healthy snacks," so host Jesse Palmer asks the bakers to fill the vending machine with exciting holiday snacks fit for hungry working elves. Then, in the main heat, a senior elf is retiring, and the bakers must create a farewell dessert that honors the elf's specific position in Santa's workshop, such as gift wrapper or reindeer stable hand. Each baker receives a different retiring elf's resume to interpret in dessert form. Guest judge Stephanie Boswell joins Duff Goldman and Kardea Brown to select the winner and send one baker home.