This is a list of episodes for the Food Network cooking competition series Holiday Baking Championship. The series has been presented by Bobby Deen (seasons 1–3) and Jesse Palmer (seasons 4+) and judged by Nancy Fuller (seasons 1+), Duff Goldman (seasons 1+), Lorraine Pascale (seasons 1–6), Carla Hall (seasons 7-11), and Kardea Brown (season 12).

Series overview SeasonEpisodesSeason premiereSeason finale1628384757List of Episodes for Season 568788898108118128

Season 1 There were 8 professional and home bakers competing in a 6-episode baking tournament. One person was eliminated every week until the final episode where the final three compete in a single, all-day round for the grand prize of $50,000.

Contestants

1st – Erin Campbell, Baker and Manager from Palmdale, California 2nd/3rd – Bill Lipscomb, Culinary Instructor from Atlanta, Georgia 2nd/3rd – Naylet Larochelle, Home Baker & Psychologist from Miami, Florida 4th – Terra Nelson, Culinary Instructor from Louisville, Kentucky 5th – David Bondarchuck, Caterer from Denver, Colorado 6th – Dante Marasco, U.S. Navy Cook from Annapolis, Maryland 7th – Punky Egan, Certified Master Baker from Madison, Wisconsin 8th – Stephanie Hart, Bakery Owner from Chicago, Illinois

Episodes

Ep. #TitleOriginal Air Date1"Cookie Madness"November 9, 2014Preliminary Heat: Make holiday cookies in 1 hour. Each contestant picked a gift-wrapped box and had to make a certain type of cookie depending on the tool found inside. (Cookie press = spritz cookie, rolling pin = rolled cookie, ice cream scoop = drop cookie, & spatula = layered cookie). Winner: Erin Campbell (Her advantage was being able to substitute a flavor profile in the second round.)

Main Heat: The contestants must bake a dozen cookies incorporating bittersweet chocolate, a dozen cookies incorporating fresh oranges, and a dozen cookies incorporating toffee bits, all in 90 minutes. Erin used her pre-heat advantage to replace fresh oranges with peppermint. Mid-round twist is for everyone to add raspberry jam into one batch of their cookies.

Winner: Naylet Larochelle

Eliminated: Stephanie Hart2"Classic Holiday Flavors"November 16, 2014Preliminary Heat: Make an eggnog swirled treat in 1 hour. Winner: Terra Nelson (Her advantage was exclusive use of a spice grinder in the second round.)

Main Heat: The contestants have 1 hour to make a dessert featuring at least 3 classic holiday spices and 2 different kinds of sugar. All except for Terra had to grind their spices by hand.

Winner: Bill Lipscomb

Eliminated: Punky Egan3"It's Not the Holidays Without Pie"November 23, 2014Preliminary Heat: Create any dessert, except for pie, with a ready-made pie crust in 30 minutes. Winner: Erin Campbell (Her advantage is a 10-minute head start in the second round.)

Main Heat: The contestants have 2 hours to make 3 different pies that are inspired by home memories and traditions. End-of-the-round twist is having the contestants choose only their 2 best pies to present to the judges.

Winner: David Bondarchuck

Eliminated: Dante Marasco4"The Great Holiday Cake-Over"November 30, 2014Preliminary Heat: Each contestant got a wrapped package with a fruitcake inside. They had 45 minutes to reinvent their holiday fruitcake into a different dessert. Winner: Erin Campbell (Her advantage is 10 minutes of help from Duff Goldman at any point in the second round.)

Main Heat: The contestants are shown a Yule Log ("Bûche de Noël") cake and told they have 2 hours to create a dessert inspired by it.

Winner: Terra Nelson

Eliminated: David Bondarchuck5"Great Holiday Traditions"December 7, 2014Preliminary Heat: Make a peppermint and hot chocolate dessert in 45 minutes. Winner: Erin Campbell (Her advantage is exclusive use of a waffle iron and pancake griddle for the second round.)

Main Heat: The contestants have 2 hours to make a breakfast feast featuring 3 sweet, baked dishes.

Winner: Naylet Larochelle

Eliminated: Terra Nelson6"Gingerbread Worlds"December 14, 2014Main Heat: The final three contestants have 10 hours to create a gingerbread display based on a favorite holiday memory, and incorporate three ginger infused baked items. Mid-round challenge is to add marzipan decorations. Winner of $50,000: Erin Campbell

Runners-up: Bill Lipscomb and Naylet Larochelle(Note: There's no pre-heat here. It's just one long, main round where the winner takes it all.)

Elimination Table PlaceContestantEpisode123456 1 ErinHIGH‡LOW IN‡ IN‡LOW‡WINNER2 BillHIGHWIN INHIGH INRUNNER-UP NayletWIN INHIGHLOWWINRUNNER-UP 4 TerraLOW IN‡LOWWINELIM 5 David INHIGHWINELIM 6 Dante INHIGHELIM 7 Punky INELIM 8 StephanieELIM

(WINNER) This baker won the competition. (RUNNER-UP) This baker was a finalist. (ELIM) This baker was eliminated. (IN) This baker never had the best dish or the worst. (HIGH) This baker had one of the best dish. (WIN) This baker had the best dish in the main challenge. ‡ This baker had the best dish in the pre-heat challenge. (LOW) This baker was last to be called safe.

Season 2 There were 10 contestants competing in an 8-episode baking tournament. In this season there's mid-round twists in several of the second rounds (in the form of an extra ingredient the contestants had to add to their confection). One person was eliminated every week until the final episode where the final three compete for the grand prize of $50,000.

Contestants

1st – Maeve Schulz, Bakery Owner from San Diego, California 2nd/3rd – Adalberto Diaz, Pastry Chef & Instructor from Salt Lake City, Utah 2nd/3rd – Steve Konopelski, Chef and Inn Co-Owner from Denton, Maryland 4th – Haley Miller, Bakery Owner from Beaver Dam, Kentucky 5th – Melody Larsen, Head Pastry Chef from Mesa, Arizona 6th – Padua Player, Executive Pastry Chef from Washington, D.C. 7th – Briana Johnson, Social Worker & Home Cook from Dallas, Texas 8th – Susan Steffan, Bed & Breakfast Owner from Galena, Illinois 9th – John Marasco, Firefighter in Thousand Oaks, California 10th – Joe Settepani, Pastry Sous Chef from Staten Island, New York

: John Marasco's brother, Dante, competed in season 1 And He Is Eliminated In 3rd Episode

Episodes

Ep. #TitleOriginal Air Date1"We're Nuts for the Holidays"November 1, 2015Preliminary Heat: Each baker chose a nutcracker from a table with a tag that had a type of nut written on it. They had 90 minutes to make a nut & chocolate confection with their chosen nut. (Steve & Briana got pecans, Melody & John got almonds, Adalberto & Susan got Brazil nuts, Joe & Maeve got hazelnuts, Padua & Haley got walnuts.) Winner: Padua Player (His advantage was getting special tools, cookie cutters, and stencils for the next round.)

Main Heat: The contestants had to bake a decorated pie in 2 hours.

Winner: Susan Steffan

Eliminated: Joe Settepani2"Holiday Craftiness"November 8, 2015Preliminary Heat: Make a baked dessert featuring candy canes in 1 hour. Winner: Susan Steffan (Her advantage was getting special decorations for her wreath in the next round.)

Main Heat: The contestants had 90 minutes to create an edible wreath dessert. Mid-round twist is to incorporate oranges into the dessert.

Winner: Steve Konopelski

Eliminated: John Marasco3"Stuffing Is the Best Part"November 15, 2015Preliminary Heat: Make a holiday whoopie pie in 1 hour. Each contestant had to choose a turkey baster filled with a "decorating theme" (Melody & Padua got "turkey", Susan & Maeve got "pumpkin", Steve & Briana got "pilgrim", Haley & Adalberto got "fall foliage"). Winner: Steve Konopelski (His advantage was first choice of candy for the second round.)

Main Heat: The contestants had 2 hours to make a cake stuffed with candy; they had a table of various candy choices from M&Ms to strawberry hard candies.

Winner: Melody Larsen

Eliminated: Susan Steffan4"Thanksgiving's Just Around the Corner"November 22, 2015Preliminary Heat: Make a dessert with canned cranberry sauce in 1 hour. Winner: Padua Player (His advantage is the ability to assign a fall ingredient to each contestant in the next round.)

Main Heat: The contestants had 90 minutes to make a dessert with assigned fall fruits and vegetables. For winning the pre-heat, Padua chose apples for himself and gave butternut squash to Adalberto, pomegranates to Steve, carrots to Briana, sweet potato to Melody, corn to Maeve, and figs to Haley. Mid-round twist is to incorporate flavored marshmallows into the desserts (marshmallow flavors were coconut, chocolate, coffee, and salted caramel).

Winner: Adalberto Diaz

Eliminated: Briana Johnson5"Ginger and Spice and Everything Nice"November 29, 2015Preliminary Heat: Make a dozen mini desserts, in 1 hour, with ginger as the main ingredient. Winner: Steve Konopelski (His advantage was a 10-minute head start in the second round.)

Main Heat: The contestants had 90 minutes to bake three different types of cookies, 1 dozen each, based on family traditions. Mid-round twist has each contestant using a specific tool on one of their cookies (meat crusher, muffin tin, and candy thermometer.)

Winner: Melody Larsen

Eliminated: Padua Player6"World Class Classics"December 6, 2015Preliminary Heat: Make an updated version of 2 traditional Hanukkah treats: rugelach and coconut macaroons. They had 75 minutes to bake. Winner: Haley Miller (Her advantage is 10 minutes of help from season 1 winner, Erin Campbell.)

Main Heat: The contestants had 2 hours to make a holiday croquembouche.

Winner: Maeve Schulz

Eliminated: Melody Larsen7"Re-Gifting"December 13, 2015Preliminary Heat: Make a dessert from a candy apple in 75 minutes. Each contestant had to use a type of candy apple inside a gift wrapped box (Steve got a milk chocolate & coconut apple, Maeve got a white chocolate & cinnamon chip apple, Adalberto got a white chocolate & dried cherry apple, and Haley got a dark chocolate & almond apple). Winner: Adalberto Diaz (His advantage is revealed in the middle of the next round as a liquor assignment.)

Main Heat: The contestants had 90 minutes to make a confection using three items from a gift basket (pears, pretzels, and chocolate caramels). Mid-round twist is to incorporate a specific liquor into the desserts. Since Adalberto won the pre-heat, he got to choose brandy for himself, then assigned coffee liquor to Maeve, orange liquor to Steve, and raspberry liquor to Haley.

Winner: Adalberto Diaz

Eliminated: Haley Miller8"Holiday Hoopla"December 20, 2015Preliminary Heat: Make two dozen holiday cookies in 3 hours and decorate a cookie tree. Winner: Maeve Schulz (Her advantage was the ability to assign the cake themes in the final round.)

Main Heat: The contestants had 5 hours to make a festive cake based on a holiday activity. (Maeve chose "sleigh ride", then assigned "singing carols" to Steve, and assigned "tree trimming" to Adalberto).

Winner of $50,000: Maeve Schulz

Runners-up: Adalberto Diaz and Steve Konopelski

Elimination Table PlaceContestantEpisode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 Maeve INLOW IN INHIGHWINLOWWINNER‡2 AdalbertoHIGHHIGHHIGHWINLOW INWIN‡RUNNER-UP SteveLOWWIN IN‡ IN IN‡HIGHLOWRUNNER-UP 4 Haley IN INHIGHLOW INLOW‡ELIM 5 Melody IN INWIN INWINELIM 6 Padua IN‡ IN IN IN‡ELIM 7 Briana IN INLOWELIM 8 SusanWINHIGH‡ELIM 9 JohnLOWELIM 10 JoeELIM

(WINNER) This baker won the competition. (RUNNER-UP) This baker was a finalist. (WIN) This baker had the best dish in the main challenge. ‡ This baker had the best dish in the pre-heat challenge. (HIGH) This baker had one of the best dishes. (LOW) This baker was last to be called safe. (ELIM) This baker was eliminated.

Season 3 There were 9 contestants competing in a 7-episode baking tournament. One person was eliminated every week until the final episode where the final three compete for the grand prize of $50,000. At the end of this season, there was a Holiday Baking Championship special episode where the three past season winners competed against three child bakers from the Kids Baking Championship.

Contestants