Everyone knows that one of the best things about the holidays is the food. Whether it’s nibbling on frosted sugar cookies or carving into a Christmas ham, December just wouldn’t be the same without its festive feasts. And you don’t need to be a master of culinary confections to get in on the fun — especially when it comes to the vicarious thrill of watching cooking and baking shows. (These also require a lot less cleanup!)
If you’re looking for some of the best holiday iterations of the mouthwatering genre, then you’re in luck. From full seasons to one-off holiday episodes of tasty shows, Netflix has plenty of great options for those in the mood for cozy competitions, sizzling showdowns, and hilarious baking fails.
Read on for some of the sweetest things to watch during the tastiest time of the year.
Season 1, Episode 3: “The Holidays!”
For most people, reusing leftovers is as simple as reheating last night’s meal. (Those looking to go the extra mile might throw everything together in a soup.) However, after watching this innovative cooking competition, you may start challenging yourself to level up. Three talented home cooks face off to transform leftovers into completely new dishes. With host Jackie Tohn and judges Rosemary Shrager and David So, Best Leftovers Ever episodes feature two rounds of culinary challenges; the winner walks away with a cool $10,000. This installment asks the contestants to take classic holiday leftovers like green bean casserole, apple pie and stuffing and turn them into a brand-new type of sandwich. It’s impressive to see the home cooks turn dishes into completely different meals (green bean French fries, anyone?). Watching the show might inspire you to cut down on food waste while sparking ways to get extra creative with your own holiday leftovers. It’s also pretty funny watching the cooks walk into a giant takeout container to await the judges’ ruling.
Season 1, Episode 5: “Get Over It Holiday Feast with Lele Pons”
By her own admission, Paris Hilton isn’t exactly the world’s best chef. But that’s the fun part: watching her try her best to tackle a wide range of recipes and cooking techniques. For this episode, Hilton heads to the farmer’s market to pick up a turkey for a holiday feast — and promptly descends into an existential crisis about actually cooking the raw bird. She then attempts to “get over” her fear of cooking a turkey, by creating a dry brine and roasting it. Hilton is joined in the kitchen by internet personality Lele Pons, and the two put together a full spread including seasonally appropriate sugar cookies covered in glitter (and a few catered sides). To really drive home the Christmas theme, the final meal takes place in a room festooned with Nutcrackers. You might not come away with a ton of useful holiday cooking tips, but you will enjoy seeing Hilton’s personalized “That’s Hot” apron. (We know what we’re asking for this year!)
Season 1, Episode 4: “Holidays the Easy Way”
Hosted by Queer Eye’s charming food expert Antoni Porowski, Easy-Bake Battle poses this question: What would a baking show be like if it involved the smallest amount of baking possible? In this holiday-themed episode, three talented home chefs battle it out to create quick and easy festive food. First, they’re challenged to create no-bake desserts — with plenty of twists and turns along the way, including a last-minute dish switcheroo. Then, they’re asked to make a multicourse holiday feast in just 75 minutes. If you’re looking to pick up a few tips on how to spend less time in the kitchen this holiday season, this show’s for you. (One contestant makes tiny strawberries-and-cream Santa hats that you’ll want to add to your own holiday lineup immediately.) Food and drink writer Alyse Whitney joins Porowski as a guest judge for the episode, which highlights a wide range of holidays and cultural traditions.
There’s nothing like relaxing with a soothing episode of The Great British Baking Show. The low-stakes baking competition is the cashmere blanket of reality television. In fact, one of the only tough parts of watching is saying goodbye to your favorite contestants when they leave the tent. As a result, one of the most exciting things about the show’s holiday iteration is spending more time with some of the franchise’s most beloved personalities. Each season of The Great British Baking Show: Holidays sees returning bakers and special guests go head-to-head in three festive challenges. From delectable holiday buns to whimsical little cottages, the culinary creations may have you eyeing those cookies you were planning to leave out for Santa. (And don’t skip the hilarious Season 3 episode with the cast of Derry Girls — it’ll have you rolling on the floor with laughs.)
Why waste time asking “Naughty or nice?” this holiday season when you could be asking the far more pressing question: “Is it cake?” The wildly popular reality competition show, which pits talented bakers against each other to design the most hyperrealistic cakes, is here for its holiday edition. The yuletide special will once again feature talented artists creating cake replicas of everyday objects. This time, however, those sliceable surprises will all be sneaky takes on festive items like ice skates, nutcrackers, and wreaths. (Hopefully, no one tries to slice through the real Santa.) Saturday Night Live star Mikey Day returns as host of the frosting-filled, fake-out fest along with all-star bakers from past seasons. The celebrity guest line-up is also a gift unto itself, with Rachel Bloom, Tiffany Haddish, and Sasheer Zamata among the funny fondant investigators. With Season 2 coming on November 25, these tricky confections may have you side-eyeing the seasonal decor around your own house this year.
Watching self-proclaimed “bad bakers” miss the mark when it comes to creating cakes and cupcakes is funny. Watching them crash and burn with failed attempts to make edible Santas and elves is somehow even more hilarious. Hosted by Nicole Byer and featuring French chocolate impresario Jacques Torres among the judges, Nailed It! asks amateur bakers to do their best to imitate intricate desserts — with calamitous results. The very funny competition has two holiday-themed seasons, providing the perfect comic relief for any family gathering. A Season 2 highlight features three bakers doing their whimsical worst to produce a Grinch-inspired cake, while a Season 1 standout showcases an upside-down Santa cake that definitely put some contestants on the naughty list. The show is worth watching just for Byer’s humorous asides and reactions, but the failed bakes are also true comedic gifts.
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you combined the audacious creativity of a baking show with the thrills of an action film? You can get a taste of that feeling from Sugar Rush, which has two Christmas-themed seasons available to watch. The premise of the adrenaline-pumping competition is that teams of professional bakers compete to make the best confections in the shortest amount of time. The faster the team finishes, the more time they’re able to add to the clock for the next round. (After each round, one team is eliminated.) In a Season 2 highlight, Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon serves as a guest judge for multiple sugar-filled challenges inspired by A Charlie Brown Christmas. It’s fascinating to see how some teams interpret the theme literally while others take a more kaleidoscopic approach — and some of the finished bakes are truly impressive. Other fun themes featured in these episodes include Christmas carols, the North Pole and The Nutcracker.
While the Duchess of Sussex’s lifestyle show is not necessarily holiday-themed (though rest assured, the With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration premieres in December with plenty of time for seasonal inspo), the series as a whole is, however, chock-full of valuable tips perfect for joyful gatherings. Need craft ideas to keep the kids busy? Looking to make your own jams and preserves to pass out as stocking stuffers? Wondering how to create the perfect balloon arch backdrop for your holiday party photo booth? Meghan has tips for all these things, as well as general hosting and feast-prepping suggestions bound to come in handy during this busy social season. Season 2 just arrived with even more episodes full of cooking and crafting recommendations and cozy insights into Meghan’s charming life.
All the tips and tricks to be gleaned from With Love, Meghan get a seasonal boost with this brand-new installment of her series. Meghan shifts into festive mode, inviting a slew of friends, old and new, to join her in Montecito. She shows us all the beautiful and fun ways she decks her halls and infuses holiday magic into time spent with family and friends. From crafts to gifts to yummy confections, Meghan provides practical how-tos for viewers to implement at home. When your guests ask how you upped your Christmas celebrations this year, just tell them the Duchess showed you.
David Chang is dedicated to giving viewers an unfiltered look at how chefs work in the kitchen, complete with on-the-fly tips and helpful instructions. Here, he draws inspiration from the holidays, including Thanksgiving and Christmas, exploring cuisines from a variety of cultures as he cooks for celebrity friends in real time. Chang’s recipes can be found here when it comes time to do your own ingredient shopping. Follow along for fun banter and mouth-watering meals prepared before your eyes.
Additional reporting by Ananda Dillon.
