Are you planning to binge-watch rom-coms, Christmas horror films or Santa Claus movies this holiday season? If so, why not shift gears this time around and indulge in some Christmas cooking shows instead?
‘Tis the time to gorge on the delectable spread of delicious Christmas food — cookies, gingerbread, frosty cakes, meat roast — without which December wouldn’t be the same. So what if you can’t whip up a gourmet holiday feast, the best Christmas cooking shows will give you the ultimate treat for the eyes. Additionally, these cooking shows ensure a truckload of fun, laughter roller coaster, epic challenges and most importantly lots of delicious festive flavours.
Like Christmas movies and holiday shows that abound the television and OTT platforms, the festive season also brings in some fun cooking shows that feature prominent chefs and celebrity guests. They share their favourite holiday recipes and culinary secrets in the festive spirit.
So this Christmas, give the culinary genre a try and tune into Netflix, Prime Video or other streaming platforms for some holiday-themed cooking shows. Filled with delicious bake-offs, cook-offs and creative savoury dishes, these shows will definitely make your mouth water.
Don’t worry, you need not be an excellent cook to be able to watch these. They are the perfect binge-watching options when you are on the lookout for some easy, yet gourmet, recipes or simply want to see amateurs rush to make extravagant Christmas-themed sweetmeats and turkey dishes.
However, be sure to keep some food handy as it is likely you’ll end up feeling hungry after watching a few episodes!
Check out the best holiday-themed Christmas cooking shows
1 /7
IMDb rating: NA
The Best Christmas Food Ever may not be airing anymore, but it deserves mention for creating delicious festive flavours and being one of the most popular BBC shows.
Chefs Paul Ainsworth and Catherine Fulvio are joined by celebrity guests who share their culinary secrets and anecdotes while preparing some delicious festive recipes that you can try. People like actress Nina Wadia and actor Christopher Biggins have appeared on this show.
Image credit: IMDb
2 /7
IMDb rating: 6.9
Groups of contestants are in a mad rush to create the best confections in the shortest time. While that sounds like the format of any cooking show, there’s more to Sugar Rush. The faster a team finishes a task, the more time they get for the next task and one team gets eliminated after each round. From A Charlie Brown Christmas (1995) to the North Pole, carols and The Nutcracker (1993) the themes are varied and so are their interpretations.
This cooking show has two Christmas-inspired editions and a major highlight comes in season 2 where Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon serves as a guest judge for multiple sugar-filled challenges.
Read more: KFC feasts to Krampus: 11 most unique Christmas traditions around the world
3 /7
IMDb rating: 7
Hyperrealistic cakes are all the rage these days, but let’s give it a Christmas spin. The special Yuletide edition dropped in November 2024. If you like baking, this is a must-watch cooking show. Here, participants get creative with extravagant cakes replicating common Christmas motifs — Santa Claus, ice skates, wreaths etc.
The limited series brings back nine All-Star Bakers from the series’ three seasons. From season 1, we see Jonny Manganello, winner Andrew Fuller, and April Julian, while Elizabeth Rowe, Miko Kaw Hok Uy and Danya Smith from the second season also join in the fun. From season 3, released earlier in 2024, Henderson Gonzalez, the winner, Grace Pak and Jujhar Mann also return. The celebrity judges include Rachel Bloom, Wayne Brady, Sebastian Maniscalco, Hannah Berner, Tiffany Haddish, Devon Walker and others.
Image credit: Netflix Tudum
4 /7
IMDb rating: 7.6
The Food Network show has 11 seasons and features supremely talented bakers who whip up delectable treats to light up the festive season.
The latest season is hosted by Jesse Palmer who welcomes the 12 best bakers from across the USA as they present their confectionary creations before beloved judges, chefs Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman and Carla Hall. The stakes are quite high as every participant is eyeing the glittering gifts under the tree, which include USD 25,000, a spot in the Food Network Magazine and the title of Holiday Baking Champion.
Image credit: IMDb
5 /7
IMDb rating: 7.7
This is a much-loved seasonal spin on the original Nailed It! It follows the same format where amateur bakers compete to make intriguing sweetmeats that are often met with hilarious and sometimes disastrous results.
However, in Nailed It! Holiday, hosts and contestants usher in a healthy dose of holiday cheer. As the cooking challenge takes off, participants — self-proclaimed ‘bad bakers’ — race against the clock to win a cash prize of USD 10,000. Hosted by Nicole Byer, the hilarious cooking show features French chocolate impresario Jacques Torres as a judge. There are two holiday-themed editions of Nailed It! that are nothing short of a laughter riot.
In the first edition, a major standout is an upside-down Santa cake that placed some contestants in the unsafe zone while a season 2 highlight has to be three bakers trying to create a Grinch-inspired cake. Even if we keep the baking aside, the show is worth watching for Byer’s humorous commentary and reactions. But of course, the failed bakes are the true gifts.
6 /7
IMDb rating: 8.1
One of the best cooking shows on Netflix, this is an absolute Christmas must-watch. Each season of The Great British Baking Show: Holidays has bakers return to the tent and go head-to-head against special guests in three festive challenges. Whether it is delectable holiday buns or little cottages, their culinary rendezvous will make it hard to resist those cookies you left for later.
And make sure to watch the hilarious season 3 episode with the cast of Derry Girls (2018-2022), it’ll leave you in splits. Season 7, the latest iteration of the holiday edition dropped in December 2024. Special Christmas-themed and New Year-themed episodes are filled with holiday-inspired challenges carried out by returning contestants. For instance, Decider states, in the Christmas episode, former winners enter the tent to compete again.
7 /7
IMDb rating: 8.1
Actor-musician Selena Gomez joins four outstanding celebrity chefs from across the country to create their famous and best Christmas food. With just four episodes till now, names like Eric Adjepong, Alex Guarnaschelli, Michael Symon and Claudette Zepeda have joined her on this Christmas cooking show.
Get to know fun anecdotes and sweet memories and note down some easy and enriching recipes to impress your family.
