Twelve talented bakers are battling it out this festive season to win this year’s Holiday Baking Championship. The Food Network show kicked off its annual competition on November 6. There can only be one winner and the 2023 cast are doing all they can to bag the show’s cash prize of $25,000.
Gnome Homes, cinnamon rolls, and cakes covered in candy canes, season 10 promises to be the most exciting yet. The 12 competitors are whipping up all kinds of sweets and treats. Some of them have the judges so impressed that they’re making some outrageous claims on the Food Network show.
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Holiday Baking Championship 2023 cast
Ready to bake their socks off for a hefty cash prize this holiday season are the following 12 contestants:
The show is hosted by Jesse Palmer, and this year’s judging panel includes Carla Hall, Nancy Fuller, and Duff Goldman.
Bert Alvarado
First up on the cast list is Bert Alvarado.
He hails from Las Vegas and first found his love for baking at the age of six.
Nowadays he works as a pastry chef and wants to pass on his baking traditions to his children.
Bert is on Instagram at @bakedbybertlv and @beanboy84.
Greg Ballenger
Hailing from Dallas is another Holiday Baking Championship contestant, Greg Ballenger.
While some of the show’s competitors are already professional pastry chefs and bakers, Greg is a home baker who works as a physical therapist.
Greg wants to make his younger self proud by appearing on the show. He’s never set foot in an industrial kitchen, but he’s been baking in his own since his childhood.
Jennifer Carey
When it comes to cakes, professional baker and pastry chef Jennifer Carey knows what she’s doing.
She runs her own bakery called Jennifer’s Cake Designs.
The Food Network star is based in Brooklyn and is also a chef instructor at pastry-making workshops at Atelier Sucré NY (@ateliersucreny).
Kevin Conniff
Another contestant who is no stranger to instructing others in the realm of pastry-making is Kevin Conniff.
Kevin hails from Alberta, Canada, and is not only a pro when it comes to pastry, but he’s a chocolatier, too.
He loves to bake with his family, and his youngest is a talented sous chef, per Food Network.
Alex Jacks
Hailing from Portland, Oregon, is Holiday Baking Championship contestant Alex Jacks.
Alex is a single mom, and home baker who also works as a server.
She writes on her baking Instagram page: “Baking to bring happiness.”
Find her page at @alexjax_sweetsnacks.
Josh Juarez
Holiday Baking Championship’s Josh Juarez runs a dog bakery and grooming salon based in Austin, Texas.
He was the winner of the 2019 Christmas Cookie Challenge on Food Network.
Josh also runs a home holiday decor business so it looks like he’s a huge fan of the festive season.
Ali Kenis
With a background in biology, Ali Kenis has a keen eye for precision and she thoroughly enjoys the science behind baking.
She hails from Ventura, California, and runs her own business called Sugar Lab Bake Shop.
Ali is a mom to two young kids and a wife.
Ashley Landerman
Another bakery owner and festive season fanatic is Ashley Landerman.
Ashley lives in New Braunfels, Texas, and has hopes of restoring her family’s camper van with the Holiday Baking Championship winnings.
Find her business, 2 Tarts Bakery, on Instagram at @2tartsbakery.
Sharrod Mangum
Next up on the cast list is Sharrod Mangum who hails from Atlanta, Georgia.
Sharrod grew up as the youngest of six children in an army family.
He served in the army for five years and now works as an executive pastry chef.
Thirty-year-old Sharrod is also an aspiring model.
Thoa Nguyen
Thoa Nguyen is a Food Network contestant who comes from Englewood, Colorado.
Thoa runs an Asian fusion dessert bakery and followed in her parents’ footsteps who also ran a restaurant.
She loves spending the holidays with her family and is taking part in the Holiday Baking Championship to make them proud.
Her bakery is called Bánh & Butter Bakery Café.
Justine Rota
Holiday Baking Championship star Justine Rota runs a bakery from her home in Whitman, Massachusetts.
Justine loves all things pink and sparkly and one of her favorite things to do during the holidays is to bake cookies with her family.
The contestant’s bakery is called Sweet Standards and can be found on Instagram at @sweet.standards.
Javier Trujillo
Hailing from Mexico but now living in Chicago, Holiday Baking Championship 2023 star Javier Trujillo is another contestant competing this year.
Javier is a pastry chef who bakes for a living. His grandmother owned a bakery in Mexico, but per his bio, he “never spent a day in the shop.”
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WATCH HOLIDAY BAKING CHAMPIONSHIP MONDAYS AT 8/7C ON FOOD NETWORK
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