Kids Baking Championship premiered on Food Network on February 2, 2015. The series quickly became a fan favorite within Food Network’s baking competition franchise. It features the best child bakers from around the country, competing against each other for a grand prize. Each season, eight to twelve bakers compete for a chance to walk away with $25,000.
In each episode, contestants are tested on their baking skills and originality, whipping up creative cakes, cookies, and pastries. Bakers are judged on presentation, creativity, flavor, and how well they meet each challenge. One baker is typically eliminated each episode until a single Kids Baking Champion remains. The show also features special holiday-themed reunion episodes, where former contestants return for a second chance at victory.
From Season 1 through Season 12, Valerie Bertinelli and Duff Goldman served as the hosts and judges. However, Bertinelli left the show in 2024, with Kardea Brown stepping in as co-host starting with Season 13, which premiered in 2025. Besides hosting the show, Goldman and Brown (and Berinelli in earlier seasons) also serve as the show’s judges.
In January 2026, Food Network introduced a spinoff called Baking Championship: Next Gen, again hosted by Duff Goldman and Kardea Brown. The new series follows a similar format but features twelve teams of siblings, aged 8 to 14, competing together. Both shows highlight Food Network’s ongoing investment in young culinary talent.
