Netflix has a variety of original and licensed content, but one of the most popular genres is cooking and baking shows. Zumbo’s Just Desserts, for example, hosted by pastry chef Adriano Zumbo, shows the Australian Willy Wonka and his own dessert competition series, seeing some marvelous sweets.
Baking shows do more than showcase delicious desserts, though. They are an opportunity for experienced bakers to gain recognition, aspiring bakers to further hone their craft, and viewers to explore baking. While many platforms have an abundance of baking shows, some of the very best to stream are currently available on Netflix.
Crazy Delicious
Even though it only lasted one season, Crazy Delicious is still a tasty reminder of a baking show on Netflix. Considered to be a spiritual successor of Zumbo’s Just Desserts, the show has the biggest foodies in Britain cooking magical dishes to win a golden apple trophy.
The judge trio of Carla Hall, Heston Blumenthal, and Niklas Ekstedt are the crux of the show, standing out for their sound comments and overall presence. Crazy Delicious also featured some mystifying meals and delicious desserts in its six-episode season.
Is It Cake?
Hosted by Saturday Night Live alum Mikey Day, Is It Cake? is a new Netflix reality show that has quickly become a fan favorite. Similar to Nailed It!, the baking competition show has contestants re-create a cake, but these desserts are inspired by inanimate objects.
Unlike the former show, which is about how close the contestant can replicate the dessert, Is It Cake? requires a more refined sense of disbelief. Some bakers do such a meticulous job of creating a confectionery illusion that it becomes nearly impossible to tell the difference between reality and cake.
Junior Bake Off
In the past decade, reality competition shows have become inclusive for children and teenagers. Within appropriate limits, the experience can be rewarding, as seen with Junior Bake Off.
Being a spinoff of The Great British Bake-Off, Junior Bake Off also does not offer a cash prize. While money is always a wonderful incentive, this makes the objective of the show pure in its delivery. Rather than the young contestants focusing solely on the monetary gain, they’re improving their baking crafts to go on after the show and well into adulthood.
The Curious Creations Of Christine McConnell
Unlike other baking shows, The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell is unique for also being a sitcom. Real-life DIY queen McConnell stars as a fictionalized version of herself, an artist and baker who has gained Internet fame for mouthwatering creepy confectionery creations.
In addition to her spooky sweets, Christine is also surrounded by the presence of monsters and supernatural spirits in her home. Despite its unique premise and some fantastic animatronic creatures from the legendary Jim Henson Studios, the show was not renewed for a second season.
Baking Impossible
Baking Impossible goes beyond the premise of a typical baking or competition show. The series combines “bakineering” by pairing up bakers and engineers into teams of two to create kinetic confections. Baking Impossible offers one of the largest cooking/baking competition show prizes at $100,000.
Having debuted in 2021, Baking Impossible is a visual splendor for going outside the box with a unique presentation and talent showcasing of both the culinary and engineering fields. Some creations have been out of this world, from edible mini-golf courses to life-size animals.
Bake Squad
Chef and author Christine Tosi hosts the Netflix Original show Bake Squad, which has professional bakers competing alongside each other in a team setting. Similar to Crazy Delicious, the show does not offer a cash prize and follows a more linear structure.
Bake Squad’s objective is to have returning chefs baking beautiful desserts to impress potential clients, and the clients and occasions change every episode. In its sweet glory, the show highlights a wonderful emphasis on the teamwork that goes into the creation of these special desserts.
Nadiya Bakes
Nadiya Hussain is one of The Great British Bake Off’s most successful winners. She has hosted several cooking docuseries and shows, one of which is Nadiya Bakes. Premiering in 2020, the show became a breakout hit due to Hussain’s down-to-earth personality and impressive baking skills.
The show demonstrated not only Nadiya Hussain’s incredible talents for baking but also her amazing passion for the art itself. Like with all her culinary presentations, she creates every plate with pathos. Having suffered from panic attacks her whole life, Nadiya Bakes also proves how baking can be quite cathartic.
The Great British Bake Off
Originating in the United Kingdom, The Great British Bake Off has had an international impact with its popularity. The show chronicles a group of amateur chefs all vying for the title of UK’s Best Amateur Baker, and season 13 premiered on Netflix on September 13th, 2022.
Similar to any other reality show, there have been several contestants robbed of A Great British Bake Off win. However, quite a few winners have gone on to have sizzling success in the bakery industry, and the show has spawned a holiday spin-off entitled The Great Christmas/Festive Bake Off.
Nailed It!
One of the best baking competition shows, Nailed It! is a mixed bag of fun with every episode. The show tests the skills of amateur bakers by asking them to re-create masterpiece cakes, a concept that always makes for some hilarious fails and decent replicas before the winner walks off with a $10,000 cash prize at the end.
Nicole Byer, the host of Nailed It!, is the show’s backbone with her vivacious personality and kooky humor. The sweet success of the series has resulted in multiple Emmy nominations and a Spanish language adaptation.
Sugar Rush
Sugar Rush is one of Netflix’s best game shows. Providing sweetness and intensity in every episode, the game shows splits teams of baking duos into three separate events to win a $10,000 cash prize.
Not only does the show serve up incredible desserts, but it features an eclectic array of guest judges, such as Liza Koshy, Colin Hanks, and Betsey Johnson. Although the show ended in 2020, Sugar Rush is still highly popular on Netflix and received two spin-off specials during its original run.
