Every culture has their own holiday traditions, and the five remaining bakers celebrate a couple of favorites by reinventing two Hanukkah classics: rugelach and macaroons. Then, they must create their own unique version of a holiday croquembouche.
It's time to get crafty! The remaining nine bakers attempt to amp up the visual impact of holiday baked goods as they create festive candy cane and holiday wreath desserts.
The seven remaining bakers get creative with Thanksgiving-inspired desserts, and in the first round, their sweets feature canned cranberry sauce. Then, in the main heat, the bakers must invent a dessert highlighting their assigned harvest ingredient: sweet potato, pumpkin, apple, pear, pomegranate, carrot or lemon.
The last three bakers must show off their decorating chops in order to finally be crowned Holiday Baking Champion! First, they must bake and beautifully decorate a sugar cookie tree. Then, in the final heat, the bakers need to transform their assigned holiday tradition into an intricately decorated cake.
The remaining seven kid bakers become royal subjects to either Valerie "Queen of Pancakes" Bertinelli or Duff "King of Waffles" Goldman and must please their ruler by creating layer cakes made from waffles or pancakes. To increase the stakes, the winning side is immune from elimination.
Nothing says the holidays like a crisp fire on a snowy day, so in the pre-heat, the remaining six bakers are tested on how well they can make a dessert featuring toasted marshmallows. For the main heat, bakers get the chance to put a fresh spin on an old holiday classic by "blinging out" yule logs.
In the pre-heat, the remaining seven bakers must combine all of their favorite Thanksgiving desserts into one by creating elegant trifles. Then, for the main heat, the bakers have to produce Thanksgiving imposter cupcakes that will make everyone take a second look!
Who doesn't love surprises, especially during the holidays? For the pre-heat, the bakers must whip up a dessert inspired by an ugly Christmas sweater. Keeping with the surprise theme, in the main heat the bakers create edible gift boxes filled with a bevy of treats.