Festive frostings and rivalries: Inside the new look trailer for Holiday Baking Season 12

The holiday season is heating up on Food Network as Holiday Baking Championship returns for its 12th season, but this year, the show is shaking up its sweet formula.

PEOPLE has debuted the exclusive first look at the new season’s trailer, revealing a spirited new twist that pits bakers against each other in a festive face-off unlike any other.

Holiday Baking Championship Season 12: Inside the trailer

This year, the Holiday Baking Championship hosts and judges are embracing a playful rivalry in the kitchen with a “Naughty vs. Nice” theme.

At the start of the trailer, the set looks familiar — the twinkling lights, snow-covered cottages, and rows of sugar-dusted counters that fans know and love.

But host Jesse Palmer quickly sets a new tone when he announces,

“This year, we’re doing things differently. We’ve split the town into a Naughty team versus a Nice team.”

Contestants don bright green aprons for Team Nice and bold red ones for Team Naughty as Palmer teases,

“And they’re all after holiday glory.”

This marks a first for the long-running series, which has previously focused on individual bakers competing solo.

Season 12 introduces this friendly team rivalry to test not only each baker’s skill but also their ability to collaborate and compete under pressure.

While the trailer teases plenty of tension, the spirit of fun still reigns supreme.

Voiceovers from contestants mention “drama” and “pressure,” but the clips also show bakers singing along to Christmas songs and dancing between bakes, capturing the lighthearted chaos that defines Holiday Baking Championship.

Judges Duff Goldman, Nancy Fuller, and Kardea Brown return to the judges’ table with their signature mix of humor and heartfelt feedback.

In one clip, Fuller grins as she tells a contestant,

“Listen up, Nice Boy, I like this recipe.”

In another, Brown laughs while critiquing a cheeky cookie design, quipping,

“That’s where you got naughty.”

Fans of the series can also expect the trademark emotional moments that have become part of the show’s charm.

Goldman is shown fanning himself after tasting one of the contestant’s creations, prompting Brown to tease that he looks like he’s “in church.”

Fuller, moved by one baker’s performance, tells them through tears,

“It’s really good.”

Palmer closes the trailer with a festive flourish, saying,

“Join us in the Christmas village where naughty meets nice, in the most exciting season ever.”

A lineup of talented bakers and familiar faces

This season welcomes 12 new contestants from across the U.S., hailing from Alabama, Louisiana, Colorado, North Carolina, Missouri, New Mexico, Michigan, Texas, Virginia, and New York.

Over eight episodes, the bakers will face challenges inspired by holiday classics, from gingerbread showstoppers and ornament cakes to intricate pies that test their technical finesse.

The stakes remain as sweet as ever: the winner will take home $25,000 and a feature in Food Network Magazine.

Goldman, who has judged every season of Holiday Baking Championship since its debut, recently said in an interview,

“This show captures what people love about the holidays — joy, family, and a little bit of competition.”

Fuller echoed that sentiment earlier this year, noting,

“We laugh, we cry, we eat too much sugar, and somehow it all feels like Christmas.”

More festive programming from Food Network

Season 12 is part of Food Network’s larger holiday lineup, which includes over 50 hours of new seasonal programming this year.

Alongside Holiday Baking Championship, fans can look forward to Tournament of Champions: All-Star Christmas hosted by Guy Fieri, Beat Bobby Flay: Holiday Throwdown, and the return of Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking for fans of magical confections.

The network also confirmed that The Kitchen will air its final season this winter, wrapping up after nearly 12 years on air.

Holiday Baking Championship premieres Monday, November 3 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Food Network and streams on Max.

New episodes will air weekly through December 22, leading up to the finale that crowns this year’s ultimate holiday baker.

As the trailer promises, between the laughter, the rivalries, and the endless frosting, it’s shaping up to be a season where “naughty meets nice” in the most delicious way possible.

Stay tuned for more updates.