The Ultimate List: Every Halloween Baking Championship Winner And Their Spookiest Winning Creations (2015-2024)

The Food Network's Halloween Baking Championship has become a beloved fall tradition, captivating millions of viewers with its blend of high-stakes culinary competition, incredible special effects, and delightfully spooky themes. As of the current date in December 2025, the show has crowned ten champions, each walking away with the coveted title of Halloween Baking Champion and a substantial cash prize.

From ghostly gingerbread houses to apocalyptic apartment cakes, the competition series challenges the nation's best bakers to push their creativity to the absolute limit. This definitive list provides an in-depth look at every winner, their career background, and the chilling creations that earned them the $25,000 grand prize, culminating with the most recent champion from the 2024 season.

The Complete Roster of Halloween Baking Championship Winners by Season

The Food Network competition began in 2015 and has since established itself as the premier showcase for horror-themed desserts. The show is known for its ever-changing themes, from the classic "Haunted Hotel" to the more recent "Bake to the Future" time-travel concept in Season 10. Below is the full list of champions who have impressed the judges—including mainstays like Carla Hall, Zac Young, and Stephanie Boswell—and secured their place in baking history.

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• Season 1 (2015) Winner: Rudy Martinez

  Rudy Martinez, a home baker from Queens, New York, was the inaugural winner. His victory set the standard for the entire series, proving that a baker's creativity and passion for the holiday could triumph over professional credentials. Rudy continues to share his passion through his own bakery, "Man Bakes Cake."

• Season 2 (2016) Winner: Michelle Kortis (née Antonishek)

  Michelle Kortis, an Executive Pastry Chef from Texas, took home the title in Season 2. Her final winning creation was an unnerving gingerbread house, showcasing her technical skill and ability to blend classic baking with a spooky aesthetic.

• Season 3 (2017) Winner: Jasmin Bell

  Pastry instructor Jasmin Bell from Seattle won Season 3 with her intricate and spooky light-up pumpkin cake. The judges praised her for her ability to execute a complex design while maintaining excellent flavor, earning her the $25,000 prize.

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• Season 4 (2018) Winner: Lyndsy Velasquez (née McDonald)

  Lyndsy Velasquez, a former executive pastry chef at the Ritz-Carlton, dominated Season 4. Her winning creation was a zombie pumpkin patch made of apple bundt cakes glazed with a green ganache and decorated with creepy candy, successfully overcoming the season's classic nightmare themes.

• Season 5 (2019) Winner: Karl Fong

  Bakery owner Karl Fong from Hercules, California, was the champion of Season 5. His success on the show led to further appearances on Food Network, cementing his status as a fan-favorite competitor.

• Season 6 (2020) Winner: Sinai Vespie

  Sinai Vespie, a pastry chef from Mishawaka, Indiana, spooked the competition to win Season 6. Despite the challenges of the season, Sinai's technical skill and creativity stood out, with her victory being well-deserved in the eyes of the judges.

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• Season 7 (2021) Winner: Renee Loranger

  Renee Loranger, a pastry chef from Mississippi, achieved a redemptive victory in Season 7. After placing second in Season 6, Renee returned and ultimately won the $25,000 prize, with judges praising her final cake creation.

• Season 8 (2022) Winner: Blayre Wright

  Bakery owner Blayre Wright from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was crowned the winner of Season 8. After a close call in the Thriller Challenge, Blayre's incredible final cake, which was described as "AMAZING" by viewers, secured her the championship.

• Season 9 (2023) Winner: Hollie Fraser

  Hollie Fraser, a bakery owner from Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada, won Season 9 in 2023. She was a consistent performer throughout the season, with her spooky and fun creations earning her the $25,000 grand prize.

• Season 10 (2024) Winner: Manny Martinez

  The most recent champion, Manny Martinez, won Season 10 (2024) with his exceptional baking and horror-themed artistry. More details on his victory are provided below.

Manny Martinez: The Season 10 (2024) Champion

The tenth season of the Halloween Baking Championship concluded with a spectacular finale, crowning Manny Martinez as the champion. Manny, the co-owner and chief artisan of the horror-themed bakery "The Grim Bakers" in San Antonio, Texas, brought a unique and deeply personal horror aesthetic to the competition.

The Winning Strategy: Thriller and Killer Challenges

Manny's journey to the $25,000 prize was marked by consistent excellence and a crucial advantage in the finale. The season's theme was "Bake to the Future," involving time-travel-inspired challenges.

• Thriller Challenge Win: Manny secured a critical win in the Thriller Challenge, where the judges—Carla Hall, Zac Young, and Stephanie Boswell—loved his take on a mixed berry cobbler. This win gave him the advantage of choosing the category for the final Killer Challenge.
• Killer Challenge Victory: For the final round, Manny's "time travel cake" was deemed the best, sealing his victory. The judges, who also included host John Henson, praised his ability to blend complex flavors with an impressive, on-theme presentation. His win was a testament to his expertise in horror-themed baking, which is the specialty of his Texas-based bakery.

The Faces of Fear: Hosts and Judges Through the Seasons

The success of the Halloween Baking Championship is not just in the spooky desserts but also in the dynamic personalities who host and judge the competition. The show has seen a few changes over its run, but the most recent and established panel is a fan-favorite ensemble.

The Current Judging Panel and Host

For the most recent seasons, including Manny Martinez's Season 10 victory in 2024, the show has been anchored by a consistent and highly regarded group of culinary experts and a charismatic host.

• Host: John Henson. The comedian and television personality has hosted the show for several seasons, providing witty commentary and guiding the bakers through the spooky challenges.
• Judge: Carla Hall. Known for her infectious energy and discerning palate, Hall is a staple on the panel, often celebrated for her elaborate costumes that match the week's theme.
• Judge: Zac Young. A highly respected pastry chef, Zac Young brings a keen technical eye and a love for the theatrical to his judging, often channeling iconic horror figures in his wardrobe.
• Judge: Stephanie Boswell. As a seasoned pastry expert, Boswell provides crucial feedback on the complexity and flavor profile of the bakers' creations, completing the main judging trio.

Notable Past Judges and Hosts

Over the years, the competition has featured several other prominent figures in the culinary world, including former hosts like Richard Blais and Jeff Dunham, and judges such as Ron Ben-Israel, Sherry Yard, Damiano Carrara, and Lorraine Pascale. These entities have all contributed to the show's rich history and topical authority within the food reality television genre.

The Legacy of the Halloween Baking Championship

The Halloween Baking Championship is more than just a contest; it is a cultural phenomenon that signals the start of the spooky season for many. The show's legacy is built on the incredible ingenuity of its contestants, who consistently transform simple ingredients into edible masterpieces of horror. From the detailed Gothic Gingerbread Mansion challenges to the gruesome "Worst Nightmare Cake" rounds, the bakers utilize a deep bench of LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) keywords—such as devil's food cake, white chocolate ganache, Swiss meringue buttercream, and ectoplasm-inspired dessert techniques—to create a truly immersive experience.

Each champion, from Rudy Martinez in 2015 to Manny Martinez in 2024, has demonstrated the skill, pressure-cooker composure, and macabre imagination required to win the $25,000 grand prize. Their victories not only launch their careers but also provide endless inspiration for home bakers looking to elevate their own spooky season treats. The anticipation for Season 11 and the next champion continues to build, proving that the appetite for spine-chilling sweets is stronger than ever.