- “The Great British Bake Off” is a popular baking competition show known for its calming atmosphere, stunning creations, and lack of personal drama between contestants.
- “Bake Squad” features four bakers selected by Christina Tosi who work together to create show-stopping desserts for real clients, with no eliminations and a focus on teamwork.
- “Nailed It!” is a lighthearted baking competition show where amateur bakers attempt to recreate confections, with the “least worst” contestant winning a trophy and $10,000 cash prize.
“The Great British Bake Off” (known as “The Great British Baking Show” in America) is a baking competition show that sets the bar for this type of reality show. The atmosphere is classic English countryside, complete with green grass and trees, flowers, and frolicking wildlife. The baking tent features calming pastel colors and shabby chic teacups and cake stands. Sure, there have been some awful baked creations, but for the most part, the only drama comes from the bakers trying to complete their bakes in the allotted time; thankfully, there’s very little, if any, personal drama between the contestants. And the creations these non-professional, home bakers create are absolutely stunning.
But if you’re like many, you’re all caught up on the show’s seasons, and you might be searching for something similar to watch, at least until a new season airs. We recommend four that will fill those sugar gaps nicely. “Bake Squad,” “Nailed It!,” “Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking,” and “Next Baking Master Paris” are just a handful of program options available to stream, but give “Bake Off” vibes in both subtle and big ways. Are they as great as the GOAT? That’s subjective, but these four are definitely worth checking out.
Bake Squad
“Bake Squad” brings together four bakers who are selected by host Christina Tosi, the founder of world-famous Milk Bar. Unlike other shows, this one doesn’t have traditional judges, like Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry or Prue Leith from “The Great British Bake Off.” Instead, real clients seeking show-stopping cakes and desserts for various events select the winning confection.
During each episode, the four contestants work as a team but are each responsible for creating a signature dessert, and only one of them is chosen as the winner by the client. Like “Bake Off,” there is no monetary grand prize at the end, but there are also no eliminations. In fact, it’s the same contestants who are featured on each episode, so you can see their bond getting stronger and their ability to work with each other improves over time. And, while there is competition, it is very light, much like the carefree non-drama of “Bake Off.”
Nailed It!
“Nailed It!” is sort of the antithesis of “Bake Off” in that while the latter brings together home bakers who are at the top of their game (and shows us some impressive baking hacks), “Nailed It!” brings on amateur bakers who (to put it mildly) don’t know their way around a kitchen, much less a KitchenAid mixer. It’s not meant for viewers to watch in wonder, but to get a good laugh, while also rooting for the best of the worst cakes and confections.
During each episode, contestants are given two tasks: the first is to recreate a confection, and the second is to bake and decorate something from scratch. Unlike “Bake Off,” bakers are allowed temporary help from the judges, one of whom is a professional pastry chef. The “least worst” is the winner who receives a trophy (yay!) and a $10,000 cash prize. It’s fun, lighthearted, and thrives on a “don’t sweat the small stuff” type of vibe, which is a refreshing reprieve from other kinds of competition shows. Best of all, it’s completely relatable for most viewers who have had their own share of baking disasters.
Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking
You don’t necessarily need to be familiar with the Harry Potter books or films to appreciate this show that airs on Food Network and HBO Max, but it certainly helps. Fans will instantly recognize the themes, hosts (James and Oliver Phelps, who played Fred and George Weasley in the films), and guest judges, as they are all part of the blockbuster series. Unlike “Bake Off,” the contestants are professional bakers and confectioners at the top of their game.
Each week, contestants who are paired together into teams build large, edible showpieces inspired by the Harry Potter films. The show itself is filmed in England at the studios and sets where the movies were shot. The final assembled pieces are spellbinding; illusions and mechanics are allowed to be used, all of which make the show appropriately magical. The winning team receives a trophy and the chance to be featured in a Harry Potter-themed cookbook, which is basically what winners of “Bake Off” receive, albeit without all of the hocus pocus. Then again, is there a prize better than a Paul Hollywood handshake?
Next Baking Master: Paris
What better location to film a baking competition show than in Paris, the place where pastry is practically a religion? In this très chic show, ten American bakers traveled to Paris, France, where they competed with one another to become the baking master and receive $25,000 in prizes. In between cutthroat competitions, they visited world-famous bakeries and pastry shops, spoke with experts, and learned classic techniques from master pastry chefs, all while being inspired by the City of Lights.
This is the kind of show where you saw baking precision, beauty, perfectly glossy ganaches (it’s not the same as fudge), and lighter than air mousses, all wrapped into bite-sized entremets. While you do see this level of precision on “Bake Off,” not every baker on the show can achieve it, but on “Next Baking Master: Paris” it was basically a requirement. This showy show was hosted by French chef Ludo Lefebvre and renowned pastry chef and Food Network host Stephanie Boswell.
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