Next Level Baker finale recap: The finalists battle for the win after an intense baking showdown

Next Level Baker wrapped up its first season of holiday baking championship with the finale, which premiered on Thursday, December 18, 2025, at 8:00 pm ET on FOX.

The two-hour finale saw the top six: Stefanie, Jeff, Zoha, Chloe, Deirdra, and Nikki heading to the kitchen for one last time, competing with their dishes judged by the mentors: Gordon Ramsay, Carla Hall, and Candace Nelson. 

Jeff got eliminated after his savory holiday showstopper did not impress the judges much, narrowing down the competition to all five female bakers who competed for the win.

The final challenge required the ladies to create an ultimate three-tier cake, with Nikki's cake getting burnt, and chaos ensued ahead of the final results being announced.

It was finally announced that Stefanie wins the Next Level Baker title, along with $25,000 and a HexClad cookware prize package.

Here's what happened on the finale of Next Level Baker

The finale episode of Next Level Baker kicked off with high stakes: six bakers left, but only five advancing to the finale. They faced a 60-minute savory holiday showstopper challenge, split across three kitchens

• Top Kitchen: Stefanie and Jeff with Gordon Ramsay
• Middle Kitchen: Zoha and Chloe with Carla Hall
• Basement Kitchen: Deirdra and Nikki with Candace Nelson

Towers dropped ingredients, and Nikki, stuck downstairs again, snagged what she needed without freezing up this time.

Zoha immediately panicked after realizing she was making a pizza, something Carla pointed out wasn’t exactly a savory “bake.” Panicking, Zoha pivoted brilliantly, turning it into a double-layer snowflake-shaped masterpiece.

Deirdra scored salmon and was pumped until she dumped a whole bottle of seasoning into her sauce. With 15 minutes left, Candace coached her to salvage it by diluting it with a fresh base.

Up top, Stefanie and Gordon bonded over both being parents to twins, while Jeff struggled to make his dish feel holiday-worthy. As time expired, the platforms rose, and the mentors dug in.

As the mentors tasted, several dishes impressed, but Jeff's dish just wasn't festive enough. The judges felt it didn’t hit the mark as a holiday showstopper, and he was eliminated, leaving an all-female final five heading into the last challenge.

The Ultimate Final Bake

Stefanie, Zoha, Chloe, Deirdra, and Nikki returned to the kitchen to face the toughest challenge of the season: creating a cohesive three-tier cake within four hours. 

Each tier had to be baked on a different level of the kitchen, featuring a distinct flavor, and come together as one complete dessert.  

Towers dropped ingredients per level; bakers ran between floors, creating chaos. Stefanie hunted for peppermint extract and used candy canes instead.

Nikki's basement cakes nearly burned, and Chloe's oven door didn't lock, resulting in an undercooked cake.

Zoha struggled with sticky pans, while Deirdra dashed between floors and avoided overbaking after Gordon called out for her just in time, and Nikki made her fondant with a stocking for cornstarch control.

With only minutes left, all five bakers ran to decorate their cakes and get them onto the final platform, including Stefanie, who worried she didn’t have the strength to lift her tier to the upper level.

Final judging and the winner

As the cakes hit the platform, the Next Level Baker judges taste each of them carefully. Each of them received praise for their cakes.

Then there was Stefanie, whose cake was elegant, joyful, and deeply inspiring, with every layer offering something new, perfectly capturing the spirit of the holidays.

Mentors then made their decision and crowned Stefanie as the winner of Next Level Baker.  As a home baker, she took home the title, $25,000, and a HexClad cookware prize package, closing out the holiday competition on a high note.

Stay tuned for more updates.