"Trust myself more than anything" – Holiday Baking Championship's Alyx Abreu describes how the competition shaped her as a pastry chef

Alyx Abreu, a pastry chef at Arnaud’s in New Orleans, participated in the Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship season 12, where she described the competition as an experience that strengthened her confidence in her skills.

In an interview on WGNO on December 10, 2025, Abreu said,

“I learned to trust myself more than anything."

The show featured bakers in holiday-themed challenges, divided into Team Naughty and Team Nice, with tasks designed around seasonal desserts.

Abreu competed with bakers from across the country and applied her experience from working at Arnaud’s for over a year.

Participation in Holiday Baking Championship

Abreu appeared on the Food Network series Holiday Baking Championship, which is in its twelfth season. The show presents bakers with weekly challenges focused on holiday desserts, including cookies, cakes, and bread.

Each challenge is conducted under timed conditions, and contestants are divided into two teams: Team Naughty and Team Nice.

“The competition was pretty fierce. Each week contestants are brought into the main kitchen with the particular season and separated into two sides, team naughty and team nice. The host, Jesse Palmer, gives us our challenge for the day. Each of the challenges were winter-themed or holiday-themed in some way,” Abreu explained.

The competition includes both team and individual challenges, and bakers are judged on the presentation and execution of their creations.

Challenges are designed to test a variety of pastry skills, including technical execution, flavor combinations, and plating.

During Week 6, for example, bakers were asked to create a platter that included Christmas cookies, sufganiyot, and rugelach, with the team winning the previous challenge receiving proof boxes for the sufganiyot dough.

Culinary approach and experience

Abreu described her signature creations on the show, including pantone, a traditional Italian Christmas bread. She described her preparation of a "pantone," identifying it as a traditional Italian Christmas bread.

The dishes presented on the show drew from her professional experience and focused on precise techniques built over years of practice.

She noted that the competition required attention to technical details and consistent execution.

"I hope viewers can see the passion and the drive that I put into everything, the little personal touches and personality that comes through on everything,” Abreu added.

Her approach combined traditional pastry methods with personal adaptations specific to her experience at Arnaud’s.

Elimination and team performance

Abreu competed on Team Naughty until Week 6 of the competition. During the “Jingle Mingle” challenge on December 8, 2025, Team Naughty had the advantage of using proof boxes for their sufganiyot dough due to a previous win.

The judging was conducted blindly, and Chase Maus from Team Nice secured immunity for his team. Alyx Abreu was ranked lowest within Team Naughty and was eliminated from the competition that week.

Remaining bakers continued to compete individually in subsequent Holiday Baking Championship episodes, leading to the finale scheduled for December 22, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET on Food Network.

Stay tuned for more updates.