(Credit: Netflix)

Tell me it’s November without telling me it’s November. The lights are about to go up, your kitchen smells like cinnamon, and you’ve already burnt the first batch of cookies. It’s fine; that’s part of the charm. What’s missing? A wee bit of Netflix.

The holidays are officially here, which means one thing: time to get comfortable and watch other people make a bigger mess than you ever could. And that’s where Netflix comes in handy.

You see, Netflix knows exactly what it’s doing. Every year, it drops a new wave of cooking and baking shows, and before you know it, you are emotionally invested in whether someone’s yule log collapses. But it’s fun to watch because this is the content that makes you feel productive even when all you’ve done is unwrap snacks.

To be fair, these are the shows that just feel right for this time of year. So if your holiday spirit needs a little push (or if you just need background noise while pretending to clean), here are seven Netflix cooking and baking shows that bring all the fun without any of the dishes.

Seven Netflix cooking and baking shows on Netflix

Nailed It! Holiday!

Nailed It! Holiday! might be the only baking show on Netflix that feels like real life. It’s supposed to be festive, but half the time it looks like the contestants have already given up. People walk in smiling, ready to create masterpieces, and five minutes later, everything is melting or on fire. Nicole Byer’s just standing there, laughing like she is watching her friends lose it at a family party.

That’s what makes it so watchable. Nobody’s pretending to be an expert, and you can tell everyone knows they are in trouble, but they keep going anyway. It’s unpredictable and ridiculous, and that’s what makes it a fun holiday watch. Every episode feels like that one night where everything goes wrong, but somehow, everyone still has a good time. The imperfection is what makes it so easy to love.

The Great British Baking Show: Holidays (2018–)

If you have had a long week and just want something that feels gentle, trust us, this one will do the trick. It is basically the regular Great British Baking Show but dressed up for the holidays. The familiar bakers come back and make the tent look extra warm, and everything feels slow. Nothing dramatic ever happens, which is exactly why it works.

It’s such a good show to have on when you are winding down or wrapping gifts. Everyone is so polite, even when their cake collapses. The jokes are soft here, which makes the energy feel peaceful. By the end of it, you’ll probably want to bake something you’ll immediately regret eating.

Is It Cake? Holiday (2024–)

You know how every few months the internet remembers that someone once made a cake that looked like a shoe? Yeah, this show lives off that energy, and it’s time to make it festive. Is It Cake? Holiday turns Christmas decorations and roast dinners into edible illusions, and it’s so ridiculous you can’t stop watching. Half the time you’re just looking at the screen. convincing yourself that it can’t be cake, and it always is.

It’s such an unserious watch, which is exactly why it works for the holidays. So if that is your vibe for the holidays, the show is tailored for you. Everyone’s pretending to guess seriously, Mikey Day is cracking jokes, and you end up laughing at how tense you feel over a sponge shaped like Santa’s boot. It’s very silly and perfect for background viewing while you bake a cake of your own.

Easy-Bake Battle: The Home Cooking Competition (2022)

Imagine a cooking competition where no one is panicking or crying over burnt onions, and the host actually seems happy to be there. Sounds like Gordon Ramsay in a parallel world, right? That’s Easy-Bake Battle. It takes the idea of the Easy-Bake Oven and turns it into a proper contest for home cooks who just want to make life simpler. Not Michelin-star fancy, just clever and doable.

It’s oddly refreshing to watch people make good food for once without the dramatic music and Gordon Ramsay-level screaming. The dishes look like something you could actually try when your relatives randomly show up during the holidays. It feels homely and full of those little hacks that make you feel smarter than you really are.

Sugar Rush Christmas (2019–2020)

If you like your holiday shows fast and loaded with frosting, Sugar Rush Christmas is custom-tailored for you. It’s your classic timed baking competition, but with candy canes and snowflakes. The show’s format somehow makes contestants look like they haven’t slept since October. The energy never dips as everyone’s either piping, plating, or praying their cake stands stay upright before the clock runs out.

The best part? Even with all that stress, it stays cheerful. You’ll find yourself picking a favourite team ten minutes in and pretending you know something about tempering chocolate. This show has the full capability of managing to make you crave dessert at midnight. Honestly, the title says it all: it truly is a sugar rush in show form.

Best Leftovers Ever! (2020)

It breaks our hearts because those who are familiar with this show know that it deserves way more love than it gets. Best Leftovers Ever! Basically turns random fridge scraps into actual meals. The contestants take whatever sad leftovers they’ve got, be it cold pasta, half a sandwich, or mystery curry, and make it look five-star. It’s messy in the most relatable way.

It’s also perfect for that post-holiday mood when your fridge is full but your motivation is not. Because watching this show might lead you to a great recipe with the ingredients lying in your fridge. The judges have great chemistry; the challenges are funny. You have dishes that actually look edible. It’s not one of those food shows that make you feel broke or untalented, but rather motivates you to make something out of the leftovers in your fridge.

Cooking With Paris (2021)

Cooking With Paris is a show that happens when Paris Hilton decides she wants to “adult” in the kitchen but refuses to stop being Paris Hilton while doing it. She shops in ball gowns and decorates like she is hosting a runway show, all while making mac and cheese look glamorous. It’s unserious television, but it is so fun to watch, definitely a strong contender for becoming your next guilty pleasure show.

There is no doubt that the recipes in the show are questionable, but it guarantees a sky-high entertainment value. Every episode feels like an over-the-top dinner party you didn’t know you needed. After watching it, you will realise how awkward small talk with celebrity guests is and get a sense that Paris genuinely believes this is normal cooking can be so fun to watch.