Food Network has announced new seasons of “Halloween Wars” and “Halloween Baking Championship” for the 2026 spooky season. The network is promising a new level of terror with eye-popping bakes, dramatic twists, and disturbingly delicious creations.
‘Halloween Wars’ Returns with All-Star Vengeance
The season starts Sunday, Sept. 13 at 9 p.m. ET/PT with a two-hour premiere of “Halloween Wars.” Host Jonathan Bennett returns for a “Back from the Dead” theme, pitting past all-star pumpkin carvers, cake artists, and sugar masters against one another to defend their titles or find redemption.
The premiere launches with two rounds of nail-biting competition, beginning with terrifying head-to-head battles that could put even the strongest teams of former champions in jeopardy. As the pressure rises, emotions boil over, and the losing teams will face a brutal “Do or Die” round two showdown where one team will be eliminated. This year, host Jonathan Bennett will be joined by judges Shinmin Li and Andrew Fuller, who will evaluate each team’s spectacular compositions throughout the season and ultimately award $30,000 to the winning team.
‘Halloween Baking Championship’ Unlocks the Museum of Unnatural History
On Monday, Sept. 14 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, “Halloween Baking Championship” returns with ten bakers vying for the title of champion and a $25,000 prize.
The two-hour premiere unveils the setting for this year’s competition: the grand foyer of the Museum of Unnatural History, where frightening collections such as Possessed Pests, Demon Masks, and a Vault of Bones fill the halls. Curator and host John Henson will lead the unsuspecting bakers through an arresting series of challenges inspired by the creepy exhibits. Judges Stephanie Boswell, Aarti Sequeira, and Zac Young will decide which baker survives the gauntlet to claim the $25,000 prize—and who gets sent home.
For the first Haunted Heat of the season, the bakers must put their best spooky memories to work to create desserts honoring their “Best Halloween Ever.” The winner receives $1,000, and the top three bakers are safe, while the remaining competitors face a “Bake for Your Life” challenge to create “Hideous Mask Desserts” inspired by the disfigured-mask collection in the Hall of Humanity. The least successful baker will be eliminated.
