Halloween is a holiday known for its many tricks and treats, and few series depict the treat part of the spooky fest better than the competitive series Halloween Baking Championship. Over the course of the reality series, some of the most talented bakers come together to produce amazing works of art that you can eat, regardless of whether they're a trick or a treat.
In the series' first season, which aired back in the fall of 2015, the series featured some of the most impressive works it's shown to date. But there were also plenty of spooky creations that didn't quite come up to par. We've recapped the best and worst baked goods of the season.
Best: Mama Monster Red Velvet Donut
In the first round of episode three, the bakers were given the assignment to make creepy donuts in any flavor of their choosing. Plenty of the bakers went as literal as possible, producing donuts covered in blood and guts and scabs and organs. But competitor Jason produced a treat that was as adorable as it was creepy.
Jason created what he called his Monster Mama donut, a cutesy but creepy little monster mother with bloody fangs and a baby monster sitting on her head. Though the judges critiqued the heavy nature of the donut's cake, the red velvet was still truly scrumptious.
Worst: Zombie Head with Bavarian Brain
In the first round of the first season finale episode, the final four contestants were given the challenge of making desserts inspired by iconic haunted house monsters. Finalist Scott received the zombie as his haunted house creature. He created a truly complex dessert, with flavors like hibiscus, limoncello, and raspberries.
And though the oozy and gooey look may have been fitting for a zombie, there's still something off-putting in the overall look of this piece that didn't stand up compared to the other creations in the round, and it wasn't well baked, either.
Best: Red Velvet Eyeball
The second episode's second round found the talented bakers tasked with creating "Frankensweets," a baked good using a combination of mystery flavors and motifs. Audrey used ingredients like bananas and pecans in the creation of her hybrid, and produced a Red Velvet Eyeball with a Pecan Crust.
The piece was truly stunning in a completely gory way. She went a little heavy on the use of fondant, which the judges critiqued, but they also raved about her use of gory elements, even right down to the choice of red velvet cake to add an extra surprise inside.
Worst: Deep Fried Pumpkin Cheesecake Coffin
Round two in season one's third episode tasked the competitors with creating pumpkin-infused desserts that contained components of a graveyard. And while proud home baker Audrey had long been one of the front runners in the competition, this challenge was where she truly stumbled.
For her graveyard dessert, Audrey made a deep-fried pumpkin cheesecake with raisins and pecan ice cream. Overall, there was just far too much going on in this dessert, and it just didn't match up with the clean creations Audrey had made before.
Best: Blueberry Cowboy Cheesecake
In the second challenge in season one's first episode, the contestants were tasked with making cakes inspired by tarot-themed traditional Halloween costumes. An advantage given to the previous round's winner found contestant Audrey being given the cowboy card in an attempt to throw her off her game.
But in the end, the cowboy card was a perfect match for her talents. The blueberry cowboy cheesecake came out absolutely stunning, a perfect replica of the card itself, and tasted delicious to (cowboy) boot.
Worst: Cardamom and Nutmeg Scarred Donut
Not all of the donuts created in episode three's creepy donuts challenge were as successful as some of the others. One of the most puzzling of the creations was Scott's Cardamom and Nutmeg Scarred Donut.
It makes sense, from a creepiness and gore perspective, to pursue the creation of a baked good reminiscent of oozing wounds and blood. But nothing about this shockingly minimalist design conveyed what Scott was trying for, as even some of the judges felt it was too pretty.
Best: Flourless Torte with Raspberry Glaze
Another of the first season's most amazing creations came from the "Frankensweets" challenge in the season's second episode. Given the ingredient raspberry and the general theme of sinister, Scott produced a truly devilish dessert.
He created a chocolate flourless torte with raspberry liqueur and Bavarian creme with blood orange and red chili flake. The judges were amazed by the appearance of the creation, which was sleek and sinister all at the same time, as well as the smooth, decadent flavors.
Worst: Witch Finger Cookie with Biscuit Wart
In the first round of the first season's second episode, the series' contestants were tasked with making tasty treats out of a combination of store bought and ready made ingredients. Audrey used prepackaged cookie dough and biscuits to try and make Witch Finger Cookies with Biscuit Warts.
And though the dish may have been visually appealing from an ick factor perspective, the recipe itself sadly didn't pan out. The cookie dough somehow baked too thin, but also managed to be underbaked at the same time.
Best: Brownie Napoleon with Dulce de Leche
Arguably the best-looking creation in the entire first season came in the finale episode, even if it wasn't in the final round itself. During the haunted house creature competition, Rudy prepared a truly stunning Brownie Napoleon with Dulce de Leche, adorned with a resting female vampire.
The craftsmanship on this piece was beyond stunning, intricately detailed, and the highest quality product produced in the season. The brownie was also the perfect mix of crunchy, soft, and sweet.
Worst: Biscuit Donut and Cookie Fangs
One of the most disappointing items to come out of the season also came in the difficult first round of episode two. Ashlee took on a mixture of biscuit and sugar cookies and fried the biscuit dough in order to make a donut. The cookie was used to try and appear like a vampire's fangs.
But in the end, nothing about this says Halloween, or vampire, or fangs. Though the dish had delicious cinnamon qualities, this baked good just didn't hold up compared to others.