Meet My New Baking Family!
24 home bakers. One iconic baking competition. And 23 new friends!
Well, the cookies are officially out of the bag!
I'm excited to announce that I'm competing in the 2026 Pillsbury Bake-Off Classic, airing Monday, November 23, on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ Premium!
Hosted by Drew Barrymore, with celebrity chef judges Christina Tosi and Dook Chase, and special sideline reporter Amirah Kassem, this legendary baking competition is making its return to primetime television.
And guess who's part of it? ME!
The Pillsbury Bake-Off has been celebrating home bakers since 1949, and now I get to add my name to that history.
Not bad for a kid from Brooklyn who just loves to bake!
From Brooklyn to the Bake-Off Kitchen
If you've been following my journey, you know baking has taken me on some incredible adventures.
From Netflix's Sugar Rush to Food Network and now the Pillsbury Bake-Off Classic on CBS, every opportunity has given me another chance to grow as a baker, entertainer, and creative.
This time, I got to represent Brooklyn in the Cookie Round!
And listen, y'all know I LOVE a good cookie!
Preparing for this competition meant testing recipes, sharing samples with friends and coworkers, gathering feedback, and putting my creativity to work.
I wanted to bring something that felt like me. Something fun, flavorful, a little extra, and definitely memorable.
But there's something different about stepping into a kitchen with cameras everywhere, a ticking clock, and the knowledge that millions of people might eventually watch you bake.
I LOVE IT!
The Magic Behind the Cameras
One thing I've learned from my television experiences is that the magic isn't just happening in the kitchen.
It's happening all around us.
While we're mixing, baking, decorating, and trying to beat the clock, there's an entire team of incredibly talented people creating a television show.
The producers, camera operators, culinary teams, production assistants, and countless others are all working together to make something special.
They're creating art while we're creating art.
And that's one of my favorite things about working in television.
I love the competition, but I also love watching the production come together. The creativity, teamwork, energy, and excitement of being on set never get old.
Every time I walk onto a new set, I feel a little more at home.
Meet My New Baking Family!
Now let's talk about one of the sweetest parts of this entire experience.
I walked into the Pillsbury Bake-Off and walked out with 23 new baker friends!
Seriously, when was the last time you made 23 new friends at once?
We came from different cities, different backgrounds, and different baking experiences, but we all shared a love for creating something delicious.
And what I've enjoyed most since the announcement is how supportive and social this group has been.
The reposts, comments, shares, and excitement for one another have been so much fun to watch.
Yes, we're competitors. Yes, we all came to win. But we're also a community of people who share the same passion.
So instead of introducing just myself, I want you to meet the entire gang!
Here are the 24 home bakers competing in the 2026 Pillsbury Bake-Off Classic.
Cookie Round
My crew! Six bakers bringing their creativity to one of America's favorite sweet treats.
Kareem Youngblood @kareem_youngblood
Brittney Williams @famousalabamakitchen
Katie Siu @katie.siu
Layla Rostami @laylasaurusrex
Sam McCabe @samscookiekitchen
Scott LuftCoeur d'Alene @lufttocook
Cake Round
Six talented bakers showing off their cake-making creativity!
Aida Ahmed @pearletta
Amy Webb @the_amy_w
Biobele Braide @bakedbybio
Collin Helms @collinbakescakes
Kathy Cargill @kathinthemaking
Legenia Bearden @sincerelylegenia
Pie Round
From traditional favorites to creative new ideas, these bakers are bringing the pie power!
Amy David
Dayvid Field @theedoughboy97
Dionna Humphrey @chefdionna
Gail "Mamaw" Morris @mamawgailcooks
Nivek Anderson-Brown @leafandbeanfarm
Travis Gilmore @travisgilmoree
🥐 Biscuit Round
Six bakers taking this classic kitchen staple to another level!
Alakananda Krishnan @baking_enthusiast049
Daniel Will @danielstestkitchenchicago
Dillon Evans @lovethrufood_
Emma Watkins @emmawatkins
Lauriel Pera @lifewiththeperas
Rod Herrenbruck @tailgatingwithrod
More Than Just a Competition
Something I've come to appreciate about these experiences is that the competition may only last a day, but the connections can last much longer.
We all have our own stories, our own personalities, and our own reasons for stepping into that kitchen.
And now we're all connected through something pretty special.
Being part of the Pillsbury Bake-Off Classic means joining a tradition that stretches back more than 75 years.
But for me, it's also about continuing to build my own journey, meeting incredible people, and finding new opportunities to do what I love.
I came to bake. I came to compete. I came to be myself.
And I got a whole new baking family along the way!
The Best Is Yet to Come!
There's so much more I want to share about my experience, what I created, what happened in the kitchen, and everything I learned.
But we're keeping the good stuff under wraps until the show airs!
For now, I'm celebrating another milestone, another television adventure, and another chance to represent Brooklyn on a national stage.
And I hope you'll join me in celebrating all 24 of us.
Give my baking family a follow, show them some love, and tune in to see what happens when we all get into that kitchen!
Watch the Pillsbury Bake-Off Classic
Monday, November 23, 2026
8:00–10:00 PM ET/PT
CBS | Paramount+ Premium
Read the official cast announcement in The Hollywood Reporter.
And don't forget to come back! I'll be sharing more from my Pillsbury Bake-Off experience after the show.
Until then, keep baking, keep creating, and remember...
Fork Ur Diet, Eat KA'AK!
— Chef Youngblood
