Kids Baking Championship: Amazing Animals premieres Monday January 6, 2025 at 8|7c on Food Network. This season, 12 young bakers will compete in a series of critter- and creature-inspired challenges for a chance to win $25,000; a feature in Food Network Magazine; and the coveted title of Kids Baking Champion. Pastry chef Duff Goldman (Duff: Ace of Taste) and chef and caterer Kardea Brown (Delicious Miss Brown) will guide the budding bakers along the way, hosting the show and judging the creations that arise during each episode. Ahead, meet the competitors of Kids Baking Championship: Amazing Animals.

Carly Van Pelt joins Kids Baking Championship: Amazing Animals from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. "I love baking because it's really fun to make something you know someone else will really enjoy," she said. "And this is the perfect season to be on because I love animals. I actually make dog treats."

Ellvie Smith is from Attalla, Alabama. "I started making all my own cakes [when] I was six, and I've always preferred watching Food Network over cartoons," said Ellvie. "It just kind of escalated from there."

Aria Karayil joins Kids Baking Championship: Amazing Animals from Danville, California. The 11-year-old baker started her hobby when she was seven years old. "My family is from Southern India and in India, coconut goes in most of our foods, so my inspiration is to use some of my culture's food," she revealed.