Meet the Judging Grannies from Baking It

Baking It, with Maya Rudolph and Amy Poehler, is back for an all-new season. We thought you might like to know a bit more about the Judging Grannies at the heart of the show. These ladies make the hard calls — who wins, who gets sent home, and which team walks away with Best in Dough and the $50,000 grand prize. It’s a tough job, but there is a bright side (or should we say a sweet side?) — they get to try all the bakes! But who are these discerning grandmas? Here's the scoop!

Nana Harriet 

Harriet is the doting matriarch to five children and six grandchildren. She has lived her whole life in the New Orleans area. She honed her taste buds as a dietitian, and as a teacher at the New Orleans School of Cooking, but as she says, “In New Orleans, we grow up learning how to cook at home. And if you have a good imagination, you create.” 

What is the one baked good you would want on a desert island? 

Well, definitely a dessert. I love desserts! I would take a piña colada bread pudding with coconut and pineapple, and coconut rum sauce for the top. 

What was your favorite bake from Season 1? 

The father and son team, Tom & Steve, baked an edible menorah. It was really, really good.  

What are you looking forward to in Season 2? 

Seeing the contestants. As a judge, I’m supposed to judge the bake, so I really don’t want to know anything about anybody. But you can’t help but get to know them, because there are family stories connected to everything they do! It’s a really great group of people. 

What will you be making for the holidays this year? 

I usually do a prime rib with all the sides — mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and peas and carrots. You have to have peas and carrots. And a yule log for dessert. 

Grandma Anne 

Anne is another New Orleans native, and she and Harriet have been friends forever. She recently retired to Florida with her husband of 58 years. She is the proud grandmother of five grandchildren. She loves to teach cooking, and taught at the New Orleans School of Cooking for over twenty years. 

Do you have any professional cooking training? 

I have no formal training. I learned primarily from my grandmother. The day before I got married, I went next door to my grandma’s house with my black Parker pen and my red spiral-bound notebook and said, ‘Grandma, teach me how to cook!’ And she did. My mama was a good Creole cook, but she didn’t like anyone in the kitchen. 

What bake are you most famous for? 

I won a Food Network contest with my bread pudding, a New Orleans staple. People are always asking me for that recipe, but I can’t give it out because I signed a paper. 

What are you going to bake for the holidays? 

I’m going to make fruitcakes. We grew up with them but didn’t like them as kids. And I’m also going to make two big batches of Wilderness Cookies and some candy — toffee and turtles. 

Do you have any advice for the contestants in Season 2? 

Keep telling yourself what an incredible accomplishment it was just to have been chosen for the show! And enjoy watching it over and over, even if you don’t win. 

GiGi Sherri 

Virginia native Sherri is the devoted grandmother to two grandchildren who now calls Crestview, FL home. She is an award-winning self-taught home cook and baker who has appeared on Food Network, Travel Channel, Good Morning America, and The Today Show, and was a competitor and judge for the Granny Grilling Championship. 

If you won Best in Dough, what would you do with the $50,000? 

I would put it all towards my grandaughters’ future. They are the future. 

What bake are you most famous for? 

My giblet and sage sausage cornbread stuffing. Also, Nanshoe’s sweet potato pie and coconut key lime pie. If I was stranded on a desert island, I’d want one of those key lime pies with me. 

What was your favorite bake from Season 1? 

I loved the naughty and nice bake (from episode 103). That was a tasty bake! 

Do you have any advice for the contestants in Season 2? 

Don’t second guess yourself. Have fun and cherish each and every moment because there will never be this spectacular moment again ever! 

Bubbe Norma 

Norma grew up in Detroit and has lived in Los Angeles for the last 29 years. She has two children and two grandchildren. She owned a bakery for many years and has baked for a lot of celebrities. She loves to cook with her grandsons and teach them what she’s learned. Hopefully, they’ll share the happy memories with their children. 

What do you like to bake for the holidays? 

I love to bake pumpkin pie and mandalcotti. That’s a combination of mandal bread and biscotti. It’s an homage to my grandfather who was Italian. 

If you won Best in Dough, what would you do with the $50,000? 

I would really like to open a cooking school that trains kids who need a second chance in life. Cooking is a great profession! 

What are you looking forward to in Season 2? 

Lots of fun with my fellow grannies, yummy and unique bakes, and meeting the new contestants. It’s also going to be great working with Amy (Poehler) and Maya (Rudolph). They are so funny together and the energy is contagious.  

Do you have any advice for the contestants of Season 2? 

Fill every bake with love and you can’t lose! 

Join hosts Maya Rudolph and Amy Poehler for an all-new season of Baking It, streaming now only on Peacock. 

Stream Baking It Season 2