The Pastry Guru Returns to Food Network’s Halloween Wars

Jonathan Elias of “Fright Squad.”

Jonathan Elias, the “Pastry Guru,” is officially returning to the kitchen for Season 16 of Halloween Wars, competing on an all-star team named “Team Fright Squad.” Based in Troy, Michigan, Elias is a seasoned Food Network veteran who previously found success as a Holiday Wars champion and a runner-up on Halloween Wars Season 14. Because Season 16 carries the theme “Back from the Dead: Halloween All Stars,” he is coming back to seek redemption and fight for the $30,000 grand prize. Elias is a highly specialized sugar sculptor, meaning his role on the team is to craft the intricate, gravity-defying transparent details, isolations, and blown-sugar elements that make the displays pop. Halloween Wars Season 16 premiered on Sunday, September 13, 2026, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Food Network, with next-day streaming on Max.