MasterChef Junior Finale: Which junior chef will win it all?

We have made it to the end of the road for MasterChef Junior Season 8 and with our contestants down to just Grayson and Liya, who will win it all?

It has been a long road for our young chefs and of course, in the lead up to the final cook in the kitchen, we got one more chance to experience some of the highs and lows of the season, as well as what led to Liya and Grayson being chosen as the final two chefs for MasterChef Junior.

And once we hit the finale kitchen, it was time to get serious. After sharing the prizes that the winner will get (and there are a lot), the duo was told they would need to make an entree and a dessert to impress the judges. Once again, they must make a plate for each judge, which means three entrees and three desserts each!

With just 60 minutes on the clock for the entree, this is truly going to be a challenge for our MasterChef Junior finalists. Grayson took inspiration from his hometown of Austin, Texas, while Liya’s menu is all about her family and their heritage.

MasterChef Junior crowns the winner of Season 8

With just about 15 minutes left, it was Grayson who ended up struggling, with his smoking gun not lighting. And yet, even with those struggles, he was able to pull things together and deliver three beautiful dishes to the judges.

Up first with the entrees, it was Grayson and his venison. And it was clear that the judges loved his dish. It was all about proving that over the course of the season, he has truly evolved into a next level chef.

Next, it was all about Liya’s dish which featured duck breast. And she too delivered perfection on a plate. Across the board, the judges had only good things to say about her entree.

Then it was time for the dessert round and once again, there were just 60 minute on the clock. In this round, there were multiple points where it seemed like Grayson was struggling, and he wasn’t alone, as Liya’s Panna Cotta didn’t seem to be setting. But no matter what it looked like was happening in that kitchen, these two young chefs were not letting anything stop them.

And that meant that as our MasterChef Junior competitors went up to the judges for the final time with their plates, it was clear that this was not going to be easy. Right off the bat, Grayson delivered a stunning dish that took people on a journey to Texas. According to Gordon Ramsay it was a refreshing dessert, with almost nothing to complain about. Perhaps the only negative comment came from Aaron Sanchez, who called the young chef out on his use of the fennel pollen.

Next up was Liya, who also delivered a stunning dessert. And with all three judges smiling at the dish, you can’t help but think that she had the edge. Once again, the comments were truly amazing from the judges, who seemed to love the dessert and the complexity of the dish.

Now there is just one more thing to do and that is to crown the winner! And with the three judges deliberating over both Grayson and Liya’s dishes, it is impossible to determine which junior chef with win the MasterChef title.

But in the end, the MasterChef Junior champion for Season 8 is Liya!

What do you think fellow MasterChef Junior fans? Did your favorite young chef win?