Murder She Baked Movies in Order: The Complete Hannah Swensen Guide (Updated 2026)

Hallmark’s Hannah Swensen mystery franchise has quietly become one of the network’s most consistent cozy mystery brands, with 14 films now spanning over a decade of small-town murders, bakery drama, and a rotating cast of love interests. If you’re trying to sort out the correct Murder She Baked movies in order, or figure out why the series changed its name halfway through, here is the complete, verified rundown..

Quick Answer

The franchise ran as “Murder She Baked movies in order” for five films from 2015 to 2017, then returned in 2021 under the new title “Hannah Swensen Mysteries” for nine more films through 2026, bringing the total to 14 movies. Alison Sweeney has starred as baker-sleuth Hannah Swensen in every single installment.

All release dates and plot details below come from verified entertainment sources, including IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and official Hallmark and entertainment trade coverage. Where sources listed slightly different premiere days for the same film, only the confirmed month and year are shown to avoid stating an unverified exact date.

Release Order vs. Book Order

It’s worth clarifying upfront: the movies are listed here in television release order, which is how most viewers watch the series. This does not always match the numbering of Joanne Fluke‘s original novels, since Hallmark adapted them out of sequence. If your goal is to binge the franchise as it aired, use the order below. If you’re a book reader trying to match movies to novels, check the “Books vs. Movies” section further down before assuming a direct match.

Franchise at a Glance

Detail	Murder, She Baked (2015–2017)	Hannah Swensen Mysteries (2021–2026)
Number of films	5	9
Lead actress	Alison Sweeney	Alison Sweeney
Primary love interest	Mike Kingston / Norman Rhodes	Chad Norton (from 2024 onward)
Setting	Lake Eden, Minnesota	Lake Eden, Minnesota
Book fidelity	Closer to source novels	Looser, character-driven adaptations
Airing network	Hallmark Movies & Mysteries	Hallmark Mystery / Hallmark Channel

Two Eras, One Story

Era One: Murder She Baked movies in order (2015-2017)

Order	Title	Premiere
1	A Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery	May 2, 2015
2	A Plum Pudding Mystery	November 2015
3	A Peach Cobbler Mystery	January 10, 2016
4	A Deadly Recipe	June 2016
5	Just Desserts	2017

This first run introduced Hannah, her Lake Eden bakery The Cookie Jar, and her long-running love triangle between Detective Mike Kingston (Cameron Mathison) and dentist Norman Rhodes (Gabriel Hogan) .

Also Read: C6 Corvette: Specs, Years, Trims, Prices, Problems and Buying Guide

Era Two: Hannah Swensen Mysteries (2021-2026)

Order	Title	Premiere
6	Sweet Revenge	August 8, 2021
7	Carrot Cake Murder	May 19, 2023
8	A Zest for Death	October 6, 2023
9	One Bad Apple	April 5, 2024
10	A Sprinkle of Deceit	October 4, 2024
11	Reality Bites	February 6, 2025
12	A Pie to Die For	June 22, 2025
13	Sugar & Vice	March 7, 2026
14	Best Served Cold	May 16, 2026

After a four-year gap, Hallmark relaunched the series under this new title, keeping the same Lake Eden setting and continuing directly from “Just Desserts” rather than rebooting the story . “Best Served Cold” is officially confirmed as the franchise’s 14th film.

What Happens in Each Movie

“A Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery” opens the series with Hannah investigating her delivery driver’s murder behind her own bakery, uncovering hidden gambling debts among Lake Eden’s respectable citizens .

“A Plum Pudding Mystery” is the franchise’s holiday entry, built around a Christmas tree lot owner’s murder and a swindle-driven revenge plot .

“A Peach Cobbler Mystery” flips the script by making Hannah a suspect after her new bakery rival turns up dead .

“A Deadly Recipe” raises the stakes when the town sheriff is murdered right before an election and Hannah’s own brother-in-law becomes the prime suspect .

“Just Desserts” closes the original run with Hannah investigating a fellow bake-off judge’s death while the rivalry between Mike and Norman simmers on .

“Sweet Revenge” restarts the franchise with Hannah, now engaged to Mike, investigating a death at a gym while her mother hijacks the wedding planning .

“Carrot Cake Murder” digs into a decades-old cold case after an explosion uncovers a skeleton missing since 1995, tied to an old jewelry heist .

“A Zest for Death” has Delores stumbling onto a body while house-hunting, with a secret inheritance driving the motive .

“One Bad Apple,” co-written by Alison Sweeney, moves the action to a local college and properly introduces prosecutor Chad Norton (Victor Webster) .

“A Sprinkle of Deceit” pairs Hannah with Chad on a case for the first time, quietly reshuffling the franchise’s central romance .

“Reality Bites” brings a TV cooking show crew to Lake Eden, when the producer is murdered, Hannah investigates with Norman. This one is officially adapted from Fluke’s novel “Cooked to Death” .

“A Pie to Die For” centers on the murder of Delores’s theater rival, forcing Hannah to clear her mother’s name while her relationship with Chad deepens.

“Sugar & Vice” traps Hannah and a storm-bound group of guests at the reopened Lake Eden Inn after a staff member is stabbed during a masquerade party .

“Best Served Cold,” the newest and 14th entry, follows Hannah and Chad as they connect a forgery case to a murder and a missing prosecutor ahead of a trial .

Books vs. Movies: How Faithful Are They?

The series is based on Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swensen novels, but the connection has loosened over time. Alison Sweeney, who writes several recent scripts, has said her process starts with “an idea from her books or a character from a book that motivates me,” rather than a strict page-to-screen translation . Early films track their source novels closely, newer ones, including “Reality Bites” (based on “Cooked to Death”), update the source material significantly for a modern audience .

Cast Continuity Worth Knowing

Alison Sweeney and Barbara Niven (as Hannah’s mother, Delores) are the only two actors to appear in all 14 films . Cameron Mathison’s Mike Kingston and Gabriel Hogan’s Norman Rhodes anchored the romance through the earlier eras, while Victor Webster’s Chad Norton has taken over as Hannah’s primary love interest since “A Sprinkle of Deceit” in 2024 . Lisa Durupt recurs as Hannah’s sister, Andrea.

Which Movie Should You Start With?

You don’t need all 14 films to enjoy any single mystery, since each case wraps up independently. Two starting points work well depending on your goal:

• Start with “A Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery” (2015) if you want the original introduction to Hannah, Lake Eden, and the bakery.
• Start with “Carrot Cake Murder” (2023) if you’d rather jump straight into the currently airing, rebranded version of the franchise without watching the earlier films first.

Where to Stream

All 14 films are collected under the “Hannah Swensen Mysteries Collection” on Hallmark+, alongside their original television airings on Hallmark Mystery and Hallmark Channel .

Frequently Asked Questions