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Vollrath 5 Piece Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set
When you’re measuring out ingredients and mixing together cookie dough, you’ll need a set of roomy, durable mixing bowls. Metal bowls are lighter and easier to store than glass and are the preferred bowl material of most Serious Eats staffers. This no-frills set by Vollrath is favored by restaurant professionals (and by us in our review!) and has five wide, shallow bowls that allow for easy stirring, mixing, and pouring. They’re super low-cost and will last a lifetime.:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/breville-handy-mix-scraper-hand-mixer-black-truffle-7d02cf7e46c54cf98814b17137e9d861.jpg)
Breville The Handy Mix Scraper
Many cookie recipes start with creaming together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Do so with ease using our winning hand mixer by Breville, which has rubber-coated beaters that scrape the sides of the bowl to mix cookie dough effectively, powerfully, and remarkably quietly. This mixer is comfortable to hold and has lots of helpful extras, like a digital display with a built-in timer, a pause button, a light that shines into the mixing bowl, and a snap-on case for storing the attachments and cord.:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Winco-No.24-Ice-Cream-Disher-with-Plastic-Handle-e579b17edc1e4d2cbfb4ebb18d1cb4cf.jpg)
Winco No.24 Ice Cream Disher with Plastic Handle
For portioning balls of cookie dough (or meatballs! or falafel!), no kitchen should be without a portion scoop. Also called dishers or cookie scoops, these scoops make portioning sticky dough faster, neater, and totally consistent from cookie to cookie. This red-handled #24 scoop from Winco doles out three tablespoons at a time, perfect for medium- to large-sized cookies, and the purple-handled #40 scoop is great for petite projects at 1.5 tablespoons per scoop.:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/J.K.-Adams-Dowel-Rolling-Pin-83711dab95604a10900e23b668d07746.jpg)
J.K. Adams Dowel Rolling Pin
If you’re rolling dough for cut-out cookies, you’ll need a perfectly even thickness. Thick and thin spots create cookies that will bake at different rates—and you’ll risk some of them burning on the baking sheet while others are underbaked. If you've struggled to achieve level, consistent slabs of dough in the past, try this dowel-style rolling pin. Simple in design but super effective, this pin rolled out the most even dough of the bunch in our testing of rolling pins. Prefer a French-style tapered pin? Mais oui! The J.K. Adams FRP-1 Maple French Rolling Pin also performed beautifully in our testing.:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/king-arthur-parchment-paper-sheets-2697d1353ce4405c8894771f57d4bae1.jpg)
King Arthur Parchment Paper Sheets
Lining your baking sheet with parchment paper not only provides a surface that even the sugariest cookie dough won’t stick to, but it also helps to prevent scorching and makes cleanup quick and easy. Save yourself the frustration of tearing off uneven strips of rolled-up parchment and upgrade to pre-cut, rectangular parchment paper sheets that are perfectly sized to fit a half-sheet baking pan. These heavy-duty silicone-coated sheets from King Arthur Baking Company can be reused a few times—good information if you’re concerned about waste.:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Nordic-Ware-Naturals-Bakers-Half-Sheet-7487ff9eb18642f7a1a88b8bb20bd02a.jpg)
Nordic Ware Naturals Baker's Half Sheet
This convenient two-pack of our winning baking sheet will keep you cranking out multiple batches of cookies. In our testing of baking sheets, cookies came out consistently golden brown and evenly baked using these durable pans, and their rolled rims were easy and comfortable to grip and hold onto. They’re quite reasonably priced, too. (Bonus: Add a snap-on lid and store your cookies right on the baking sheet!):max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/cuisinart-chefs-classic-nonstick-baking-sheet-07c5ab48472241f993b97f5f8afa14ef.jpg)
Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Nonstick Baking Sheet
If you want to skip using parchment paper but still have your cookies release cleanly from the pan, consider a nonstick baking sheet. In our tests, cookies baked on the Cuisinart pan came out evenly golden brown and slid off easily. The cookies did turn out a smidge darker than those baked on lighter colored pans, so check on the earlier side of the baking range to make sure they’re perfectly baked.:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/mrs-andersons-baking-half-sheet-baking-and-cooling-rack-6741c7e3a9b543a79af511bb1e884c90.jpg)
Mrs. Anderson's Baking Half Sheet Baking and Cooling Rack
Once your gorgeous cookies come out of the oven, they’ll need a place to land and cool off. In our testing of cooling racks, cookies chilled quickly on this rack without warping, and spatulas slid effortlessly over it without snagging. The lack of center support in its design also made the rack easier to clean, a big win in our books. It was the cheapest wire rack we tested—get a few if you’re making lots of cookies!:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/cookie-cutter-kingdom-tipless-piping-bags-5bac7e9ec675469da4e6bb5414fef123.jpg)
Cookie Cutter Kingdom Tipless Piping Bags
To decorate cookies with icing, grab a set of these small piping bags. They’re called tipless bags because you don’t need a piping tip to use them. Many cookie decorators will simply snip off the very end and that gives enough precision to outline even the most complicated cookie shapes. If you do wish to use a tip with them, reach for a Wilton or Ateco detail round tip in size 2 or 3, perfect for piping borders of thick royal icing on cookies before flooding them with a thinner icing.:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/ateco-offset-spatula-f02b0b44be3e460289e68c6a0ec7c5b2.jpg)
Ateco Offset Spatula with Stainless Steel Blade
If you’re spreading frosting or ganache over the top of your cookies or a filling sandwiched in between them, a small offset spatula is much more effective than a butter knife. It’s also great for shimmying under rolled-out sugar cookie dough to transfer cutouts to a baking sheet or to lift delicate cookies off of the sheet after baking. This 4.5-inch mini offset spatula from Ateco is nimble, versatile, and inexpensive.:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/americolor-soft-gel-paste-color-student-kit-8955a3748e9d489fba4749aa6fcacfc3.jpg)
AmeriColor Soft Gel Paste Color Student Kit
For the most vibrant colors of frosting and icing, put down those bottles of liquid food coloring from the grocery store and invest in what the professionals use. Gel pastes are ultra-concentrated, so a few drops are all you need for vivid color, and this set by AmeriColor has a nice range of hues.:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/oxo-good-grips-11-pound-stainless-steel-food-scale-945e5a8ccb034bb693f6fdfdc29a1254.jpg)
OXO 11-lb. Stainless Steel Food Scale With Pull-Out Display
Unsurprisingly, we are #teamkitchenscale here at Serious Eats. Especially when you’re baking, a kitchen scale will ensure the most accurate measurements of ingredients, with the added bonus of cutting way down on cleanup—you can weigh each ingredient right into the mixing bowl without the need to dirty a bunch of measuring cups. (However, if you do prefer measuring by volume, we recommend using one of our tested and approved measuring cups.) Streamline your holiday cookie baking and ensure consistent results every time with our winning scale by OXO. It features a pull-out display that makes it easy to read, even with extra-large mixing bowls on top, and its power-saving standby mode holds onto the most recent weight measurement for a full 15 minutes in case you have to step away.:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/KitchenAid-7-Quart-Bowl-Lift-Stand-Mixer-bf9e7fc3bb6d447eb02ea920dc9c1a1f.jpg)
KitchenAid 7 Quart Bowl Lift Stand Mixer
If you bake cookies often or in large quantities, you may want to upgrade from a hand mixer to a stand mixer. Invest in the best with this stable and powerful model by KitchenAid. Its seven-quart capacity and well-designed attachments allow it to tackle large and small batches, and its silicone-lined paddle is perfect for scraping and mixing sticky cookie dough. If you only bake cookies during the holidays, consider our pick for casual bakers, the more affordable KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer.Vollrath 5 Piece Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set
When you’re measuring out ingredients and mixing together cookie dough, you’ll need a set of roomy, durable mixing bowls. Metal bowls are lighter and easier to store than glass and are the preferred bowl material of most Serious Eats staffers. This no-frills set by Vollrath is favored by restaurant professionals (and by us in our review!) and has five wide, shallow bowls that allow for easy stirring, mixing, and pouring. They’re super low-cost and will last a lifetime.
Breville The Handy Mix Scraper
Many cookie recipes start with creaming together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Do so with ease using our winning hand mixer by Breville, which has rubber-coated beaters that scrape the sides of the bowl to mix cookie dough effectively, powerfully, and remarkably quietly. This mixer is comfortable to hold and has lots of helpful extras, like a digital display with a built-in timer, a pause button, a light that shines into the mixing bowl, and a snap-on case for storing the attachments and cord.
Winco No.24 Ice Cream Disher with Plastic Handle
For portioning balls of cookie dough (or meatballs! or falafel!), no kitchen should be without a portion scoop. Also called dishers or cookie scoops, these scoops make portioning sticky dough faster, neater, and totally consistent from cookie to cookie. This red-handled #24 scoop from Winco doles out three tablespoons at a time, perfect for medium- to large-sized cookies, and the purple-handled #40 scoop is great for petite projects at 1.5 tablespoons per scoop.
J.K. Adams Dowel Rolling Pin
If you’re rolling dough for cut-out cookies, you’ll need a perfectly even thickness. Thick and thin spots create cookies that will bake at different rates—and you’ll risk some of them burning on the baking sheet while others are underbaked. If you've struggled to achieve level, consistent slabs of dough in the past, try this dowel-style rolling pin. Simple in design but super effective, this pin rolled out the most even dough of the bunch in our testing of rolling pins. Prefer a French-style tapered pin? Mais oui! The J.K. Adams FRP-1 Maple French Rolling Pin also performed beautifully in our testing.
King Arthur Parchment Paper Sheets
Lining your baking sheet with parchment paper not only provides a surface that even the sugariest cookie dough won’t stick to, but it also helps to prevent scorching and makes cleanup quick and easy. Save yourself the frustration of tearing off uneven strips of rolled-up parchment and upgrade to pre-cut, rectangular parchment paper sheets that are perfectly sized to fit a half-sheet baking pan. These heavy-duty silicone-coated sheets from King Arthur Baking Company can be reused a few times—good information if you’re concerned about waste.
Nordic Ware Naturals Baker's Half Sheet
This convenient two-pack of our winning baking sheet will keep you cranking out multiple batches of cookies. In our testing of baking sheets, cookies came out consistently golden brown and evenly baked using these durable pans, and their rolled rims were easy and comfortable to grip and hold onto. They’re quite reasonably priced, too. (Bonus: Add a snap-on lid and store your cookies right on the baking sheet!)
Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Nonstick Baking Sheet
If you want to skip using parchment paper but still have your cookies release cleanly from the pan, consider a nonstick baking sheet. In our tests, cookies baked on the Cuisinart pan came out evenly golden brown and slid off easily. The cookies did turn out a smidge darker than those baked on lighter colored pans, so check on the earlier side of the baking range to make sure they’re perfectly baked.
Mrs. Anderson's Baking Half Sheet Baking and Cooling Rack
Once your gorgeous cookies come out of the oven, they’ll need a place to land and cool off. In our testing of cooling racks, cookies chilled quickly on this rack without warping, and spatulas slid effortlessly over it without snagging. The lack of center support in its design also made the rack easier to clean, a big win in our books. It was the cheapest wire rack we tested—get a few if you’re making lots of cookies!
Cookie Cutter Kingdom Tipless Piping Bags
To decorate cookies with icing, grab a set of these small piping bags. They’re called tipless bags because you don’t need a piping tip to use them. Many cookie decorators will simply snip off the very end and that gives enough precision to outline even the most complicated cookie shapes. If you do wish to use a tip with them, reach for a Wilton or Ateco detail round tip in size 2 or 3, perfect for piping borders of thick royal icing on cookies before flooding them with a thinner icing.
Ateco Offset Spatula with Stainless Steel Blade
If you’re spreading frosting or ganache over the top of your cookies or a filling sandwiched in between them, a small offset spatula is much more effective than a butter knife. It’s also great for shimmying under rolled-out sugar cookie dough to transfer cutouts to a baking sheet or to lift delicate cookies off of the sheet after baking. This 4.5-inch mini offset spatula from Ateco is nimble, versatile, and inexpensive.
AmeriColor Soft Gel Paste Color Student Kit
For the most vibrant colors of frosting and icing, put down those bottles of liquid food coloring from the grocery store and invest in what the professionals use. Gel pastes are ultra-concentrated, so a few drops are all you need for vivid color, and this set by AmeriColor has a nice range of hues.
OXO 11-lb. Stainless Steel Food Scale With Pull-Out Display
Unsurprisingly, we are #teamkitchenscale here at Serious Eats. Especially when you’re baking, a kitchen scale will ensure the most accurate measurements of ingredients, with the added bonus of cutting way down on cleanup—you can weigh each ingredient right into the mixing bowl without the need to dirty a bunch of measuring cups. (However, if you do prefer measuring by volume, we recommend using one of our tested and approved measuring cups.) Streamline your holiday cookie baking and ensure consistent results every time with our winning scale by OXO. It features a pull-out display that makes it easy to read, even with extra-large mixing bowls on top, and its power-saving standby mode holds onto the most recent weight measurement for a full 15 minutes in case you have to step away.
KitchenAid 7 Quart Bowl Lift Stand Mixer
If you bake cookies often or in large quantities, you may want to upgrade from a hand mixer to a stand mixer. Invest in the best with this stable and powerful model by KitchenAid. Its seven-quart capacity and well-designed attachments allow it to tackle large and small batches, and its silicone-lined paddle is perfect for scraping and mixing sticky cookie dough. If you only bake cookies during the holidays, consider our pick for casual bakers, the more affordable KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer.
Conclusion
With the right tools in hand, baking show-stopping cookies this holiday season becomes a joyful and rewarding experience. Whether you're perfecting your grandmother's sugar cookie recipe, experimenting with colorful icing designs, or crafting decadent sandwich cookies, these 13 baking essentials will elevate your creations to the next level. From precision measuring and mixing to flawless baking and decorating, every tool on this list has been carefully chosen to make your holiday baking stress-free and fun. So, upgrade your baking setup, roll out the dough, and let the festive cookie magic begin—your neighbors, family, and even Santa will thank you!
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