The 12 Best Cookie Tools

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Best Cookie Tools

The Spruce Eats / Lecia Landis

Cookies are having a moment right now. And why not? The majority of the ingredients are easy to find and mix, and most cookies don’t require complicated tools or a unique skill set. Whether you’re making a small batch for yourself or churning out hundreds of cookies for the holidays or a bake sale, there are a few items beyond a baking sheet that are going to help you achieve the best possible results.

Best Baking Sheet

Nordic Ware Naturals Baker's Half Sheet

5
Amazon Nordic Ware Naturals Baker's Half Sheet

Amazon

What We Like
  • Professional grade heavy duty construction

  • Conducts heat well

  • lifetime warranty

What We Don't Like
  • Embossed logo is hard to clean

If you’re baking cookies, a good baking sheet can make all the difference. Thin sheets can warp, and cookies are more likely to burn. This half-sheet aluminum pan is made to last. The half-sheet size refers to commercial bakeware sizes and is the largest sheet that will fit comfortably in home ovens.

The aluminum conducts heat evenly so your cookies will rise and bake evenly, and the reinforced rim keeps the sheet rigid, so it will never warp. Since this doesn’t have a nonstick coating, you don’t need to worry about using metal utensils to get under cookies or to scrape up burned sugar. In testing, our cookies came out perfectly baked and released very easily from the pan.

When you’re not baking cookies, this can be used for roasting vegetables, baking meatloaf, or even roasting a chicken. This sheet is made in America and it should be washed by hand to avoid discoloring the surface of the metal.

Price at time of publish: $26 for 2-pack

nordicware pan on stovetop

The Spruce Eats / Samantha Schwab

Material: Aluminum | Dimensions: 17.9 x 12.9 x 1 inches | Dishwasher-Safe: Hand washing recommended

Best Cookie Cutters

Wilton 2304-1050 101-Piece Cookie Cutter Set

Wilton 2304-1050 101-Piece Cookie Cutter Set

Courtesy of Walmart

What We Like
  • Covers multiple holidays and events

  • Cut through thicker doughs easily

  • Great to use with kids

What We Don't Like
  • Doesn't include number zero cutter

If you love making roll-out cookies, you’ll adore this set of 101 cutters. With pretty much any shape you'd ever want or need, this bundle covers holidays such as Valentine's, Fourth of July, Christmas, and Superbowl. It also has basic shapes, like letters, numbers, animals and more. 

The 1/3-inch blade makes it easy to cut through the dough but still safe for kids to use. When you're done cutting, cleanup is a breeze because they are dishwasher-safe.

Price at time of publish: $26

Included: 101 cookie cutters, plastic storage bucket | Material: Plastic | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes

Best Rolling Pin for Cookies

Joseph Joseph Adjustable Rolling Pin with Removable Rings

4.2
Joseph Joseph Adjustable Rolling Pin with Removable Rings

Amazon

What We Like
  • Great for precise dough thickness

  • Diameter measurements on pin

  • Longer barrel length

What We Don't Like
  • Slight learning curve

  • 1/8-inch not included

When you’re reading a cookie recipe that requires the dough to be rolled to a 1/4-inch thickness, how do you measure? And how do you make sure the thickness is even all across the dough? That precise thickness means cookies with bake evenly, but it’s not easy to achieve with a regular rolling pin.

This pin, however, includes removable rings that ensure that you’re rolling a precise 1/16-, 1/6-, 1/4-, or 3/8-inch thickness. The rings slide easily on and off the pin, and have measurements marked right on the rings so you’ll always know what thickness you’ve chosen. In testing, we wished there were a 1/8-inch measurement, though it was easy to use a thicker measure and roll it down a bit more with the rings removed. This pin is a good length, making it good to use for longer doughs.

When you’re done making cookies, you can use the pin for pizza or pastry dough, or remove the rings to do some free-form rolling. The pin is made from beechwood and the rings are plastic. This should be washed by hand.

Price at time of publish: $25

joseph joseph rolling pin with dough

The Spruce Eats / Donna Currie

Length: 17.13 inches | Style: Straight Dowel | Weight: 1.23 Pounds

Best Mixing Bowls

Oxo Good Grips Mixing Bowl Set with Black Handles

5
OXO Good Grips Mixing Bowl Set with Black Handles

Amazon

What We Like
  • Easy grip handle and base

  • Durable plastic

  • Pour spout

What We Don't Like
  • Not microwave safe

Whether you're whipping up a batch of cookies from scratch or quickly pulling together a cookie mix, you're going to need some bowls. This set of mixing bowls from Oxo has you covered from scaling ingredients and mixing your dough to whipping up a batch of royal icing for decoration. We even put them to the test with a hand mixer to see how they performed under pressure.

As it turns out, these bowls are made of lightweight but durable plastic and can handle the work well. The deeper shape is especially useful when using a hand mixer, preventing ingredients from flying out of the bowl easily and keeping liquid splashes contained.

These Oxo bowls were designed with rubbery bases, which keep them firmly in place on your countertop while you're working. There is also an easy-grip handle on each bowl to hold on to for stability or when your hands may be covered in a little too much butter. Opposite the handle is a pour spout, making pouring batters and liquids a little tidier. The three bowls hold 1.5, 3, and 5 quarts respectively and neatly nest into each other for consolidated storing. Unfortunately, these bowls aren't microwave-safe, but they are dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup.

Price at time of publish: $28

Material: Plastic | Number of Bowls: 3 | Lids: No

Best Animal-Shaped Cutters

Ann Clark Woodland Cookie Cutters

Ann Clark Woodland Cookie Cutters

Amazon

What We Like
  • Sharpness is long lasting

  • Clear designs

  • Big size with plenty of depth

What Don't We Like
  • Too large for some cookies

Cookie cutters tend to err on the smaller side, so if you’re a fan of bigger cookie shapes, this woodland set is a great find. Merging large-format decorated cookies with cute animals, the set includes fox, hedgehog, deer, mushroom, and owl shapes. The steel is sharp enough to cut through thicker items, such as for making cut-out PB&J or cheese sandwiches, and with the variety of shapes, it’s easy to avoid the waste of excess dough between cookies.

We love the clarity of the designs, even if cookies are left undecorated on top, and though the set isn’t dishwasher-safe, we found it plenty quick to clean. Dough doesn’t stick to it, so a simple hot water and soap wash does the trick. Because the cutters don’t stick to cookie dough, they’re longer-lasting and easier to work with as alternatives to plastic cut-outs. Shapes such as the fox, hedgehog, and owl all cook quite evenly, but you’ll want to watch out for overbaking the legs on the deer, as they’re thinner than the rest of the animal shape.

Price at time of publish: $15

TTSAM 12 Pieces Round Cookie Cutters Set sitting on cookie dough on counter

The Spruce Eats / Ariane Resnick

Material: Alloy steel | Cutters Included: 5 | Shapes: Fox, hedgehog, deer, mushroom, and owl

Best Round Cookie Cutters

TTSAM 12 Pieces Round Cookie Cutters Set

TTSAM 12 Pieces Round Cookie Cutters Set

Amazon

What We Like
  • Many uses beyond cookies

  • Excellent range of sizes

  • Dishwasher-safe

  • Storage container included

What We Like
  • No complex shapes

Ring molds are fantastic for everything from crafting doughnuts and bagels to plating a dinner entree, but the original intended use for these cookie cutters can’t be beat. With a dozen different sizes ranging from 1 to 4.4 inches, you can use them to bake everything from macarons to sugar cookies. Because they’re over an inch deep, they can be used for any kind of cut-out cookie as well as many pastries. 

The included storage container makes them easy to keep on hand in a drawer, and we’ve run them through the dishwasher plenty of times without ever experiencing rust or tarnishing. They can even be used in the oven for a single item that is a challenge to keep the shape of as it bakes. The price is quite low for such a large set, yet we’ve found that they’re very durable. Usable for culinary purposes like cutting biscuits and plating sauces, they make great cookie shapes while also working to elevate your cooking skills.

Price at time of publish: $8

Ann Clark Woodland Cookie Cutters cutting out cookie dough

The Spruce Eats / Ariane Resnick

Material: Stainless steel | Cutters Included: 12

Best Cookie Scoop

Oxo Good Grips Medium Cookie Scoop

4.6
Amazon OXO Good Grips Medium Cookie Scoop

Amazon

What We Like
  • Creates consistently-sized cookies

  • Soft ergonomic grip

  • Available in three sizes

What We Don't Like
  • May break with heavy usage

Sure, you can use a pair of spoons to portion your favorite drop cookies onto a baking sheet, but it’s nearly impossible to make cookies all the same size using that method. A cookie scoop solves the problem, and it makes the job much faster. Just dip into the dough, scrape the excess against the side of the bowl, and squeeze the handles to deliver the ball of dough to the cookie sheet.

The soft-grip handles are easy on the hands, so you can fill several sheets full of cookies in comfort. This medium-sized scoop holds 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough. If that’s not your perfect cookie, there is a small scoop that holds 2 teaspoons and a large scoop that holds 3 tablespoons. When they’re not in use making cookies, you can use them to scoop fillings into deviled eggs, to portion cupcake batter into mini muffin cups, or to get creative with your ice cream servings. The scoop is dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning.

Price at time of publish: $17

Material: Stainless steel | Capacity: 1.5 Tablespoons for 2.75-inch cookies | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes

Best Pastry Mats for Cookies

Tevokon Silicone Baking Mat Set of 5

Tevokon 5-piece silicone mat set

Courtesy of Amazon

What We Like
  • Largest mat covers a wide area

  • Nonstick oven-safe silicone

  • Measurements for pies, cookies, and French macarons

  • Incredibly versatile set

What We Don't Like
  • Large mat difficult to fit in dishwasher

This five-piece set includes silicone pastry mats for nearly every cookie you'll want to scoop, pipe, or roll out. The largest mat is 16 x 26 inches and is printed with measurements for rolling out round doughs from 4- to 12-inch diameters, as well as inch and centimeter scales on the top and bottom edges of the mat. There are also three conversion charts printed on the largest mat. Lay this mat on your countertop to roll out cookie or pie dough that's easy to lift off the counter and easy to clean up when you're finished. If your oven is large enough to fit a full-sized sheet pan, you can also bake on this mat.

The next two silicone mats are designed to fit a half sheet pan, and are printed with larger and smaller circles that help layout both drop cookies and piped macarons. There's also a silicone mat for a quarter-sized sheet pan, also printed with small circles and ruler measurements. Finally, there's a 9-inch round silicone mat that can be used for personal-sized pizzas.

All of the silicone pastry mats are heat-rated up to 450 degrees and are dishwasher-safe, although the largest mat may be difficult to fit in the dishwasher smoothly. While cookie cutters and plastic utensils are fine to use on the silicone mat, avoid cutting on it with anything that may slice through the mat, exposing the fiberglass threads inside.

Price at time of publish: $27

Includes: [1] 16 x 26-inch mat, [2] 11.6 x 16.5-inch mats, [1] 8.25 x 11.6-inch mat, [1] 9-inch round mat | Max Heat: 450°F | Material: Silicone and fiberglass

Best Cooling Rack

Wilton Perfect Results 3-Tier Cooling Rack

Wilton Perfect Results 3-Tier Cooling Rack

Courtesy of Walmart

What We Like
  • Nonstick coating

  • Collapses for easy storage

  • Stackable for efficient space saving

What We Don't Like
  • Wider gaps between wires

Making cookies? Then you need a cooling rack or two. How about three? This set of three racks is just under 10- x 16 inches, which is large enough to comfortably hold a dozen average cookies, but not so large that you're moving things around to make space. Each rack has fold-down legs, and the legs allow the racks to be stacked, so you can cool three batches of cookies in the space of just one rack.

These have a nonstick coating for easy cleaning, and the cookies will never stick. They are dishwasher-safe but very easy to clean by hand. The racks are not oven-safe.

Price at time of publish: $28

Oven-Safe: No | Materials: Steel with ceramic nonstick coating | Dimensions: 15.9 x 9.9 inches per tier

Best Cookie Spatula

Oxo Good Grips Silicone Cookie Spatula

OXO Good Grips Silicone Cookie Spatula

Courtesy of OXO

What We Like
  • Flexible spatula for smooth lifting

  • Nonstick silicone surface

  • Perfect size specifically for cookies

What We Don't Like
  • Handle may detach from spatula head

If you make cookies, you absolutely need this spatula. The design is perfect for sneaking under-baked cookies on the cookie sheet, even when the cookies have spread or are close to the edges of the pan. If you’re making bar cookies, this is ideal for getting those brownies or lemon bars out of the pan, too.

The soft silicone edge won’t damage nonstick surfaces or gouge baking mats, yet it’s thin enough to slide easily under the cookie while the rigid center keeps the cookie flat, so it won’t crack or break. The cookies slide easily off of the nonstick surface of the spatula.

You can also use this to transfer unbaked cookie dough to your baking sheet, and the rounded edge of the spatula can be used to scrape dough from spoons or the corners of a mixing bowl.

When you’re done baking, you can use the spatula for savory foods like small burgers or pancakes. Since it's heat-resistant to 600 degrees, you can safely use it in very hot pans, and the spatula is dishwasher-safe.

Price at time of publish: $10

Material: Silicone and stainless steel | Heat Resistance: 600°F | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes

Best Cookie Flooding Kit

Wilton Cookie Flooding Decorating Kit

Wilton Cookie Flooding Decorating Kit

Courtesy of Amazon

What We Like
  • Helps create professional cookie designs

  • Ring to keep tools together

  • Safety covers for sharp tools

What We Don't Like
  • Hand wash only

A layer of royal icing on top of a cookie gives you a smooth, clean, crumb-free base for further designs, whether you’re planning on piping or drawing. This kit makes it easy to flood that royal icing onto the cookies, and it also includes tools for fancier techniques.

The etching tool is used to add details using the color dragging technique, and the three-pronged comb is used for marbling and feathering. The silicone scraper tool is used for making smooth, flawless edges.

You don’t need to be a decorating expert to use these tools—they’ll make the job much easier for novices, as well. It's way simpler than trying to use a salad fork or chopsticks as substitutes.

Price at time of publish: $11

Includes: Etching tool, silicone scraper, 3-pronged comb | Material: Silicone, plastic, and metal | Dishwasher-Safe: No

Best Cookie Press

Oxo Good Grips Cookie Press Set

OXO Good Grips Cookie Press Set

Amazon

What We Like
  • Easy to grip

  • Non-slip base

  • Clear tube

  • Storage box included

What We Don't Like
  • Fragile

If you like spritz cookies, you need a cookie press. Oh, sure, you could make the spritz recipe and bake little mounds of dough, but a press gives you decorative cookies with very little effort. Just load the dough into the press and extrude the dough right onto your cookie sheet. The Oxo press has a non-slip base that keeps it stable on the cookie sheet, and a large non-slip lever that makes it easy to dispense the dough. The press disassembles easily for cleaning.

Cookie presses usually include rather generic disk-shaped dies that make flower-like cookies, but the Oxo cookie press goes a step further, with seasonal dies that create more intricate and unusual designs. The press comes with disks to get you started with a daisy, flower, sunflower, fleur-de-lis, butterfly, bear, shell, leaf, heart, snowflake, tree, and a wreath.

You can get add-on cookie disc sets according to when you typically bake. There is an autumn, Halloween, Christmas, and spring add-on set.

Price at time of publish: $34

Included: Press, 12 disks, disk storage case | Material: Plastic and stainless steel | Dishwasher-Safe: No

What to Look for in Cookie Tools

Basic Cookie Tools

Chances are that you already own basic tools for cookie baking, but like a lot of kitchenware, cookie tools have considerably improved over time. Your grandma’s rolling pin might still be doing its job, but new models often come with additional convenient features or a more ergonomic design. These include baking sheets that don’t warp and mixing bowls that double as measuring cups or come in different colors to keep ingredients apart.

Other tools help you to be a more precise baker; for example, a special rolling pin that lets you roll out in the desired thickness or a cookie scoop with options for different cookie sizes. If space is an issue in your kitchen, you might want to consider a large multipurpose baking mat so you can use your dining table to roll out cookies. And if you’ve struggled transferring cookies that have spread during baking to the cooling rack without breaking, you’ll appreciate a spatula that can be used even for thin cookies.

Cookie Designs

The secret behind picture-perfect, beautiful cookies is often a cookie press, a simple tool where cookie dough is pressed directly into the baking sheet in decorative designs. If you bake cookies often and year-round, look for one with a wide range of dies, including seasonal motifs for Halloween and the winter holidays. Of course, there are tons of different cookie cutter shapes available, too.

Baking Cookies With Kids

Tools for baking cookies with kids should fulfill two requirements: They should be easy and safe to use yet just as functional as your other baking tools. For example, cookie cutters should make neat, clean cuts without the risks of sharp blades.

Cookie Decorating for Beginners

Cookie decorating can be a bit intimidating if you’ve never done it. Pick a kit that gives you an easy start, such as covering cookies with plain icing, but also lets you do more sophisticated cookie decorations as you get more practice and confidence.

FAQs

What tools do you need to make cookies?

The essential tools to make cookies are measuring cups and spoons, a mixing bowl, a handheld mixer or stand mixer, baking sheets, a spatula, and cooling racks. For evenly sized cookies, you also need a cookie scoop, and you need a rolling pin for cutout cookies.

What tool do you mix cookie dough with?

To properly mix the cookie dough and incorporate air, you need an electric mixer, either a handheld mixer or a stand mixer. The best attachment to use with a stand mixer is the flat beater. 

Can you use a whisk to mix cookie dough?

If the recipe tells you to mix the dough by hand, you can use a whisk. Before there were electric mixers, cookie dough was always mixed by hand. Modern recipes, however, were developed with electric mixers in mind, whereas using a whisk takes a lot of elbow grease and won’t yield the same results. 

Why Trust The Spruce Eats?

This collection was created by Donna Currie, a freelance food writer and verified gadget master. Writing for The Spruce Eats since July 2016, Donna has tested hundreds of kitchen tools so you know exactly what will work best in your own kitchen. You can find more of her work on her personal blog, Cookistry.com and her published cookbook, "Make Ahead Bread."

Updated by
Nadia Hassani
Nadia Hassani
Nadia Hassani is a freelance garden and food writer and editor, translator, and content strategist. 
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Additional reporting by
Ariane Resnick
headshot for ariane resnick
Ariane Resnick is a special diet chef, certified nutritionist, and bestselling author who takes great joy in shattering the image of what, and how, nutritionists eat.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
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