The 10 Best Baking Tools for Cookies

In order to bake cookies, you need at least one good baking pan. I love these from USA Pan because they're sturdy (and don't warp like some of my older ones) and clean up nicely. Also, this half-pan size is perfect and stores easily.

I have two of this size of baking sheet, and quite honestly, I wouldn't mind having two more since they're great. And they're not just for cookies: you can make sheet pan dinners on this, as well as various snack mixes, too.

Just don't forget to line it with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper before you bake your cookies.

A stand mixer is definitely an investment, but it's an awesome one to make if you love baking cookies, other desserts and even making breads or pizza dough.

Some people enjoy letting their stand mixer live on their countertop, too, so it's a nice decorative piece to add to your kitchen that also has some major functionality.

If you don't have it in your budget to invest in a stand mixer, I love, love, love (and use the heck out of) my KitchenAid hand mixer.

I debated adding this because a bowl is a pretty standard kitchen tool, in my opinion. That said, I wanted to put this large bowl on the list because it's not your average bowl.

It's heavy duty and sturdy. The color is gorgeous. It cleans up so, so, so easily. The sides are a little lower than a standard mixing bowl, so my kids can easily measure ingredients into it.

The one downsize is the sides are a bit lower, so ingredients can spill or spray if you're not careful. But overall,

ALSO, make sure you've got measuring cups and spoons to measure out your ingredients, as well.

Another really important tool for making cookies, specifically any roll-out cookie like a sugar cookie that you'll cut and shape, is a rolling pin! I've had one of these maple rolling pins for years, and it gets the job done every time.

If you're interested in making patterned cookies, this Scandi Christmas Engraved Rolling Pin is absolute perfection!

These mini spatulas are used for everything in my kitchen: cookie dough making, cooking on the stovetop, stirring our sourdough starter after she's been fed. The mini size is fantastic, and it's great for both adult and kid hands.

If you're making a cookie that rolls out, you absolutely need cookie cutters! I particularly like these Christmas-themed ones because they have the comfort grip on them, making them easier for my kids to use.

We also have these Snowflake Cookie Cutters, and they get a lot of use around the holiday months. They're a little more fussy than the Christmas ones linked here because they have a lot finer edges, but they make for a gorgeous cookie if you take the time with 'em.

If you've seen any of my cookie recipes, chances are, you've seen me recommend this cookie scoop before. It's the perfect size for a bite-sized cookie, and we use ours weekly.

If you like a larger cookie, a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop is also awesome!

This scoop can be used for more than just cookies, too. It can measure muffin batter into tins so they're even, you can use it to scoop frosting onto a cupcake or you could even use it for mini ice cream scoops!

Once your cookies bake... then what? Using a nonstick cooling rack like this one is awesome, and I particularly like this one. Why? It feels sturdier than some other cooling racks I have, and it cleans up easily. (And hey, that's a win in my book.)

Real talk: I like the tipless piping bags for when I'm decorating cookies, especially with my kids, because this is less fuss for me. (However, if you want to do the bags with tips, I recommend this Wilton set.)

You can use royal icing or just regular 'ol sugar cookie icing in these and decorate cookies until your heart is content!

If you're planning to share cookies during the holiday season (or any season!), having cookie gift boxes is key.

We purchased these last year to share our baked goods with friends, and I was really pleased with their look, as well as how they held up (and how many cookies they held.) I was able to pack in more than a dozen cookies to each, depending on the size, and the boxes stood up during transportation, too!

We have a baking section of our pantry, and instead of leaving ingredients in their packaging, which can become compromised, we transfer them to these glass cracker jars. I love this pack of four because it's perfect for flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar and any additional flours you might have on hand.

When you're baking cookies, you oftentimes need vanilla extract. And Nielsen-Massey is simply the BEST. I always have a bottle or two on hand for holiday baking because you never know when you're going to need a cookie.

These are my favorite measuring cups and spoons because they are SOLID. You don't have to worry about these warping or changing color because they're stainless steel, and they're especially easy to grip. My girls enjoy these, too, and have an easy time handling them.

If you are baking a lot this time of year, investing in a silicone baking mat is a great idea! Not only does it create a nonstick surface for your cookies to bake on (without the need of cooking spray), but it cleans up really easily, too. Silpat is an excellent brand, and I have a few of these.

If you don't have a Silpat and prefer using parchment paper to bake, consider investing in a beautiful dispenser like this one from ChicWrap that has a loooong roll of parchment already inside. Just cut it down to the size you need it and bake to your heart's content.

Some cookie recipes require you to sift your dry ingredients, and these fine mesh strainers are my favorite tool for that. While you could invest in a traditional sifter, I like these better because you can use them for more things than just sifting. (Mine get a workout for straining liquids, as well as draining pasta when my colander is dirty.) This brand holds up well, too, as I've had mine for several years, and they still work like a charm.

You have to have a way to get cookies off the sheet pan, right? These spatulas were specifically made for cookies and work like a charm in transferring your cookies to a cooling rack.

If you've ever had the unfortunate instance where you've burned yourself on the oven, you know the importance of oven mitts. These ones have a high heat threshold and come in multiple colors to match your kitchen!

OK, could we TALK about how precious this apron is? If you're baking with kids, chances are, your kitchen (and clothes) might become a little... messy... during the process. And that's OK! We love our H&B aprons to wear while we bake because it cuts down on the amount of our laundry on baking day.

This is the grown-up version of the previous apron, and I love the floral pattern. As previously mentioned, wearing an apron while baking is a good way to protect your clothes. I highly recommend investing in an apron (ANY apron) to wear as you bake. This also makes a really lovely present, too!