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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. Most cookies don’t require complicated tools or a unique skill set. And the turnaround time is quick compared to so many other baked goods.
Whether you’re making a small batch of cookies for yourself or churning out hundreds of cookies for the holidays or a bake sale, there are a few tools that are going to help you achieve the best possible baking results. Here we’ve chosen the best cookie tools for nearly every kind of cookie in the book. From scooped cookies to spritz cookies, rolled sugar cookies, and frozen cookie logs—these tools will help make your next cookie bake a breeze.
Best Baking Sheet
Nordic Ware Naturals Baker's Half Sheet
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Amazon
Professional grade heavy duty construction
Conducts heat well
lifetime warranty
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.
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
Material: Aluminum | Dimensions: 17.9 x 12.9 x 1 inches | Dishwasher Safe: Hand washing recommended
"Its real benefit lies in its durability and design. The baking sheets conducted heat evenly and...released food easily. The Nordic Ware Naturals Baker's Half Sheet is a 'no-frills' baking sheet that gets the job done." — Samantha Schwab, Product Tester
Best Mixing Bowls
OXO Good Grips Mixing Bowl Set with Black Handles
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Amazon
Easy grip handle and base
Durable plastic
Pour spout
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. It turns out, these bowls are made of lightweight but durable plastic and can handle the work well. Our tester noted that the deeper shape of the bowls 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 also 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 Cookie Scoop
Oxo Good Grips Medium Cookie Scoop
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Courtesy of Amazon
Creates consistently-sized cookies
Soft ergonomic grip
Available in three sizes
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
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Courtesy of Amazon
Largest mat covers a wide area
Non-stick oven safe silicone
Measurements for pies, cookies, and French macarons
Incredibly versatile set
Large mat difficult to fit in dishwasher
This 5-piece set includes silicone pastry mats for nearly every cookie you'll want to scoop, pipe, or roll out. The largest mat is 16 by 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°F 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 Rolling Pin for Cookies
Joseph Joseph Adjustable Rolling Pin with Removable Rings
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Amazon
Great for precise dough thickness
Diameter measurements on pin
Longer barrel length
Slight learning curve
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.
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
Length: 17.13 inches | Style: Straight Dowel | Weight: 1.23 Pounds
Best Cooling Rack
Wilton Perfect Results 3-Tier Cooling Rack
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Courtesy of Walmart
Non-stick coating
Collapses for easy storage
Stackable for efficient space saving
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
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Courtesy of OXO
Flexible spatula for smooth lifting
Non-stick silicone surface
Perfect size specifically for cookies
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 for easy cleaning.
Price at time of publish: $10
Material: Silicone and stainless steel | Heat resistance: 600°F | Dishwasher safe: Yes
Best Cookie Cutters
Wilton 2304-1050 101-Piece Cookie Cutter Set
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Courtesy of Walmart
Covers multiple holidays and events
Cut through thicker doughs easily
Great to use with kids
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. And 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 clean up 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 Cookie Flooding Kit
Wilton Cookie Flooding Decorating Kit
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Courtesy of Amazon
Helps create professional cookie designs
Ring to keep tools together
Safety covers for sharp tools
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 also includes tools for fancier techniques.
The etching tool is used to add details using the color dragging technique, and the 3-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, and much easier 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
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Amazon
Easy to grip
Non-slip base
Clear tube
Storage box included
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 nonslip 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
Chocolate chip and snickerdoodle cookie lovers will be well-served by investing in the OXO Good Grips Medium Cookie Scoop, which will keep your hands comfortable while you scoop batch after batch of your favorite drop cookies. If rolled-out cookies with royal icing decorations are more your style, the John Joseph Adjustable Rolling Pin with Removable Rings will ensure cookies with consistent thicknesses every time, and the Wilton Cookie Flooding Decorating Kit will help make your cookie designs look impeccable.
What to Look for in a Cookie Tool
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, Christmas, etc.
Baking Cookies With Kids
Tools for baking cookies with kids should fulfill two requirements: They should be easy to use and safe yet be 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 for cutout cookies, you need a rolling pin.
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.