Happy holidays everyone! Here’s a new gift guide for you holiday shopping needs — this one’s all for the cookie bakers in your life. From baking sheets to cookie cutters, cookie cookbooks, and more, this cookie lover’s gift guide has gift ideas for all your baking friends.
(Note: None of the items I’m sharing are paid advertisements — these are the tools I actually use and love!)
Cookie Sheets
A good cookie sheet (or sheet pan/baking sheet) is one of the most important tools in your cookie toolbox. The cookie sheet you use can make a big difference in how your cookies bake. For example: a dark-colored baking sheet will cause your cookies to brown faster than a light-colored one. Also, cheaper cookie sheets often warp in the oven, making a mess of your cookies.
My absolute favorite, ride-or-die brand for cookie sheets are the naturals baking sheets from Nordic Ware. They’re made of rust-proof aluminum and their rims are reinforced with a steel bar so they don’t warp in your oven. I have three sizes of the Nordic Ware Naturals pans:
- a quarter sheet baking pan,
- a half sheet baking pan, and
- a “big sheet” baking pan, which is 35% bigger than a half sheet pan. Note: It should fit most standard-sized ovens, but if you or the person you’re shopping for has an oven that’s on the smaller side, you might want to stick with the half sheet pan.
I also have a half sheet pan from Fat Daddios, which works very well too. I’m just partial to Nordic Ware because not only are they awesome, but they’re also made in Minnesota. 😉
A word on nonstick baking sheets: I’m not a fan, so I don’t really have a well-tested recommendation for you. However, I’ve heard great things about Chicago Metallic and USA Pan. So if you’re set on nonstick, give those brands a try.
Another reason I don’t bother with nonstick pans is that I always use either a silicone pan liner or parchment paper whenever I bake. It keeps your cookies from sticking, and also keeps your pans in better shape longer.
Silicone Sheet Pan Liners
As far as silicone pan liners go, the only brand I’ve used is Silpat. Silpat liners are manufactured in France and are made of food-grade, fiberglass-reinforced silicone. They make baking (and cleanup) so easy, without creating extra waste like parchment paper does (though I admit I use my fair share of parchment — I don’t have a Silpat liner for every baking sheet I own…yet).
Silpat liners come in a ton of shapes and sizes, but if you’re only going to buy one, I’d start with a half sheet size, since that’s the most commonly used size of baking sheet. Williams Sonoma has four different sizes on their website, including a quarter sheet (which is totally on my wish list), a half sheet, and a 3/4 sheet (which would work well for the Nordic Ware “big pan” cookie sheet).
There are, of course, other brands out there, but since I haven’t tried them, I can’t comment on their quality. (Though these from Nordic Ware and these from Oxo look like great options.) And if silicone pan liners aren’t quite right for you, opt for some high-quality unbleached parchment paper (I like Mrs. Anderson’s — available locally at Duluth Kitchen Co or online).
Cookie Scoops
Cookie scoops aren’t absolutely necessary for making great cookies, but boy do they make drop cookies a lot easier and faster to make! So if your loved one is a big cookie baker, they should have at least one cookie scoop among their baking tools.
I like Oxo’s cookie scoops. I have all three sizes they make:
- A small cookie scoop, which makes cute little 2″ cookies. I mainly use this one for making truffles, but occasionally I’ll make bite-sized cookies with them.
- A medium cookie scoop, which makes 2 3/4″ cookies. I use this size for almost all the cookies I bake.
- A large cookie scoop, which makes 3 1/2″ cookies. This one is fun for when you want to make jumbo-sized cookies.
If you need to pick just one size, go with the medium. It’ll be just the right size for most typical cookie recipes.
Cookie Cookbooks
I have two cookbook authors I swear by when it comes to cookies: Dorie Greenspan and Sarah Kieffer.
Dorie Greenspan’s cookbook Dorie’s Cookies is a treasure trove of cookie recipes. There are some good basics, as well as some really fun flavor combinations and some unique cookies and bars I hadn’t seen before. And everything I’ve ever made of hers has turned out beautifully. (Her World Peace Cookies are an especial favorite.)
I have two cookbooks from Sarah Kieffer that would be great for the cookie lover in your life. Her 100 Cookies is bound to become a classic — it has an ideal mix of classic cookie and bar recipes as well as some updated ones (OMG the French Silk Pie Bars…). It would be such a fun cookbook to bake through with friends throughout the year (start your own baking club perhaps?).
The second book I have of hers is her Baking for the Holidays. It’s not all cookies, but it does have some delightful seasonal cookie recipes that the baker in your life would love (like Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies — *drool*).
Cookie Cutters and Presses
Some fun cookie cutters are always a great gift for your baker friends. And no matter what their style is, there are cookie cutters to suit any baker. Case in point: these Star Wars cookie cutters and these Ninjabread Men cookie cutters. See? There’s truly something for everyone.
I have a lot of cookie cutters from Fox Run, and they’ve all worked great and held up well (and they’re fairly inexpensive too). Plus, they have a ton of options to choose from. I also have this set of graduated round stainless steel cutters from Ateco. I know plain round cutters aren’t very exciting, but they’re SO useful to have around.
And as for cookie presses (those often frustrating tools you dig out for the holidays to make your Grandma’s spritz cookies), there’s only one I’d recommend — the Oxo Good Grips Cookie Press (pictured above). I’ve had great luck with it: it’s easy to use and makes beautiful pressed cookies. (Food and Wine named this press the best of 2023, too, so I’m not the only one who likes it.)
Cookie Spatulas and Misc Tools
A good cookie spatula (or turner) is one that’s nice and thin, so you can slide it easily beneath your cookie without ruining the cookie. Oxo makes a spatula specifically for cookies, and it’s a great one. It’s nice and thin, perfectly sized for a cookie, and covered in silicone so it won’t scratch your bakeware.
My current favorite spatula for cookies is one by Kuhn Rikon that I can’t find anywhere anymore. It’s made of nylon and it’s very close to this Jumbo Flexi Turner (mine’s just smaller). I like it because it’s super thin, so it’s easy to slide under cookies, and it’s nice and big so I can pick up two cookies at a time. This one from Wilton looks amazing too — it’s like a flat shovel for cookies. (BRB, adding “cookie shovel” to my holiday wish list.)
And then it’s always good to have a mini spatula or two around for scraping out jars of molasses or putting icing on cookies. I love GIR’s little spatulas (I have both a “mini” and a “skinny”) for scraping out small jars or other little tasks.
For icing cookies, I love a small offset spatula. I can’t remember or figure out what brand the one I have is, but it looks a lot like this Oxo Cupcake Icing Knife. This wooden-handled one from Ateco would be another great option (I love Ateco’s baking tools).
(Side note: Is anyone else confused by why we call all of these things “spatulas”? They’re all so different. Anyway…)
One more miscellaneous tool recommendation: a great cooling rack. A baker can never have too many cooling racks. I especially love this Extra Large Baking & Cooling Grid from Nordic Ware. It’s a huge cooling rack that fits SO MANY COOKIES. Plus, it fits perfectly inside the Big Sheet cookie sheet for storage.
Cookie Decorating and Sprinkles
I admit, I’m not skilled at super intricate cookie decorating (the photo above of my Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Cookies is as fancy as I get). I’m SO impressed by those who do it, but it’s just not my thing. So, the decorating tools below are for simpler, more basic cookie decorating.
First, sprinkles. Some fun sprinkles from Sprinkle Pop or Sweetapolita would be such a fun stocking stuffer for the bakers in your life. These sprinkles aren’t your typical rainbow jimmies (though I do love me some rainbow jimmies). They’re fun, unique mixes that often include intricate little bits — like these snowmen and these donuts. There’s even a mix based on Minecraft.
Edible glitter would be an especially fun gift. I just ordered some from Foliay, as well as this set of decorating brushes. (I’ve also ordered a stencil from Michael’s to try stenciling glitter onto cookies. Once I use them I’ll update this blog with my thoughts.) Sur la Table has some fun colors of edible glitter as well, and locally I’ve seen it at Duluth Kitchen Co.
Some gel food coloring like these from Wilton is a vital tool for bakers as well. Gel food coloring allows you to create brighter colors without adding too much liquid to your bakes and icings. Grab a couple of your baker’s favorite colors, or get a set like this one.
Piping bags and tips can come in handy for cookie decorating too. These canvas piping bags from Ateco are great because you can wash and reuse them, so you’re not tossing a bunch of plastic in the garbage. I’ve had two for several years now, and they’ve held up really well. And a set like this one with a piping bag and six piping tips would be perfect for a baker who’s just getting into decorating.
I hope this little gift guide gives you some great gift ideas for your loved ones this year. Wishing you all a happy and healthy holiday season!