15 Essential Kitchen Gadgets for Christmas Cookies and Desserts

With the festive season right around the corner, every baker and pastry chef you know will be extra busy. Make their lives easier by giving them some new, useful tools that will allow them to bake holiday cookies and desserts in a snap. We picked out a few below.

1. AmazonBasics Baking Mats; $14

Scraping desserts off sticky baking trays gets old fast. This set of two AmazonBasics silicone baking mats is the solution. Not only are these non-stick mats easy to clean, but they also work perfectly without the use of baking sprays, oil, or parchment paper. Each mat measures 11.6 by 16.5 inches, making them large enough for ample baking projects.

Buy it: Amazon

2. Hibery Cookie Cutters; $13

This pack of cookie cutters from Hibery will add some Christmas cheer to your gift recipient’s cookies. Consisting of 16 pieces, this set comes with an array of high-definition holiday designs, including Christmas trees, reindeer, snowflakes, and more. Made from stainless steel, this cookie cutter pack is durable and easy to clean.

Buy it: Amazon

3. Wilton Excelle Elite Cooling Rack; $14

If your bakers find themselves baking cookies for a large number of guests, then this set of three cooling racks is precisely what they need. The racks can be used separately or stacked to cool about three dozen dainties without taking up too much counter space. It’s dishwasher-safe, too.

Buy it: Amazon

4. KitchenAid Cordless Hand Mixer; $99

With seven speed settings, this KitchenAid hand mixer is designed to handle a variety of textures, from chunky ingredients that require a slow stir to heavy creams and egg whites that need to be whipped at top speed. Its Soft Start feature even prevents splattering. This cordless hand mixer can make up to 200 cookies on a single charge and takes only two hours to fully recharge an empty battery.

Buy it: Amazon

5. FineDine Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls; $25

This set of six nested mixing bowls, ranging in capacity from .75 quart to 8 quarts, will equip chefs to handle baking projects of any size. Each stainless steel bowl features wide-rolled rims to allow drip-free pouring. They’re lightweight, durable, and freezer- and dishwasher-safe.

Buy it: Amazon

6. Kaluns Baking Utensil Set; $12

This is the ultimate baking utensil set, consisting of 17 must-haves for home chefs and bakers. Included in this bundle are measuring cups, spoons, spatulas, cake scraper, butter scraper, whisk, and more. Each utensil, made of stainless steel and nylon, is heat-safe up to 350° F.

Buy it: Amazon

7. HelferX Wooden Rolling Pin; $10

This rolling pin is ideal for Christmas cookies, along with pizza, pasta, dumplings, and chapati all year round. With its easy-to-clean, nonstick surface, it will be your home chef’s go-to—and at 17.6 inches long, it can flatten a giant mound of cookie dough in no time.

Buy it: Amazon

8. The Christmas Cookie Cookbook; $14

If the bakers you know are into trying new recipes this Christmas, give them this festive cookbook published by Cider Mill Press. With recipes for classics like gingerbread cookies and soon-to-be favorites like cardamom cookies, it will spark their imagination (and you might reap the benefits).

Buy it: Amazon

9. OXO Good Grips Cookie Press; $27

If your giftee wants consistency in their spritz cookie shapes, look no further than the OXO Good Grips cookie press. This gadget features a non-slip base so they can steadily push out dough, and its ergonomic lever is designed for repetitive use. It comes with 12 stainless steel discs for creating spritz cookies in different shapes.

Buy it: Amazon

10. Joyousa Christmas Cookie Boxes; $12

Your bakers or pastry chefs might be giving cookies or other baked goods as presents this year. Why not help them out with the packaging? This 12-pack of festive Christmas cookie boxes is made from premium-quality cardboard to protect treats from getting squished during delivery.

Buy it: Amazon

11. Create-a-Treat Gingerbread House Kit; $25

Gingerbread houses are impressive, but baking and building them from scratch isn’t always practical around the holidays. Save your giftee the stress by giving them this gingerbread house kit. This package comes with 12 gingerbread panels for constructing two separate cookie houses and candy and icing for decorating them.

Buy it: Amazon

12. Fayomir Cookie Scoop Set; $21

Making cookies takes a lot of work, but scooping dough into individual portions may be the most tedious part. These stainless steel cookie scoopers make it easier. With spoons for 1-tablespoon, 2-tablespoon, and 3-tablespoon scoops, the set works with most recipes. The baker in your life will never have to scrape sticky dough off a spoon with their fingers again.

Buy it: Amazon

13. Nicewell Kitchen Scale; $22

Your favorite cookie aficionado will tell you that baking is equal parts science and art. That’s why you should gift them this kitchen scale from Nicewell. Relying on cups and tablespoons can lead to inaccurate measurements. This gadget measures ingredients down to a fraction of an ounce.

Buy it: Amazon

14. Rubbermaid Oven Thermometer; $10

Temperature is another factor bakers don’t like to leave to chance. The number on an oven’s digital display isn’t always precise, and an appliance that runs hot or cold could produce subpar cookies. The only way to know the exact temperature inside an oven is to use a separate thermometer. This basic model from Rubbermaid—which measures in both Celsius and Fahrenheit—is a meticulous baker’s best friend.

Buy it: Amazon

15. Cuisinart Pizzelle Press; $55

Unlike most Christmas cookies, pizzelles aren’t baked on sheet trays in the oven. The Italian cookies are known for their decorative designs, and they need to be pressed into shape like a waffle. This pizzelle press will let the baker in your life experiment with making the classic pastry at home. It makes two 4-inch cookies at once and includes “ready-to-bake and “ready-to-eat” indicator lights for accurate timing.

Buy it: Amazon

A version of this story ran in 2020; it has been updated for 2021.

Sign Up Today: Get exclusive deals, product news, reviews, and more with the Mental Floss Smart Shopping newsletter!