Whip up holiday magic with these essential cookie baking tools

Holiday baking can go one of two ways—it's either a relaxing, carefree celebration of the season with loved ones, or an exhausting odyssey through unknown territory. Whether you’re going to be eating or gifting your creations, you want them to be great—and using the right tools is the place to start.

Baking is an art and a science, which means your results will be as good as your tools and your ingredients (and your recipes—please, follow those closely). If you want the holiday cookie-making process to be as smooth and delicious as possible this year, here are the very best baking tools we’ve tested to help you mix, measure, roll, whip, and flip your way there.

Cookie baking sheets

You’ll want to have at least a couple of baking sheets on hand before you begin your holiday cookie journey. These half-sheets from Nordic Ware, won our roundup of the best baking trays and remain a Reviewed favorite.

Why we love it: These sheets are lightweight, large enough to fit more than a dozen cookies, and distribute heat like a dream. Even covered with goodies, the trays are light enough to hold with one hand while you transfer your goodies onto a waiting plate.

A baking rolling pin

If you’re planning on making anything that requires a solid rolling pin—gingerbread men, for instance, or beautifully decorated sugar cookies—then we recommend the J.K. Adams Plain Maple Rolling Dowel. It might look a little underwhelming, but that’s what makes it great.

Why we love it: The simple design and weight of this pin makes it easy to use. You can control the amount of pressure needed depending on what you're rolling. And the lack of handles also means that you'll never cut an edge through your dough.

Mixing bowls for baking

If you’re mixing by hand or need to separate dry and wet ingredients, you’ve got to have a set of mixing bowls to stay organized. Our pick is the set of three Cuisinart Stainless-steel Mixing Bowls with Lids.

Why we love it: They’re easy to clean, incredibly durable, and the lids mean that you can mix something up and then store it in the fridge between bakes or while you’re waiting for your buddy to come over and help. Plus, they're dishwasher-safe.

Baking measuring cups and spoons

Any baking recipe is going to require at least some degree of measuring. While most people probably already have a set of measuring cups in their cabinets, it doesn’t mean you can’t upgrade to our favorite, the Bellemain Stainless-steel Measuring Cup Set. Better yet, get a second set. That way, when you’ve got to use that quarter cup for both peanut butter and oats, you’re not having to run to the sink over and over.

Why we love it: This heavy-duty set includes six different sizes for every measuring task, and they all come stored together with an easy-to-remove chain. Plus they easily fit inside standard containers and don't bend easily when scooping brown sugar.

Apply that same logic to measuring spoons. A great set will make all the difference, like the Cuisipro Stainless-steel Measuring Spoon Set.

Why we love it: This complete set is inexpensive, yet incredibly effective. And the spoons' oval shape means they can fit in most spice jars—which is a big plus, especially when you’re baking.

Cookie press tool

If you’re more into thumbprint cookies or maybe some good old-fashioned sprinkle-laden butter cookies, you’re going to need a cookie press. The OXO Good Grips 14-piece Cookie Press Set is a great option because it includes a wide variety without breaking the bank.

Why we love it: This cookie press tool comes with 12 durable stainless-steel discs featuring different cookie designs, including a very festive snowflake, tree, and wreath. Buyers say it’s easy to use, easy to clean, and helps make the cookie-making process extra fun.

All-purpose baking spatula

You’ll need a silicone baking spatula to scrape batter and mix ingredients while you bake, even if you’re using a stand mixer. The Di Oro Large Silicone Spatula won its category in our roundup of the best spatulas and is an excellent choice for folding flour into your batter and then scraping down the sides of your bowl.

Why we love it: It’s a single, slick piece of silicone, so you don’t need to worry about the head snapping off. The handle is sturdy and solid, while the head is just flexible enough to scrape down tricky-to-reach areas of your bowl. And its curved side means it's great for reaching into those pesky corners.

Flat baking spatula

A flat baking spatula is a kitchen staple—ideal for removing cookies from a baking tray, flipping pancakes and eggs, and any other cooking task that requires slipping under food to move it around. And the OXO Good Grips Large Silicone Flexible Turner takes the cake (no pun intended).

Why we love it: This spatula is large enough to pick up large pancakes and multiple cookies at once, plus its silicone design means it won't scratch your pan and it's easy to clean.

Holiday cookie cutters

If you’re making traditional cutout cookies, pick up a set of cookie cutters. But don't just pick up any set; bad cookie cutters can turn a fun afternoon of baking into a frustrating battle with sticky plastic and missing gingerbread arms.

Amazon users love Wilton’s set of 101 different cookie cutters, which might seem excessive, but think of it this way: You’ll never have to buy other cookie shapes again.

Why we love it: The set includes 10 different holiday-themed cutters, including four differently sized gingerbread people. Plus they've got no sharp edges—which means they’re great to use with kids—and they're dishwasher-safe.

Baking cooling rack

You’ll obviously need a solid cooling rack (or four) at the ready for your holiday cookies, but did you know they can also be used to cook? Line a baking sheet with a wire rack like this one from Checkered Chef and you'll create the perfect convection cooking space. You see, the air will be able to circulate underneath your food, creating the crispiest bacon or Brussels sprouts on the block.

Why we love it: This stainless-steel rack is spacious and great for cooling multiple batches of cookies. It can also be used to convection bake larger items—like a Christmas turkey—and allow for ample circulation.

Baking thermometer

If your oven doesn’t perform like it used to and you’re worried about inaccurate temperatures, you’ll need an oven thermometer to perfect your cookies. Our favorite thermometer by KT Thermo is an efficient, straight-forward thermometer that meets right at the intersection of great functionality and visual appeal.

Why we love it: During testing, this no-frills model reported temperatures with great accuracy and responded quickly to any changes in heat. It's effortless to hang on the oven rack, and although the face is small, it's easy to read thanks to clear, bold print and distinct tick marks.

Christmas cookie decorating kit

Finding the right piece of cookie decorating equipment at the right time can be a nightmare. Cakebe’s 68-piece decorating kit takes all the questions and struggles out of figuring out how to decorate Christmas cookies.

Why we love it: There are 36 different icing tips in the kit, plus a booklet, which features pictures of the design each one produces. There are also icing bags, bag clips, and even a storage box to keep it all together.

Pre-made cookie dough

Do you want to decorate and ice cookies but don’t want to measure, mix and roll? Cheryl’s Cookies has a pre-made kit for that.

Cheryl’s pre-made tubs of both chocolate chip cookie dough and sugar cookie dough require the bare minimum of baking while still benefitting from the smells of freshly baked cookies in your kitchen.

Why we love it: Both mixes are easy to scoop out with a good ice cream scoop for standard round shapes, or rolled out and cut into holiday shapes with the tools we listed above. And they ship nationwide.

Cookie storage containers

Once you’ve baked all your delectable, festive cookies, you’ll need somewhere to put them. We recommend having our favorite set of Pyrex storage containers at the ready for storage, transport, and gifting.

Why we love it: These durable glass containers nest within each other for easy storage, they don't impart off-flavors into our food, and they're marked as dishwasher-, microwave-, and oven-safe. And they’re not just for cookies—they aced every test we could think of. They didn't leak water when we sloshed them around and didn't burst open or shatter when we dropped them from a countertop.