The Christmas Baking Supplies You Need for Cookies and Beyond
Updated: Nov. 11, 2021Is your kitchen ready for the holidays? Make sure you've got these must-have Christmas baking supplies before you start stirring up your next batch of cookies.
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Spare Mixing Bowl
When you’re whipping up batch after batch of cookies, you don’t want to pause to wash your mixer bowl or wait for the dishwasher to finish its cycle. Instead, snag an extra bowl for your KitchenAid stand mixer. It’s one of the most practical Christmas baking supplies. You’ll get plenty of use out of it during the most wonderful time of the year (and serious bakers will probably reach for their spare regularly).
Holiday Spices
So many of our favorite holiday treats get a lift in flavor from spices like cinnamon (did you know there are different types?), ginger, cardamom and more. Make sure your spice rack is filled with the flavors you need for baking. And don’t miss our list of must-have holiday spices selected by spice pros.
Cookie Press
Spritz cookies are a must in any holiday cookie tin. Make sure you’re prepared to make a few batches with an easy-to-use cookie press. In our experience, this one from OXO is a cinch to use for making dozens of cookies; see how it compares to vintage versions.
Holiday Hot Pads
Get yourself in the holiday spirit with this two-piece potholder set. The festive plaids and stripes will add a very merry look to your cookie baking station. Plus, their 100% cotton construction makes them easy to toss in the wash.
Extra Cooling Racks
A holiday kitchen is a busy one. Don’t waste your time shuffling cookies to and from a single rack. Invest in a few extra wire racks so you can bake to your heart’s content without extra hassle.
Tiered Cooling Rack
In addition to a few more wire racks, you might want to invest in a tiered rack to save counter space. This convenient caddy holds up to four sheets of cookies in the space you’d normally need for one. This is a must for big-batch baking.
So Many Sprinkles
Decorated cookies are a huge part of the holidays. A Christmas cookie tray just isn’t the same without them. This holiday season, don’t settle for the basic nonpareils and jimmies from the supermarket—try some fun sprinkle blends like these from Fancy Sprinkles. You can use them to decorate your gingerbread houses, too!
Holiday Cookie Cutters
Cutout cookies are a must-bake for the holidays. Make sure you’re prepared for all of the fun decorating possibilities with plenty of holiday cookie cutters. This set from Williams-Sonoma has all the classics.
Extracts
Make sure you have all the flavorings you need for fantastic cookies before you settle into the kitchen. This holiday package from Nielsen-Massey includes the three most popular baking extracts for the season: almond, peppermint and vanilla.
Embossed Rolling Pin
Sure, you have your trusty rolling pin for making pie crust and cutout cookies, but have you seen an embossed rolling pin before? This etched woodland rolling pin gives your cookies a cute design without having to do a stitch of decorating. Use with shortbread, gingerbread and other cutout cookies.
Spare Measuring Cups and Spoons
We know that during the holiday season, bakers are in the kitchen from sunup to sundown. That means that essential tools like measuring cups and spoons are in heavy rotation. Instead of taking a break to run the dishwasher, have a second set of these on hand.
Cookie Containers
We know you’re not baking all those cookies for yourself! Share the love with cookie containers that double as gifts. Target has a great collection of glass storage containers with holiday motifs that’ll make your loved ones think of you long after all the gingerbread cookies are gone.
Mini Loaf Pans
This time of year is all about sharing. Include mini loaves of your favorite quick breads along with tins of cookies. These nonstick mini loaf pans are just right for baking up this five-star white fruit cake (a favorite at Taste of Home HQ), eggnog loaves and peppermint-chocolate quick bread.
Cookie Baking Sweatshirt
No, this cozy crewneck isn’t essential for holiday baking, but we bet you’ll find yourself wearing it pretty often throughout the busiest baking days of the year. It’s also comfy enough that you can go from baking to enjoying a few Christmas movies on the couch without having to change.
Oversized Spatula
When you’re baking so often, you don’t have time to scoop individual cookies off the pan with a teeny tiny spatula. Grab an oversized spatula to do the job instead! This tool is perfect for lifting a half-dozen cookies off your sheet pan at once. You can also use it to scoop up snack mixes, caramel corn and other treats.
Triple Kitchen Timer
It’s the busiest time of year in your kitchen, which means you’ve got more things coming in and out of the oven than ever. Keep track of it all with this OXO timer that can keep time for three separate bakes.
Cookie Trays
Display your favorite cookies with pride at your Christmas party. Festive trays like this one from Pottery Barn are celebratory and subtle all at once. No one will mistake this tree for an everyday tray, but the white glaze allows your treats to take center stage.
Concentrated Food Coloring
To get the saturated reds and greens of the season, you can’t settle for supermarket food dye. Instead, invest in some concentrated paste or gel food coloring, like this set from Wilton. Your reds will be true Christmas red and the greens the shade of a pine tree—no pastels here!
Pine Forest Bundt Pan
Bundt cakes are a hit all year, but you can give your favorite Bundt recipes some holiday flair just by switching up the pan. This pine tree-shaped pan from Nordic Ware is just the thing to transform your go-to chocolate-cherry Bundt cake recipe. Be sure to dust the top with confectioners’ sugar so it looks like it just snowed.
A Heavy-Duty Apron
Holiday baking season is when bakers kick it into high gear. When you’re spending all weekend in the kitchen making cookies, bread and candies, the last thing you need is to splash melted butter all over your clothes. Protect your favorite ugly Christmas sweater and suit up for baking with a quality apron.
Aprons from Hedley & Bennett are designed by chefs so you know they’ve got the features you need for marathon baking: durable fabric, fully adjustable ties and a convenient phone-sized pocket so you can keep your recipes handy.
Cordless Chopper
Baking this time of year requires more prep than ever. That means chopping nuts, dicing up dried fruit and making lots and lots of homemade whipped cream. Make quick work of these tasks without taking up precious outlets in the kitchen with this KitchenAid cordless chopper.
And if cordless gadgets sound right for you, read why our Test Kitchen loves the KitchenAid cordless hand mixer.
Dusting Wand
A dusting of confectioners’ sugar is an easy way to give everything from elegant Bundt cakes to simple Christmas cookies a pretty finish. This dusting wand makes giving your bakes that snow-kissed touch easy. You can also use this tool to sprinkle cocoa powder or cinnamon on your bakes. Use it to dust your work surface with flour, too, when making pie pastry or rolling out cookies.
Holiday Cake Stand
Show off your Christmas cakes with pride when you display them on this Scandinavian-inspired holiday cake stand. Dotted with fir trees and a geometric design around the rim, this stand reads holiday without stealing the spotlight from your gorgeous bakes.
Edible Luster Powder
If you want to give your bakes a touch of glitz, try edible luster dust. Use a soft brush to gild your bakes with a touch of shimmer. It’s simple to use and adds plenty of pizazz to cookies, cakes and candies.
Label Maker
Prolific cookie bakers, you know the feeling: You look at your stash of cookies in their tins and can’t remember which one has rum balls and which is full of chocolate crinkle cookies. The easiest way to keep your cookies and candies straight is by labeling all your containers. A label maker makes it super simple and you’ll find plenty of uses for this gadget throughout the house.
CMU Unit
