These 13 fun and essential holiday baking tools will come in handy this holiday season! Plus, they make perfect gifts for the home baker in your life!
Having the proper baking tools, especially around the holidays, is super important. That's why I created this list of what I believe are the most essential baking tools to have in your kitchen during this time of the year.
Many of these items I already own and use on a regular basis, but even more so between Halloween and Christmas.
Not only are these perfect items for your kitchen, but they'd also make GREAT gifts for the baker in your life. It's a win-win!
Plus, I wouldn't mind receiving some of these as gifts, myself. 😉
Please note: There are affiliate links on this post linking to the products that I have or what's included on my Christmas list. If you make a purchase through any of these links, that means I will receive a small commission at no cost to you.
1. Cookie Cutters
Around the holidays we all love to bake cookies (even more so than any other time of the year!). It's fun (and highly recommended) to have both Fall and Christmas themed cutters.
I LOVE my Fall leaves cookie cutters. They're perfect for decorating pie crust or even making sugar cookies out of!
And then you have your classic Christmas cookie cutters and this 18-piece set from Wilton has a great variety, including Santa, a snowman, candy cane, and so much more! Plus, just for fun, I have a llama cookie cutter and they make awesome gingerbread cookies. 🙂
What to use cookie cutters for:
- Pie Crust
- Sugar Cookies
- Gingerbread Cookies
2. Offset Spatula
Having an offset spatula makes icing cakes and cookies so much easier! I recommend Wilton's Offset Spatula as it works great every time. This was a gift I received last Christmas and I am super thankful for it!
What to use an offset spatula for:
- Cake
- Sugar Cookies
3.Pie Dish
Pie season is also in full swing around the holidays. Having a reliable glass pie dish is a must-have in my kitchen. I use Pyrex's glass pie dish and couldn't recommend that brand enough! Most recipes will say to use either a 9-inch or 9.5-inch pie dish, so make sure to go with one of those two sizes.
What to use a pie dish for:
4. Cupcake Liners
Whether you're making cupcakes, mini cheesecakes, or muffins, it's always a good idea to have cupcake liners on hand! I like the white ones because they go well with every baked goodie at any time of the year, but you could also go with some more festive ones like these.
What to use cupcake liners for:
5. Rolling Pin
Having a reliable wooden rolling pin is essential, especially for holiday baking! You'll use your rolling pin a lot for all of that pie and cookie dough. Not only is it easy to use, but equally easy to clean as well!
Do you know what an embossed rolling pin is? It's a wooden rolling pin that has been engraved with a design like snowflakes, snowmen, and so much more! These make for great gifts (three of my family members are getting one of these this year!) and they're super easy for kids to use, too!
You'll use an embossed rolling pin to make cute designs on any pastry dough like pie crust or cookies.
What to use a rolling pin for:
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
- Biscuit Dough
6. Festive Silicone Spatulas
These cute little Christmas themed silicone spatulas can make for great stocking stuffers for your home baker. I love using these holiday spatulas in my kitchen. They're a bit smaller than my normal silicone spatulas and make mixing all of my batters extremely easy!
What to use silicone spatulas for:
- Mixing
- Folding
- Smoothing
- Combining
- Scraping
7. Holiday Kitchen Towels
Now, having holiday towels doesn't necessarily make you a better baker, but they do brighten up your kitchen! I love having hand towels for every season and holiday. I certainly like having red and green ones for Christmas (like these) and then anything with leaves for the Fall!
Bonus: Holiday Oven Mitts!
8. Ramekins
These white ramekins are on my Christmas list this year! They can be used for puddings, soufflés, sauces, small appetizers, or ice cream. The possibilities are endless with these little ramekins, and they also look elegant on any table!
What to use ramekins for:
- Prep Bowls
- Pudding
- Individual Desserts
- Ice Cream Bowls
- Sauces
9. Glass Prep Bowls
Another essential baking tool on my Christmas list this year is this set of small glass prep bowls. Having these small bowls will allow you to easily prep out your baking ingredients in advance, saving time and helping you to remember which ingredients you've already used.
What to use glass prep bowls for:
- Dry Ingredients
- Wet Ingredients
- Mixing
10. Christmas Sprinkles
Having an assortment of bright and colorful sprinkles are so fun to have on-hand during the holiday season! I use leaves sprinkles during the Fall and then have an assortment of Christmas themed sprinkles (like these and these).
What to use sprinkles for:
- Cakes
- Cupcakes
- Cookies
11. Food Coloring
Be sure to always have food coloring in your pantry. You'll use this quite often, especially around Christmas time, to dye your white frosting different colors for decorating cookies. I recommend the gel food coloring from Wilton. It's a little less messy and the colors are bolder.
What to use food coloring for:
- Frosting
- Cake Batter
- Cookie Dough
12. Electric Stand Mixer
I use my electric stand mixer probably about 70% of the time when I’m baking. It makes my life a lot easier! Kitchen Aid brand is what I use and recommend because of the quality. There are many colors to choose from, which is fun and allows you to be creative with your choice (I really like my black one!).
But, if you can't afford one or just don't want one, I recommend having a handheld mixer. These are equally as effective. You just have to hold it the whole time. If I'm not using my electric stand mixer on a particular recipe, then I'm probably using the handheld mixer.
What to use an electric stand mixer for:
13. Silicone Baking Mats
Silicone baking mats are one of my favorite kitchen tools when I’m baking! These are placed on top of your cookie sheets for anything that you bake on them. They make cleaning so easy and less painful! This year on my Christmas list I have these silicone baking mats listed. They come in a pack of 4, which is perfect for the amount of baking that I'll be doing next year!
What to use silicone baking mats for:
- Cookies
- Sheet Cakes
- Anything you use a cookie sheet for
These 13 items are what I believe are most essential this holiday baking season and what I think make perfect gifts for the baker in your life!
I'd love to know what's on YOUR wish list this Christmas season. Let me know in the comments below! 🙂
This is a great list! I love how you gave suggestions on what to use each item for. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Sarah!