The 10 Best Cookie Cutter Sets
This wiki has been updated 32 times since it was first published in February of 2016. Whether you're a professional baker or simply an inventive home cook, any of these cookie cutter sets will add some flair to your sugary or savory creations. Our selection offers an assortment of shapes, including letters, numbers, and even ninjas, for endless possibilities in the kitchen. Many are also great for cutting sandwiches, fruits, vegetables, and other foods. When users buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
1. Ultra Cuisine Commercial
2. Wilton 101-Piece
3. Ateco 4845
Editor's Notes
June 17, 2020:
Cookie cutters need to tick a few boxes to be worthy of your kitchen arsenal, and they include reliability, effective cutting, variety of shapes and sizes, and sturdy, food-safe construction. All of our selections hit these marks, although some are designed to be thin or thick depending on their formation and the amount of flex required to keep the piece from snapping. Still others are priced lower and forego features professionals would want to appeal to casual bakers.
Some, like the newly-added Ann Clark 4-Piece and Hulisen Biscuit, are meant to be and stay sharp, which is great for professional bakers, but less suitable for use on some baking mats or with kids. Then there are options like the Wilton 101-Piece and Wilton ABC & 123, which feature child-friendly designs that would likely not hold up in a commercial setting. The perfect set for you will depend on your specific needs and situation.
Today we said goodbye to the La Cucina's Best, VonShef Plastic Colorful, and Mcirco Multi-Size due to availability issues, and removed the R&M International, which are on the flimsy side and less versatile than the Kazoo Mini set we brought on to replace it. We liked the design of the La Cucina brand and recognize its usefulness, which is why the similar Nelpla Assorted has assumed its position in the ranks. The Hulisen Biscuit was added to the mix to give another choice to serious cooks who want high-grade steel pieces with thoughtful features like handles and marked measurements. They join the likes of the Ateco 4845 and Ultra Cuisine Commercial, the latter of which sports welded seams and rolled tops to add to their reliability and comfort.
Special Honors
Just Little Luxuries Just Little Luxuries offers an impressive array of cutters in a variety of shapes, allowing you to get the perfect niche item for a birthday, holiday, or school function for both children and adults. Choose from a long list of television and movie characters and icons like Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story and a Central Perk coffee mug from the show Friends, as well as interesting forms like perfume bottles, motorcycles, and more. The company will also design one for you if you need something customized. justlittleluxuries.com
Uncommon Goods Unicorn Baking Set Meant for children, the Unicorn Baking Set makes it easy to create delicious treats with a magical twist. The kit features a charming apron with mitten pockets that fits kids ages three to nine, five cookie cutters, two icing bags with tips, a recipe book, and a plastic rolling pin designed to roll cookie dough to just the right thickness. uncommongoods.com
4. Fred and Friends Ninjabread Men
5. Kazoo Mini
6. Hulisen Biscuit
7. Wilton ABC & 123
8. Ann Clark 4-Piece
9. Nelpla Assorted
10. Wilton Holiday
When Do Cookie Cutters Come In Handy?
Cookie cutters have more applications than you might realize.
There isn't anything wrong with the traditional circular cookie. After all, it's an easy way to make a batch without having to break out any extra supplies. But sometimes an occasion comes up that requires a more festive treat — and that's where cookie cutters come in.
One of the cookie cutter's most appealing traits is that it makes a wonderful tool for introducing children to the world of baking. Many varieties come with dull edges for safety, so you won't have to worry about your kids getting hurt as they work. Plus, cookie cutters are exceedingly simple to operate. All you have to do is press down for a perfectly shaped biscuit every time.
While we're on the subject of kids, who could forget the cookie cutter's usefulness when it comes to gelatin? With cookie cutters, you can make healthy, low-calorie snacks at home that are as fun to make as they are to eat. It's no secret that for some reason, children seem much more likely to give different foods a shot when they're presented in unusual shapes.
You can use cookie cutters on an incredible number of dishes to produce mouth-watering creations that look a whole lot cooler than what the other kids are eating during lunchtime. Try cookie cutters on sandwiches, fruit, and cheese. Some collections are made from materials that are safe for the stovetop, giving you the freedom to create some seriously interesting-looking pancakes and omelets.
Cookie cutters have more applications than you might realize. For instance, did you know you can also use them in arts and crafts projects? They work wonderfully as stencils and can be utilized for making cutouts from other materials besides dough, like clay.
Don't forget about Fido. With dog treats, the homemade route is a smart way to go, especially if you have concerns about health and wellness, but don't have the budget for expensive packaged treats. Cookie cutters allow you to portion out appropriately sized treats created from recipes tailored to your pet's unique nutritional needs. These products are an affordable way to unleash your creativity both in and outside of the kitchen.
How To Determine Which Cookie Cutter Set Is Best For You
There are so many cookie cutter collections out there, it can be hard to narrow your favorites down to just one. Luckily, these products are generally available at affordable prices, so you might even choose to buy an extra set. Outlined below are some common cookie cutter features that will hopefully help inform your decision.
The first thing you'll probably notice is the shapes included in the collection. Cookie cutter sets come in a wide array of shapes and themes. Forms like stars, hearts, and geometric shapes are always a smart choice, as they can be decorated to match whatever holiday, season, or birthday is coming up next.
There are so many cookie cutter collections out there, it can be hard to narrow your favorites down to just one.
Some collections are designed with particular occasions in mind. There are plenty of Christmas and Hanukkah options to choose from if you're planning on diving into a holiday baking project, as well as sets created for events even more specific, like baby showers. There are few gifts quite as heartwarming as a made-from-scratch batch of thoughtfully decorated cookies.
Parents of young children might find themselves drawn to cookie cutter sets that contain shapes of letters and numbers. Cooking is a hands-on activity that offers kids the chance to learn through doing.
Cooking enthusiasts already know how valuable cabinet space is for storing items like appliances, pots, and utensils. So, if storability is a priority for you, go for one of the nested sets on the market that won't take up a significant amount of space in your cupboards.
In order to figure out what kind of material will best suit your preferences, consider how you plan on using your new tools. Are you looking for something that's both decorative and functional? Is safety at the top of your checklist? These are questions you should ask yourself. Among the materials available, you'll most often come across sets constructed from either metal or plastic. Plastic cutters are less likely to have sharp edges and come in a range of colors. Steel cutters are durable and have a classic appearance.
How To Create The Perfect Cookie
Even though baking is an exact science, there's actually more to the process of whipping up cookies than simply following the recipe to a T. Set yourself up for success by keeping these tips in mind. Your cookies may never be the same.
You might not be aware that temperature is a crucial factor that can make or break your baking. As a rule of thumb, the butter you're using should never be too warm. Cooler-than-room-temperature butter is what will give the dough its delicious crumbly texture. This goes for most other pastries, too — not just cookies.
Before you put your tray in the oven, but after you've turned the oven on, throw your cookies into the fridge for a few minutes while the oven heats up.
Here's a helpful hint: instead of relying on measuring cups, use a scale to assess how much flour you're really mixing into your recipe. It's critical to measure out the correct amount of flour because if there's too much of it in your dough, your cookies will come out dry and dense. On the other hand, if there's too little flour, the dough will be runny and difficult to bake.
Before you put your tray in the oven, but after you've turned the oven on, throw your cookies into the fridge for a few minutes while the oven heats up. This extra chill time will restore the dough's firmness and allow each cookie to retain its shape as it bakes.
Lastly, it can be tempting if you're in a hurry, but don't bake more than one tray at a time. If you put too many trays in the oven, it can throw off the temperature, resulting in underbaked biscuits.
Patience and perseverance are key when it comes to baking. If your first batch doesn't come out looking or tasting like a million bucks, don't get discouraged. With a little practice, you'll be pulling trays of delectable cookies out of your oven in no time.
Born in Arizona, Gia is a writer and autodidact who fled the heat of the desert for California, where she enjoys drinking beer, overanalyzing the minutiae of life, and channeling Rick Steves. After arriving in Los Angeles a decade ago, she quickly nabbed a copywriting job at a major clothing company and derived years of editing and proofreading experience from her tenure there, all while sharpening her skills further with myriad freelance projects. In her spare time, she teaches herself French and Italian, has earned an ESL teaching certificate, traveled extensively throughout Europe and the United States, and unashamedly devours television shows and books. The result of these pursuits is expertise in fashion, travel, beauty, literature, textbooks, and pop culture, in addition to whatever obsession consumes her next.