When outfitting your baking toolkit, the best cookie cutters are a small but worthy investment. They come in plastic or metal designs to help you achieve the clean, crisp edges you find on professionally baked cookies. But, since cookie cutters come in a range of shapes and materials, there are a few things to keep in mind when shopping.
Whether you choose a metal or plastic design, look for a cookie cutter with a sturdy construction. Stainless steel cookie cutters have a sharp edge that can cut all the way through rolled cookie dough with minimal effort. A rolled upper edge on the cutter will prevent it from warping, and makes cutting out dozens of cookies comfortable and safe. Most stainless steel cutters should be hand washed and thoroughly dried before storage, though, but when cared for properly, will last for years.
Try to avoid cutters with thick, dull edges, as these tend to squash, rather than slice through cookie dough, resulting in ragged edges. While plastic cookie cutters offer the benefit of being affordable, dishwasher-safe, and lightweight for kids, their cutting edges can dull over time, so make sure to store them away safely so they won’t be crushed. Some cookie cutter sets even come with storage containers or tins, which make them easy to organize.
The best cookie cutters make the job of preparing cookies foolproof and fun, matter what shape you choose. Keep scrolling, they’re gathered up below.
Table of Contents
1. The Overall Best Cookie Cutters
The Ann Clark Cookie Cutters brand manufactures a variety of baking tools, including this set of five dessert-themed cookie cutters. The cutters measure between 4 and 5 inches in length, and are made from durable, rigid stainless steel that won’t warp or bend. The rolled upper edges of the cutters help them to retain their shape, and make them comfortable to hold if you need to apply pressure to cut through dense doughs. The 1-inch blade provides plenty of clearance for fingers, and can be used to cut thicker cookie doughs, pastry, or even bread for making fun snacks. A recipe guide of cookie doughs and frostings is included, and if you don’t need a cookie cutter set, you can purchase individual shapes, like this elephant or mushroom design.
Helpful review: “These are great cookie cutters! Nice size and sturdy. Makes amazing cookies to decorate with royal icing. They can be used for fondant work and modeling chocolate also.”
2. The Most Affordable Stainless Steel Cookie Cutters
Also made from food-grade stainless steel, this set of 26 cookie cutters from TAOUNOA is just $9, and a versatile pick for year-round baking. Each cutter features a rolled upper edge and a thin-but-durable, 0.6-inch blade for cutting clean shapes from cookie dough. The cutters themselves range in size from 2 to 3 inches, and come in a variety of shapes, including animals, vegetables, trees, and more traditional shapes like a fluted-edged round cutter.
Helpful review: “Bought these as a birthday gift to myself. Absolutely love them. Having fun making cookies for everyone.”
3. The Best Space-Saving Cookie Cutters
This set of 11 round cutters from Ateco arrive nested in a covered tin box that fits neatly into a kitchen drawer. The graduated cutters range between 0.75 inches to a bit over 5.5 inches in length, and are 1.25 inches in height, giving you a wide range of sizes to help you make ornate cookie designs, including cut-outs within cookies, sandwich-style cookies, and bite-sized cookies or crackers. Ateco’s cutters are made from durable stainless steel with a rolled rim and sharp edge, making them easy to hold when cutting dough. The brand makes cookie cutter sets in varying shapes and themes that have a similar nesting design for easy storage, including these cute alphabet cookie cutters.
Helpful review: “These are sharp and easily cut through biscuits, puff pastry, cookies, but don’t smoosh the edges so I still get lift and flakiness. Another aspect doesn’t have to do with cutting but storage. Because these rounds all fit into each other, and have a tin with a lid, they are easy to store, don’t scatter all inside the drawer, very smart and useful.”
4. The Best Cookie Cutters For Kids
If you’re baking with little chefs in the kitchen, this set of 101 plastic cookie cutters from Wilton will supply an endless amount of creative inspiration. Included in the clever carrying and storage case are colorful numbers, letters, animals, and holiday themes that are fun for kids to use and learn from. Each cutter measures just 0.33-inches tall and is on average 3.5 inches in length, making them easy for small hands to grip, whether cutting out cookie dough or modeling dough for crafting. The material is sharp enough to cut through a variety of materials, but not as sharp as stainless steel, and has the benefit of being dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup. This set of cutters is ideal for making personalized and thoughtful cookie gifts, although adults and those with larger hands may find the low-profile cutters challenging to grip.
Helpful review: “These are great. They come in a great tub for storage and are perfect for very amateur bakers like myself or for crafts with the kids. No super sharp edges, not flimsy, and no tight turns make them easy to use and clean. Amazing value!”
