The 30 Best Gifts for Bakers, According to Pastry Chefs and Editors

Tilit Chef Apron

View On Tilitnyc.com

Whether mixing cookies, shaping sourdough, or crafting buttercream flowers, a quality apron makes a big difference in both cleanliness and efficiency while baking. "When you wear an apron for a living, you learn what aspects matter most to you," says Velez. "This Tilit apron checks all of the boxes for me — it's super lightweight, has hip and chest pockets, and the soft straps won't scratch your neck."

Nordic Ware Naturals Baker's Half Sheet

$22 At Amazon $14 At Target $40 At Sur La Table

I'm a firm believer that a baker can't have too many sheet pans — the limit does not exist. If the baker in your life seemingly has everything, they probably still need more sheet pans. This Nordic Ware Bakers Half Sheet is the trial-tested best pick. Indeed, after over 30 hours of side-by-side sheet pan testing, it wowed us with batches of evenly browned cookies with just-right centers.

Staub Cast Iron 12-inch Fry Pan

$240 At Amazon $100 At Williams-Sonoma View On Wayfair

A frying pan is a surprisingly practical gift for bakers. This heavy-duty frying pan will last years — perhaps even decades. Choose between 10 and 12 inches and eight vibrant colors. "From pies to cornbread, a solid cast-iron pan can handle it all," says Velez. "I like this sage green enameled version by Staub, which is photoshoot–ready and beautiful enough to sit on the stovetop year-round."

BraveTart

$30 At Amazon $20 At Walmart View On Abebooks.com

Although by no means a new release, this cookbook from pastry chef Stella Parks is the one I most often recommend to everyone — but especially newer bakers. Parks writes with clear instructions and explanations, with many recipes offering troubleshooting tips for potential pitfalls. Volume and weight measurements are available on each recipe, though she'll tell you at the top why she really encourages you to get a kitchen scale and convert to weight measurements if you haven't already.

And for the types of recipes, Parks offers any classic you'd need, like a one-bowl chocolate cake, overnight cinnamon rolls, and the perfect buttercream, as well as recreations of classic American brands, like Oreos, Twinkies, and Fig Newtons. Nearly every entry has a section with suggestions on how to substitute different flavors in your creations or even how to make a recipe vegan or gluten-free, making BraveTart a go-to for any baker.

KitchenAid Pro Line Series 7-Quart Stand Mixer

$700 At Amazon $479 At Walmart $549 At Sur La Table

We don’t need to sell you on the power and efficiency of this famed mixer. In our stand mixer tests, the 7-quart KitchenAid impressed us with its ability to take on large and small jobs alike. It's designed to make adding attachments and removing parts as seamless as possible, and it adds a retro touch to any kitchen.

Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus Bread Maker

$400 At Amazon $400 At Williams-Sonoma $400 At Wayfair

If there's a home cook in your life who's into making sourdough, a bread maker makes a great gift for bakers. We named this machine the best bread maker after testing several. Versatile, easy to use, and easy to clean, it stood out to us as a great choice for beginners and pros alike for achieving an airy crumb and golden crust.

Rifle Paper Co. Recipe Box

$45 At Amazon View On Riflepaperco.com View On Papersource.com

There's something special and time-honored about hand-writing a recipe. If there's a digital recipe I find myself returning to again and again, I'll find myself compelled to write it down — what if my internet is down? Or it disappears from my favorite site? I shudder to think.

The Rifle Paper Co. Recipe Tin definitely leans into baking nostalgia in its designs, and it has a few for you to choose from. The sunny tin boxes feature a gold metallic interior and come with 24 two-sided recipe cards as well as 12 recipe dividers with sections like desserts (my most-used for obvious reasons), sauces, appetizers, breakfast, and more.

Silpat Silicone Baking Mat

$25 At Amazon $16 At Williams-Sonoma $28 At Sur La Table

File baking mats along with sheet pans in the "can't have enough" category of gifts for bakers. This classic from Silpat is made from a nonstick combination of fiberglass mesh and food-grade silicone, and it's good for temperatures up to 480 degrees Fahrenheit.

But many bakers find themselves using silicone mats for much more beyond the baking itself; they're microwave- and freezer-safe, and they're great for rolling out pie or pastry dough on — I prefer it to rolling dough out straight on my counter. Instead of trying to wipe away flour mess from my counter when I'm done, I can take the mat over to the sink to dump it there. Plus, I can move the whole thing with dough on it to my fridge or freezer to rest without disrupting more fragile dough if it gets too warm (a classic puff pastry struggle).

Julie Hadley Handmade Wabi Sabi Ceramic Cake Stand

$175 At Food52

After spending (occasionally painstaking) time making a lovely cake or pie, it's absolutely necessary to have the perfect platform on which to show it off. "I love this handmade ceramic stand that's perfectly imperfect and guaranteed to become a family heirloom," says Velez. "It's a simple and beautiful way to elevate your desserts that too many people aren't willing to splurge on!" We think it's pretty enough to leave on display on a counter or shelf, even without dessert in it.

Antiques of Tomorrow French Rolling Pin

$30 At Amazon

If the baker in your life makes a great deal of pies, puff pastry, sugar cookies, or laminated treats, do their wrists a favor and invest in a good tapered rolling pin for them. The dowel-style pin (as opposed to those with handles) gives bakers a better feel for their dough while also being ergonomically pleasing. Antiques of Tomorrow has several finishes available for rolling pins, from cherry to white ash.

Breville Handy Mix Scraper

$150 At Amazon $150 At Williams-Sonoma $150 At breville.com

Our favorite hand mixer is efficient, functional, and versatile, and it easily surpassed the others in our tests. The silicone-tipped beaters are a game changer. They not only scrape the bowl efficiently; they’re far quieter.

Collin Garrity Ceramic Egg Candle

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Bakers go through eggs by the dozen. Nod to this important ingredient with a whimsical candle. Handmade by artist Collin Garrity, a ceramic egg white base frames a yellow beeswax yolk. And yes, it comes with an extra candle — you already know it's going to get a lot of burn time.

OXO Stainless Steel Food Scale

$56 At Amazon $56 At Williams-Sonoma $56 At Sur La Table

Baking is a culinary art that often requires precision; a pinch of salt is about as vague as recipes get, with most requiring specific weight or volume measurements for every ingredient. Weight is a more consistent way to precisely scale your ingredients, as human error and even temperature can affect volume measuring. This kitchen scale offers both U.S. (ounce) and metric (grams), and the pull-out display means you'll still be able to read the scale even with your biggest bowl. My favorite feature is the detachable stainless steel platform. I often use it to weigh bread dough directly on the scale; then, I can easily take the platform off and throw it in with my other dishes.

AHeirloom Pie Stencils (Set of 3)

$30 At Food52

Pressed to find a tool your favorite baker doesn't already have? From food stylist and baker Erin Jeanne McDowell, a pack of three food-safe, laser-cut stencils will make pies pop with patterns too precise for the average baker to even want to attempt.

Snacking Bakes

$19 At Amazon

"I don’t just want cookies and cakes when there’s a party — I want to nibble on them during the most average weekday evening too," says Food & Wine Social Media Editor Merlyn Miller, who recommends Snacking Bakes as one of the best new releases for 2023. Beginners and busy bakers will appreciate its easy recipes, which call for accessible ingredients and (for the most part) come together in less than an hour.

Jacobsen Salt Co. Pure Flake Sea Salt

$16 At Amazon $17 At Williams-Sonoma View On Jacobsensalt.com

The bakers who get it, get it. Flake salt might seem like it's more cooking territory than baking, but a dessert is only as good as its salt, which enhances the sweetness in contrast. Oregon-based Jacobsen Salt So. gathers its much-beloved flavor crystals from seawater in Netarts Bay, processing and hand-grading the flakes. You've likely seen chocolate chip cookies and brownies on social media adorned in the stuff, almost like sprinkles, and though I sometimes contend they use a bit much in the name of photos, I generally co-sign that idea. And you'll be amazed how much mileage you can get out of a 4-ounce bag.

GIR Ultimate Spatula

$17 At Amazon $13 At Target $16 At Walmart

It's almost guaranteed that every baker has a favorite spatula. It's heat-resistant, the perfect shape to scrape a bowl (even around a stand mixer attachment), dishwasher-safe, and, inevitably, it's always dirty. The GIR (Get It Right) spatula is bound to be a new favorite, and if your resident cookie maker already has one, they'll welcome a second for when the first is in the dishwasher. The holy grail of baking equipment is made of silicone that's heat-resistant up to 550 degrees Fahrenheit and comes in several colors and sizes. More spatulas, always.

Mosser Glass Cake Stand

$47 At Food52 View On 2modern.com View On Vermontcountrystore.com

Family-owned Mosser Glass uses vintage molds to make covetable glass cake stands in colors that include translucent amber, opaque pastels, and jadeite. Pieces are pressed and polished by hand, one at a time, which makes them extra special (and which can mean swirls and color variations).

Still We Rise

$17 At Amazon $17 At Target $17 At Walmart

On our list of the best new summer cookbooks, Still We Rise remains top of mind for holiday gifting. Erika Council, founder and head baker of Bomb Biscuit Co. in Atlanta, shares 70 recipes for flaky Southern biscuits, biscuit sandwiches, bis-cakes, jams, and butters. Spread through the book are stories of family and Black food culture, with an emphasis on her paternal grandmother, Mildred Edna Cotton Council, who made a name as a soul food chef (Mama Dip) and civil rights activist.

Anthropologie Emery Dish Towels, Set of 3

$34 At Anthropologie

Tidy chefs and bakers will never have a towel out of arm's reach, and more likely, it's actually hanging from their apron tie. This set from Anthropologie is, frankly, cute, and the variety of colors makes them seasonally ambiguous (if your baker is the type of person to want to coordinate that kind of thing). Generously sized at 21 by 28 inches, the cotton towels are thick and absorbent, not to mention machine washable. They make a perfect gift for bakers.

Williams Sonoma Hold Everything Prep Bowls, Set of 8

$35 At Williams-Sonoma

Save the cereal bowls. Made for measured-out ingredients, this set of mise en place bowls from Williams Sonoma will help a baker get better organized before the whisking begins. This glazed, high-fired ceramic set includes four pinch bowls and four prep bowls, which check the important boxes: dishwasher-safe, microwave-safe, and stackable for storage.

Nordic Ware Geo Cast Cookie Stamps

$30 At Amazon $30 At Target $32 At Wayfair

The geometric designs on these three stamps will add interest to cookies with minimal effort, which bakers of all stripes can appreciate. Nordic Ware's Bundt pans are known for their heirloom quality, and this set is made with the same durable aluminum.

Jenny Lemons Cake Slice Hair Claw

View On Jennylemons.com

Hair claws and clips have been having a moment. A twee-loving baker will find this pink cake hair claw adorable (as do we). It's made from cellulose acetate, a plant-based alternative to plastic, and opens up to 2 inches wide. San Francisco-based Jenny Lemon's other designs include baguettes, cinnamon rolls, croissants, and donuts.

Fancy Sprinkles Classic Rainbow Jimmies

$11 At Amazon View On Fancysprinkles.com

There's something inexplicably joy-inducing about a sprinkled dessert, and Fancy Sprinkles has established itself in the sprinkaholics community as a high-quality option. This particular celebratory blend of traditional sprinkles, stars, pearls, and more is fit for any cake or sugar cookie.

Verve Culture Countertop Citrus Juicer

$120 At Sur La Table $112 At Wayfair $120 At Uncommon Goods

Real bakers know the importance of a quality juicer to have on hand. "If you want to breeze through juicing a mountain of citrus for your next cake glaze or granita, this citrus press is a game changer," says Velez. "Bonus: It's an absolutely beautiful statement piece fit to display on any kitchen counter." We couldn't agree more.

KitchenAid Classic Bamboo Spatula Set

$16 At Amazon

Is there any kitchen tool more unsung than the humble spatula? KitchenAid’s tools are heat-resistant and feature a handle made of strong bamboo. The scraper spatula took the title of the best value in our silicone spoons tests, and the addition of a matching mixer spatula makes a nice, affordable gift.

Nordic Platinum Collection Anniversary Bundtlette Pan

$44 At Amazon $44 At Target $75 At Walmart

Fun and function meet in this bundtlette pan, which holds six mini cakes. Bakers know Nordic Ware debuted the original Bundt pan, so this is the brand to buy from.

Wild Sweetness: Recipes Inspired by Nature

$24 At Amazon

“I’ve been baking all of my life, and every so often, I struggle to find sources of inspiration," says Kristin Montemarano, a Food & Wine staff writer and former pastry chef. "But, this cookbook from Thalia Ho will truly always spark something in me. It’s filled with delicate imagery and ethereal desserts that take you on a journey through each season.”

SMEG Countertop Blender

$300 At Williams-Sonoma $300 At Wayfair $300 At Nordstrom

Diner-style milkshakes are all but a given for this throwback-style blender from Smeg. But far from just being gimmicky, this model purees beautifully and pulverizes ice in seconds.

Janie's Mill Special Someone Gift Box

View On Janiesmill.com

This might be the best gift you could give the friend or family member who's been sharing loaves of bread since they started making sourdough in 2020. The Illinois farm is renowned by Midwest bakeries for their fresh-milled flour, which provides more flavor and nutritional value than more standard bleached all-purpose flours found at grocers.

The set comes with Janie's Dark Rye Flour, Silky Smooth Pastry Flour, Heirloom Turkey Red Flour, and All-Purpose Flour, each in 1.5 pound bags, as well as a stainless steel whisk, bowl scraper, and three recipe cards. The bags have icons on them indicating what the flour is best used for, so even someone who isn't a pro in fresh-milled flours can get started on their way.