The 20 Best Gifts for Bakers (2024) | Bon Appétit

Oct 31, 2024

All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Each year our staff and contributors round up their best gift ideas for cooks, eaters, and the kitchen-curious. Read on for the best gifts for bakers.

If you’re in search of the best gifts for bakers this holiday season, you’re in the right place. To say I’m an enthusiastic baker is an understatement: I was the kid who brought cupcakes to school every day because she was obsessively testing out new flavor combos in all her free time. I had a sourdough starter before I had my driver’s license. I’m never without a loaf pan of quickbread or a platter of pastries on my kitchen counter. My freezer is full of baking experiments past, and my cabinets are overflowing with enough bakeware, cookie cutters, and piping tips that I might as well open a patisserie.

Needless to say I’m no stranger to baking tools, nor to receiving baking tools as a gift; which is why I feel particularly qualified to tell you that the best gifts for bakers are things that bring joy to the baking process in one way or another. I’m talking high-quality gear upgrades that make projects more seamless (I’m looking at you, KitchenAid mixer), small-but-mighty tools that’ll transform your giftee’s baking game, and fun extras like fancy sprinkles and vintage serveware that no one really needs, but every baker definitely wants.

This list is full of baking gift ideas big and small that’ll work for beginners and pastry pros alike, so feel free to mix and match them as you see fit to curate the perfect gift for the baker in your life. And if that baker is you, consider this your sign to make a few upgrades to your own supplies stash before holiday baking truly gets underway.

Made In Pie Serving Set

Made In

The person on your list who loves to bake likely has a classic glass Pyrex pie dish, but it’s fun to switch it up with an actually-stylish pie plate when you’re entertaining. This classic white dish has a pop of fun color in the form of a red rim. It’s reminiscent of a diner coffee mug (maybe a diner that also serves great pie).

KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer

Amazon

KitchenAid

Walmart

Take a peek into any serious baker’s kitchen and there’s a good chance you’ll find a KitchenAid mixer sitting proudly atop their counter. These workhorses make mixing up large batches of cookie dough a breeze, allow you to knead bread dough without the usual requisite arm workout, and can be transformed into a million other gadgets thanks to KitchenAid’s line of mixer attachments. If the baker in your life has been getting by thus far with a wooden spoon and a prayer, this is one of the greatest and most useful gifts you can give them. The 5-quart Artisan Series model is the best option for most home bakers, and it comes in a rainbow of colors, so there’s sure to be one that’ll look right at home in your giftee’s kitchen. If you’re in the market for something that’s a bit less of a splurge or your baker friend is tight on storage space, the Artisan Mini has a smaller footprint and price tag.

KitchenAid Tilt-Head Flex Edge Beater

Amazon

If your baker friend already has a KitchenAid mixer, this paddle scraper attachment also makes a great gift. It works just like a typical paddle attachment, but has a flexible edge that perfectly grazes the contours of a standard KitchenAid bowl, eliminating the need to stop the machine every few minutes to ensure its contents are fully incorporated—a major win in any baker’s book.

GIR Mini Best Tool Set

Amazon

GIR

I bought this mini tool set from GIR years ago because I have a penchant for sprinkles and all things mini, but the utensils it comes with have actually become some of my most-used tools in the kitchen. The set includes a couple different variations of GIR’s cult favorite mini silicone spatulas, along with a flipper that’s perfect for silver dollar pancakes and a whisk that’s the ideal size for emulsifying small batches of salad dressing or beating eggs and milk in a liquid measuring cup.

Mosser Colored Glass Cake Stand

Shop at

Food52

For the friend who’s constantly churning out gorgeous frosted layer cakes and lofty whipped cream-topped pavlovas, get them a vintage-inspired cake stand to display their impressive baked goods. This one from Ohio-based Mosser Glass comes in a range of pretty pastels and a variety of sizes.

Vintage French Silver Pie Server

Food52

For the relative whose Thanksgiving pies steal the show year after year, a vintage pie server is a thoughtful gift that they’ll be excited to use every time they entertain. These heirloom-worthy beauties are sourced from flea markets across the USA and Europe, and each is one-of-a-kind.

Fiori di Sicilia

King Arthur Baking

Sur la Table

This Italian baking extract still hasn’t caught on in the States, so gifting it to your baking-obsessed friend is like letting them in on a little secret—a secret that’s the gateway to infinitely better babkas, brioches, teacakes, and more when used in place of the typical vanilla extract. With notes of sweet citrus and vanilla, it’s traditionally called for in recipes for panettone and colomba d’oro. BA contributor Heather Eddy likes it so much, she’s even been known to use a dab of it as perfume.

Nordic Ware Half-Sheet Pan

Amazon (2-Pack)

Target (1-Pack)

Nordic Ware Quarter-Sheet Pans, 2-Pack

Amazon

Food52

A baker can truly never have too many sheet pans, and a shiny new set is the ultimate practical and sure-to-be-appreciated gift. These aluminum pans from Nordic Ware are our top pick and have been crowned the winners of our testing over at Epicurious for years on end for their efficient and even heat distribution, warp-resistant design, easy-to-clean nature and unbeatable price point. If your giftee is all set on standard half sheet pans, consider going with a set of quarter or eighth sheets, which are useful for small batch bakes, organizing kitchen tools, and prep tasks like toasting nuts for these Double Pecan Thumbprint Cookies.

All-Clad Odd-Sized Measuring Cups & Spoons

Williams Sonoma

Smithcraft Measuring Cup Set of 8

Amazon

These “odd”-sized measuring cups are like a kitchen cheat code, eliminating the need for intense mental math when you’re in the midst of a marathon baking session. I’d recommend you go for the set that includes odd-sized measuring spoons, too, to save your giftee from ever needing to eyeball one and a half tablespoons again.

Escali Scale

Amazon

While we’re on the topic of measuring, a digital kitchen scale is arguably one of the most crucial tools for any baker worth their salt, right up there with mixing bowls and the oven itself. A cup of flour can weigh 120 grams for one person and 150 for the next, and that 30 gram difference can have disastrous consequences when it comes to finicky bakes or ratio-specific bread doughs. Even if your gift receiver already has one, I’d guess an Escali scale in their favorite color would be a much-welcomed upgrade. We love them for their durability and simple, intuitive design—and the fact that they come in 10 different colorways.

ThermoWorks DOT Thermometer

Thermoworks

I hate to break it to you, but the odds that your oven is actually at the temperature it says it’s at are slim to none. If your baker friend has ever complained to you about how the bottoms of their cookies always end up scorched or their muffins just don’t seem to rise, give them an oven thermometer for the holidays and watch as their baking woes magically dissipate. This one from Thermoworks is our favorite: The probe-style design is markedly more accurate than your standard hanging thermometer, and means it can double as a meat thermometer. Pair it with Thermoworks’s $4 grate clip or an all-metal binder clip—both will enable your gift recipient to secure the probe to an oven rack.

J.K. Adams Maple Wood French Dowel Rolling Pin

Amazon

Whetstone Woodenware French Rolling Pin

Whetstone Woodenware

A trusty wooden rolling pin will last a lifetime with proper care. If your baker friend currently uses a handled model (or worse, a wine bottle), introduce them to the wonderful world of French rolling pins. I love a tapered French pin in particular because of the maneuverability and control they afford you—plus they tend to be on the thinner side and relatively lightweight. The 1¾-inch model from J.K. Adams was my overall favorite when I tested rolling pins for Epicurious last year, but if you want something a bit more elevated in look and feel, the maple rolling pin from Whetstone Woodenware is a highly gift-worthy upgrade.

Rainbow Explosion Sprinkle Set

Supernatural

Fancy Sprinkles Edible Glitter

Amazon

For the frequent cake baker—you know, the designated birthday cake maker of the friend group who prides themselves on their perfectly-executed crumb coats and top-tier piping skills—you can never go wrong with an assortment of fancy sprinkles and glitters for them to use on their next cake decorating endeavor.

Silpat Non-Stick Silicone Baking Mat

Amazon

Williams Sonoma (Set of 2)

OXO Good Grips Silicone Baking Mat

Amazon

Help your baker friend get over their parchment paper habit by gifting them a set of reusable silicone baking mats. These mats are incredibly nonstick, super easy to clean, and provide great heat distribution whether your giftee is making classic chocolate chip cookies or a batch of delicate macarons.

Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Bread Oven

Amazon

If you’re in a need of a great gift for the sourdough bread baker in your life, this enameled cast iron bread oven from Le Creuset is a countertop-worthy piece of bakeware that also makes the process of lowering a shaped boule into a preheated baking vessel far less harrowing. That’s because unlike the high-sided Dutch oven your friend is probably accustomed to using for the job, this clever piece of cookware has shallow sides and a domed lid. Pair it with a cute pair of oven mitts in a complimentary color if you really want to help your giftee kiss those bread-making burns goodbye.

Now that you’ve read about all the best gifts for the favorite baker in your life, head right this way for more gift guide content.