What to Buy Bakeware The 12 Best Cookie Decorating Kits for the Holidays and Beyond These sets are the top picks, whether creating artful sweets or family fun. By Alyssa Sybertz Alyssa Sybertz Alyssa Sybertz is a freelance writer and avid home cook with nearly a decade of experience writing about food, cooking, nutrition, and wellness. She is the author of The OMAD Diet: Intermittent Fasting with One Meal a Day to Burn Fat and Lose Weight, for which she developed over 100 recipes. In addition to writing about food and cooking for Southern Living, she writes about cooking for Allrecipes and Reader's Digest, pregnancy and parenting for Verywell Family, health and fitness for Peloton, and nutrition for First for Women and other outlets.Alyssa is the food editor for Closer Weekly. She also edits special interest health and nutrition magazines for Centennial Media on topics including intermittent fasting, gut health, and the keto diet. Prior to working as a freelance food and wellness writer, Alyssa was an editor at First for Women magazine, where she contributed to the nutrition, food, and fitness sections. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on September 9, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email In This Article Expand Jump to a Section Our top picks Reviews Our Favorite Factors to Consider Q+A Our Expertise We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Courtesy of Etsy Whether you're a serious baker wanting to make artful creations or looking for a fun family activity, cookie decorating kits feature all the tools you need to make festive desserts. Many of these kits even provide premade cookies, icing, piping bags, and sprinkles, so all you have to do is focus on decorating your masterpiece. Even the most experienced bakers need certain tools and ingredients to churn out wow-worthy batches of decorated cookies. That's why we rounded up the best cookie decorating kits for every skill level, holiday, dietary need, and more. Read on to see our entire list of the best cookie decorating kits on the market. Our Top Picks Best Overall: Crate & Barrel 30-Piece Cookie Decorating Kit at Crate & Barrel Jump to Review Best Value: Kasmoire Cookie Decorating Supplies Kit at Amazon Jump to Review Best Airbrush Kit: Cookie Countess Airbush System at Thecookiecountess.com Jump to Review Best Pre-Baked: Insomnia DIY Cookie Decorating Kit at Insomniacookies.com Jump to Review Best Christmas: Cookies By Design Christmas Decorating Kit at Cookiesbydesign.com Jump to Review Best Gingerbread: Baketivity Gingerbread Cookies Kit at Baketivity.com Jump to Review Best Winter: SS Unique Creations Winter Cookie Decorating Kit at Etsy Jump to Review Best Sugar Cookie: Cheryl's Cut-Out Cookie Decorating Kit at Cheryls.com Jump to Review Best Spritz Cookie: Kuhn Rikon 23-Piece Cookie Set at Williams-Sonoma Jump to Review Best Macaron: Uncommon Macaron Kit at Uncommon Goods Jump to Review Best Overall Crate & Barrel 30-Piece Cookie Decorating Kit Crate & Barrel View On Crate & Barrel Pros: It comes with six different cookie shapes and other professional decorating tools.Cons: It doesn't come with cookies or frosting. This cookie decorating kit from Crate & Barrel earns our top spot thanks to its versatility. It comes with six different cookie cutters — square, heart, star, flower, circle, and fluted circle — that can then be decorated in so many ways. With six unique piping tips, this kit allows novice bakers to make professional-looking cookies. Plus, it includes six couplers, enabling you to easily switch between tips and frosting colors. With reusability in mind, it doesn't come with cookies, frosting, or ingredients. But considering how much you're getting for just $20, we'd take this kit and the countless future memories of tasty treats it promises any day of the week. Price at time of publish: $20 Includes: 6 unique cookie cutters, 12 piping bags, 6 decorating tips, and 6 couplers Best Value Kasmoire Cookie Decorating Supplies Kit Amazon View On Amazon Pros: It includes 188 pieces and is great for a variety of holidays.Cons: There are a lot of small pieces to keep track of. If you're participating in a holiday cookie exchange or decorating a large batch of cookies for a bake sale, the Kasmoire kit is for you. Not only does it have everything you need to decorate the cookies, but it also comes with 100 self-adhesive cookie bags that you can use to portion out and distribute cookies. This baking kit has you covered for Halloween, Christmas, and Easter, as it includes four unique cookie cutters for each holiday. Not sure whether you want to brush, spread, or pipe on frosting? This kit has the tools for all three decorating methods, plus some additional tools like decorating tweezers, a turntable, bowls for mixing icing, and a small dropper. While everything comes in a compact box, there are quite a few individual pieces you'll have to store in your kitchen once you unpack them. Price at time of publish: $40 Includes: 1 cookie decorating turntable, 1 silicone mat, 5 decorating brushes, 2 sugar stir needles, 5 round decorating tips, 1 pair decorating tweezers, 12 holiday cookie cutters, 100 self-adhesive cookie bags, 1 cleaning brush, 1 silicone icing spatula, 1 3-ml. dropper, 2 icing mixing bowls, 50 disposable icing bags, 2 reusable icing bags, 2 couplers, and 2 frosting bag ties Best Airbrush Kit Cookie Countess Airbush System Cookie Countess View On Thecookiecountess.com Pros: This unique method allows you to decorate tons of cookies quickly.Cons: It's more expensive than other options. For bakers who don't have the steadiest hand with a piping bag, airbrushing is an excellent way to make your homemade cookies look worthy of a bakeshop window. This unique decorating method uses compressed air to spray colors and designs over the top of frosted cookies, and this machine from The Cookie Countess is our favorite. While it's more of an initial investment than the other cookie kits on this list, it comes with 12 bottles of airbrush color that will last you many uses — you can decorate multiple cookies with just a few drops of color. The Cookie Countess also sells loads of cookie stencils, including Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas-themed ones, that you can use to airbrush intricate designs. Price at time of publish: $125 Includes: 1 complete airbrush system, 12 bottles of edible airbrush color, and 1 airbrush cleaning kit Related: The Best Stand Mixers for Every Kind of Baker Best Pre-Baked Insomnia DIY Cookie Decorating Kit Insomnia Cookies View On Insomniacookies.com Pros: This kit comes with a variety of cookie flavors you can immediately decorate and eat.Cons: You must live within the delivery range. Insomnia Cookies is famous for delivering warm, delicious cookies during late-night hours. And if you have a hankering to decorate some cookies with friends, the cookie shop can also satisfy that craving with its cookie decorating kit. The box comes with a dozen cookies, all of which you choose the flavors from menu options, including double chocolate chunk, white chocolate macadamia, and snickerdoodle. Along with freshly baked cookies, the kit has two containers of buttercream frosting, four tubes of gel icing, and sprinkles. The only hitch: You need to be within delivery range of one of Insomnia Cookies' 100+ locations across the country. Enter your address here to see if a brick-and-mortar is near you. Price at time of publish: $45 Includes: 12 classic cookies, 2 cups of buttercream frosting, 4 gel icing tubes, rainbow sprinkles, and an Insomnia Cookies spreader Best Christmas Cookies By Design Christmas Decorating Kit Cookies by Design View On Cookiesbydesign.com Pros: It has Christmas-themed cookies and decorations.Cons: The kit doesn't come with decorating tips. It's not the holidays without a cookie decorating day, and this kit from Cookies by Design comes with enough supplies for multiple people to participate in the fun. You can choose a 10- or 20-cookie kit, depending on how many people are decorating, and both include a mix of classic sugar cookies and cinnamon brown sugar cookies. You get big piping bags filled with green, red, white, and black frosting to create colorful designs, but, unfortunately, you'll have to buy decorating tips because they aren't included in the kit. We love that Cookies by Design offers a tutorial video that you can use to create the impressive cookie decorations featured on the product page. Price at time of publish: $42 Includes: 20 assorted holiday favor cookies, 4 icing colors, and sprinkles Best Gingerbread Baketivity Gingerbread Cookies Kit Baketivity View On Baketivity.com Pros: This kid-friendly kit has reusable tools and recipes.Cons: There's no room for error. This cookie kit from Baketivity fills two categories on our list: the best gingerbread and the best family kit for those wanting to bake holiday cookies with little ones. That's because it includes all the dry ingredients you need to make gingerbread in premeasured bags, plus a child-friendly recipe and activity book so they can learn about baking along the way. Then once you finish the first batch with the included ingredients, you can reuse the recipe and cookie cutter for future gingerbread families. If you're making these with kids, make sure you are supervising closely — and maybe pick up some extra ingredients in case of an accident. The pre-measured ones leave little room for error. Price at time of publish: $40 Includes: Step-by-step baking recipe book, child-friendly activity book, cookie ingredients, white cookie icing, mini jawbreakers, gingerbread cookie cutter, and piping bag Best Winter SS Unique Creations Winter Cookie Decorating Kit Etsy View On Etsy Pros: The cookies are very large and feature details that make decorating them extra fun.Cons: It's pricier for quantity. This adorable winter-themed sugar cookie kit includes sweaters, mugs, snowflakes, and more that are perfect for a holiday party, reunion, book club, or any chilly get-together. Although the cookies are pretty on their own, the kit comes with full piping bags, decorating tools, and instructions for creating impressive designs. What's more, satisfied customers point out how carefully and securely the pre-made cookies are packaged, so they arrive fresh and unbroken. Just be aware that once shipping costs are added, the total price for 12 cookies will be close to $50. Price at time of publish: $50 Includes: 12 cookies, 4 icing decorating bags, 4 assorted sprinkles containers, 2 decorating paper bases, 2 decorating tools, decorating instructions Best Sugar Cookie Cheryl's Cut-Out Cookie Decorating Kit Courtesy of Cheryl's View On Cheryls.com Pros: This versatile kit is perfect for all occasions and arrives in a cute delivery box.Cons: There's nothing to reuse. With two dozen sugar cookies, this kit from Cheryl's includes the most pre-made treats of all the options on our list, making it an excellent choice for large cookie decorating parties. It comes with simple frostings and sprinkles, so you can tailor these cookies with additional toppings to fit any type of celebration. If you want to give the kit as a gift, the adorable delivery box designed as a bake shop will surely put a smile on the face of the recipient. Price at time of publish: $50 Includes: 24 cookies, 1 tub of fudge buttercream frosting, 1 tub of vanilla buttercream frosting, and 1 canister of sprinkles Related: We Tested the Best Cookie Sheets for Better Baked Goods Best Spritz Cookie Kuhn Rikon 23-Piece Cookie Set Williams Sonoma View On Williams-Sonoma Pros: It has 14 different cookie shapes and is great for large-batch baking.Cons: No decorations included. The spritz cookie press is perfect for baking large batches of cookies and ideal for kitchens with minimal counter space. Simply fill the clear barrel with dough, select one of the 14 unique cookie discs, which includes a butterfly, dinosaur, pumpkin, bat, and candy cane, and then squeeze your cookies directly onto your cookie sheet. This set from Kuhn Rikon also includes a reusable squeeze bottle in place of piping bags, a coupler and six different tips, cookie recipes, and a disc case for easy storage. The only thing it's missing is the frosting and sprinkles. Includes: 1 cookie press, 14 aluminum discs, 1 squeeze bottle, 1 coupler, 6 decorating tips, instructions, and recipes Best Macaron Uncommon Macaron Kit Uncommon View On Uncommon Goods Pros: This decorating kit includes a recipe book for the beloved French cookie.Cons: It's not the best option for beginners. Macarons are a classic French dessert known for their unique flavors, texture, and construction. This kit from Uncommon Goods provides all the tools you need to take a stab at making the French delicacy at home. That includes a molded nonstick baking mat that's dishwasher safe, a round pen-like tool for piping the cookies and the icing, plus decorating tips and recipes for flavors such as pistachio, rose, and Earl Grey. These cookies would look lovely on display at baby showers, bridal showers, and birthday parties. Price at time of publish: $34 Includes: Nonstick silicone baking mat, refillable batter/icing pen, 6 decorating tips, and recipe book Best Vegan and Gluten-Free Sensitive Sweets Ten Gingerbread Cookie Decorating Kit Sensitive Sweets View On Sensitivesweets.com Pros: This holiday-themed kit is ideal for people with dietary restrictions.Cons: It has very simple decorations. When hosting a holiday gathering, it's important to have sweet treats that vegan guests or people with dietary restrictions can eat. Luckily, this cookie decorating kit from Sensitive Sweets comes with 10 gingerbread cookies made without wheat, gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, coconut, and oats. You just may want to pick up some additional toppings since this kit only comes with a tub of frosting and a bag of sprinkles, unlike some of the other kits on this list that deliver more intricate decoration options. Price at time of publish: $37 Includes: 10 cookies, sprinkles, and a tub of vanilla frosting Best for Beginners Sweetology Happy Birthday Cupcake and Cookie Decorating Kit Sweetology View On Sweetology.com Pros: It comes with freshly baked cookies and versatile decorations.Cons: It's on the pricier side. This cookie decorating kit from Sweetology is the perfect starter kit for a number of reasons. First, it provides the essentials you need to decorate your first batch of decorated cookies, from freshly baked sugar cookies to piping bags. Then if you want to try your hand at another batch, you already have a reusable piping bag and five different decorating tips you can use again and again with your own cookie recipes. The birthday-themed kit offers colorful and versatile decorations that can be used for any occasion, though Sweetology makes other themed kits. Price at time of publish: $40 Includes: 12 cookies, 5 pre-filled piping bags in assorted colors plus extra bags, 5 decorating tips, 1 reusable piping bag, sugar decorations, and sprinkles Our Favorite The Crate & Barrel 30-Piece Cooking Decorating Kit is our winner because it's affordable, versatile, and reusable. It comes with cookie cutters and piping tips and bags, so you have the supplies you need to decorate homemade or store-bought cookies for years. Factors to Consider Tools Some cookie decorating kits come with tools and not cookies, giving you the opportunity to make whatever cookie recipe you want. These kits typically include cookie cutters, piping bags, and decorating tips, and then you have to supply the cookie dough, frosting, and decorations. Best of all, you can use them over and over again, making them a good investment. Ingredients Cookie decorating kits that come with cookies (or cookie ingredients) are best if you're looking for an all-in-one activity to do with kids or you want to give a kit as a gift; everything you need to make crowd-pleasing cookies is in the box. These kits are also handy if you're making cookies for someone with dietary restrictions and you don't have personal experience baking with those types of ingredients. The downside of these kits is that they usually only provide enough supplies for one use. Theme Are you making cookies for a holiday or special occasion? If so, you may want them to be a specific shape or design. Many cookie decorating kits are built around themes and holidays, while others offer a more neutral variety of decoration options for any occasion. Q+A What do you need for cookie decorating? Despite the impressive results of the finished product, you don't need that many tools for cookie decorating. First and foremost, you need pre-made cookies or ingredients to make cookies. If you're baking the cookies yourself, you'll want cookie cutters to create fun shapes. For decorating, you'll need piping bags, either disposable or reusable, decorating tips, and frosting. Depending on how detailed you want your designs, you might need a coupler, as it allows you to change the tips on the same bag of icing. To top off your frosted cookies, add sprinkles, sugar pearls, and other decorations. How do you keep sugar cookies fresh after decorating? Once decorated, sugar cookies will stay fresh when stored at room temperature in an airtight container. If you're concerned that your home is too warm, you can store them in the refrigerator, but they will dry out and get stale faster, so we don't recommend making them as far ahead of time. How far in advance can you make decorated sugar cookies? Properly stored decorated sugar cookies will keep for up to two weeks at room temperature and up to one week in the fridge. You'll also want to consider how much space you have to keep them stored neatly and securely. Since you don't want to stack decorated cookies on top of one another and risk smudging, they'll need to be placed in single layers. If you're planning to bake 20 or more cookies and have limited counter space, you likely won't want to make them too far in advance. Giving the cookies ample time to cool completely before decorating is also key to ensuring the frosting doesn't get oily or melty. Our Expertise Contributor Alyssa Sybertz is an experienced home cook, recipe developer, and food writer who has covered cookware, cooking techniques, and all things kitchen. For this piece, she researched several cookie decorating kits to determine the best ones for bakers of all ages and skill levels. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit