As a published baking cookbook author, I’ve baked and developed MANY different cookie recipes. One of my all-time favorites is sugar cookies decorated with royal icing. In addition to all of the tested recipes on my website and in my books, I’m happy to share my top cookie decorating supplies that will set you up for success. The list on this page is a great place to start if you’re a cookie decorating novice, or if you’re looking to update your kitchen supplies.
Let’s take a moment to appreciate decorated cookies. If you’ve ever decorated a batch of cookies, you know how much work (and patience!) goes into each and every cookie. Whether you’re adding a simple swipe of vanilla buttercream, or applying fine detail onto snowman sugar cookies, decorating takes time. And while it may seem daunting to jump into the world of cookie decorating, I’m here to assure you that it doesn’t have to be!
With my tried-and-tested recipes for cut-out cookies like gingerbread cookies, chocolate sugar cookies, brown sugar cut-out cookies, and sugar cookies, plus my top choices for icing including royal icing, my glaze-style cookie icing, and cookie decorating buttercream, bakers around the world have felt empowered to try cookie decorating in their own kitchens. My complete tutorial for how to decorate sugar cookies is another great resource!
After many years of practice myself, I’ve acquired a handful of the best cookie decorating supplies and tools to help make cookie decorating a breeze. I’m happy to share a list of these products, all of which I own and love, with you today.
I also have a cookie decorating day guide, if you’d like to make a party out of it. Around here, we love our fun decorating days!
Best Cookie Decorating Supplies & Tools
All of the cookie decorating tools listed below are items I own. None of this post is sponsored—truly just items I love and am happy to recommend to fellow cookie decorators. A lot of these links are affiliate links. I include many of these items on my Gifts for Bakers page, too, where you’ll find 100+ carefully selected items that any baker (or you!) would love.
Electric Mixer
An electric mixer helps whip your royal icing or decorating buttercream into a perfect consistency. You can use either a hand mixer or stand mixer—your choice. If you make this easy glaze-style cookie icing, you do not need a mixer, just a whisk.
Hand Mixer
Meringue Powder & Food Coloring
There are many different ways to prepare royal icing, but my royal icing recipe relies on an ingredient called meringue powder. For food coloring, I always recommend gel. Liquid food coloring adds too much liquid to your batter, icing, dough, etc. This can be especially troublesome in royal icing, where the tiniest bit of extra liquid could throw off consistency. Plus, gel food coloring produces more vibrant, rich colors with just a small drop. These Wilton Gel Colors also work nicely as well, and they’re more readily available in some grocery stores and craft stores.
Piping Bags
Piping bags come in a variety of sizes, but I prefer the 16-inch bags because they fit a decent amount of icing, but are still easy to handle. You’ll want at least a few bags if you’re working with multiple colors, so grab a box of disposable piping bags or several reusable piping bags to make sure you’re covered.
Squeeze Bottles
If you don’t want to work with piping bags at all, you can use a squeeze bottle or these icing bottles from Michaels for less detailed designs. Squeeze bottles are my go-to when using this easy cookie icing, or when I’m decorating with young bakers or hosting a cookie decorating day.
Recommended Piping Tips
What I own and love: Wilton Tip #1, Wilton Tip #2, Wilton Tip #3, Wilton Tip #4, Wilton Tip #5
A handful of piping tips are key for making those crisp, precise icing designs. The piping tip numbers reflect their sizes:
- Wilton #1 & Wilton #2 are thin and excellent for piping detail, like the jack-o-lantern faces on these Halloween cookies.
- Wilton #3, Wilton #4, and Wilton #5 are larger and easier to work with. I prefer using Wilton #4 for outlining and flooding cookies.
If you’re just getting started with cookie decorating, you can get by with Wilton #1 (smallest size), Wilton #3 (medium size), and Wilton #5 (largest size). You can create any basic designs with just these three!
Piping Tip Sets & Couplers
This 55-piece piping tips set includes all 5 icing tips I recommend above, plus many others that you can use for other buttercreams and frostings. Couplers come in handy when you’re using the same icing color but need to switch tips. Or, if you have multiple colors of icing and only 1 tip, and need to move the tip among bags of icing.
Bag Clips & Ties
This is optional, but having a few bag clips or bag ties on hand is helpful for closing off the ends of your piping bags. Simply fill your piping bag with royal icing to the fill line, give the top a twist, and secure with a bag clip or bag tie. A simple rubber band will work, too. No messy royal icing spillages to worry about, and you can focus completely on your decorating work.
For Fine Detail: Icing Needle Scriber
An icing needle scriber helps to spread & smooth out your icing, and helps create neater edges. A regular toothpick works just as well! If I’m working with a flooding consistency, the piping tip often gets the job done, too.
Sprinkle Details
And for finishing touches, sprinkles are always a must! Sanding sprinkles are sold in most grocery stores in the baking aisle. You can also order them online. I like Wilton or CK Products brands. I also love these naturally colored pastel sprinkles; these snowflake sprinkles; and this holiday sprinkle set is wonderful for Christmas sugar cookies.
Finishing & Transporting
In addition to their functionality for cooling baked cookies, a set of cooling racks is also a handy place to let iced cookies dry. You can place them over a baking sheet (helpful if you need to move your cookies around) or right on the countertop. For transporting your decorated cookies, a cupcake carrier is very handy!
Cookie Crew Shirts!
Why not decorate in style?! These are official Sally’s Baking Recipes shirts, and they come in a variety of colors. Adult sizes and kids sizes available.
Cookie Crew Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Other Tools & Supplies:
- Cookie Cutters: With so many fun cookie cutter options out there, you can find a design to match pretty much any occasion. I’ve always had luck with Ann Clark brand and Wilton brand cookie cutters. If you’re getting your collection started, these cookie cutters for every season cover your bases. And these holiday cookie cutters are great for the Christmas cookie enthusiast!
- Adjustable Rolling Pin: The adjustable discs make it easy to roll cookie dough out evenly. A regular rolling pin works, too.
I hope this list of cookie decorating supplies is helpful for your next cookie decorating adventure. I also have a complete list of cake decorating supplies, if you’re looking to add to your collection!
Reader Comments and Reviews
Hello; I recently made twix cookies and was wondering if there was a better
way to fill the centers of the cookie with heated caramel? i used a spoon; which did work; but was wondering in there was a better technique; or tool that can withstand the heated caramel?…I then proceeded to use a sandwich bag filled with melted chocolate and snipped a tiny piece of the corner off to finish decorating; would there be a better tool for that? I’ve only
made these once, but would definitely make them again; when not in a rush and being the first time making them… Thank you! Paul Behn
Sally,
Question for you…. I’m quite unfortunately allergic to a lot of artificial sugars, preservites and flavors, is there a natural substitute for the menagerie powder?
Hi Carolyn! Are you referring to making royal icing? You could search for a traditional recipe that uses egg whites, or you could try our easy cookie icing recipe instead if meringue powder doesn’t work for you.
I have tried many of your recipes and each was perfection! Thank you!
Can I use sprinkles, snowflakes and stars just onto the cookies before baking? Instead of on icing? I was thinking of putting silver jimmies and white snowflakes on the chocolate sugar cookies.
Hi Karen, you could certainly do this with sugar cookies! Be sure to press them a bit in before baking to be sure they stick. Enjoy!
Do you use brushes to ice your cut out cookies? If so, which ones?c love your recipes! And i taught cooking for over 23 years…
Hi Rosanne, no, we’ve never used brushes for cookies. Sounds like a fun technique!
As a fellow baking enthusiast, I’ve found your recommendations incredibly helpful. It’s evident you’ve poured your passion into curating a list that caters to both beginners and experienced bakers. By the way, have you ever considered exploring unique cookie cutter shapes from thingsfrommars .com to add an extra touch of creativity to your cookie creations? They might be a delightful addition to your decorating toolkit!
I love the list of what is needed to do cookie decorating! I’ve taken a few cookie decorating classes but they focus on techniques not the supplies needed. Thank you!!
Hi Sally – thank you, your website and this post are a great resource for me. I have come to rely on you over time and often check your site first. Piping was t a thing when I was young so after I retired and wanted to learn how to pipe decorations or meringues, I would practice piping with meringues til I figured I was getting it. It was cheap and lots of practice to use 3 egg whites and pipe pipe pipe!
Hi Cindy, we’re so glad you found this post helpful!
Every Christmas season comes around and I want to try my hand at really decorating cookies but my fear of not having them come out perfect always stops me. Any advice for getting over that fear?
Hi Lia Kulla, I think the first thing to know going into it is: not all of the cookies will be perfect. Mine never are. But I don’t think that matters! As long as they taste wonderful. Decorating comes with practice, and you just have to start. You can always make a double batch of cookies and save the messy ones for yourself. Cover any mistakes with sprinkles, and take your time. If you have any specific questions about icing/cookies, you can email my team and I. We are happy to help. sally(at)sallysbakingaddiction.com