National Cookie Cutter Day – Dec. 1, 2026

National Cookie Cutter Day
Submit your updates or photos
Categories:
Tags:
BakingSweet Food
Where:
United States
Date change rule:
Every December 1
Holiday emoji:
🍪

National Cookie Cutter Day shapes up every December 1, celebrating the delightful art of creating fun-shaped cookies. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or a kitchen novice, this day encourages you to explore innovative designs and classic molds. Gather your favorite ingredients, unleash your creativity, and bake up a batch of joy to share!

Want to sponsor National Cookie Cutter Day? Learn how

Expected National Cookie Cutter Day Deals

As National Cookie Cutter Day approaches, expect retailers to roll out sweet promotions on baking essentials and festive molds. In past years, brands like Wilton, King Arthur Baking Company, and Sur La Table have offered discounts on cookie cutters, baking sheets, and decorating supplies. Keep an eye out for special holiday-themed sets from Williams-Sonoma and seasonal ingredients from Trader Joe’s. Local bakeries and online craft stores like Etsy may feature unique, artisan-made cutters. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as December 1 approaches.

Platform Guide for National Cookie Cutter Day

Instagram

Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #CookieCutterDay. Share visually appealing photos or reels of your most creative cookie cutter creations and decorating processes.

TikTok

Tag @www.nationaltoday.com and use #CookieCutterDay. Film fun, fast-paced videos showcasing unique cookie shapes, baking hacks, or a ‘before & after’ of your decorated treats.

Facebook

Mention National Today (facebook.com/nationaltoday) and use #CookieCutterDay. Host a live Q&A with a local baker or share a community poll about favorite cookie cutter themes.

Social Media Tips for National Cookie Cutter Day

Individuals

Dust off those old cookie cutters or buy new ones and spend the day baking with family and friends. Share your creations online or gift them to neighbors.

Creators

Develop a tutorial for intricate cookie decorating using simple cutters, or challenge yourself to create a complex cookie art piece with various shapes.

Brands

Launch a 'Best Cookie Shape' contest, encouraging customers to submit photos of their cookies made with your products, offering prizes for creativity.

Top Brands for National Cookie Cutter Day

  1. Wilton

    Founded in 1929 by Dewey McKinley Wilton, this iconic brand is a leader in bakeware, cake decorating, and candy-making products. Wilton offers a vast array of cookie cutters for every occasion.

  2. King Arthur Baking Company

    America's oldest flour company, established in 1790, King Arthur Baking Company is known for its high-quality flours, baking mixes, and extensive recipe resources. They also offer a selection of bakeware, including cookie cutters.

  3. Sur La Table

    Founded in 1972 in Seattle, Sur La Table is a retail company that sells high-end kitchenware, including cookware, bakeware, and specialty tools. They are a popular destination for unique and seasonal cookie cutters.

  4. Williams-Sonoma

    Established in 1956, Williams-Sonoma is a premier specialty retailer of high-quality kitchenware and home furnishings. During the holiday season, they are renowned for their exclusive and often intricate cookie cutter collections.

  5. OXO

    Founded in 1990, OXO is known for its ergonomically designed kitchen tools and gadgets. Their cookie cutters often feature comfortable grips and durable construction, making baking easier and more enjoyable.

  6. Nordic Ware

    A family-owned company founded in 1946 in Minneapolis, Nordic Ware is famous for its Bundt pans and other innovative bakeware. They offer a range of sturdy metal cookie cutters, celebrated for their quality.

  7. Ann Clark Cookie Cutters

    Based in Vermont, Ann Clark Cookie Cutters is a family-owned business specializing in American-made metal cookie cutters. They offer thousands of shapes, from classic to contemporary, catering to every baking need.

National Cookie Cutter Day Hero

H.L. Schwahn

While the exact origin of the cookie cutter is debated, H.L. Schwahn is credited with patenting one of the earliest known cookie cutters in the United States in 1872. His design focused on efficiency for mass production, laying groundwork for the widespread availability of shaped cookies. This innovation transformed home baking and confectionery production, making decorative cookies accessible to many. Schwahn's contribution helped standardize cookie shapes and fueled the creativity seen in today's diverse cookie cutter market.

History of National Cookie Cutter Day

Cookie cutters are objects made of different materials that have an outline of geometric, animal, or other intriguing shapes. Since cookie cutters hit the market, people have resorted to making cookies in different shapes. This is useful, especially when serving cookies to kids, or baking cookies based on a certain theme. Reindeer-shaped cookies, for example, are ideal for the holidays. Bobbi Barton established National Cookie Cutter Day in 2019 to recognize the value of cookie cutters in our lives. The day has been observed annually since then to promote cookie cutters of diverse shapes, textures, and sizes.

The concept of creating cookies in various shapes, on the other hand, has been around for centuries. In fact, cookie cutters made of ceramic and wood were used around Egypt in the year 2000 BCE. However, it wasn’t until the 16th century that cookie cutters became popular, thanks to the popularity of the gingerbread pattern. Of course, the kings started this custom, and gingerbread cookies were frequently served at Queen Elizabeth I’s court.

Once the gingerbread cookies became famous, there was no going back. As more people spoke about the gingerbread biscuits, the more the bakeries around the region started to follow the concept. During this time, bakeries started using cookie cutters to meet the rising demand. By the 1800s, tin cookie cutters were easy to find at any small shop. Alexander P. Ashbourne patented the first biscuit cutter in the United States in 1875. Tinsmiths in East Berlin created the first American cookie cutters.

How Businesses Can Celebrate National Cookie Cutter Day

Local bakeries can host cookie decorating workshops, supplying various cutters and icing for customers to use. Kitchen supply stores can offer discounts on cookie cutter sets and baking ingredients, perhaps even featuring local artisan-made cutters. Restaurants might include a special shaped cookie with their dessert menu or as a complimentary treat. Consider partnering with a local charity to bake and sell cookies for a cause, using unique shapes to draw attention.

When is National Cookie Cutter Day?

National Cookie Cutter Day 2026 falls on Tuesday, December 1. It’s the perfect mid-week excuse to get into the kitchen and bake some delightful, uniquely shaped treats.

How many types of cookie cutters exist?

It’s estimated that thousands of different cookie cutter designs exist, ranging from classic geometric shapes to intricate seasonal and pop culture figures. The variety continues to expand with innovations like 3D printing.

What are the most popular cookie cutter shapes?

Classic shapes like stars, hearts, circles, and squares remain perennially popular, especially for everyday baking. During the holiday season, gingerbread men, trees, and snowflakes dominate.

What materials are cookie cutters made from?

Cookie cutters are commonly made from tin-plated steel, stainless steel, or plastic. Metal cutters offer sharp edges for clean cuts, while plastic options are often favored for their affordability and safety for children.

National Cookie Cutter Day Activities

  1. Bake some cookies

    What better way to celebrate the day than by baking cookies? Gather your family and friends and see what cookie shapes everyone can come up with.

  2. Donate fun shaped cookies to charity

    Kids adore cookies, therefore today is the ideal time to donate some delectable and intricately formed cookies to charity. You will undoubtedly bring a smile to many people's faces.

  3. Have a cookie baking competition

    Satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth by hosting a cookie baking competition where the participants can create cookies of different flavors , sizes, and shapes.

5 Fun Facts About Cookies

  1. Antique and vintage cookie cutters

    They can cost up to a few thousand dollars.

  2. Cookies are eaten by Americans

    Over two billion cookies are consumed every year.

  3. America’s favorite cookie

    The chocolate chip cookie is the most popular in America.

  4. The origins of the word ‘cookie’

    It comes from the Dutch word ’koekje,’ meaning ‘small cake.’

  5. Average cookies consumed in a lifetime

    The average American eats 35,000 cookies in a lifetime.

Why We Love National Cookie Cutter Day

  1. It leads to fun activities

    Since the day involves the idea of cookies in different forms, many people spend it by baking cookies in different shapes and flavors.

  2. It promotes cookies

    We all like cookies, and the holiday certainly helps to promote them. Many small enterprises can make efficient use of the day if they market themselves well.

  3. It highlights the importance of cookie cutters

    Believe it or not, cookie cutters did make a huge impact on the art of presentation. Because of cookie cutters, we can now experiment with different shapes.

Year Date Day
2026 December 1 Tuesday
2027 December 1 Wednesday
2028 December 1 Friday
2029 December 1 Saturday
2030 December 1 Sunday