Got a friend, parent, sister, or other loved one who is absolutely and completely obsessed with baking? Don’t know what to get them for Christmas or a birthday?
No need to worry. There are plenty of items out there that make the perfect gift for a baker enthusiast. These items range from pieces of clothing to cake tins to beautifully designed plates on which they can present their creations.
Getting the perfect gift for a baker can be pretty hard. The “perfect” gift for you to give your loved one may vary; it depends on how much you’re willing to spend. For a birthday for a child or parent, you might be willing to shell out $500 for a brand-new Kitchen Aid that they desperately needed after their other one broke.
For a friend, you might just want to get them a nice set of piping tips for $25. No need to worry though as there are many different sorts of gifts on either end of the money scale.
Looking for something more unique? Check out our Gift Guide for Bakers who Have It All.
“Big-Spender” Gifts (When you’re willing to splurge)
1 – KitchenAid Stand Mixer
A stand mixer is a baker’s most essential tool (in my opinion). It whips, beats, stirs, and kneads and reduces the time and effort it takes to complete a recipe. It ensures a proper texture and a thorough mixing of ingredients to create the perfect batter or dough.
If a KitchenAid stand mixer is too expensive, or the person you need to give a gift to already has one, consider buying a KitchenAid attachment for them. A KitchenAid attachment can be a pasta maker, spiralizer, juicer, or blender.
These are typically less expensive than the KitchenAid itself, but they allow the KitchenAid to have multiple other functions.
Benefits:
- A stand mixer saves a baker time and makes food prep fast and easy, which makes it an invaluable
- If your loved one already has a KitchenAid, an attachment makes a great gift.
- They come in fun colors so you can somewhat customize them to what your loved one likes- pink, blue, white, black, anything!
Drawbacks:
- They’re expensive- they can range anywhere from $400 – $700.
- They’re big- if the person you want to give a gift to lives in a small apartment or moves a lot, this gift might not be great for them.
- If you get the stand mixer, keep in mind you might have to get a bunch of attachments (i.e. a whisk, paddle, etc.) so the person your giving it to doesn’t have to go out and buy them.
2 – Cuisinart Food Processor
This food processor is another handy gift, especially for someone who doesn’t have one. It chops, dices, and blends food and ingredients. A Cuisinart food processor is good for a one-bowl baking project, and can also be used for cooking.
Benefits:
- No one will be unhappy about receiving a Cuisinart; they make everything so much easier and every baker should have one.
- They have many functions.
- They’re fast- blending is made easy.
Drawbacks:
- Very clunky- the Cuisinart has many different parts that all fit together making it hard to clean and keep track of (someone might not appreciate having something so clunky in their kitchen).
- There are now smaller equivalents, like the Ninja (discussed below) that are easier and more efficient to use.
- They can be a liability- I’ve had a personal experience cutting myself on the Cuisinart blade.
3 – Ninja Blender
These new little gadgets are, how can I say it, awesome! They come in many different forms: a mini blender, a normal smoothie blender, and a full on high-powered blender.
They make the perfect gift because they are easy to use, do the job well, and come in many sizes depending on what their intended use is.
Benefits:
- Easy to use- just take out the bottom with the blade fitted in, put your ingredients in, put the top on, plug the top of the Ninja in and press down to blend.
- They do a VERY good job- they blend fast and thoroughly.
- The range of sizes and function allows you to pick out the perfect one for your baker.
Drawbacks:
- Hard to clean.
- The blades are sharp- easy to cut yourself on them.
- The small Ninjas don’t fit a lot- so keep in mind what the baker will be using them for.
4 – “Luxury” Foods or Ingredients
Okay. I promise you, this is the perfect gift for a baker. Any true baker is the ultimate food lover, meaning they’ll appreciate any fancy or high-quality food or ingredients given to them.
If you’re travelling or make your way into a high-end grocery or farmers market, find some high-quality food or ingredients (either fresh or preserved depending on the situation) and buy some as a gift. This can range from beautifully crafted chocolates to a tiny jar of caviar to cacao nibs from Costa Rica.
Really any exotic or well-made food is perfect for someone who loves to bake. They don’t even have to be able to bake with it- they’ll just appreciate the food as it is!
Benefits:
- There are so many different types of food and ingredients that work well as gifts.
- No one hates a gift of luxury food.
- The best part- your loved one could even share the food with you so you get to try the luxury food you just bought!
Drawbacks:
- Depending on where you are, it can be pretty hard to find fancy food that would work well as a gift.
- Some food is pretty expensive- such as caviar or truffle.
- If the food isn’t preserved there’s a chance of it going stale or rotting.
Budget-Friendly Gifts
5 – Pans
You can’t go wrong with buying a baker pans. Circle cake pans, heart-shaped pans, muffin pans, even cookie shot pans (yes, such a thing exists)!
Buying pans for a baker gives you the freedom to be creative- you can get them the traditional pans (circle, square, muffin) or you can go all out and buy mini bundt pans, cookie shot pans, or cake pop pans.
Benefits:
- You have the flexibility to make this any type of gift you want- a fancy gift with a nice set of pans, a funny one when you buy an oddly-shaped pan, or a fun one with a pan like a cookie-shot or cake pop pan.
- Speaking from experience, a baker can always use pans.
Drawbacks:
- You have to be careful when picking out pans for a baker- there’s a good chance they already have a pan in that shape.
- If the baker your giving pans to already has a lot of pans, you might not want to get them a pan, as they might have too many pans already!
6 – Silicone Molds
Any baker who loves to experiment with making different shapes and enjoys creating fancy and impressive desserts will love a silicone mold. When I say silicone mold, I mean hemi-sphere molds, small chocolate-shaped molds, or square-shaped molds.
With these, a baker can make chocolate spheres filled with anything from chocolate mousse to a brownie with ice cream, bakery-worthy chocolates, or gorgeous layered chilled cakes.
Benefits:
- If you’re giving this to a baker who loves to experiment and is relatively experienced, they will enjoy this gift.
- The molds can be used to make anything and gives the baker a chance to use his or her mind to play with different flavors.
- Silicone molds come in many shapes and are inexpensive, so you can buy multiple sets for your loved one.
Drawbacks:
- If you get an odd shape for a silicone mold, the baker might not use it a lot (for example, if I got heart-shaped silicon molds, I wouldn’t really know when to use them).
- It’s easy to get tricked and end up buying a cheap silicone mold that breaks after the first use.
7 – Cookbooks
If you need a last resort gift for a baker, get them a cookbook! Of course, to bake any baker must have good cookbooks. One of the more popular ones on amazon.com is The Baking Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum.
Benefits:
- There are many cookbooks to choose from, and many that are very good.
- A baker will always use a cookbook.
Drawbacks:
- You really have to know what the baker likes to make in order to get them a helpful cookbook.
- They can get a little expensive- some are over $100.
- They can also get big- some cookbooks are a little hefty.
8 – Cookie Cutters
Especially around the holiday season, cookie cutters are a great gift. Cookie cutters allow a baker to shape cookies into neat shapes (whatever shape the cookie cutter is in) and then decorate them appropriately.
For the holidays, give the gift of little gingerbread cookie cutters! Or perhaps a cookie cutter set that allows the baker to build a gingerbread house!
Benefits:
- They’re cheap- you can buy more than one for your loved one and it won’t cost you that much!
- They come in a range of different shapes- you could get a funny one, a cute one, or simply a handy one.
- A baker can never have enough cookie cutters- especially if they’re baking a lot for children it’s always fun to decorate oddly shaped cookies.
Drawbacks:
- It’s a little bit of a simple gift, so consider pairing it with something else, like a cookbook.
- The baker might already have a cookie cutter shaped liked the one you bought.
9 – Baking Attire
As an avid baker, I’ve found I appreciate the gift of a nice apron or a funny piece of clothing that references baking or cooking. An apron protects me from the flour I (and I’m sure most bakers) somehow manage to get everywhere. And I mean everywhere.
Sometimes I see t-shirts or other items of clothing that have funny sayings on them relating to baking, which always makes a good gift to make your loved one laugh (check out our line of baking-themed t-shirts for examples).
Apart from clothing, other baking attire that make a good gift are nice clothes or mittens to use when protecting your hands from hot dishes coming out of the oven or for using as a dish towel. The good thing about baking attire is that you can get creative with what style or design is on the fabric of whatever it is you’re gifting.
Benefits:
- You can never go wrong with giving a baker an apron- they’ll be sure to appreciate having something to protect their clothing.
- Generally aprons or other items of clothing run pretty cheap, which is perfect if your gift is for a friend who likes to bake.
- Some pieces of clothing that joke about baking are pretty funny- although some are inappropriate (which can be funny, depending on who you’re giving it to).
Drawbacks:
- Some people don’t appreciate or need an apron or any other clothing attire for baking (I’m guilty of this and I prefer to just cook without an apron, despite the mess).
- It can be hard to find a nice apron or other item of clothing.
10 – A Nice Set of Bowls or Other Serving Platters
Despite seeming simple, this gift is perfect for the baker enthusiast. Every baker needs beautiful serving dishes or bowls on which to serve and create their desserts.
Speaking from experience, when I don’t have the perfect plate or dish to serve up my goods I wish I had something better so that I could present my dish a little better.
Nice bowls are always a good gift as well, because a baker can always use more nice bowls in which to mix ingredients and let breads rise.
Benefits:
- You give your loved one a beautiful dish on which to present their baked goods- this is invaluable to the baker when he or she wants to show off their creations.
- You have the choice of buying cheap or expensive serving dishes or mixing bowls- it’s really up to you, and there are plenty of beautiful looking dishes that aren’t too expensive.
- It’s hard to go wrong- just choose something that looks beautiful and would serve its purpose of holding a dessert.
Drawbacks:
- It’s essential to be careful, especially when buying bowls, as a cheap material could lead to disasters in the kitchen. For example, buying a cheap metal mixing bowl might be a mistake because when the baker tries to whip egg whites with an electric mixture the metal might shave off into the food.
- Some platters are pretty expensive, especially the really nice ones.
11 – Cake-Making Equipment
If your loved one is really into baking cakes and cupcakes, getting them some cake-making equipment is a great idea. This includes: cake spatulas to smooth the frosting, piping tips, piping bags, edible markers, cupcake wrappers, etc.
Benefits:
- There are so many things you can get a baker to help them decorate cakes– even cool little tools such as a pen that can squirt out piping to decorate the cake!
- If the baker is really into cakes, they can never have enough piping bags or tips.
Drawbacks:
- Cake-decorating tools tend to be small gifts, so you would probably want to get them either multiple tools or another small gift to go along with the tool.
- If you’re not familiar with baking yourself, you might have to do some research to see what cake decorators use.
12 – Packaging
This might sound a little odd, but I can say, as a baker, that I love to bake for friends and family. If I’m giving my baked goods as a gift, I love to present them in a clean and beautiful way. In some cases, a serving platter will do, but in other cases I prefer using little colorful bags and stickers.
Other types of packaging, if they can be called that, are great to give as gifts as well. For example, pretty cupcake liners make a great gift and are very affordable. Giving nicely designed packaging as a gift gives the baker a way to give away their goods, whether for the holidays or for a party.
Benefits:
- A baker can always use packaging to make their goods look pretty and to give them away.
- Many people appreciate gorgeously designed packaging.
Drawbacks:
- It’s hard to find nice packaging that is appropriate for packaging baked goods.
- Some bakers don’t really have a use for it so make sure the baker your giving it to likes that sort of thing.
13 – A Gift Card to a Baking Class
If you really can’t figure out what to give your loved one who loves to bake, a class is always a nice idea. Stores like Williams Sonoma and many pastry shops offer classes on a variety of things- decorating cakes, making pastries, and cooking just to name some. The classes usually run around a couple of hours long.
Benefits:
- A baker can always learn new techniques.
- It could be a fun thing for you and your loved one to do together as a sort of party!
Drawbacks:
- You have to hope the person you’re giving your gift to is available the day of the class, or else they won’t be able to attend it.
- Sometimes the baker is more advanced than the class, so make sure they would really be interested in taking the class and wouldn’t find it too easy or too challenging.
- Depending on where you live, it might be hard to find a class near you.
14 – Rolling Pins, Marble Boards, or Silicone Baking Mats
So these items are there own separate category because I would say they are three gifts you truly can’t go wrong with. They each make the perfect gift as their price is not cheap, but not expensive, and each are essential to any baker.
A rolling pin can be used for rolling out any sort of dough, and a good rolling pin will be appreciated by any baker. Marble boards, like this one, are perfect for mixing, kneading, or rolling out dough, and they are also a beautiful setting for taking videos or photos of the baking process.
Silicone baking mats are the ultimate baking tool as you can reuse them, unlike parchment paper, and nothing sticks to them.
Benefits:
- A rolling pin or marble cutting board, if well designed, make the perfect tools for a baker and gives a professional feel to their baking.
- Silpat baking mats are absolutely necessary for any baker, and trust me they will be put to use.
- Each can have good quality but remain on the inexpensive side.
- If the baker loves to take videos, buying them a marble cutting board will create a smooth and elegant background to use in the video.
Drawbacks:
- A rolling pin and marble cutting board can be pretty heavy so you have to be careful when buying them and transferring them to the person you’re giving them to.
- Some people may find a large marble board to be to much and unnecessary.
No matter what gift you give to a baking enthusiast, as long as it’s baking related they will love it. You can give them a variety of tools, cookbooks, baking attire, or nice machinery if you’re in the mood to give a generous gift.
Even if you don’t want to spend a large sum of money on the gift you’re buying, there are still plenty of options that are cheap that make the perfect gift.
As a baker, I appreciate any gift that I’m given that’s related to baking, and I love to experiment with tools or items that I’m unfamiliar with. Many baker enthusiasts would love to try new equipment or new recipes to expand their technique, so don’t be afraid to buy your loved one something creative!
The real bonus to giving a gift to a baker is you might be able to try what they make using what you gave them!
Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.