National Cookie Cutter Day

National Cookie Cutter Day, celebrated each year on December 1, honors the simple but beloved baking tool that helps shape cookies — and holiday memories — in countless creative forms.

History of National Cookie Cutter Day

Cookie cutters have been used for centuries, with early versions appearing in Europe made from wood, tin or carved molds. As home baking traditions spread, shaped cookies became popular for holidays, festivals and family gatherings.
By the 19th and 20th centuries, mass-produced tin and metal cookie cutters became common in American kitchens, and their playful shapes turned baking into a creative, family-friendly activity. National Cookie Cutter Day emerged on modern holiday calendars as a way to celebrate this timeless kitchen tool.

Why is National Cookie Cutter Day important?

This day highlights the joy of baking together — especially as the holiday season begins. Cookie cutters help turn ordinary dough into festive stars, trees, animals, hearts and nearly any shape imagined, adding extra fun to homemade treats.
It also celebrates creativity, tradition and the small tools that help bring families and friends together in the kitchen. A simple cookie cutter can spark memories of childhood, seasonal baking and shared traditions passed from one generation to the next.

• It celebrates creativity through shaped cookies and baking fun.
• It encourages family and friends to bake together during the holiday season.
• It highlights a timeless tool that has been part of kitchens for generations.
• It inspires people to try new cookie shapes and recipes.
• It brings warmth and nostalgia to early December.

How to Celebrate National Cookie Cutter Day

Celebrate by pulling out your favorite cookie cutters — classic shapes or new ones — and making a batch of homemade cookies. Sugar cookies, gingerbread, shortbread and chocolate dough all work beautifully with cutters.
You can also turn the day into a group activity: decorate cookies with family, host a cookie-decorating party or make extra treats to share with neighbors or coworkers. Cookie cutters also lend themselves to crafts like ornaments, gift tags or pressed clay decorations.

• Bake and decorate shaped cookies.
• Try a new cookie cutter shape or design.
• Host a cookie-decorating gathering with friends or kids.
• Use cookie cutters for crafts like ornaments or holiday decorations.
• Give a set of cookie cutters as a simple, festive gift.

National Cookie Cutter Day Dates Table