A little reason to celebrate
National Cookie Cutter Day
Food · Hobby · December 1
A look at cookie cutters, the simple metal and plastic shapes that turn rolled dough into stars, hearts and animals, and how to use them well.
National Cookie Cutter Day falls on Tuesday, December 1, 2026. That is 35 days away.
A cookie cutter is a thin band of metal or plastic bent into a shape and pressed through rolled dough. Lift it away and you have a star, a heart or a slightly lopsided dinosaur, ready for the oven.
The tool is about as plain as kitchen gear gets, yet people collect them by the drawerful. Old tin cutters turn up at flea markets and in family baking boxes, often in shapes nobody remembers buying. Plastic sets come in alphabets, holiday themes and animals. Some cutters have a plunger that stamps a pattern into the dough as it cuts.
Rolled sugar cookies and gingerbread are the usual partners, because those doughs hold an edge in the oven. Chilling the dough before cutting helps the shapes stay crisp. A light dusting of flour on the cutter keeps it from sticking, and cutting shapes close together leaves fewer scraps to reroll. Raw cookie dough contains uncooked flour and often egg, so it is best to wait for the baked version rather than sample the trimmings.
Cutters also wander out of the kitchen. They make neat shapes from sandwiches, cheese slices and pancakes, and they work as stencils for clay, craft foam or play dough. A child with one heart-shaped cutter can keep busy for a surprisingly long time.
Metal cutters last longer if they are dried right after washing, since damp tin can rust along the seams.
Ways to celebrate
- Bake a batch of rolled sugar cookies using your favorite cutter.
- Sort through your cutter drawer and find the oddest shape.
- Use a cutter to shape sandwiches or pancakes for breakfast.
- Look for vintage tin cutters at a local thrift store or flea market.
- Press cutters into play dough or clay for a kid-friendly craft.
Things for the day
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Dates
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Tuesday, December 1 |
| 2027 | Wednesday, December 1 |
| 2028 | Friday, December 1 |
| 2029 | Saturday, December 1 |
| 2030 | Sunday, December 1 |
All national days on December 1
Also on December 1
Categories: Food daysHobby days