Baking for one or two? No problem! Skip the oversized mixing bowls and triple batches of cookies. This guide will equip you with the best small batch baking tools, from mixing bowls and spatulas to measuring cups and whisks. All of the essentials I use in my kitchen, I have put together as a great resource for you!
The Best Kitchen Tools For Small Batch Baking
This is the most comprehensive list of small batch baking essentials you will ever need! I have gone through my baking cabinets and identified every kitchen tool I use – in one, easy-to-reference, list. It is important to me to only provide the tools and essentials that I use in my kitchen, and I stand behind each of these items!
While each recipe and blog post will list the kitchen tools you need, it is handy to have a page to bookmark that lists everything in one place. Plus, this list will continue to be updated as I discover more fabulous tools for small batch baking.
And, this list is a great resource for gift ideas for the baker in your life!
All of the items on this list are affiliate links. This means I will earn a small commission for qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. I buy (most) of my baking supplies and essentials from Amazon for the price, ease of purchasing, and ability to find smaller baking essentials.
small appliances for small batch baking
- KitchenAid Artisan Tilt Head Mixer – A workhorse in any baker’s kitchen! I like the standard size, the tilt-head, and that you can mix everything from cookie batter to bread dough in it.
- 3 Quart Mixing Bowl – The small mixing bowl fits on a standard KitchenAid tilt-head stand mixer and works with the standard attachments. The smaller bowl holds and mixes small batch batters more effectively.
- Breville Hand Mixer – My second favorite small appliance for baking. This hand mixer comes with multiple attachments, a digital display, 9-speed settings, a pause button, and a light!
- Ninja Blender – This is an extremely powerful, versatile, all-purpose blender. I use it to make No-Churn Ice Cream, Dole Whip, and the smaller mixer and attachment is great for grinding freeze-dried fruit.
small batch baking pans
- 6-Inch Round Cake Pan – These mini round cake pans are 2 inches deep and the only cake pans I use. They are priced well, and well made, and anything by Wilton is a great purchase!
- 6-Inch Square Cake Pan – Similar to the round cake pans, these square cake pans are 2 inches deep. I like to use the mini square cake pan for brownies and bars.
- Mini Loaf Pans – The mini loaf pans are 3 x 5.75-inches, and non-stick. They are small and wonderful to make individual or smaller-sized loaves.
- 9×5 Loaf Pan – This is your standard-size loaf pan, which you may already have in your kitchen! The loaf pan works great to make small batch brownies, small, cakes, and even doubles as an ice cream container!
- 4-Inch Springform Pans – I love these little springform pans to make individual cheesecakes. Plus, they work easily for baked or no-bake cheesecakes.
- 6-Inch Springform Pan – Just like the 6-inch pan for cakes, this 6-inch pan is what you need for a mini cheesecake. Making any kind of cheesecake is almost a must because of the easy release that keeps the soft cake intact.
- Mini Pie Dishes – These mini pie dishes bake the cutest little pies. Plus, they work great for individual apple crisps for two and chocolate stone fruit cobbler for two.
- Mini Bundt Pans – A mini bundt pan that makes the cutest little cakes!
- Mini Tart Pans – These mini tart pans are great because they are non-stick and have removable bottoms. Which makes getting your treats out of the pan easy!
baking sheets
- Half Baking Sheets – The half-size baking sheets are what you may consider a standard-size baking sheet. I use these to make all of my small batch cookies, and I love the rimmed edge to keep the cookies from falling off!
- Quarter Baking Sheets – Smaller than the half baking sheet, the quarter sheet doubles as a baking sheet and a great prep sheet for sweets like Truffles, Cookie Dough, and Energy Bites.
- Eighth Baking Sheets – A super mini sheet pan, I use the eighth sheet pan for making homemade chocolate bars and toasting coconut. And, the small size is great for the freezer when you need to assemble ice cream sandwiches.
- Cooling Rack – This is the only cooling rack I use because it is super durable and sturdy. And, it fits perfectly in the half baking sheet when you need to coat or glaze and have the excess drip off.
- Parchment Paper Sheets – There are two reasons why I always use these parchment paper sheets – the sheets fit the half-size baking sheets, and they don’t contain any chemicals.
small batch baking utensils
- Odd Size Measuring Spoons – With small batch baking comes non-standard measurements. Measuring spoon sizes like 1/16 teaspoon, 1/8 teaspoon, and 1/2 tablespoon – which I use often in small batch batters.
- Mini Whisks – Smaller batters require smaller tools to stir them. These mini whisks are just the perfect size to stir ingredients in smaller bowls effectively.
- Mini Spatulas– Just like the mini whisks, the mini spatulas are the ideal size for small batters and mixing bowls.
- Cookie Scoop – The #40 medium cookie scoop is my most used cookie scoop. It is a 2-tablespoon size scoop. The size yields a Goldilocks cookie – not too small, not too large!
measuring cups and mixing bowls
- Mini Measuring Cups – These shot glass measuring cups may be my favorite baking essential. Small batch batters often (if not all the time) need smaller amounts of liquid ingredients. These little glasses make measuring that out super easy!
- 1 Cup Measuring Cup – 1 cup liquid measuring cups come in many varieties. I like the Pyrex because it works in the microwave. And it is wider and shorter which makes dipping sweets into it easy.
- Odd Size Measuring Cups – I like using All-Clad dry ingredient measuring cups because they are incredibly durable. Almost like mini saucepans! They are worth the investment because they will last forever!
- Small Mixing Bowl – I use these small glass mixing bowls ALL THE TIME. They are the perfect size for mixing small batch batters.
- Medium Mixing Bowl – The 1.5 quart may seem small, but I consider it a medium size bowl. I often use it when measuring and mixing wet and dry ingredients in the same bowl.
other essential baking tools
- Digital Thermometer – This is my favorite digital thermometer because it is easy to use, read, and clean. And, when making caramel from maple syrup or meringue frosting, the thermometer takes the guessing out of whether you’ve heated it to the proper temperature.
- Kitchen Torch – No campfire is needed with this small kitchen torch! Did anyone say s’mores?!
- Ice Cream Containers – I love these ice cream containers for homemade ice cream because they are well-insulated and the tops are so easy to take on and off!
Final thought – this is a wonderful page to bookmark, especially for Prime Day! I know I will be keeping an eye out for deals!
about the author ...
I'm Erin and I'm all about desserts - and a little bit of butter!
I've tested, written, and photographed hundreds of recipes on my website. Here you'll find the tastiest small batch desserts - all homemade, all simple, and all for you! Click here to learn more about me!