The 16 Best Baking Essentials You Should Buy At Walmart

If you're new to baking or a seasoned professional, there are a number of things you need to get started. While this may sound daunting, you can get most of these things in one place. When people say Walmart has everything, they mean it, and when it comes to baking essentials, Walmart has you covered.

Whether you're moving into your own place for the first time, in need of replacements, or wanting to start a new hobby, you don't need to spend big bucks to fill out your kitchen with baking essentials. Not only is it helpful to be able to buy everything at once, but Walmart often sells things cheaper than your average retailer. So if you're getting a lot of things at once, it won't break the bank. Thankfully, Walmart has plenty of essentials that anyone who bakes will want to have in their kitchen. As a baker myself, I used my own knowledge of baking essentials and the types of things I would need to get started in a kitchen as a reference for what to include in this list.

It's not a question that when you plan on baking something, you'll have to measure your ingredients. Whether they're wet or dry, big or small, you'll need to have something handy to make that happen. Baking is a science, like chemistry, and it's important to be precise. Thankfully, you can find exactly what you'll need at Walmart.

When building out your collection of baking essentials, measuring cups and spoons are a must. A glass measuring cup can help measure out liquids like water, milk, oils, and more, and you can follow this tip from Ina Garten for easier cleanup. For dry ingredients, you'll want measuring cups and spoons. Walmart is the best place to pick up these items because it has several options in-store and even more online. That way, you'll have an easier time getting a set, or sets, that match each other or your current kitchen decor.

Cookie pans, sheet pans, or baking sheets will come in handy even if you have no intention of making cookies, and every baker should own at least one. Baking sheets come in standard sizes; however, many brands don't necessarily adhere to that. The major benefit of getting those that fit those standards simply make storage much easier because they fit inside each other perfectly. That being said, any size baking sheet that fits in your oven is perfect for stocking up on essentials, and you can always follow tips on how to buy the perfect one.

Aside from baking cookies, a sheet pan can be very useful. When making pies, cakes, etc., it's helpful to put a baking pan underneath your bake in case it overflows. This catches anything that may spill out and keeps you from having to clean your oven. Walmart is the perfect place to buy these because you can mix and match what you need in various sizes and shapes at a price that doesn't break the bank.

Not every baker may find a cooling rack necessary; however, they can come in handy. Exactly as it sounds, it's a slightly raised metal rack that you can put your baked goods on, allowing them to cool underneath faster than if they were just sitting on your countertop. It's extremely helpful if you need to decorate cookies or cake once they're cool, or simply want to be able to handle the baked goods faster. You can use them for cookies, pastries, loaves of bread, pies, and so much more.

Regardless of your baking needs, Walmart has a selection of cooling racks that would fit your needs. They're sold individually and in sets in case you need more than one. Buying these at Walmart will help ensure you have sizes that match your sheet pans, so you always know your bakes will transfer perfectly over without needing extra space.

A rolling pin feels like a quintessential item for any kitchen, often appearing as a common motif in vintage baking imagery. Despite looking good in pictures and illustrations, they're pretty useful too. On Walmart's website, you can find dozens of sizes, materials, and shapes of rolling pins, so there's no doubt you'll find the perfect one to fit your needs. Some materials include ceramic, wood, or stainless steel. 

There are even specialty rolling pins that are embossed with images that will transfer onto your cookie dough when rolling. While these make beautiful images, they aren't necessary compared to a standard rolling pin. If you're looking to stock up on essentials, a standard rolling pin is a great place to start. They're inexpensive, durable, and easy to clean, and they're perfect for rolling out cookies, pie crusts, and pastry dough. Rolling pins can also be used in creative ways and are particularly useful when you need to crush things. 

Baking pans are imperative for every home baker and can be used for several different projects. Depending on what you get, they're suitable for loaves of bread, muffins, cake, brownies, and so much more. Most baking pans, aside from muffin tins, come in various sizes of circles, rectangles, or squares to fit your baking needs. You can even find specialty shapes like hearts, stars, or numbers for more intricate cake-baking projects.

In terms of what you need to get started, Walmart has plenty of options to choose from. Baking pans are typically made of metal; however, they can also be made of glass, silicone, or disposable aluminum pans. Walmart's wide variety means that you'll be able to bake different sizes and shapes without spending a ton of money in the process.

Muffins are the perfect treat for any breakfast on the go, and you'd be hard-pressed not to find cupcakes at an office or elementary school birthday celebration. Since cupcake liners don't expire, it's smart to always have some handy just in case. Because Walmart has so many varieties available, you can always find something for the right opportunity. Aside from the standard white paper cups, it has patterned or foil cups for a more elevated look. 

When things seem cheaper at Walmart and there are options to choose from for every occasion, you might as well add these to your shopping list. Even when you aren't baking muffins or cupcakes, cupcake liners are great for moments when you have some batter leftover that you don't want to go to waste. 

Despite what the name suggests, cookie cutters have a wide range of applications. It goes without saying that they can be used for cookies, but they can be used for so much more, too. In baking, you can utilize them for uniform-sized biscuits, pie dough decorations, and pastries, just to name a few. And when you're done baking, you can use them for things like fruit or fun-shaped sandwiches to send with your kids to school for lunch.

When choosing what shapes of cookie cutters to buy, Walmart has a world of selections like circles, squares, stars, numbers, and letters. Every home baker should have a set of different-sized circle cookie cutters, but there are always other fun options to choose from in different shapes and sizes. They're often made of metal or plastic so that they hold their shape over time. There are also cookie-cutter stamps that can make more intricate, imprinted cookies for the more experienced baker. Whatever size or shape of cookie cutter you're looking for, you'll find it at Walmart. But I would be surprised if you're able to stop at just one.

Even if you don't intend to decorate cakes, piping tips are an essential item that every home baker should have. You can often find them in sets with reusable piping bags and a collection of different tips. Sometimes they even come with a little booklet that shows you the different shapes you can pipe with each tip.

Aside from decorating cakes with frosting, piping tips are still useful. They can be used for something as simple as a whipped cream garnish or as meringues, and so much more. Because you can buy them in sets at Walmart, you don't have to waste time guessing whether or not you're buying the individual piping tip you need. Rather, you have a one-stop shop that shows clearly on the packaging what each tip is used for, and you don't have to stress about buying the wrong thing.

When you hear the word "spatula," there may be a couple of different images that come to mind. For certain generations, you may picture the classic fry cook spatula wielded by Krusty Krab's very own SpongeBob SquarePants. These types of spatulas are often made of either metal or nylon and help flip things in a pan or transfer baked goods from their pan to a cooling rack. Walmart carries spatulas in both of these materials, and getting one would be useful for baking.

The other type of spatula you may think of would've come in handy when Moira Rose was attempting to teach David how to "fold in the cheese" on an episode of "Schitt's Creek." They're typically made of food-grade silicone so that they can handle heat as needed. These types of spatulas can be used to gently mix more delicate batters like macarons, scrape additional batter out of the bowl, or remove the last of an ingredient like peanut butter or jelly from its jar. Walmart has so many options, the spatula will be sure to match your decor perfectly.

Having a whisk in your kitchen arsenal seems like a no-brainer, so there's no reason not to get one (or several) from Walmart. They're typically made of metal or silicone and can be sold individually or in sets. The whisk sets may come in multiple sizes, which can be useful across different applications

Because whisks are essential to any baker, you should always have at least one. In-store and on the website, Walmart offers an array of sizes and shapes at can't-beat prices. With so much variety, Walmart is a great place to find a whisk because you're sure to find the one that best suits your needs. Whether it's metal or silicone, or a color that matches your aesthetic, Walmart is sure to carry it.

Just about every seasoned home baker and chef has at least heard of brands like Le Creuset and Staub and their famous enameled cast iron products. Usually seen as a Dutch oven and carrying a pretty hefty price tag, enameled cast iron products are amazing to have in the kitchen. But thanks to Walmart, you can still buy some of these products without having to take out a loan or spend an entire paycheck.

Brands like Pioneer Woman, Lodge, and CorningWare, which can be found at Walmart, also sell enameled cast iron at more affordable prices. For baking, an enameled cast iron bread oven or Dutch oven is the perfect vessel to produce fluffy, round sourdough loaves. You can also use a Dutch oven to make jam or fruit fillings for pies and pastries. They're an easy-to-clean, versatile item that can be used both inside and outside of the oven, and they're meant to last a lifetime.

Mixing bowls are one of those items you can simply never have too many of. If you're making something with several separate parts (like a cake batter, chocolate ganache, and whipped cream) or prefer to mix your wet and dry ingredients separately, it's helpful to have a set of mixing bowls on hand. They can all be the same size or fit perfectly inside one another for easier storage. When it comes to buying mixing bowls at Walmart, there's a range of plain and decorative bowls to choose from for all your mixing needs.

Materials can range from things like metal, glass, plastic, or ceramic. Some even come with plastic or silicone lids so that you can store whatever you're mixing in the same vessel — just pop on the lid and put it in the fridge until it's ready for use. You can also find mixing bowls that are compatible with stand mixers, so you can switch them out throughout the steps of your mixing process.

Whether or not you've used a cookie scoop before, they're incredibly convenient to have. They look pretty similar to an ice cream scoop and can even be used as such. You can also use them to scoop out cookie dough, muffin batter, and more. They're typically a metal half-sphere with a small scoop on the inside that moves back and forth with a lever to unstick the batter or dough from the spoon. They come in several sizes depending on what you plan to use them for, and you can find a few kinds at Walmart.

On Walmart's website, it sells several different sizes, shapes, and handle types so you can find the one that not only best suits your baking needs, but can be used with ease. Some people prefer scoops that you squeeze with your hands to release rather than pressing with your thumb. Walmart carries both, so you can try them both out in store and see which feels best for you.

A stand mixer is, for all intents and purposes, a luxury item. But once you bake with one, you'll never want to bake without it again. Although KitchenAid is a household name when it comes to stand mixers, other affordable versions exist on the shelves at Walmart.

Hand mixers are useful, and one every baker should have, but upgrading to a stand mixer is how to take your baking experience to the next level. For under $100 at Walmart, you can have the luxury of a stand mixer at a more affordable price than other brands or retailers. The convenience is simply unmatched, especially when making things that require longer mixing times like whipped cream or meringue. You don't have to worry about perfect rotation or your arms getting tired because this little powerhouse of a machine does all the hard work for you.

As mentioned previously, baking is a very precise science, and in some cases, measuring cups and spoons just won't cut it. Baking breads, especially, require specific measurements. The best way to achieve this with minimal mistakes is to invest in a kitchen scale. Any kitchen scale you buy new will likely be digital and have modes to measure in ounces or grams. They also typically can reset the scale to 0 to weigh each ingredient in a bowl or multiple ingredients back-to-back without having to try to do math.

Walmart has many in-store options, including a black and silver one or a sleek white one. When it comes to knowing what kitchen scale is best for you and your kitchen, I recommend getting something simple. For the most part, kitchen scales are pretty much the same, but some can get quite expensive. If you're looking to start with one for the first time, it's perfectly fine to get one on the more affordable end. 

Parchment paper is one of those things that may not seem like a baking necessity, but it truly is a game-changer in the kitchen. For the most part, parchment paper creates a non-stick surface for pans so that your bakes don't burn from greasing, get stuck, or leave behind hard-to-clean residue. You can also cut them into smaller sections to make DIY rustic paper muffin cups if you don't want to buy them.

Unlike most of the other items in this list, parchment paper isn't found in the section that sells home goods and kitchenware. Rather, you can find it in the aisle near paper products and food storage like napkins, paper plates, plastic bags, and aluminum foil. Much like foil, you can buy parchment paper in rolls that you tear off at your desired length or in pre-cut rectangles. In some cases, you may also be able to find parchment paper circles that are perfect for the bottom of cake pans to help make removal and cleaning a breeze. Walmart's website lists all of these and more in different lengths and affordable prices you can't find at most retailers.

Having been a lifelong baker, it didn't take long for me to decide what would be best to include in this list. A number of these items were no-brainers, such as the various utensils I regularly grab, the countertop appliances I use the most, and the other tools I'm constantly reaching for. I also took into consideration the items they had on display, as well as those that had a number of different options. For example, it was clear to me how important spatulas were in this aisle because of the number of materials and design options available for purchase. If an item was available in multiple varieties, it's clear that Walmart found that its customers value having a wide array of choices when stocking their kitchen.