Freshly baked cookies are the stuff that proper nostalgia is made for. With the best KitchenAid attachments for cookies, making those amazing memories doesn’t have to be a chore and that’s going to be our focus for today.
To help you on your cookie creation question, we’ll share some attachment selection tips, as well as some of the best attachments for your KitchenAid available on the market today. We’ll even address some common questions before we’re done and by the end of this article, you’ll have everything you need to take your cookie game to the next level with your KitchenAid mixer.
Let’s talk about the best KitchenAid attachments for cookies and what they can really do for you!
Our Top 4 picks at a Glance
Before we get this party started, we know that some of our readers may be in a hurry, so we’d like to give you a sneak peek of our favorite KitchenAid attachments for cookies and what we liked that we’ll expand upon later in the article.
For now, however, here is our top 3 and a quick peek at the reasoning behind these choices:
- Best Pour Shield – FIRJOY Pouring Shield for KitchenAid – Stronger than a KitchenAid pour shield, the FIRJOY also snaps into place tightly and the convenient ingredient chute seals the deal – this is one fine pour shield!
- Best Flex Beater – Reikame Flex Edge Beater for Kitchen Aid Mixer 6 Quart Bowl – Featuring a double-edge, this Reikame Flex Edge beater does an amazing job getting all of your dough off the sides and fits a wide range of models to boot!
- Best Paddle/Flat Beater –qAP Art Practica Flat Beater Replacement – Made of 18/8 stainless steel, the qAP Flat Beater solid, efficient, and good looking, too. Add in that it fits perfectly for a huge range of mixers and it’s definitely our favorite flat beater.
- Best Wire Whisk for frosting – KITCHPOWER K45WW Wire Whip Attachment for KitchenAid Tilt-Head Stand Mixers – Almost identical to your original KitchenAid wire whisk, but tougher, this is the best wire whisk upgrade for frosting and you’re going to love it!
The 4 must-have attachments for cookie-crafting
While there are a plethora of KitchenAid attachments out there, with cookies there are 4 specific ones that you’ll need to cover the full run of basic-to-advanced cookie crafting. We’ll take a look at each in the sections below so that you’ll know what they do before we get into our favorites out there on the market.
Pour Shield
For cookies baked from scratch, a shield is a must-have. It is a plastic apparatus that fits perfectly onto the top of your mixing bowl. It makes adding loose, lightweight ingredients easier than ever before.
No more giant dust clouds from flour or powdered sugar, leaving you with a bigger mess than just the dishes. The pour shield basically acts as a barrier between the ingredients and your countertops. It’s also dishwasher safe – a major plus for extra cleaning ease.
Flexible Edge Beater
Step up your flat beater by investing in a flex edge beater instead (or additionally!). One of the primary complaints of flat beater users was that you had to use a separate scraper to get all the ingredients on the sides of the bowl into the mixture. The flex edge beater addresses this issue.
This attachment is a coated metal beater with a flexible “scraper” edge. It has the same efficient mixing capabilities of the flat beater with the added benefit of faster and more thorough incorporation of all ingredients, even ones that tend to get stuck on the sides of the bowl. When not attached to the mixer, it also acts as a great tool for pouring the final dough onto its baking sheet.
The flex edge is great for normal to heavy mixes, and perfect for cookie dough. If the recipe tells you to beat, mix, or cream your ingredients (like many cookie dough recipes do), this attachment is what you need. It can be used on all speed settings, it’s dishwasher safe, and will be your easiest, most effective cookie baking attachment for your stand mixer.
Paddle/Flat Beater
The regular paddle or flat beater usually comes with your stand mixer, along with a whisk and a dough hook. If your model didn’t come with these attachments, they are available separately. You’ll definitely want to invest in the flat beater!
The flat beater is best for cookies. Cookie dough is relatively lightweight and doesn’t need the kneading power of the dough hook. But it’s still too heavy for the whisk attachment. This should be your go-to for any kind of cookie baking.
The flat beater thoroughly and efficiently whips up your cookie dough into a completely homogeneous mixture in no time. It does the hard work for you, mixing all ingredients together into a perfectly even dough ready for spooning onto the cookie sheet.
Wire whisks -FOR FROSTING ONLY
While you NEVER want to use wire whisks on cookie dough (unless you’re trying to sabotage them), these wiry wonders are perfect for fluffing up amazing frostings to top off holiday or other customized cookies that you feel like upgrading.
The right wire whisks will ensure that your frosting is mixed perfectly and also that there’s plenty of added air so that a good frosting for your cookies may be whipped-up into a GREAT one.
Just resist the urge to use it on your cookie dough – that’s a surefire way to eventually warp your whisks!
The Best KitchenAid Attachments for Cookies
Now that you know the operational range of each attachment where delicious cookies are concerned, it’s time to take a look at our favorites so that you can see some of the best KitchenAid appliances available on Amazon. For each one, we’ll tell you a little about what they bring to the table, as well as what we liked and what we felt could use a little improvement.
Let’s take a peek and you can see what you think!
Pour Shields
KitchenAid 1-Piece Pouring Shield for 5 – 6 quart models (see below)
When you want the perfect pour shield, it’s almost always best to go to the source, and this KitchenAid 1-piece pouring shield is designed, tested, and manufactured by KitchenAid so you’ll know it’s going to fit and do the job right. We’ll cover the pros and cons below, and this pour shield fits the following KitchenAid models:
- KV25G0X
- KV25G8X
- 4KB25G1X
- KP25M0X
- KV25MCX
- EX
- KP26M
- KL26M
- KP26N
- KP26M1P
- KB26G1X
- KT2651X
- KD2661X
- KP2671X
- KSM7581
- KSM7586P
- KSM7588P
- KSM7990
The Pros
As this is an actual KitchenAid attachment, we’re starting off strong here, and it also includes a hassle-free 1-year warranty just in case you somehow get a ‘lemon’. This pour shield is also machine washable and as an added bonus, they throw in a burnished-metal paddle beater that is top-rack washable and which includes the same 1 year warranty, so that you’ll have a backup-beater in the drawer for cookie-dough emergencies.
The Cons
This is KitchenAid specific – so if you’ve replaced your bowl with a non-KitchenAid accessory bowl, there is no guarantee that it’s going to fit – it’s ONLY for original KitchenAid mixer bowls. Aside from this, while it’s a perfect fit, the shallow pins do come with a bit of a learning curve – so attach it slowly until you get the hang of it, after which time it should be easy to properly ‘pop it on’ and take it off.
KitchenAid KSMTHPS Secure Pouring Shield, Fits 4.5-5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixers
Another KitchenAid-specific part, this KSMTHPS Secure Pouring Shield is designed to fit all 4.5 to 5 quart Tilt-Head stand mixers that come with stainless-steel bowls. The shield itself is durable, clear plastic with 3 secure and easy-to-see black latches that lock in place to help ensure that your cookie dough stays in the bowl – just like it’s supposed to. When you’re done using it, just pop it in the dishwasher and it’ll be clean and ready to go in a jiffy!
The Pros
The snap tabs are nice – sometimes pour shields are completely clear, which can make putting them in a bit of a pain, but you can easily see and snap these right into place. The shield also has a convenient angled ingredients slide that comes in handy for getting all your secret cookie ingredients into your dough.
The Cons
Will not fit KN25WPBH and with some models when you lower the bowl, you’ll need to pop the shield off to continue – it’s a little annoying, but not necessarily a dealbreaker once you’ve gotten used to this.
FIRJOY Pouring Shield for KitchenAid 4.5 and 5 Quart Stainless Steel Bowls
This FIRJOY Pouring shield is a third-party option that fits 4.5 to 5 quart KitchenAid stainless-steel bowls like a glove. This is designed for tilt-mixers and not only is it dishwasher safe, but it’s made of food-grade plastic so you won’t have to worry about sacrificing quality to save a little money. Let’s take a peek at the pros and cons of the FIRJOY to see what it brings to the table!
The Pros
Despite being a third-party attachment, the FIRJOY fits tightly and is better than a lot of KitchenAid-sourced pour shields that we’re reviewed. Get it as messy as you like in the bowl – the mess will stay there – and cleanup is a breeze in your dishwasher later. The ingredients chute is also quite handy to have and works as-designed.
The Cons
The tight fit is almost TOO tight, although you’ll get used to that , and the design does make things a little ‘crowded’ in the bowl as far as switching out attachments goes. This is not necessarily a dealbreaker, but it does take some getting used to.
Flex edge beaters
KitchenAid KFE5T Tilt-Head Flex Edge Beater
This Flex Edge beater is manufactured by KitchenAid for KitchenAid, and that’s good to know. That’s because the whole point of a flex edge beater is mixing, beating, and scraping that delicious dough off the bowl so that no part of your cookie recipe gets wasted. Dishwasher-safe, this beater is made of coated metal and features a silicone edge. It’s also a perfect fit for the following KitchenAid models:
- K45SS
- KSM1
- KSM100
- KSM110
- KSM120
- KSM15
- KSM16
- KSM75
- KSM8
- KSM9
The Pros
Flex edge beaters are great for ensuring a perfect mix of ingredients and this model definitely doesn’t disappoint. You can add your ingredients faster and more efficiently and with the perfect fit, you’ll have the range that you need to scrape off the extra dough that inevitably sticks to the side of the bowl.
The Cons
While incredibly efficient, you’ll notice if the bowl is more than half-full that there is a potential for splashing. When you get used to this, you can reduce mixing speed once your ingredients are blended smoothly, but you’ll have a few splashes on the way learning this little trick.
Reikame Flex Edge Beater for KitchenAid Tilt-Head Stand Mixer, 4.5-5 Quart
This third-party Flex Edge beater from Reikame gives you an extra edge – as the silicon encompasses BOTH sides, rather than simply one. The beater itself is made of non-stick coated metal, so it’s nice and durable, and it’s also dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup when your dough is perfect and those cookies are ready to bake. This Reikame flex beater fits the following KitchenAid models:
- K45
- K45SS
- KSM1
- KSM100
- KSM110
- KSM120
- KSM15
- KSM16
- KSM75
- KSM8
- KSM90
- KSM105GBCER
The Pros
With both sides bearing silicone, you’ll make short work of dough sticking to the side, and this is also considered a multifunction model beater – you can make thin cookie doughs, frostings, pastry fillings, and even mash potatoes. The beater itself is also well-made – it FEELS like a KitchenAid designed edge beater, in that it’s heavy, durable, and snaps in place like it came with your mixer.
The Cons
This is NOT a good fit for very heavy dough – so as long as you use it for the ‘thinner’ dough recipes, you’ll be happy with it, but if you try something thicker or use it for bread dough then you’ll be much less impressed with its performance.
Reikame Flex Edge Beater for KitchenAid Mixer 6 Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer Bowls
We liked the Reikame enough that we wanted to share this version for 6 quart KitchenAid mixer models and we think you’re going to love it! Like the previous model, this beater features a useful double-edge of food grade silicone, sheathed over non-stick coated metal for a durable beater that will scrape the sides of the bowl with ease. It’s also dishwasher safe – so when you’re done, just toss it in the dishwasher and all that’s left to do is wait for those yummy cookies to bake!
This Reikame will fit the following KitchenAid mixers:
- Professional 6 & 600 series
- KD2661
- KL26M
- KP26M1
- KP26M8
- KP26N9
- KV25G
- KV25M
The Pros
This robust edge beater is great for mixing up things like compound butters, meatloaf, mashed potatoes, nut butters, and your cookie dough. It’s also well-made – you’ll be able to tell by the heft of it – and so if you take care of it then you’ll be mixing up culinary wonders together well into the foreseeable future.
The Cons
This will NOT fit Sam’s or Costco model KitchenAid clones and models with tulip-shaped bowls, such as the KSM6573. Aside from this, while it is dishwasher safe, some washers really bring the heat and this can eventually compromise the coating. This is not necessarily a dealbreaker – it happens more often than not with ‘dishwasher safe’ beaters, but we wanted to note that hand-washing is going to be important in ensuring you get the most mileage out of this beater.
Paddle/Flat beaters
KitchenAid KSM5THFBSS Stainless Steel Flat Beater – 4.5 to 5 Quart tilt Head
Our first flat beater is a great one. This KitchenAid KSM5THFBSS flat beater is made of stainless steel, so it’s a durable choice for your 5 quart tilt head mixer and you can get it with different colors if you like – that parts all up to you. Designed, tested, and manufactured by KitchenAid, it should fit any 4.5 to 5 quart tilt mixer perfectly so you needn’t worry when it arrives that it’s not going to fit. Let’s take a peek at the perks and the caveats that come with this beater!
The Pros
One of the good things about insisting on KitchenAid attachments is that you know it’s solid and it’s going to fit. We also like that it’s stainless steel – no worries about what’s underneath as you can go with the stainless steel version and it’s not going to chip like the original attachment that came with your mixer – it’s built to last.
The Cons
The white and silver models feature a coating – so THOSE OPTIONS may chip if you don’t stick to hand=washing. Go with the stainless steel and you won’t have that problem, but that was the only caveat that we found with these attachments.
qAP Art Practica Flat Beater Replacement for KitchenAid 5 plus/6 Qt. Bowl-Lift Stand Mixers (also some 3.5 quart models!)
If you are looking for a SOLID stainless-steel flat beater, then this qAP Art Practica replacement 5 and 6 quart Flat Beater is an excellent option. It’s durable and the heft will tell you everything you need to know when you unbox it. It also fits so many KitchenAid mixers that you’ll have to visit the page for a full list, but here’s a taste of 5 and 6 quart models it’s compatible with to give you an idea.
5-quart models:
- Professional 5 Plus Series
- KV25G0X
- KV25G8X
- KV25H0X
- RKG25H0X
- KV25M
6-quart models:
- Professional 600 Series
- KP2671X
- KP26M1X
- KP26M8X
- KP26M9X
- KP26M9PC
- KL26M1X
- KL26M8X
- KD2661X
- KT2651X
- KB26G1X
- 5KSM6583
- 5KSM6585G
The Pros
A lot of third-party attachments will disappoint you, but not this qAP Art Practica. It’s SOLID and well-made, and you’ll like it even more than your original attachment. It won’t chip or peel and the attachment head is one piece, rather than the ‘disconnected edge’ type you’ll see with inferior beaters.
It’s also interchangeable with a list of models that looks like a kid’s Christmas list – we really recommend viewing the actual page, as this fill fit your KitchenAid but also a surprisingly wide list of model, so you might be able to pull out one of your favorite older mixers and bring it out of retirement – always a perk if you’ve got a favorite mixer that’s been gathering dust for too long.
You’ll find that getting the dough off this beater is a LOT easier and that’s definitely refreshing – it’s simply well-designed and that’s a surprising perk from a third-party model -we’d recommend this over a lot of similar designs directly from KitchenAid and that’s not something you hear every day.
The Cons
This beater is ‘short and stout’, so it might not hit the bottom of the bowl with all KitchenAid models.
KitchenAid Coated Flat Beater – Fits Bowl-Lift models
Our final flat beater is a treat that we’re including for those folks out there who prefer to stick to KitchenAid designed, manufactured, and tested attachments only. What you get is a metal beater with an aesthetically-pleasing white coating that will fit your KitchenAid perfectly because KitchenAid made it specifically for their products. No muss and no fuss, but as with all KitchenAid attachments, even though it’s technically top-rack safe for dishwashers, you know the drill – hand-wash only is the key to getting the most mileage.
This beater is designed for the following specific KitchenAid models:
- KD26
- KH25
- KT26
- KV25
- KJ26
- KB25
- KP26
The Pros
It’s manufactured by KitchenAid so you can expect a certain level of quality and you’ll notice it when you lift it out of the box. It’s heavy, but not overly so, and the aesthetics of the coat are pleasing and reassuring – if you take good care of it, then it won’t be chipping anytime soon. Aside from this, it fits the listed models to a ‘T’ – but don’t try any model not listed unless you’re 100% sure of the fit – it’s designed for a specific range so beyond those, we can’t guarantee you’ll be happy.
The Cons
As with many KitchenAid sourced attachments, put it in the dishwasher at your own peril. Yes, we know it SAYS it’s dishwasher safe but ask any KitchenAid veteran and they’ll tell you the same thing. If you want that coating to last, then you need to handwash it or simply go with an attachment that’s solid stainless steel. ‘Dishwasher safe’, in most cases, really means ‘dishwasher safe for X amount of washes’.
Wire whisks for frosting
KITCHPOWER K45WW Wire Whip Attachment for KitchenAid Tilt-Head Stand Mixers
Our first wire whisk for whipping up your cookie frosting comes straight from KitchenAid, so you know that it’s awesome! This KITCHPOWER K45WW wire whip attachment is made out of stainless steel and the KitchenAid design factor helps to ensure that you’ll get plenty of air to fluff up that frosting so that it’s perfect for your cookies and cakes!
This wire whisk is designed to fit the following models ONLY:
- K45
- KSM15
- KSM110
- KSM103
- KSM75
- KN15
- KSM90
The Pros
A fantastic upgrade from the original aluminum whisks that come with many KitchenAid models, this durable wire whisk looks exactly like the old attachment, but it’s tough enough for homemade butter – not something you see every day.
The Cons
While corrosion resistant, it’s still not recommended for use in the dishwasher – hand-wash only is the best way to go.
Tizze 6-Wire Whip Attachment Fits KitchenAid Tilt-Head Stand Mixer Replace K45WW
Next we have this 6-wire whip attachment from Tizze and it’s a quality third-party option that you can use if you’ve been unhappy with KitchenAid’s standard fare. Rustproof and burnished, it will make short work of fluffing up creams and frosting and even comes with a 100% customer satisfaction and money back guarantee, just in case you don’t like it – always comforting to know!
This wire whisk attachment fits the following models:
- K45SS
- KSM110
- KSM103
- KSM75
- KSM95
- K45
- KSM100
- KSM90
It can also be used to replace the following OEM parts:
- K45WW
- 9704329
- 4162165
- 9706446
- 4176070
- K455
- 4169927
The Pros
We like that this attachment fits perfectly, but the whisk itself is a little bit bigger than the original – so you’ll have slightly better coverage while you’re using it to whip up fine frostings and the occasional mashed potatoes when you feel like some extra comfort food to go with those cookies.
The Cons
While it’s fortified against rust and nicely burnished, this wire whisk is hand-wash only.
KitchenAid 6-Wire Whip for 5 and 6 Quart Lift Stand Mixers
Our final entry for frost-frothing wire whisks comes directly from KitchenAid, which is always a plus for folks who like their kitchen appliances to use approved parts only. What you get is a great stainless-steel wire whisk that will fit perfectly and which is better made than the original attachment, so you’ll get a lot more mileage and efficiency out of it.
This wire whisk is designed to fit these specific models:
- KV25
- KP26
- KL26
- KP25
- KB26
- KT265
- KD2661
- KP2671
- KSM6521
- KF26
- KSM7
The Pros
With a KitchenAid manufactured attachment, the fit is always going to be perfect – you won’t need to worry that it won’t reach the bottom of the bowl or that it might end up whipping the walls too much. It is identical to the original part, except that it is stainless steel and not the aluminum variety that comes with most mixers.
The Cons
We didn’t find any caveats with this whisk, excepting that it must be hand-washed as with the other models we’ve listed today.
FAQs
While we try to be as comprehensive as possible, something will always slip through the cracks. To help a little with this, we’ve got some frequently asked questions and their answers in the hopes that you’ll find a little something useful that you can keep. Let’s take a peek and see!
Which KitchenAid attachment do you use the most for cookies?
Hands-down, it’s your flat beater. While the other attachments are certainly useful, the flat beater is basically your ‘all purpose’ cookie tool. It works with all kinds of doughs, you can make frostings and cakes, and even if it was the only attachment that you had, you could still make a mean batch of cookies. So, if you gotta pick one attachment for now, then get a quality flat beater – a good one is worth every penny.
Do I need a dough hook for cookie dough?
No, you won’t need a dough hook for making cookies. While the name makes it sound like it would come in handy, the corkscrew-like design of a dough hook is there so that it can knead the dough for making things like homemade bread – and you simply don’t have to do that with cookie dough!
What is the best tool to spread icing on my cookies?
Hit your local craft store or the craft section of your local WalMart or Target and look for squeeze bottles. Normally used for paints, they make great holders for icing and thin frostings. Also, the size and shape make them easy to hold, so you can draw all kinds of cool things on your cookies to really customize them completely!
The Verdict – Our favorite KitchenAid attachments for cookies
Now that you’ve had a chance to look at the best of the best, it’s time for us to talk about our own favorites and why we picked them. Let’s take a closer look at each and then we’ll wrap things up for the day.
Best Pour Shield – FIRJOY Pouring Shield for KitchenAid
While you usually want to go with the original vendor’s attachments whenever you can, in the case of the pour shield FIRJOY really puts out a fantastic alternative. The KitchenAid pour shields fit well, but the FIRJOY is actually a tighter fit and a little more durable. It also features an ingredients chute, which can help to further reduce the mess when you are making your cookies. All in all, as pour shields go, the Firjoy was definitely our favorite.
Best Flex Beater – Reikame Flex Edge Beater for KitchenAid Mixer 6 Quart Bowl
The Reikame Flex Edge beater starts things off with a dual-edge flex beater, instead of just a single one. This makes an appreciable difference when you are trying to get all of the dough from the side of the mixing bowl and we really liked that. Just be sure to check that your KitchenAid model is on the list if you go with this one, however. It’s a little bit larger and if your model’s not on the list, you won’t be so happy with your new flex beater!
Best Paddle/Flat Beater –qAP Art Practica Flat Beater Replacement
The qAP wins our ‘best flat beater’ category out of sheer quality of make. It’s good looking, heavy, and solid – which is refreshing in this day or soon-to-chip attachments. Even the section where it attaches has a more efficient design, so that there’s not a ‘dangly piece’ waiting to fall out. What you get is a quality flat beater and you’ll know that right away when you lift it out of the box and feel the heft of it.
Best Wire Whisk for frosting – KITCHPOWER K45WW Wire Whip Attachment for KitchenAid Tilt-Head Stand Mixers
Our final category is the ‘Best Wire Whisk for frosting’ and we liked the KITCHPOWER K45WW. It’s rather like they studied the original KitchenAid attachment and just kept the focus on improving its overall strength. You’ll notice that part right away – it looks almost identical, but it’s tougher and you’ll get a whole lot more mileage out of it than you did with that original KitchenAid attachment.
We hope that you folks have enjoyed our shared quest for the best KitchenAid Attachment for Cookies and if you have some suggestions of your own, please don’t hesitate to share – we get some amazing feedback here, so PLEASE keep it coming! Until next time, we wish you the best!
David learned to cook at an early age after his mother told him that he couldn't live on pizza forever, Dave uses his modest kitchen skills to recreate sorely-missed recipes from home and to occasionally make new favorite ones from places he is visiting.