In this post, I talk about how offering custom cookie cutters that you design and 3D print at home yourself sets your bakery apart, allows you to say “yes” to opportunities that other bakers might turn down and opens the door to new revenue streams.

While people’s expectations of custom sugar cookies for special events like birthdays and weddings have gotten higher, I’ve found people don’t expect much when they order logo cookies or stop by my tent at a market. That’s why if you truly want to stand out in today’s saturated bakery market, it’s time to think beyond the circle. Offering custom cookie cutters that you design and 3D print at home yourself opens the door to new revenue streams, sets your bakery apart, and allows you to say “yes” to opportunities that other bakers might turn down.  Thanks to Cookie Design Lab (CDL), converting any photo, logo, or word into a custom cookie cutter STL file is easier than ever—no need for CAD skills or 3D printing experience. CDL’s smart tools mean you can create cookie cutters that are as unique as your clients’ imaginations, and then use a 3D printer to bring them to life.

Turning Client Logos into Cookie Shapes

A company once reached out to me asking for something very specific: cookies shaped like the hand in their logo, with their name printed in the center. That might sound intimidating, but with CDL, all I had to do was drop the logo into the platform, and it instantly generated the STL file I needed. To go the extra mile, I even asked for their company’s font file, uploaded it into Canva, and wrote their acronym in their phone right in the center of the hand. Once the cookies were baked and iced, I used Eddie, my edible printer, to print the finished image on top. The alignment was tricky (tiny fingers are no joke!), so I was incredibly grateful for my Sassy Trays, which helped keep the cookies in place during printing. Since this design was more labor-intensive, I priced it accordingly—and the client was thrilled. That attention to detail elevated the project from “nice cookies” to “unforgettable branded treats” for their event.

Bringing Whimsy to Birthday Parties

For a children’s birthday cookie decorating class, the theme was winter animals and included a unique request—narwhals. That’s not exactly a shape you can buy off the shelf. But CDL made it possible to take a narwhal image from Canva and turn it into a custom cookie cutter in just a few clicks. (I dive into the details in this blog post and demonstrate in this YouTube video.) 

The result? Kids decorating adorable narwhal cookies, parents impressed that I could deliver on their daughter’s favorite animal, and a party experience no one else could have delivered. Without CDL, I would have had to say “sorry, I don’t have that cutter” or scrambled to find a shop that offered it and waited 7-10 business days for the cutter. With CDL, I got to say, “Absolutely, let’s make it happen!” and had the cutter designed and sent to my printer within minutes.

Niche Themes for Niche Events

Last year I was invited to participate in the biggest local dog lovers event, which was close to Halloween. I knew the crowd would love cookies that combined their passion for pets with the fun of the season. I hopped onto Canva, grabbed an image of a golden retriever wearing a witch’s hat and holding a broom, and uploaded it into CDL.

Minutes later, I had a one-of-a-kind cookie cutter STL file ready to 3D print. The design was too detailed to achieve with piping alone, so once the cookies were baked, I turned to Eddie to print the artwork right onto the iced cookies. It was efficient, profitable, and—most importantly—completely unique. No cutter shop in the world would have sold that design, but thanks to CDL, I could create it, offer it at the festival, and deliver something unforgettable.

How Custom Cookie Cutters Have Transformed My Business

Offering custom cookie cutters has:

• Expanded my revenue streams by allowing me to branch into branded corporate gifts, unique parties, and niche (but well-attended) events.
  
  

• Made my bakery stand out because I can say “yes” to almost any design and on any timeline.
  
  

• Saved me time since I’m no longer searching cutter shops to find the shape that matches my vision, spending $6 (plus shipping!) on the cutter, and then waiting one to two weeks to receive it. Instead, often my customers supply the image or I can find a great one quickly on Canva, that I then just drop into Cookie Design Lab, which removed the intimidating technical side of CAD or STL file creation.
  
  

The best part? Customers see these cookies not just as treats, but as marketing tools, conversation starters, or special memories—making them willing to pay a premium for something custom.