18 Ingenious Space-Saving Solutions for Storing Baking Supplies

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Whether you’re a devoted dilletante or an extreme amateur baker, you’ve no doubt run into the problem of disorganized supplies from time to time. No matter how useful your favorite baking tools are, even the best ones get annoying if they’re always cluttering up the main space. One of the least obvious but most troublesome beginner baking mistakes is failing to organize your space well.

“Baking supply storage is often an afterthought because it doesn’t tend to be a daily activity,” says Lucy Milligan Wahl, founder of boutique professional organizing company LMW Edits. “I encourage my clients to think intentionally about how they bake — how often, what types of projects — and create an organizing system around those needs. There’s no one right way to organize baking supplies!”

What really matters, says Nicole Hunn, recipe developer and founder of Gluten Free on a Shoestring, is that you know what you have. “It’s just too easy to forget and end up with duplicates,” she says. “Or worse, missing something crucial right when you need it. A clean, organized baking space helps you bake more efficiently and keeps your final results tasting their best.” Without further ado, here are 18 of the most creative ways to store baking supplies.

If you want to make like Paul Hollywood or Ina Garten, location is key. Busy bakers have everything they need right to hand. “Location is key for best storage and organization,” says Jessie-Sierra Ross, cookbook author of “Seasons Around the Table; Effortless Entertaining with Floral Tablescapes & Seasonal Recipes.” She stores lesser-used items elsewhere and reserves her precious kitchen space for the tools and supplies she needs all the time. “A streamlined and organized pantry will make your next baking project so much easier!”

If you — like many home cooks — don’t bake all the time, you can take an even stricter approach. “Baking tends to be a project, so I approach baking supply storage differently than I do workhorse daily use foods and kitchen tools,” Lucy Milligan Wahl says. “I recommend bakers keep their supplies in a less highly trafficked area of the kitchen, such as a high shelf or deep cabinet.”

On a final note, Ross suggests keeping your consumable supplies away from light, heat, and cold: “Extreme temperature changes can impact your ingredients shelf life and quality. Exposure to sunlight can have a similar effect.”

Rolling carts aren’t just a trendy addition to your Instagram; they’re super handy. “For a more permanent storage solution, a rolling tool cart has many compartments for different-sized tools,” says Trung Vu, chef-instructor of Pastry & Baking Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education’s New York City campus. You can keep it in the corner of your kitchen or pantry, or even in a hall or office, and then roll it into the main space when it’s time to bake.

“The Container Store would be a great place to look for storage options tailored to your space,” Vu recommends. If you want an easy online option, though, the Amazon Basics 3-Tier Metal Rolling Utility or Kitchen Cart comes in multiple colors and is highly reviewed.

Any time you can create space by storing something inside something else, do it. Such consolidation removes items from the general flow of your kitchen but keeps them close to hand just the same. “For example,” Trung Vu says, “I may nest all my round cake pans inside each other like Russian tea dolls.” You can also do this with glass baking dishes, square cake pans, pie dishes of different sizes, and so on.

Pro tip: you can keep your pans cleaner for longer with one simple change in your approach. “I like to invert all of my pans so that they do not gather dust inside, as well as allow any remaining water I may have missed in drying to drain,” Vu explains.

Kitchen draws and shelves tend to be tall to accommodate stacks of plates, vases, or appliances, among other things. While this is useful in some cases, other times it leads to wasted space. Enter tiered shelving. “Tiered shelving is amazing for keeping mixing bowls, cake pans, and pie dishes organized without wasting vertical space,” Nicole Hunn says.

This works for consumable baking supplies, too. “For all of our spices, I prefer to stack them on a riser in the cabinet, so I can always read each label and reach whatever spice I’m going for,” says April Franqueza, a pastry chef at High Hampton Resort. She loves being able to see her spices as she’s cooking or check quantities before she heads to the grocery store. Kitchen Cabinet Shelf or Counter Organizer Racks are perfect for this.

Stack important baking pans — the ones you reach for most often — in highly accessible places, such as on a shelf within arm’s reach. The less common ones (looking at you, Madeleine pan) can live in a high cupboard.

Don’t have room on your shelves for everything? That’s okay, Trung Vu says: “Many kitchen tools can also hang, so ceiling hooks would be great for pots and pans, stand mixer attachments, and other baking tools.”

If you have the space, a large pot rack is always a nice touch for a home kitchen, hanging over the island or from the ceiling above your sink. If that won’t work, you can take a more creative approach with a variety of smaller hooks. Rocky Mountain Goods Ceiling Swag Hook will hold around 3 pounds each, so they’re ideal for smaller baking tools. If you want to suspend heavy pots or pans, opt for AdiilQ Hanger Hooks with Safety Buckles, which can handle weights up to 40 pounds.

Another of the most creative ways to store baking supplies? Baskets. If you love your tools and goodies but feel like you’re drowning in them, baskets can come to your rescue. “Decorative low baskets are wonderful for storing items that may otherwise get scattered around your pantry,” Jessie-Sierra Ross says. “Bars of baking chocolate, jars of decorative sprinkles, and even bottles of different types of flavor extracts fit perfectly into shallow woven baskets that can slide easily out of your pantry.”

There’s no lack of options online, either. La Jolie Muse Small Wicker Baskets are adorable if you like the woven approach, while Baleine Fabric Storage Bins for Shelves look really classy on open shelving. If all you want is an affordable, efficient system to clean up your pantry, you can’t go wrong with Amazon Basics Cube Organizers.

Julia Child made pegboards for pots totally famous, but you can use one for your smaller baking supplies as well. “You can hang mixers, attachments, whisks, and even measuring cups where you can grab them easily,” Nicole Hunn says. “Another trick is to store rarely used items higher up and everyday essentials within easy reach. When it comes to saving space with baking supplies, I always tell people to think vertically.”

Plus, vis-à-vis creative ways to store baking supplies, this one is really aesthetically pleasing. Choose a solution that matches the fixtures in your kitchen, such as the Amazon Basics Rectangular Metal Pegboard Kit if you like white or a galvanized steel option for a chrome effect.

Like pegboards, back-of-the-door organizers turn otherwise useless flat vertical space into an efficient storage system and are thus among the most effective and creative ways to store baking supplies. Of course, you need a door to do this. “For clients who have a pantry, a back-of-the-door organizer can be wonderful for perishable baking supplies and spices. This keeps your baking ingredients out of the day-to-day flow of your pantry, but still easily within reach and well organized.”

You can look into hanging systems specifically designed for pantries if you like, but a basic option, such as the ULG Over Door Organizer, is likely to be more affordable than a dedicated or bespoke option. Just make sure you get a highly rated option that can handle the weight you put in it.

One of the easiest yet still creative ways to store baking supplies is to collect all the little but often-used supplies and store them on a lazy susan. Think salt, cocoa powder, sugar jars, or egg trays (for warming them to room temp), and stick them all on a lazy susan, either inside a cupboard or on an accessible part of the counter.

“I love a good lazy susan inside a pantry for syrups, extracts, and oils,” Nicole Hunn says. “It keeps everything visible and prevents spills.” If you end up really liking this system, you can buy a full set of lazy susans to put in several places. If you, on the other hand, just want one pretty option, the 10-Inch Acacia Wood Lazy Susan Organizer might do it.

Drawer dividers may not seem like it tops the list for most creative ways to store baking supplies, but they are very helpful and leave a lot of room for imagination. Essentially, drawer dividers are spring-loaded horizontal wedges, usually of wood or bamboo, that make the compartments of your kitchen drawers smaller. “The dividers keep everything separate so that you can see all your tools, and the drawer helps you avoid a cluttered countertop,” Lucy Milligan Wahl explains.

Make sure you keep like supplies with like. “I like to dedicate a specific kitchen drawer for my stackable measuring cups, tablespoons, and teaspoons, as well as other specialty tools like pastry brushes and piping bags,” Jessie-Sierra Ross says. “That way they are stored in one space and can be clearly seen for easy use.” If you’re on the hunt, consider the Utoplike Bamboo Kitchen Drawer Dividers.

You know what’s really annoying spread all over the counter or tumbling around in drawers? Cookie cutters and cupcake liners. You know what looks really cute organized in clear containers? Cookie cutters and cupcake wrappers. “In clear jars, they look neat and you won’t end up buying the same cookie cutter twice,” Nicole Dunn says. Both the Folinstall Wide Mouth Apothecary Jar with Lid and the Ansqu Vintage Glass Jar with Lid are adorable, though thrift shops carry lots of options as well.

If you make cut-out cookies often enough that the cookie cutters won’t get in your way, here’s a handy trick from April Franqueza: “I actually find it most useful to store them in my Kitchen Aid mixing bowl, along with the attachments. I will always use my Kitchen Aid to mix my cookie dough, so why not just keep them all together?”

If you’re already a creative, then finding creative ways to store baking supplies may be easier because you might already have the tools on hand. Think, for instance, art supply or bead organizers. “Anything with lots of small pieces should be stored in containers with small compartments so that you can see and find everything,” Lucy Milligan Wahl says. “I love using craft organizers to store things like pastry tips or decorative items.”

Nicole Hunn loves to do this with sprinkles. “Everything stays separated, and you don’t end up with a rainbow mess at the bottom of a drawer.” If you already have a box at home, make sure to wash it out well. If not, the Iris Screw Tool Organizer or Mathtoxyz Small Bead Organizers would both work well and look cute to boot.

Knives are common baking tools, whether to chop nuts and dried fruit or to make fancy chocolate curls for the top of a cake. However, knives often take up space on the counter or in drawers, and they don’t need to. One of Jessie-Sierra Ross’s favorite creative ways to store baking supplies is a magnetic knife holder.

“If you don’t have young kids at home, a wall-mounted magnetic knife holder can save you from having to store a large knife block on your counter,” she says. “Just make sure you leave enough space at the top of the magnetic strip for you to comfortably grab the handle of the knife.” There are lots of potential options, such as the Gorilla Grip Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Magnetic Knife Holder.

Even the best home baking tools get annoying when they’re spread all over a drawer with no rhyme or reason to it. Whether you use a few standard tools or love an uncommon kitchen gadget, organization is your best friend. For smaller items, drawers are great, but larger ones like rolling pins tend to create more chaos.

Another of the fun creative ways to store baking supplies that professional bakers use is to crock. “Traditionally made out of pottery, you can find modern versions made of stainless steel, glazed stoneware, or porcelain,” Jessie-Sierra Ross explains. Although you can, of course, buy a crock online, they’re easy to find at thrift stores. You’ll not only get the satisfaction of helping the Earth, but you’re guaranteed to find something cuter and more eclectic, especially if you group several together.

However, if you have too many rolling pins for this to be practical or your shelf space is limited, she offers a different solution: a rolling pin holder. “Often consisting of curved metal holders, anchored on a wooden slat, these handy display racks can be drilled right into your backlash to save counter and shelf space,” she says. You can even buy them in a pack of four Pack of Four Rolling Pin Display Racks.

“Original packaging is often bulky, and frankly a little messy,” Jessie-Sierra Ross says. “I utilize clear airtight plastic canisters for my flours, sugar, and specialty items like chocolate chips or baking chocolate. I like to ‘decant’ these ingredients to save on space.” She puts her dry ingredients in stackable Tupperware or Mason jars with tightly fitted metal lids, making sure to label them with the name of the item and its expiration date. This is one of the most creative ways to store baking supplies in that you can use whatever jars you think are cute, so long as you know what’s in them.

Much like crocks, it’s very easy to find clear jars at the thrift store. Also like crocks, you can create a unique and compelling collection of jars by buying them secondhand and mismatched. Alternatively, you can use deli containers, like Trung Vu.

Labels make everything better. While they are not in and of themselves among the most creative ways to store baking supplies, they make the other tips possible. Think decanting baking supplies, for example. “You’d be amazed by how similar powdered sugar and cornstarch look,” Lucy Milligan Wahl. Plus, adds Nicole Hunn, “Labels can help you quickly see what you have without digging through every drawer or cabinet, which saves time and reduces clutter.”

Don’t just include an ingredient’s title, though — mark its date as well. “Having a permanent marker in the kitchen is a must,” Trung Vu says. “I date anything perishable once it’s been opened.” Painter’s tape and a Sharpie work well, but you can also buy reusable Jokari Label Once Erasable Food Labels with Markers.

To save space, it’s important to consolidate your ingredients on a regular basis. That not only keeps them from going bad, it helps ensure you always know what you’re working with, so you don’t buy more than you need when you go to the store (Seriously, if you, like this writer last week, have ever found four — four! — canisters of baking soda in your cabinet, you’ll know how important this tip is).

Regular culling and consolidation can help. Put all your flour in one place, your leaveners in another, and make sure you know what you have. You can use creative ways to store baking supplies such as labeling and pretty baskets, but the most important aspect of this step is simply to group like with like. “Whether it’s a specific tool or ingredient, remove any items that you haven’t used in the last six months from your active working space,” Jessie-Sierra Ross says.

Baking ingredients are readily available from Costco, your neighborhood grocery shop, or the local discount food store. Indeed, flour and sugar are among the cheapest commodities on the market when it comes to consumables. That’s good news, especially if you’re budgeting, but it can cause one common problem: buildup. While this last tip doesn’t necessarily number among the most creative ways to store baking supplies, it is one of the most important.

Not only should you consolidate your ingredients, but you should also make sure you keep track of expiration dates. April Franqueza says: “There is nothing more frustrating than cookies coming out flat due to old baking powder, or bread not rising due to expired yeast. It can be especially difficult if you’re someone who particularly only bakes at a certain time of year (say, around the holidays in the winter).” Before you know it, she says, the next winter has arrived … but your baking supplies aren’t nearly as fresh.

Luckily, there’s an easy fix for loads of expired baking ingredients, Franqueza says: “Do not buy larger quantities than you need!” This might sound silly, she says, but if you just buy small quantities and ignore the “savings” offered by larger ones, you won’t waste nearly as much. To ensure you take a first-in, first-out approach, says Jessie-Sierra Ross — just store newer ingredients behind older ones.