What can I use instead of baking paper? The best substitutes for baking paper when baking are aluminum foil, silicone baking mats, non-stick baking sheets, greased, floured pans, and leaves. Use wax paper instead of baking paper for cleaning, storage, and insulation at room temperature or below.
Baking or parchment paper is non-stick, water-resistant, heat-resistant silicone-coated kitchen paper. Use baking paper to line pans and steamers, parcel fish for baking en papillote, and cover casseroles. It’s handy for protecting kitchen surfaces, storing sticky treats, and fashioning icing bags. Here are the six best substitutes for baking paper.
The Best Baking Paper Substitutes
Aluminum Foil
Aluminum foil is a versatile replacement for baking paper.
Aluminum or tin foil consists of an extremely thin aluminum sheet, which you can cut or shape as desired. You probably already use it to insulate warm dishes, wrap sandwiches, and make funnels or lids.
Aluminum foil is an excellent substitute for parchment paper as it can withstand high temperatures. Because foil is reflective, it bakes faster than parchment paper.
Use aluminum foil instead of baking paper to line roasting pans, allowing for delicious caramelization and easier washing up. As a baking sheet liner, aluminum foil produces browner, crispier cookies.
Aluminum foil is suitable for fashioning well-sealed parcels for baking fish en papillote. Wrap whole potatoes to bake in the coals.
However, aluminum does not have a non-stick surface, so you need to grease it to prevent food from sticking.
To conclude, aluminum foil is an ideal substitute in applications involving heat.
Silicone Baking Mats
The most sustainable alternative to baking paper is a silicone baking mat.
Silicone baking mats (and molds) contain food-grade silicone, making them non-stick and oven-safe. These durable sheets can be washed and reused and come in various shapes and sizes.
Invest in high-quality silicone mats, as poor-quality rubber absorbs kitchen odors and produces toxic fumes.
Silicone baking mats are an ideal alternative to parchment paper for lining cake tins, baking sheets, and roasting pans.
Like baking paper, silicone baking mats conduct heat, baking evenly. They are non-stick, making clean-up easy.
Use silicone baking mats as a counter covering when rolling and kneading dough or measuring ingredients. However, avoid chopping on silicone mats, as their surfaces will tear.
Silicone baking mats are an excellent substitute for baking paper when baking. However, they can’t wrap or insulate food for storage or form makeshift icing bags.
Non-Stick Baking Sheets
A non-stick baking sheet is a handy alternative to baking paper.
Non-stick baking sheets are aluminum pans covered with a smooth Teflon, “diamond,” or ceramic layer. They are non-stick, oven-safe, and easy to clean.
Many bakers cite health concerns and avoid non-stick sheets, but there are alternative coatings that do not leach into food.
Invest in high-quality baking sheets and replace them every couple of years, as non-stick coatings wear off.
For avid cookie bakers, non-stick baking sheets are a sustainable alternative to baking paper.
Instead of using endless sheets of parchment, you can reuse your baking sheets when making massive batches of snickerdoodles.
Choose non-stick baking sheets instead of baking paper if you’re a regular baker of cookies and bars.
Baking Spray
The baking spray is a quick and accessible replacement for baking paper.
Cooking or baking spray is a convenient, non-stick oil coating in an aerosol can. Instead of painstakingly greasing bakeware, a squirt covers it in a light, non-stick mist.
The advantage is that very little oil enters the food, making baking spray a good choice for those avoiding fat.
The baking spray contains oil, lecithin (an emulsifier), dimethyl silicone (an anti-foaming agent), and a butane or propane gas (a propellant).
It is made with various oils, including butter, sunflower, canola, coconut, and olive.
Concerns around using baking spray include using GMO oil, chemical components, and the build-up of residue on cake tins, pans, and baking sheets.
The baking spray is ideal instead of parchment paper if to prevent food from sticking when baking, frying, or roasting. Quickly mist the pan or tray and ready, steady, bake.
Greased And Floured Baking Sheet
The old-fashioned alternative to baking paper is a greased and floured baking sheet.
Before the advent of parchment paper, recipes would direct bakers to grease and flour baking pans and sheets to prevent sticking.
Greasing a pan means covering the inside of a clean pan with a thin layer of butter or shortening (like Crisco).
Use a piece of wax paper, paper towel, pastry brush, or spray container of oil. Add a teaspoon of flour and gently shake the pan to spread flour over the base.
Note that the added fat can impact your batter or dough and brown the base more than usual. You will also need to scrub your pans or sheets thoroughly to remove the greasy residue.
Nonetheless, this tried and tested non-stick method is quick and convenient as an alternative to a baking sheet when making cakes, muffins, or cookies.
Wax Paper
Another convenient substitute for baking paper is wax paper.
Wax (or waxed) paper and baking paper are often confused. What makes them different is the coating.
The baking paper has a heat-resistant silicone layer, and the wax paper is covered with paraffin wax, which melts when exposed to high temperatures.
Wax paper is, therefore, an unsuitable alternative to baking paper when baking as it can smoke and burn in the oven.
However, wax paper is moisture-resistant and non-stick, making it an inexpensive and multipurpose baking paper replacement in other applications.
For example, spread the wax paper on the kitchen counter to keep it clean while preparing messy food.
Wax paper is ideal for storage. Wrap cheese or brownies to keep them fresh at room temperature in the fridge or freezer.
Line a tray for unbaked treats, like fudge, as wax paper prevents sticking, allowing you to lift the food out easily.
Leaves
Edible leaves are an unusual substitute for baking paper.
Many cuisines use leaves as a wrapping when baking, roasting, grilling, steaming, or frying food. Leaves add flavor and texture, trapping steam and sealing in flavor as the stuffing cooks in its own juice.
A leaf wrapping protects food from exposure to flames, dirt, or other food. Additionally, they’re natural, eco-friendly, and sustainable.
Instead of using parchment paper to create parcels for baking en papillote, try using leaves. In Indian cuisine, colocasia, screwpine, jackfruit, and turmeric leaves are frequently used.
Asian food is often stuffed in bamboo leaves, while banana leaves play the same role in the Caribbean and Central and South America.
Corn husks wrap Mexican tamales, and grape leaves cover Greek dolmades.
Although edible leaves will not be a spontaneous substitute for parchment paper, they can make an exciting and creative addition to a meal.
Resources
- https://www.bobsredmill.com/blog/baking-101/what-can-i-use-instead-of-parchment-paper/
- https://www.finedininglovers.com/article/substitutes-for-parchment-paper
- https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/packages/baking-guide/parchment-paper-101
- https://greatist.com/discover/what-is-the-difference-between-parchment-paper-and-wax-paper#2
- https://www.metsagroup.com/metsatissue/products-and-services/greaseproof-papers/differences-between-parchment-and-butter-paper/
- https://www.saveur.com/how-to-cook-with-leaves/
- https://www.simplyrecipes.com/the-best-substitutes-for-parchment-paper-5211044
- https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/food/the-age-old-culinary-technique-of-cooking-food-wrapped-in-leaves/article29101409.ece
- https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-nonstick-cooking-spray-2246039
- https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-parchment-paper-3959179
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