Have you ever spent the time and effort to make delicious cookies only to have your dreams shattered as you discover your cookies have stuck to your pan?
You likely pondered your life choices as you sat there, using a spatula (or, quite possibly, your teeth) to scrape off whatever crumbs you could salvage. Undoubtedly, you quickly realized that you failed to line or grease your cookie sheet.
Don’t worry; most of us have experienced this crummy situation (pun intended) at least once or twice in our lives. Educating yourself on lining your cookie sheets is essential to keep from repeating this awful experience.
As securely as your cookies stuck to your pan, stick with us as we examine the different options for lining or not lining your cookie sheet. You’ll then be ready to bake yourself some comfort cookies to make up for the last ones.
(freepik/Freepik)
Line It
When baking cookies, using a sheet liner makes clean-up an absolute breeze. Plus, you don’t have the added fats from greasing the pans. There are various options when it comes to sheet liners. Let’s take a look.
- Parchment Paper- When it comes to liners, the top choice for many bakers is parchment paper. Parchment paper is ideal for baking cookies because of its coating. Parchment paper has a silicone layer, which creates a non-stick, moisture-resistant surface that can withstand heat up to 420-450° Fahrenheit. Do you know those worn-out or flimsy baking sheets you have debated throwing out? Well, don’t give up on them just yet! Lining worn or low-quality baking sheets with parchment paper can make nearly any cookie sheet usable again.The small amount of insulation that parchment paper provides is just the right amount to make up for the lack of a quality cookie sheet. Yet, the insulation is not so much as to cause longer bake times or negatively affect the outcome of your cookies. In fact, parchment paper will ensure that your cookies bake evenly, spread less, and never stick to your pan.
- Silicone Mat- Although parchment paper contains a silicone layer, silicone mats are not the same. Silicone mats are made completely out of high-quality, food-grade silicone. Silicone mats help prevent sticking and ensure even baking. These mats are also reusable, making them the most eco-friendly option. Cleaning these mats is simple; just some warm, soapy water and a soft cloth will do the trick. However, there are some downsides to baking cookies with silicone mats. Because of their highly insulative properties, these mats require longer baking times and can even scorch certain doughs.Additionally, silicone mats will cause the cookies themselves to bake evenly all the way through. This means no slightly crispy edges with soft, gooey centers. The entire cookie will have the same texture- either entirely crispy or soft all the way through.
- Aluminum Foil- Since most cookie sheets are aluminum, lining your sheet with aluminum foil will yield nearly the same results as if you baked directly on the pan. The main difference is the clean-up. Clean-up is much easier when using aluminum foil. Cookies baked on aluminum foil will bake quicker and faster, so watch them closely, or they will burn. Aluminum foil is great for crispy cookies.You’ll need to grease the foil to ensure your cookies don’t stick. That is unless you buy non-stick aluminum foil. In that case, be sure to have the dull (coated) side up. Non-stick foil works similarly to parchment paper.
- Wax Paper- Despite being similar in appearance to parchment paper, wax paper is very different when it comes to baking. While parchment paper has a silicone coating, wax paper is coated in soybean or paraffin wax. Wax melts at high temperatures, so it is not recommended to use wax paper in the oven. No one wants waxy cookies anyway. However, wax paper is a good choice for no-bake cookies since little heat is involved.
Coat It
If you don’t like sheet liners or your pantry is utterly void of any of the liners mentioned above, there are some options for you. Greasing or coating a cookie sheet with some type of fat is a popular way to keep cookies from sticking; just use them lightly.
- Cooking Spray- The most common way to grease a cookie sheet is with cooking spray. Cooking spray is basically oil in a spray form.
- Shortening- Any fat that is solid at room temperature can be considered shortening, including Crisco and butter. Since lard went out of style, Crisco is likely what your grandma swears by when it comes to greasing cookie sheets.
- Liquid Oil- To use liquid oil to coat your baking sheet, pour a small amount onto the pan and spread it with a pastry brush or paper towel. Vegetable, canola, or coconut oils are popular for this job.
- Coated Pan- Purchasing a dark or non-stick coated pan can help prevent your cookies from sticking. However, after some time, you’ll likely need to start adding some grease to the pan before baking. Any of these options will keep your cookies from sticking to the pan. However, it’s important to consider the downsides of greasing a cookie sheet.Greasing your pan can add unnecessary fat to your cookies and cause your dough to spread more and rise less. But, on the plus side, no cookie parts will be left behind as you transfer them to the cooling rack.
Naturally Bare
While we recommend using a liner or coating when baking cookies, there are some instances where you may decide to forgo these altogether. Some may even argue that there is no need for liners or grease when baking cookies.
However, there are a few things to consider before making such a rash decision.
- The Recipe- Certain recipes will direct you to drop your cookie dough onto an ungreased pan. These recipes are for cookies with a high content of butter or oil or ones where caramelization and crispy edges are desired. Chocolate chip cookies, for example, have a high butter content. A greased pan will cause chocolate chip cookies to spread far too much- resulting in thin, crispy cookies. Even with a liner, chocolate chip cookies may spread more than desired.It is ideal to refrigerate chocolate chip and other types of drop cookies before baking. The cold dough will spread less than room temperature dough. Also, note that chocolate dough will likely scorch on a bare pan.
- Sheet Quality- A quality cookie or baking sheet is paramount when baking cookies without a liner or grease. It is possible to create gourmet cookies on a bare pan as long as that pan is high-quality. A high-quality baking sheet is a non-insulated, medium-weight aluminum (or better) with a dull, light color. Dark, burnt, or shiny pans, or ones that are too thin will yield less than ideal cookies.
- Your Time- When opting for a bare pan, you’ll also want to consider how much time you are willing to put into your cookie-baking process. While the prep time may be a tad less, using a bare pan will require more time overall. When your cookies are done baking, you’ll want to transfer them to a cooling rack to prevent them from continuing to bake. Using a liner will make for a quick transfer, whereas when using a bare pan, you’ll need to transfer your cookies one by one.Additionally, bare pans require more clean-up. Without a liner or coating, there will naturally be at least a trace of cookies left behind, as well as some residue from the butter or oil in the dough. You’ll need to give your pan a good, heavy cleaning to ensure it stays in tip-top shape.
As you can see, several options exist for lining or coating your baking sheets. However, in most instances, parchment paper will be the top choice for most bakers. If you want your cookies to rival the mail-order cookies your boss sent you, remember to consider your liner.