Some people find silicone baking mats and silicone muffin pans work as a good alternative to parchment paper. Some people have also had success using magazine pages cut to size. A few people recommend that you grease the pan before you bake since any food residue gets cooked into the pan instead of being soaked up by parchment paper like with paraffin “paper” or non-stick cooking spray, so it’s easier for anything stuck on the bottom to come off. Many simply prefer not using parchment at all because they find it too disposable after repeated use, where boiling water may suffice instead.
An excellent alternative to parchment paper is baking paper, which has a grease-resistant layer on one side. There are also silicone pads and liners that are designed for use in delicate ovens or with difficult meals like lasagna that can stick to other surfaces. You may even choose to not line the baking sheet at all as it won’t affect how your finished product tastes.
Nonstick silicone coating- which is non-porous, doesn’t create fumes when heated, doesn’t give off the toxic substances found in other plastic wraps and waxed paper. You can also find parchment made from cornstarch or cotton instead of animal products.
Parchment sheets that are greased with high quality, cold pressed, organic coconut oil. It’s surprisingly affordable for what should be a luxurious item and there is no tricky set up time as long as you have an oven! For those interested in store bought alternatives they now make silicone mats available on amazon (I’m not an affiliate so can’t link it) that are not only reusable but dishwasher safe too! Go to google images/search “silicone mat parchment paper” to get a better idea of what they are.
There are a few alternatives to parchment paper – in the end, it really just comes down to preferences. Aluminum foil is probably the most popular alternative as it has some benefits over parchment paper. Some people like wax paper or silicone baking mats instead of parchment because they always peel cleanly. And still others use nothing at all, preferring to grease their pans with oil or butter right from the start. As long as you’re using low-stick cooking spray when coating cakes, pastries and other baked goods with buttercream frosting, greasing and flouring pans will suffice nicely for recipes that don’t require strict adherence to releasing the finished product without dragging batters or doughs across the pan surface.
It is not recommended to use wax paper, or ingredients like coconut oil in the recipe will flash-freeze on the surface.
Likewise, parchment paper would not act as an effective barrier between a heated pan and your countertop. Here are some excellent alternatives for parchment paper:
-Silpat silicone baking mat — these reusable mats work well with cookies and other baked goods, but they are fastidious about sticking if you preheat them. The silpats also have the significant advantage of being dishwasher safe!
-Oven liner sheets — These handy liners keep spills from burning onto your oven bottom during broiling or browning. Unfortunately, they don’t always reach around corners so make sure not to skip anything when you’re lining your oven.
-Freezer paper — This inexpensive stuff is a favorite in the Paleo world for making treats like “chewy chocolate chip cookies.” It is important not to use recycled paper which may contain food that you are trying to avoid, or ink that contains lead.
Alternatives to parchment paper are silicone baking mats, aluminium foil, parchment paper with silicone on one side or looking for a study dish that already has a non-stick coating such as ceramic.
There are plenty of other options available, but make sure you read the article linked above to know which is best depending on your own use case. Parchment paper can be reused if it’s just been used for cooling purposes and then allowed to come back up in temperature before being re-used again. But when used in cooking, allow it too cool before reusing to avoid contamination issues with bacteria and sticking as well as sticking the sheets together. For cooking, there are many pieces of metal either moldable or made out of tinned steel that are great for placing onto the grill to help prevent food from sticking.
