Parchment Paper Substitute

by Deborah on Sep 18, 2023 (updated Apr 7, 2024) 0 comments

This post may contain affiliate links.

Looking for a substitution for parchment paper? Here’s everything you need to know about parchment paper. What is parchment paper? How do you use it? Is parchment paper the same as wax paper? Plus a short list of the best substitutes for parchment paper.

Parchment paper is a great tool to use in the kitchen, especially for baking with. But it can also be used to cook chicken and fish in. It also makes a great prep surface for easy clean up after measuring ingredients and grating cheese.

What Is Parchment Paper?

Parchment paper is a silicon coated paper used for cooking and baking. It’s sold in rolls like wax paper and aluminum foil, but it can also be found in pre-cut parchment paper sheets in various sizes to fit baking sheets. Parchment paper can also be found in perforated round sheets that are used for air-fryers and steamers.

Best Substitutes For Parchment Paper

1. Silicon Mats (Silpat)

Non-stick silicon baking mats (sold under the name “Silpat”) are flexible mats made out of silicon. They’re a great substitute for parchment to line baking sheets. Cookies baked on Silpats often spread less, brown more evenly and have a good texture. The maximum temperature in the oven that you can use Silpats at is between 480°F to 500° F.

2. Aluminum foil

Aluminum foil coated with oil is a good substitute for lining baking sheets, cake pans and loaf pans. By itself, aluminum foil is not a non-stick surface, so it’s important to coat it with a thin layer of oil before using it to bake with.

3. Waxed Paper

Waxed paper cannot be placed in the oven, but it still makes a good substitution to use for prep work and easy clean up when measuring ingredients, rolling out pie crust, pounding chicken breasts between two sheets, grating cheese, rolling cookie dough into logs for placing in the refrigerator or freezer.

4. Coffee Filters

Coffee filters can be used as a substitute for parchment paper when using round cake pans. To use coffee filters, you’ll first need to grease and flour the bottom of the cake pan, then flatten out the coffee filter and lay it in the bottom of the greased pan.

5. Grease and Flour

Greasing and flouring baking pans is a common substitute for parchment paper. Use a good quality vegetable shortening or oil when greasing the pans. Use a paper towel to evenly distribute a thin layer of the shortening or oil on the surfaces of the pan. After the pan is coated with shortening, then sprinkle in a tablespoon of flour into the bottom of the pan. Gently shake the pan back and forth to evenly distribute the flour along the bottom of the pan. Then tilt the pan on its side and gently tap it with the palm of one hand to distribute flour along each side on the inside of the pan. Tap out any excess flour into the trash. The pan is now ready to add the batter.

What Is Parchment Paper Used For?

1. Baking

Parchment paper is used to line cooking sheets and bakeware to prevent food from sticking to them. When baking in loaf pans or cake pans, leave about 1 inch of parchment overlapping the edges on each side which makes it easy to lift baked cakes and brownies out of the pan.

You can also make your own tulip shaped cup cake liners using parchment paper. To make them you’ll need a muffin tin, one small juice glass that will fit inside the muffin tin, and parchment paper cut into 6″ x 6″ squares. Place each square piece of cut paper over the center of the bottom of the small glass. Smooth the paper down the sides of the glass and crimp the paper to make a fold on each of the four sides. Turn the glass over and insert the tulip shaped muffin tin liner in the muffin tin. Repeat with each square piece of cut parchment paper.

2. En Papillote

Cooking en papillote (in French it means “in paper” or “in Parchment”) is a method of cooking where food (fish, chicken and vegetables) is enclosed in paper or foil and baked in the oven. This method of cooking steams the food in the packet leaving it tender, moist and flavorful. It’s such an easy method of cooking and it makes a really lovely presentation.

To make the packets you will need one large sheet of parchment paper per fillet of fish or chicken. Place the meat, vegetables and herbs in the center of the paper and fold the two ends over the top so they meet in the middle and fold them together over a few times and crimp the edges. Then fold the two sides together and crimp them together the same as you did for the top. Place the packets on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 400° to 425° degrees until the meat is cooked through. Place each packet on a plate and serve.

3. Food Prep

Parchment paper is a great tool to use as a food preparation surface for measuring ingredients, grating cheese, separating foods (like hamburger patties) to refrigerate, to to separate and layer baked goods so they don’t stick together, and for easy clean up.

Is Parchment Paper The Same As Wax Paper?

Wax paper and parchment paper are not the same thing. Parchment paper is coated with a thin layer of silicone which makes it a non-stick surface and safe to bake with at temperatures not higher than 400 degrees. Wax paper has a thin coating of paraffin wax making it unsafe to put in the oven, but it can still be useful for rolling out pie crust, dough and pasta for a quick and easy clean-up of work surfaces. Neither parchment paper or wax paper are safe to use under a broiler.

Can Parchment Paper Go In An Air Fryer?

Parchment paper can be used in an air fryer at temperatures up to 425 degrees. You can also purchase special air fryer parchment liners that have holes in the sheets making them perfect for putting inside the baskets of air fryers.

More Resources