When food like cookies, roasted vegetables and meat stick to your sheet pan, it can ruin the dish you worked hard to create, plus make for extra clean-up. To avoid this kitchen nightmare, home cooks and professional chefs often line their pans with disposable parchment paper or aluminum foil. But throwing out these materials can feel wasteful, especially if you cook a lot.
That’s where silicone baking mats come in. They’re a reusable alternative for parchment paper and tin foil that serves the same purpose. The nonstick surface creates a barrier between the metal of your pan and your ingredients, helping food release easier once it’s cooked.
Silicone baking mats are a useful kitchen tool for cooking sweet and savory foods, as well as for rolling out pie dough, working with chocolate and freezing food you meal prep. If you’re thinking about buying one, we spoke to experts about what to look for while shopping, plus pros and cons to be aware of.
SKIP AHEAD The best silicone baking mats to shop
Selected.Our top picks
How we picked the best silicone baking mats
Most silicone baking mats are similar to one another, being that they’re all made from food-grade silicone and fiberglass. These materials give the mats their heat-resistant and nonstick properties. To further narrow down which mat is right for you, experts recommend considering the following factors:
- Size: Before buying a silicone baking mat, take note of what size sheet pans you own. Silicone baking mats are sized to perfectly fit quarter-, half- and full-sheet pans, as well as some round cake pans. You’ll want to match the size of your pan to the size of your silicone baking mat.
- Thickness: Make sure the silicone baking mat you purchase isn’t paper thin, says Elizabeth Barbone, a recipe developer and cookbook author with over two decades of culinary experience, who runs the sites Cook Fast, Eat Well and Gluten-Free Baking. Thin options tend to brown the bottoms of baked goods quickly since they don’t provide much insulation. Thicker mats, however, offer an adequate amount of insulation, allowing whatever is on top of them to bake evenly.
- Heat resistance: Most silicone baking mats are oven-safe up to between 450 and 550 degrees Fahrenheit, but visit a brand’s website or read the product’s packaging to double-check.
- Outlines and measurements: Some silicone baking mats come with outlines or measurements on them, showing you how far apart to space cookie dough or how large a 9-inch circle is if you’re rolling out a pie crust. These guides are particularly helpful for beginner bakers.
- Cleaning: Not all silicone baking mats are dishwasher-safe, so think about whether you’re willing to hand-wash the mats with warm water and dish soap every time you use them.
The best silicone baking mats to shop
With experts’ guidance in mind, we rounded up a handful of silicone baking mats to consider, all of which are oven-, freezer- and microwave-safe. They’re also all flexible, so you can roll or fold them when they’re not in use. We included products we’ve tried ourselves, expert picks and highly rated options.
Silpat Baking Mat
Silpat’s silicone baking mat is the first one Zoë François, pastry chef and host of Zoë Bakes on the Magnolia Network, ever used — years later, she still considers it one of the best options on the market. The brand offers rectangular mats sized to fit quarter, half and 3/4 sheet pans, as well as round and octagonal options. Silpat also makes silicone baking mats with outlines, guiding you where to place macaron batter and cookie dough.
Oven-safe: Up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit | Dishwasher-safe: No
MMmat Silicone Baking Mats
François also recommends MMmat’s silicone baking mats. They come in rectangular and round shapes, both of which are offered in multiple sizes. You can also purchase a mat for baking macarons or a pastry mat with measurements and templates printed on it.
Oven-safe: Up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit | Dishwasher-safe: Yes
Amazon Basics Silicone Baking Mat
These silicone baking mats are Amazon bestsellers — they have a 4.7-star average rating from 110,479 reviews on the retailer’s site. The mats are sold in a set of two and fit half sheet pans.
Oven-safe: Up to 480 degrees Fahrenheit | Dishwasher-safe: No
GIR Premium Silicone Baking Mat
GIR makes some of my favorite kitchen tools and utensils, and its silicone baking mats are available in two sizes: one for half sheet pans and one for quarter sheet pans. You can also cut the mats to customize their size and shape if need be, according to the brand. They come in colors like Slate (gray blue), Mint and red, as well as patterns like Sprinkles. Since they’re so decorative, I use the baking mats as backdrops for photos when I’m snapping pictures of my cooking.
Oven-safe: Up to 550 degrees Fahrenheit | Dishwasher-safe: Yes
OXO Silicone Baking Mat
I have a drawer filled with OXO’s silicone baking mats in my kitchen, and I pull them out whenever I’m making sheet pan meals or decorating baked goods. The mats fit half sheet pans, and OXO also offers a larger silicone pastry mat with graphics printed on it to help you shape pie crust, strips of dough and more.
Oven-safe: Up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit | Dishwasher-safe: Yes
Great Jones Sweet and Savory Baking Mats
Great Jones’ silicone baking mats come in a set of two, and since they’re decorated with different colors and patterns, I was able to easily designate one for sweet foods and one for savory foods. The mats — which the brand sent me to try — are designed to fit the brand’s Holy Sheet, its half-size sheet pan, but you can use it with any sheet pan that’s a similar size.
Oven-safe: Up to 550 degrees Fahrenheit | Dishwasher-safe: Yes
Frequently asked questions
The main way people use silicone baking mats is for cooking food in the oven since they’re a replacement for parchment paper and tin foil, and designed to fit sheet pans. But silicone baking mats can be used before you put food in the oven, too. They’re useful when you’re rolling out sticky dough, says François, and you can dust the nonstick surface with less flour than you’d typically use for countertops or butcher boards.
Silicone baking mats also make it easier to remove frozen food from dishes. For example, you can make chocolate chip cookie dough, scoop balls onto a sheet pan lined with a silicone baking sheet and pop it in the freezer. The dough balls freeze but don’t get stuck to the baking mat, and you can throw them in a container and keep them in the freezer until you’re ready to bake them, Barbone says. She also uses silicone baking mats while working with chocolate, whether it be chocolate-covered strawberries or peppermint bark. As the chocolate sets, it won’t stick to the silicone baking mat, making it easy to lift your finished product off the surface.
Silicone baking mats are made from food-grade silicone and fiberglass — these materials give them their nonstick properties and act as a layer of insulation from metal pans, says François. You don’t need to grease them before placing food directly on top, saving you a little oil or butter in the long-run. Silicone baking mats are also reusable and sized to fit specific pans, which eliminates the need to measure, cut and later throw out parchment paper or tin foil.
Since most silicone baking mats are not oven-safe over 550 degrees Fahrenheit, you can’t cook with them at super high temperatures or use them in the broiler. Quality mats are also thicker than parchment paper and tin foil, which means they provide more insulation — this doesn’t allow you to brown or caramelize ingredients very well, which is often good for desserts, but not ideal for roasting savory ingredients like vegetables and meats, our experts say.
As far as baking is concerned, the biggest benefit of silicone baking mats — being nonstick — is also their biggest drawback, says Barbone. They’re so nonstick that cookie dough doesn't have anything to grip to, which might cause it to spread a little bit too much. This won’t ruin your cookie whatsoever — it will still be delicious, but it might be thinner or have a more organic shape than you were expecting, says Barbone. She usually reaches for parchment paper when she’s baking cookies — especially cut-out cookies — because it provides more grip for dough and helps it keep its shape.
Remember that silicone baking mats can also absorb and hold onto odors, says Barbone. If you plan to use them for sweet and savory dishes, consider purchasing two. This is the easiest way to prevent your peppermint bark from tasting like meatballs, for example, says Barbone.
Finally, silicone baking mats can be difficult to clean, especially if you cook something oily on them, says Barbone. They tend to hold onto grease, so even after running them through the dishwasher or hand-washing them, they might be covered in a slippery residue you need to wipe off.
You can hand-wash all silicone baking mats with warm water and dish soap, and some are dishwasher-safe (check with the manufacturer to make sure). If a mat gets stained, experts suggest soaking it in a solution of warm water, dish soap and vinegar, and then using a soft-bristled brush to gently scrub the stained area. Keep rough sponges and scrubbers away from the mats, as they can create scratches, says François.
Meet our experts
At Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Elizabeth Barbone is a recipe developer and cookbook author who runs the sites Cook Fast, Eat Well and Gluten-Free Baking. She has over two decades of culinary experience and graduated from the Culinary Institute of America.
- Zoë François is a pastry chef, baker and host of Zoë Bakes on the Magnolia Network. She trained at the Culinary Institute of America and also teaches culinary classes. François has authored numerous cookbooks, including “Zoe Bakes Cakes.”
Why trust Select?
Zoe Malin is an associate updates editor at Select who writes about kitchen tools and appliances, including Dutch ovens, ice cream makers, cookware sets, air fryers and more. For this article, she interviewed two experts about how to shop for and use silicone baking mats and rounded up highly options, in addition to expert picks and Select staff recommendations.
Catch up on Select’s in-depth coverage of personal finance, tech and tools, wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok to stay up to date.
That article delves into the world of silicone baking mats, presenting them as a versatile alternative to parchment paper and aluminum foil. It offers guidance on selecting the right mat by considering factors like size, thickness, heat resistance, outlines, measurements, and cleaning methods.
Let's break down the concepts:
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Silicone Baking Mats: These mats are made of food-grade silicone and fiberglass, providing a nonstick surface and acting as a barrier between the metal pan and ingredients. They are reusable, sized to fit specific pans, and eliminate the need for parchment paper or foil.
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Purpose: They are primarily used for cooking food in the oven, rolling out dough, freezing prepared food, and working with chocolate due to their nonstick properties.
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Selection Criteria: The article outlines factors to consider when buying silicone baking mats, such as size compatibility with sheet pans, thickness for even baking, heat resistance (typically up to 450-550 degrees Fahrenheit), presence of outlines or measurements, and cleaning methods (dishwasher or hand wash).
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Recommended Brands and Products: The article lists several recommended silicone baking mats, highlighting their features, sizes, heat resistance, dishwasher compatibility, and unique qualities, such as decorative designs and additional functionalities like macaron templates or pastry mats.
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Usage Tips and Limitations: It discusses how silicone baking mats aid in easy food release, but their extreme nonstick nature might cause thinner spreading of dough. These mats may not be ideal for high-temperature cooking or achieving browning/caramelization, especially for savory dishes. They can also absorb odors and might be challenging to clean, especially after oily usage.
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Cleaning and Maintenance: The article provides guidance on cleaning silicone baking mats, suggesting handwashing with warm water and dish soap or using a dishwasher. For stubborn stains, soaking in a solution of warm water, dish soap, and vinegar is recommended.
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Expert Insights: The article concludes by showcasing experts' opinions and backgrounds, offering assurance of their expertise in the field of culinary arts and baking, which adds credibility to the advice and product recommendations.
It covers everything from the functionality of silicone baking mats to practical tips for choosing, using, and maintaining them, all while drawing upon expert insights to validate the information provided.
