Why You Should Never Bake Cookies on an Aluminum Foil-Lined Baking Sheet (2024)
If you value your cookies' quality, you'll skip the foil.
There are dozens of fantastic ways to use aluminum foil in your kitchen — from covering your leftover lasagna before re-heating it in the oven to lining your grill to make roasting veggies easier and less messy. These are just a few of the myriad reasons foil has rightly earned its place as an essential kitchen staple you should always have on hand.
But if you've been reaching for the aluminum foil to line your baking sheets before making cookies or other sweet, doughy treats, you might be surprised to learn you've been committing a major baking faux pas.
The reason you should never bake cookies on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet all boils down to science.
As you probably already know, foil used for cooking is made almost exclusively from the metal aluminum, which is a great conductor of heat and useful in many cooking techniques. Just to give you a point of reference, Reynolds Wrap Aluminum Foil is made of 98.5 percent aluminum. (Another thing to note: Cooking foil doesn't actually contain any tin these days, despite what the common misnomer "tin foil" would suggest. It's a nod to earlier times when tin was actually used in the product.)
And while these conductive properties are what make aluminum foil heat-safe and well-suited for use in the oven and other cooking applications, what you may not have realized is that this signature characteristic has some serious downsides when it comes to baking, whether you're making chocolate chip cookies, holiday gingersnaps, or any other delightfully doughy treat.
Ultimately, the scientific reason you should never bake cookies on a foil-lined baking sheet is simple: The parts of your cookie dough that come in direct contact with the foil are exposed to more concentrated heat than the rest of your cookies, thanks to aluminum's natural conductor properties.
The end result? Your batch of cookies ends up baking unevenly, with the bottoms of your cookies (which are in direct contact with the aluminum foil) baking faster than the tops (which are only exposed to the evenly distributed hot air in your oven). That's why cookies baked on foil-lined sheets have browner, crispier bottoms (that, yes, are sometimes burned) than those baked on parchment paper, the scientifically smarter choice for the perfect batch of cookies.
Indeed, parchment paper is the clear winner for all of your baking needs because, unlike foil, it distributes your oven's heat more evenly and keeps the highly-concentrated heat of your metal baking pan (or foil lining) from scorching the bottoms of your cookies. It also has a natural non-stick coating, meaning it won't stick to your baked goods like foil sometimes can. You won't have to grease it first, either. Your cookies will slide right off the parchment paper and onto your cooling rack without an ounce of effort.
So if you love crispy, brown-bottomed cookies, by all means, keep reaching for the aluminum foil. But if you're on a quest to bake the perfect batch of chocolate chip cookies (or any other cookie variety you like), it's time you listened to science: Ditch the aluminum foil, and instead make parchment paper your new cookie baking secret weapon.
Your batch of cookies ends up baking unevenly, with the bottoms of your cookies (which are in direct contact with the aluminum foil) baking faster than the tops (which are only exposed to the evenly distributed hot air in your oven).
You can do everything from keeping a pie crust from burning to cleaning silverware to roasting a perfect chicken with it. Yet while it's often advised to line a baking pan with aluminum foil for certain recipes, experts warn against using this method for baking cookies.
Many people wonder if this type of bakeware is safe to use. While aluminum itself is considered safe for food contact, there are concerns about the potential for aluminum leaching into food, especially when cooking acidic or alkaline ingredients.
The potential dangers stem from the idea that during cooking, tiny pieces of metal are transferred from the foil to your food—and therefore enter your body.
Using aluminum foil to keep your oven clean may be tempting, but lining an oven with foil increases the intensity of heat on oven surfaces that can lead to surface damage like scratching or chipping on the porcelain finish and damage to heating elements. It can also prevent even cooking.
Lining baking pans with foil just makes it easier to lift desserts out of the pan cleanly. When you're planning to portion and give brownies or bars...or place them on a platter, it's nice to have them cut neatly. Without the help of foil, that first brownie (and usually the first row) is always a mangled mess.
However, if you're baking something that absolutely can't stick, and you only have aluminum foil on hand, simply grease it up as you would an unlined baking dish, and be on your way. Both aluminum foil and parchment paper are totally safe to use—though parchment is more environmentally friendly.
Over time, however, aluminum has a tendency to oxidize – resulting in a layer of grey, chalky cast on the surface of the metal – and will be more noticeable if the aluminum object has not been used for some time.
Putting foil on the bottom of the oven increases the intensity of heat and this can lead to surfaces that overheat. The result will likely be scratching, chipping, and damage to the porcelain finish.
Aluminum foil should not be used if you're trying to reduce aluminum exposure. While not large quantities, studies have shown that aluminum foil can leach aluminum into your food. The amount of aluminum passed onto you depends upon temperature while cooking and the food itself.
Foil has a shiny side and a dull side because of how it is manufactured. Unless you are using foil that's labeled non-stick, which does have a non-stick side, it does not matter what side you use. Both the shiny and dull sides can be used the same way to cook, freeze, and store food. Glass vs.
As it turns out, using aluminum foil will actually lead to your cookies being baked unevenly. Here's how it works: Because aluminum is a heat conductor, the part of the cookie that is directly touching the aluminum foil (i.e. the bottom) will receive more heat and, thus, bake faster.
Using parchment paper for baking cookies will enable them to bake more evenly, and the non-stick quality will also help prevent them from cracking or breaking when lifting them off the sheet.
Instead of baking paper, you can use greased aluminum foil or simply grease the baking tray directly. Just ensure the surface is well-greased to prevent sticking. I've used this method countless times, and the cookies turn out just fine. No need for an extra trip to the store!
I couldn't detect any difference in how the cupcakes baked; the results were identical to those baked in paper liners in height, shape, and color. If you've got foil liners in your cupboard, they'll work well.
Yes, aluminum foil is ideal for oven use. Aluminum foil is safe and convenient and helps reflect heat to enable your food to cook evenly. It also withstands the highest temperatures in most home ovens, making it an excellent choice for baking and cooking. See more tips on how to use aluminum foil in the oven.
Introduction: My name is Dean Jakubowski Ret, I am a enthusiastic, friendly, homely, handsome, zealous, brainy, elegant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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