Can You Bake Cookies On Foil?

Whether you are baking cookies for bake sales or you’re a professional, we have all been in a situation where we’ve run out of parchment paper, and then the next best option: aluminum foil. 

If you’re stuck for ideas of what to bake your cookies on, then aluminum foil may be your best bet. While putting your cookies directly on the oven rack to cook seems like a good option, this could leave you with stuck cookies that are hard to remove. 

With this in mind, this article will look into everything you need to know about baking your cookies on aluminum foil. 

What Is Aluminum Foil?

As its name suggests, aluminum foil is composed of thin sheets of aluminum that range in thickness from 0.2 to 0.006 millimeters. As a result of this, aluminum foil is extremely flexible and can be molded into a range of different shapes, as well as being non stick. 

While aluminum foil is commonly referred to as ‘tin foil’, it doesn’t contain any tin. When compared to aluminum, tin is flimsy and doesn’t hold its shape or stay shiny, making it not as practical as aluminum. 

Moreover, aluminum foil is generally fabricated from recycled materials. Therefore, it’s not only a great household item, but it is also environmentally friendly. 

Can You Bake Cookies On Aluminum Foil?

Let’s settle the debate, of whether or not you can use aluminum foil to bake cookies, once and for all. The short answer to this question is: yes! You can use aluminum foil; however, there are a few considerations to keep in mind when doing so. These include:

Aluminum Foil Reflects Heat

Aluminum foil is a great heat conductor and is non stick. If you’re looking to bake your cookies using aluminum foil, you must have a metal sheet placed underneath, with the shiny side up, to absorb any excess heat and conduct it towards the cookies to be baked evenly. 

Great For Achieving A Golden-Brown And Crisp Outside

If you’re one of those people who prefer your cookies to be gooey on the inside and crunchy on the outside, then aluminum foil would be the perfect method for you.

When you place raw cookie dough directly on ungreased aluminum foil it will cause the edges to cook faster than the middle.

Why You Should Bake Cookies On Aluminum Foil?

While it is generally recommended to use parchment paper for baking cookies and other recipes. If you are running low or don’t have any parchment paper available, then aluminum foil may be your next best option. However, you may be wondering, why can’t you just bake your cookies directly on the tray?

Well, to help you understand why, below you will find some reasons why you should always use baking parchment paper or, alternatively, aluminum foil when baking cookies. 

1. Your Cookies Will Bake Unevenly 

If you have never used any parchment paper or aluminum foil, whether this is because you thought it was too much hassle or not worth it, then you’ll be surprised with how much of a difference it makes! 

When you put your cookie dough directly onto the baking tray, the mixture will touch the metal and stick to it. While the cookies bake and cool, it will prevent them from baking evenly. 

2. Cookies Are Easier To Handle When Baked On Foil

When cookie dough is directly placed on a greased cookie sheet, they tend to lose its shape by spreading out, sliding, and melting when baked. 

However, when you place cookie dough directly on baking parchment or aluminum foil, it won’t spread out and lose its shape. This is especially important if you’re baking shaped cookies and want them to keep their original shape. 

3. Easier Clean-Up

As opposed to baking your cookies straight on the baking sheets, try using aluminum foil; it’s a breeze! When you are using a baking sheet to bake your cookies, you’ll find that you’re left with all kinds of cookie residue and sticky substances.

After long hours of baking and then cooling, this becomes quite difficult to remove and requires some serious elbow grease which means scrubbing.

However, you can avoid all this by using aluminum foil. Simply remove your aluminum foil from the tray and throw it in the trash, then a quick rinse in the sink should suffice. This is perfect if you’re baking with children!

How To Use Aluminum Foil When Baking Cookies

One way of baking cookies on aluminum foil is by greasing it. This will ensure your cookies turn out better and that your aluminum sheet lasts longer.

However, below, you will find a few other methods to help make the most out of your aluminum foil. These include:

Preheating Your Oven To 350-Degrees Fahrenheit

For the best possible results, you should preheat your oven temperature to 350-degrees 10-minutes before you place your cookies into the oven. 

Wash Your Aluminum Foil

Before using the foil to bake your cookies, wash and dry your aluminum foil sheet using water and a soft towel to remove any debris or dirt prior to baking. 

Grease Your Aluminum Foil

With a rubber spatula, spread an even layer of butter all over your aluminum foil, this will prevent your cookies from burning. Although, make sure not to make any holes in the foil. 

Once completed, place your cookies on top of the butter-coated aluminum foil, then place in the oven at the temperature stated in the cookie recipe you’re following. Once finished baking, you can now enjoy, gooey on the inside and crispy cookies on the outside! 

Final Thoughts

Using aluminum foil is a great way to bake your cookies if you’re low on parchment paper or have completely run out! If you have some aluminum foil in your cupboard, you no longer have to worry about stuck or burnt cookies as a result of placing them directly on the tray.

Hopefully, this guide has provided you with everything you need to know about baking with aluminum foil.

Kathryn Sewell

Kathryn Sewell

Hi! I'm Kate and I have been baking and cooking for as long as I can remember. I like to share the most interesting tips and recipes I try here on What Kate Baked for you to enjoy. If you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share send it over on social.

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