Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Bake Cookies on Aluminum Foil

Aluminum foil is great for so many uses in the kitchen. 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.

But, according to Allrecipes, you should think twice about reaching for the foil the next time you’re baking off a batch of cookies.

Why Shouldn’t I Bake with Aluminum Foil?

The problem is that aluminum foil is made from… aluminum (not “tin foil” as it’s often called). Aluminum is a great heat conductor, which makes it heat-safe and well-suited for many oven and stovetop applications. But this attribute is exactly why you should avoid using it when it comes to baking cookies.

With aluminum foil, the parts of the cookie dough that come into direct contact with the foil will get more heat than the rest of the dough. This means your cookies will bake unevenly, most likely with browner, crispier bottoms than tops.

What Should I Use Instead of Aluminum Foil for Baking?

Parchment paper is the best choice for baking cookies. Safe to use in the oven up to 450 degrees, parchment paper distributes the oven’s heat more evenly and won’t scorch your cookie bottoms. Parchment paper may darken in the oven, but it’s completely safe to use and it’s nonstick. You can also find it in pre-cut sheets.

Is Parchment Paper the Same as Wax Paper?

No. Parchment paper is quite different than wax paper. Wax paper is made with a nonstick coating from soybean or paraffin wax, which melts at low heat. That makes waxed paper better for prep tasks, such as wrapping food or for use in the freezer.

Cookie Recipes You'll Love

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Big Soft Ginger Cookies

These nicely spiced, big soft ginger cookies are perfect for folks who like the flavor of ginger but don't care for crunchy gingersnaps. —Barbara Gray, Boise, Idaho Get Recipe Are you forgetting this one simple trick when baking cookies?

Big & Buttery Chocolate Chip Cookies

My take on the classic cookie is inspired by a bakery in California called Hungry Bear. It's big, thick and chewy—truly the best chocolate chip cookie recipe. —Irene Yeh, Mequon, Wisconsin

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Check out our list of essential classic cookie recipes.

Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies

My mother insisted that my grandmother write down one recipe for her when she got married in 1942. She needed to know this how to make peanut butter cookies from scratch recipe. That was a real effort because Grandma was a traditional pioneer-type cook who used "a little of this or that 'til it feels right." This treasured recipe is the only one she ever wrote down! —Janet Hall, Clinton, Wisconsin

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Cakes and Cookies Contest

Are your baked goods more than just good? We’ll gladly take a bite out of your best. Our recipe boxes are ready for your luscious tiramisu crepe cake, crispy gingerbread pizzelles, vibrant matcha cheesecake, dreamy Orangesicle-inspired macarons and so much more. So send us your favorite cakes and cookies, fresh from the oven (or icebox or stovetop), with fewer than 12 ingredients, and you could win big and be featured in Taste of Home. Enter the Contest

Jumbo Brownie Cookies

Take these deeply fudgy cookies to a party, and you're sure to make a friend. A little espresso powder in the dough makes them over-the-top good. —Rebecca Cababa, Las Vegas, Nevada

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Vanilla Meringue Cookies

Want to learn how to make meringues? This meringue cookie recipe creates light, airy morsels. It's the perfect fat-free treat to really beat a sweets craving. —Jenni Sharp, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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First-Place Coconut Macaroons

These coconut macaroon cookies earned me a first-place ribbon at the county fair. They remain my husband's favorites—whenever I make them to give away, he always asks me where his batch is! I especially like the fact that this recipe makes a small enough batch for the two of us to nibble on. —Penny Ann Habeck, Shawano, Wisconsin

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Peppermint Meltaways

This recipe for peppermint meltaways is very pretty and festive-looking on a cookie platter. I often cover a plate of these peppermint cookies with red or green plastic wrap and a bright holiday bow in one corner. And yes, they really do melt in your mouth! —Denise Wheeler, Newaygo, Michigan

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Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

Everyone who tries these beloved gems is amazed that they use only five ingredients. Baking cookies doesn't get much easier than this. —Dee Davis, Sun City, Arizona

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Pecan Meltaways

This sweet, nutty pecan meltaways recipe is a tradition in our house at Christmastime, but the treats are delightful any time of the year. —Alberta McKay, Bartlesville, Oklahoma

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Raspberry Ribbons

I make these attractive, buttery cookies to serve at our remote guest lodge, and all the cooks in the kitchen are addicted to them! —Patsy Wolfenden, Golden, British Columbia

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White Velvet Cutouts

We make and decorate these cutouts for different holidays and give lots of them as gifts. Last year, we baked a batch a week before Christmas to be sure we'd have plenty to give and plenty for ourselves, too. These rich cookies melt in your mouth. —Kim Hinkle, Wauseon, Ohio

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Contest-Winning Chocolate Truffle Cookies

Here's a snack for serious chocolate lovers. These enticing cookies are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, somewhat bittersweet and very chocolaty. I usually make them to share at get-togethers. Otherwise, I'd eat them all myself! I'm always asked for the recipe. —Delaine Fortenberry, McComb, Mississippi

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Scottish Shortbread

My mother, who is of Scottish heritage, passed this shortbread recipe, along with other favorite recipes, on to me. When I entered this treat at our local fair, it won a red ribbon. —Rose Mabee, Selkirk, Manitoba

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Cherry Chocolate Nut Cookies

Each Christmas, I make about 600 cookies to share with family and friends. The holidays wouldn't be the same without several batches of these colorful goodies. —Sybil Brown, Highland, California

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Amish Sugar Cookies

These easy-to-make, old-fashioned Amish sugar cookies simply melt in your mouth! I've passed this recipe around to many friends. After I gave it to my sister, she entered the cookies in a local fair and won best of show. —Sylvia Ford, Kennett, Missouri

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Chippy Peanut Butter Cookies

"Hey, these are good!" is the surprised remark I hear when I bake these for the family. As simple as it may seem, all I do is follow directions. This works exceptionally well when it comes to making cookies. —Ian Badeer, Hickman, Nebraska

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Chewy Chocolate Cookies

This cookie recipe—a favorite of our four children—has been in my collection for years. Sometimes I'll substitute mint-flavored chips for the semisweet chocolate chips. Either way, the chocolate cookies disappear quickly. This is one of our favorite easy chocolate chip cookie recipes. —Sheri Ziesemer, Olympia, Washington

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White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Hawaiian nuts and melty morsels make a fantastic combination in these buttery white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. —Cathy Lennon, Newport, Tennessee

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Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Crazy about chocolate chips? This chewy, oatmeal chocolate chip cookie has plenty, not to mention lots of heart-healthy oatmeal. The gang’ll come back for seconds so this big batch recipe is perfect. This is the best 'oat choc chip cookies recipe' you'll ever taste! —Diane Neth, Menno, South Dakota

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Snickerdoodles

The history of these whimsically named treats has been widely disputed, but their popularity is undeniable. Help yourself to one of our soft cinnamon-sugared cookies and see for yourself. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

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S'more Sandwich Cookies

Capture the taste of campfire s'mores in your kitchen. Graham cracker crumbs added to chocolate chip cookie dough bring out the flavor of the fireside favorite. Melting the cookies' marshmallow centers in the microwave makes them simple to assemble. —Abby Metzger, Larchwood, Iowa

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Safely store your cookie stash in one of these adorable cookie jars. 

Mimosa Butter Cookies

You can add many different flavors to butter cookies to make them your own. Try an alternate type of citrus zest, or add an alternate liquid to change things up. —Sara Lark, Raton, New Mexico

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Coconut Key Lime Thumbprints

This is the cookie recipe I created for the Las Vegas World Food Championships in 2013. It's similar to a shortbread thumbprint cookie, but with lots more personality. —Amy Freeze, Avon Park, Florida

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Thumbprint Butter Cookies

These buttery little rounds add beautiful color to a platter of treats. Fill the thumbprint in the center with any fruit preserves you like. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

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Toffee Almond Sandies

These crispy classics are loaded with crunchy chopped toffee and almonds, so there's no doubt as to why they're my husband's favorite cookie. I used to bake them in large batches when our four sons still lived at home. Now I whip them up for the grandchildren! —Alice Kahnk, Kennard, Nebraska

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Iced Orange Cookies

I usually make these bite-size orange cookies at Christmastime, when Florida citrus is plentiful, but they're delicious any time of year. Every time I sniff their wonderful aroma, I remember my grandmother, who shared the recipe. —Lori DiPietro, New Port Richey, Florida

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Chocolate Mexican Wedding Cakes

These spiced balls are a yummy twist on a traditional favorite. Sometimes I add mini chocolate chips to the dough and, after baking, dip the cooled cookies in melted almond bark. —Joanne Valkema, Freeport, Illinois

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Crisp Sugar Cookie Mix

I've been relying on this mix for light sugar cookies for years. I've even packaged it and sold it at bazaars. —Eneatha Attig Secrest, Mattoon, Illinois

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Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

A friend gave me the recipe for these cookies many years ago, and they’re as delicious as the ones Mom used to make. The secret to the recipe is to measure exactly (no guessing on the amounts) and to not overbake. —Wendy Coalwell, Abbeville, Georgia

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Eager to sample your cookie dough? Read this first.

Lemon Tea Cookies

These sandwich cookies taste rich and buttery and have a lovely lemon filling. The recipe has been in our family since the 1950s, when my mother got it from a French friend in her club. —Phyllis Dietz, Westland, Michigan

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Miniature Peanut Butter Treats

This recipe is one of my family's favorites, and I make the treats a lot, especially at Christmas. I have three children and eight grandchildren, and every one of them loves those "peanut butter thingies," as the grandchildren call them! —Jodie McCoy, Tulsa, Oklahoma

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Frosted Red Velvet Cookies

My student job in college was in the bakery. These dreamy morsels take me back to that special place and time. Red velvet lovers will appreciate this fun take on the cake. —Christina Petri, Alexandria, Minnesota

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Lemon Snowflakes

You’ll need just four ingredients to make these delightful lemon snowflake cookies. Confectioners’ sugar highlights the cracked tops to give them their snowflake appearance. —Linda Barry, Dianna, Texas

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Cranberry Cookies with Browned Butter Glaze

I won a baking contest with these chunky glazed cookies that are so easy, even novice bakers can pull them off. What makes them special? Fresh cranberries. —Laurie Cornett, Charlevoix, Michigan

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White Chocolate Pistachio and Cranberry Biscotti

Over the years, I've adapted my most-requested biscotti recipe to add some of my favorite ingredients: cranberries, white chocolate and pistachios. These biscotti keep and freeze well. —Susan Nelson, Newbury Park, California

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Yummy Cracker Snacks

These treats are my family’s favorite. In fact, it seems no matter how many I make, they always disappear too soon! —D. Weaver, Ephrata, Pennsylvania

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Dipped Gingersnaps

I get tremendous satisfaction making and giving time-tested yuletide treats like these dipped gingersnaps. Dipping them in white chocolate makes much-loved gingersnaps even more special. —Laura Kimball, West Jordan, Utah

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Lemony Gingerbread Whoopie Pies

These spiced-just-right whoopie pies combine two popular flavors in one fun treat. The moist cookies are rolled in sugar before baking for a bit of crunch. —Jamie Jones, Madison, Georgia

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Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints

Covered in chopped nuts and drizzled with chocolate, these cookies are delicious and pretty, too. Everybody looks forward to munching on them during the holidays. —Elizabeth Marino, San Juan Capistrano, California

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Butter Cookies

This great butter cookie recipe is a favorite of my nephews, who love the creamy frosting. —Ruth Griggs, South Hill, Virginia

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Lime & Gin Coconut Macaroons

I took these lime and coconut macaroons to our annual cookie exchange, where we name a queen. I won the crown! —Milissa Kirkpatrick, Angel Fire, New Mexico

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What's the difference between a macaron and a macaroon? Find out here.

Fudgy Mint Cookies

Chocolate lovers will get a double dose when they bite into this cakelike cookie. The cookies are especially popular served alongside a big scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream! —Renee Schwebach, Dumont, Minnesota

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Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Dotted with cranberries, orange zest and vanilla chips, these cookies are so colorful and fun to eat. They look lovely on a dessert tray and would be a great addition to your Christmas cookie lineup. —Pat Habiger, Spearville, Kansas

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Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

Guests will stand in line to kiss the cook when these treats are served! For a change of pace, try them with chunky peanut butter, too. —Canada60, Tasteofhome.com Community

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Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

These soft banana cookies have a cakelike texture and lots of flavor that everyone seem to love. It's one of the best banana cookie recipes I've found. —Vicki Raatz, Waterloo, Wisconsin

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Almond Spritz Cookies

This almond spritz cookies recipe can be left plain or decorated with colored sugar and frosting. In our house, it just wouldn't be Christmas without some cookie press recipes.—Tanya Hart, Muncie, Indiana

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Giant Molasses Cookies

My family always requests these soft molasses cookies. These chewy cookies are also great for shipping as holiday gifts or to troops overseas. —Kristine Chayes, Smithtown, New York

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Here's more on how to make molasses cookies.

Coconut Clouds

Coconut lovers will have extra reason to celebrate when they taste these cakelike drop cookies. The generous frosting and coconut topping make them a hit at holiday cookie swaps. —Donna Scofield, Yakima, Washington

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Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

I'm a busy mother of two young children. I work in our school office and help my husband on our hog and cattle farm. When I find time to bake a treat, I like it to be special. The creamy filling gives traditional peanut butter cookies a new twist. —Debbie Kokes, Tabor, South Dakota

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Tender Italian Sugar Cookies

These traditional Italian cookies are moist and tender. —Weda Mosellie, Phillipsburg, New Jersey

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The post Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Bake Cookies on Aluminum Foil appeared first on Taste of Home.

source https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/can-you-bake-cookies-on-foil/

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