Stop Wasting Your Parchment Paper—Here Are the Best Silicone Baking Mats

Our Top Pick

Silpat Silicone Baking Mat

$29 at Amazon $28 at Sur La Table $39 $22 at Macys

Silpat has been synonymous with silicone baking mats since Silpat first developed them in 1965. That launch set the bar, and it now offers silicone baking mats in assorted shapes and sizes. The Silpat Premium mat fits a half-sheet pan and was the most versatile of all the mats I tested. I appreciate that it’s listed as freezer-safe and can handle temperatures as high as 480° Fahrenheit. The silicone and fiberglass mesh also feels slightly heftier than other brands.

Silpat baking mats hold up year after year, even with heavy use in a professional setting. “I tend to lean towards the brand Silpat because I find it has more even baking than cheaper brands,” says Laura Kanya, research & development chef at Ann Clark and recipe developer. “I also think this brand is just more durable for professional day-in-and-day-out use.”

A smooth orange band rings the mat and has notched corners for easy grasping from your sheet pan. The interior texture of the mat, though, is slightly coarse and looks a lot like burlap. I used it to freeze bananas, roast broccoli, and placed it under my cutting boards during meal prep. The frozen bananas released easily from the mat and the broccoli roasted evenly in the oven. The cutting board moved slightly, but still felt secure as I chopped vegetables. After testing, the Silpat was easy to hand-wash and performed well from the freezer to the oven.

While the price is completely affordable, you only get one mat, while other brands offer two for a similar price. This isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker but something to keep in mind if you want multiple mats.

The Details: Oven-safe temperature: 480° Fahrenheit; hand-wash only; 11.6 x 16.5 inches

Best Budget

Amazon Basics Silicone Baking Mat

$13 $9 at Amazon

The Amazon Basics 11.6 x 16.5-inch silicone baking mats come in sets of two or four. Whichever you pick, you’ll be getting a great deal. These performed great during testing and can be used up to 480°F, which is plenty high for what I cook in a week. My potato wedges baked especially evenly and nothing stuck to the mat. They also helped keep everything firmly in place when I used them under a small, lightweight cutting board and a large, heavy one.

The mats are smooth and slightly stiffer than other brands, yet they roll up for storage without a problem. Easy to clean with a quick wipe of soap and water with hardly any sign of cookies or sweet potatoes after our first round of testing, and their slight stiffness made them even easier to hand-wash since they aren’t quite as floppy. On the downside, they have a slightly more plastic-y look and feel than others. 

These were the only mats that came with any instructions. It says not to use them for small/sliced food or sugar syrups because they are easy to burn and hard to clean. This makes me question the nonstick ability and durability of these mats over time, though I didn’t have any problems with burning or any difficulty cleaning the mats. In addition to the multipacks, you can get a three-pack of multiple sizes, as well as silicone mats with macaron cookie templates.

The Details: Oven-safe temperature: 480° Fahrenheit; hand-wash only; 9 x 13 inches, 9.9 x 14.8 inches, and 11.6 x 16.5 inches

Best Set

Kitzini Silicone Baking Mats

$20 $11 at Amazon

The Kitzini baking mats set themselves apart by adding colors into the mix. My set of two half-sheet mats had a modern blue and a deep pink border, both of which I enjoyed and could make it easier to allocate one for a specific purpose.

I made granola using the Kitzini mats and was delighted by how evenly it baked. When I use parchment paper, I usually need to rotate the pans and stir to keep the edges from over-browning but not with the Kitzini mats. The edges were the same color as the center by the end of the baking time. Beyond that, I liked how easy it was to funnel the granola into a storage container after baking. These are sturdy, flexible, and easy to maneuver, even when very full.

I noticed some movement when placing it under a cutting board but still felt safe chopping. Roasted sweet potato took a little elbow grease to come off after our first round of tests, but I didn’t have any issues. I hand-washed the mats and was impressed by how clean they got. I couldn’t even tell I used it—no smudges or water spots on the edges! These are dishwasher-safe but I found it easier to hand-wash and air dry.

The Details: Oven-safe temperature: 480° Fahrenheit; dishwasher-safe; 8.5 x 11.6 inches and 11.6 x 16.5 inches

Best Splurge

OXO Silicone Baking Mat

$22 at Amazon $22 at Target $22 at Macys

The Oxo silicone baking mat’s white interior and apple-red border made it stand out among the other burlap-colored baking mats. Though the mat arrived rolled up, I could feel the difference in material. The Oxo baking mat is softer and more pliable than the others, and easy to remove from a sheet pan.

The white interior came in handy when I was making caramel corn. It was easier to monitor the color against the white background and decide when it was time to pull the corn out of the oven. I also used the Oxo mats to bake skin-on chicken during testing. There wasn’t any liquid or seepage under the mat from the dinner, but there was very slight staining from the spices. It’s important to note that the Oxo is oven-safe up to 450°F, slightly lower than other brands. 

Another downside presented itself when I used the mat under a cutting board. The board moved since it didn’t adhere to the counter, even under a large heavy one. The Oxo silicone baking mats are dishwasher safe, but I still found them easy to hand wash.

The Details: Oven-safe temperature: 450° Fahrenheit; dishwasher-safe; 11.5 x 16.5 inches

Best Surface

Zulay Kitchen 2-Pack Silicone Baking Mat

View on Amazon

The Zulay Kitchen 2-pack of silicone baking mats were the only ones that I tested that didn’t arrive rolled up. After opening the set, I found them as flexible and easy to roll as the other silicone mats. I also liked the notched corners that make it easier to pick up from the pan. 

I baked chicken and vegetables on the Zulay baking mats and was pleased by how evenly everything cooked. The chicken released a lot of liquid, though, which did make its way under the mat. But it was still very easy to clean and the grease came right off. Later, when I used the Zulay mat underneath cutting boards for prep work, it stayed in place nicely. 

Zulay is the only brand I tested that offers a lifetime warranty since the high-quality silicone and fiberglass center is built to last. These are so durable that you can put them directly onto the oven racks if you dare. I also appreciate that the company logo was less prominent on the Zulay mats than on the other brands. 

The mats are quite affordable as well, making it a low-cost kitchen tool. The 2-pack came in gray but there are seven other colors available, as well as a 4-pack that includes two different sizes with a macaron template. Unfortunately, the smaller size for a quarter-sheet pan isn’t available without the macaron template printed on it. 

The Details: Oven-safe temperature: 480° Fahrenheit; dishwasher-safe; 8.5 x 11.5 inches and 11.5 x 16.5 inches