Here at Clean Cuisine, we get asked this question quite often: What is the Best Non Toxic Baking Pan? Stick around, because you’re going to be quite surprised by our answer.
As we prepare for the busy baking season ahead of batch cookies for the holidays (and don’t worry, they have all been made without refined sugar, no dairy and no refined grains), we wanted to finally get this post live to help you as you make baking purchases for your kitchen.
Without a doubt, I am a firm believer that healthy food starts with healthy cookware. For the most part it is not really all that hard to find non-toxic pots and pans if you know what to look for (my favorite “green” cookware happens to be Xtrema 100% Ceramic Cookware.)
But finding a healthy baking pan is a little trickier.
In fact, because the market is flooded with so many non-stick (but toxic!) baking pans, in some ways it is easier to locate a healthy cookie recipe than it is to find a healthy pan to bake them in.
How to Select a Non-Toxic Baking Pan
Ok, here’s the deal: the absolute greenest baking pan would be a stoneware cookie sheet and we trust Pampered Chef has and their incredible line of unglazed stone cookware that we absolutely love.
So, give me a minute to talk about why we love unglazed stoneware from Pampered Chef first and then we’ll talk about a the second best baking pan.
7 Reasons Why We Recommend Unglazed Stoneware
We love unglazed stoneware because that’s all it is: unglazed, uncoated stoneware that is pure and clean to bake with. It’s quite simple really. Here are 6 things that we love about using stoneware:
#1: You do not have to preheat the stoneware.
If someone once told you that you had to preheat your stoneware, it’s a myth. Just simply place your food, cookies or pizza directly on the stoneware and place it in the oven.
I’ve made a few homemade bread recipes and the recipe encourages you to preheat your stoneware first. This is a personal decision… I tend to preheat my oven and not my stone.
#2: Stoneware has an amazing heat retention
Stoneware retains heat and distributes it evenly. Your dish cooked in a stoneware will be evenly cooked and ready at the same time. If the outide of your dish is cooked, then so is the center.
Not just that, but stoneware’s superior heat retention makes it perfect for transferring something right from the over to serving the meal. Stoneware is great for keeping your food warm during meals. Great for second helpings!
#3: Stoneware draws moisture away from the food
Whether you’re making some homemade Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chunk cookies, a Healthy Apple and Cranberry Crisp or Baked Salmon Burgers with Chive Sauce… your food will come out light and crispy because the stoneware draws moisture away from your food.
#4: Stoneware doesn’t retain oils, odors or flavors.
Pampered Chef stoneware is nonporous. Which means foods and liquids won’t soak in. I’ve owned some of my baking stones for 15 years and the flavor of one dish never transfers to another.
There’s no scents, no slick oils and no flavors.
#5: Your stoneware is safe in the microwave, freezer and in the oven up to 450 degrees.
I LOVE the flexibility of using our stoneware, especially this small stone bar pan for only $25. It fits perfectly in the microwave and our toaster oven.
UPDATE: The brand new stoneware that has just been released and will continue to over the next few months can be heated up to 550 degrees. This is such exciting news. Be sure to check the product to make sure yours can. For older stones, like my collection, we should stick to 450 degrees.
#6: Cleaning Stoneware is a Breeze!
Cleaning Pampered Chef stoneware is easy because their stones are virtually nonporous so nothing will soak in.
Once the stone is completely cool, just wash it by hand using warm water and the little scraper that came with your stone. This will help remove any leftover food.
Let air dry and use again!
#7: Pampered Chef stoneware is made in the USA.
I was raised to value the “Made is the USA” stamp… it protects jobs while allowing the creation of jobs so that our American citizens can provide for themselves and care for their families.
When you purchase products that are made here, you are helping to sustain and strengthen our economy for generations to come.
What Baking Pans do we Use?
Rectangle Stone Cookie Sheet
My very favorite baking pan is this stoneware cookie sheet. Yes, it can be a bit pricey… but you have to decide if it’s worth the long term investment. I’ve had this same unglazed rectangle stoneware from Pampered Chef for over 15 years and still use it, worry-free, to this day.
Large Pizza Stone
We use the large pizza stone for everything from pizza (of course) to an extra baking sheet if I need more space, to making biscuits or making homemade french fries.
I haven’t tried either of these yet, but you can now buy a Medium Pizza Stone and a Personal Pizza Stone.
Stone Loaf Pan
My family loves a loaf of homemade bread… and with 5 of us, 1 loaf doesn’t last long. So, we finally bought a second loaf pan so we can double our batches.
Our favorites are: Banana bread and Pumpkin Bread with Apples.
If by now, you’re still not a fan of the cleanest, greenest and most non-toxic baking stoneware… well, here’s the next best option.
Selecting the Next Best Option
The next best option for a non-toxic baking pan would be 100% stainless steel. However, there are still a number of things to consider:
#1: A number of stainless steel baking pans have been dipped in an aluminum coating, which I am not too crazy about.
#2: Stainless steel is not the best option for conducting heat uniformly and consequently your cookie recipes might not turn out the way you expect.
#3: Some manufacturers coat their aluminum cookie sheets with substances much worse than aluminum, including toxic non-stick chemicals, which is often done to improve the cooking performance of the stainless steel cookie sheet.
However, you can always cover your stainless steel cookie sheets with unbleached parchment paper, which will help prevent aluminum and other toxins from leaching onto your food.
A professional baker who is not as concerned about the healthfulness of their cookies might tell you that the best bet for a cookie sheet is aluminum because it is such a great conductor of heat.
However, if you go with aluminum I would definitely cover it in unbleached parchment paper to prevent aluminum from leaching into your food.
Can you tell that we really do suggest using stoneware over anything else?
Best Stainless Steel Option
I truly believe that using unglazed stoneware is really, truly the best thing for you and your family and then no unbleached parchment paper is needed at all. However, if you don’t want to spend the money on stoneware, then the, Norpro Stainless Steel Cookie Sheet is the second best option.
A Few Healthy Holiday Cookie Recipes to Bake in Your New Baking Pan!
Just in case you missed my healthy holiday cookie recipes earlier this week, here are my 3 favorite:
Like clean recipes? You’re going to love our new popsicle ebook!
Looking for more smoothie recipes?
Hello and thank you for, as usual, the great info. I was wondering if you have ever heard of TeamFar baking sheets and would love your take. They are stainless steel at 18/0 and report no toxic chemicals, clean and green, non-aluminum.
We have not looked into TeamFar but we do believe Stainless Steel should be your second purchase only after unglazed stoneware… which is much cleaner and healthier to cook on, even over Stainless Steel. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Just to let you know parchment paper is paper covered in non stick chemicals like sulferic acid. So by using it on top you are basically undoing any benefits in using a non toxic tray.
Our suggested is using unbleached parchment paper so there’s no chemicals or additives to the paper.
From everything I’ve been reading when researching this topic, parchment paper also contains some of the same harmful chemicals (which are what makes it nonstick)
I’ve read a bit of the same… Silicone is still a chemical. In my research which led me to this great blog- thank you Ivy I can’t wait to try your recipes!- I read a suggestion of using coconut oil on stainless steal when you’re worried about sticking ie; cheese. Otherwise I think this whole non stick thing is really about the programming leading us to use materials that cause disease.
Thank you for taking the time to comment Sarah! I’m so glad you liked the article. And yes, coconut oil is great for the purpose of non stick 😉
I really have enjoyed your writing and tips. Thank you!
One thing that urks me a bit though. Young gals like you saying that you starting eating clean in 1998, when it was not the in thing to do. What????
I and many many people in my generation, started “eating clean”, nonprocessed home grown foods back in the 70’s. Personally, I went to north american college of natural sciences for a nutrition degree in 1980, birthed 2 kids at home, breastfeeding them
For 2 years each, eating organically, no sugar etc, etc. many people seem to think that they “discovered” and pioneered healthy eating in the late 90’s and even in the past 15 years. It urks me. There is actually “nothing new under the sun.” Just admit that there have been people Into whole, natural, non toxic clean eating forever!, maybe not “main-stream” but certainly followed by large groups of people.
Diet and health regime gurus that try to claim that they were ahead of the curve and pioneered or “started doing so “ before everyone else, invalid their message and good example by making such a claim.
My generation finds it hysterical..and annoying.
Hi Carolyn, I VERY much appreciate you taking the time to explain your feelings because I never actually looked at it that way. I guess I just lived in my own little world and honestly didn’t know a single person who was even interested in eating “whole food”, much less even knew the definition! In fact, when we launched our first book in 2005 the mainstream media had a hard time with us calling our diet an “anti-inflammatory whole foods diet” because they didn’t know what that meant. So, when I say clean eating wasn’t the “in” thing to do, it doesn’t mean that I don’t acknowledge that there have ALWAYS been people interested in healthy, wholesome food, what I mean is that it just was absolutely not mainstream. Even things like “whole” almond milk or nut cheese simply was not available back then. It’s definitely a completely different food world these days. I think you must agree?
Hello IVY,
Thanks for sharing this informative article. it answered most of my questions.
I’m planning to try baking for the first time next week. Are there any tips you can give me to help me out? I would love to avoid any unnecessary mistakes xD
Hi EL! It’s great to hear you are going to start baking =) My biggest tip would be to just read through the recipe thoroughly before you start. And my second biggest tip would be to measure everything out before you begin…that will make the whole thing less intimidating. Good luck!
Can you use this pan for roasting vegetables too? It appears their other pans are not 100% stainless or have a coating on them…
Yes Alisa! It’s great for roasting vegetables too. I often use parchment paper for roasting vegetables (just because it is easy clean up!)
Thank you!
Xtrema by Ceramcor is made on mainland China. You have to ask them because it is not on their website. Check out polluted water in China.
Hi Marie, Oh this came up a few years ago and I spoke to the main guy at Ceramcor (Bob) about it—I honestly cannot remember what his response was but I remember it was a very good one and that it satisfied my concerns. I would definitely send Bob an email (I think it is just bob@cermacor.com ) and see what he has to say. And please let me know too! I will commit the response to memory this time 😉
Well it has been my experience that if you’re going to use stainless steel baking equipment, you MUST use parchment because everything WILL stick. But should I interpret your post to also mean that even if you are unable to purchase all new bakeware, (that would require a huge monetary investment in my case), you shouldn’t even use parchment on top of the bakeware you already own? If the food isn’t coming into contact with the surface so that the non-stick or aluminum is unable to “leach” into the food, wouldn’t the simple solution be to just buy a few rolls of parchment paper which would technically resolve the “leaching” issue?
You are absolutely right Dee, the parchment does prevent the sticking (which makes the clean up SO much easier, not to mention keeps whatever you are baking looking good) And you are right about the cost of replacing all of your cookware being pricey too =( I just very, very slowly upgraded mine, but I definitely didn’t do it all at once! Anyway, sorry to cause the confusion with the parchment, you can definitely cover your aluminum-coated pans with parchment, but it is my understanding that the toxic coatings on the non-stick pans can “leak” through to the parchment paper (but this is not the case with the aluminum) –I think it might have something to do with the fumes that are emitted from the toxic non-stick coatings. Hope this helps?