If you’ve ever tried to line a baking pan with parchment paper only to have it bunch up in the corners, fold over itself, or refuse to stay in place, this easy parchment paper hack is for you.
Learning how to line a baking pan with parchment paper can make everything from brownies and blondies to cakes and quick breads easier to bake and remove from the pan. With just a few simple cuts, you can create a piece of parchment that fits neatly inside your baking pan without all the awkward folding.
This method works especially well for square and rectangular baking pans, including loaf pans.
Why Line a Baking Pan with Parchment Paper?
Parchment paper creates a barrier between your baked goods and the pan, which can help prevent sticking and make cleanup easier. Leaving a little parchment extending over the sides can also create convenient handles for lifting certain baked goods out of the pan after they have cooled.
The problem? Getting a flat sheet of parchment paper to fit neatly around the corners of a rectangular pan can be frustrating.
Here’s the easy cutting trick we use to get a much better fit.
What You’ll Need
- Your baking pan
- A sheet of parchment paper larger than the pan
- Scissors
That’s it!
Step 1: Center Your Pan on the Parchment Paper
Place your baking pan in the center of a sheet of parchment paper. Make sure you have enough parchment extending beyond each side of the pan to cover the bottom and sides once it is placed inside.
TIP: If your parchment paper is much larger than your pan, you can trim the sheet first to make it easier to work with.
Step 2: Make Your First Cut
Starting at one edge of the parchment paper, cut in a straight line toward one of the inner corners of the pan.
Stop cutting when you reach the corner.
Step 3: Cut Toward the Adjacent Corner
Next, cut from the other edge of the parchment toward the adjacent inner corner of the pan.
After making these two cuts, you will have created a square or rectangular section that can be removed from the parchment.
Step 4: Repeat Around the Remaining Corners
Continue the same process around the pan, cutting toward the remaining inner corners.
Use the pan itself as your guide so your cuts line up with where the bottom of the pan meets the sides.
Step 5: Check Your Parchment Cutouts
Once you’ve finished cutting, you should have removed four square or rectangular sections—one from each corner area around the pan.
Your parchment paper should now have flaps extending from each side that can fold neatly into the pan.
Step 6: Press the Parchment Paper Into the Pan
Now for the easy part!
Place your cut parchment paper over the top of your baking pan and gently press it down inside. Because you’ve removed the excess parchment from the corners, the paper should slide into the pan much more easily and fit snugly along the bottom and sides.
Smooth the parchment into place, and your pan is ready for your batter or dough.
Optional Tip: Trim or Secure the Overhanging Parchment
If you don’t want the parchment paper to extend too far above the sides of your pan, simply trim away some of the excess.
You can also temporarily use binder clips or chip clips to help hold the parchment against the sides of the pan while you’re adding your batter. Be sure to remove any clips that are not specifically oven-safe before baking.
Don’t Throw Away Your Parchment Paper Scraps!
Here’s one of our favorite bonus tips: save those parchment paper cutouts!
The square or rectangular pieces you removed from the corners can be reused for other baking projects. For example, use clean, unused parchment scraps between layers of baked cookies when packaging or storing them.
It’s an easy way to get a little more use out of your parchment paper instead of immediately throwing the scraps away.
Save This Easy Parchment Paper Hack
Once you know how to cut parchment paper to fit a baking pan, lining square, rectangular, and loaf pans becomes so much easier.
The next time a recipe tells you to line a baking pan with parchment paper, try this simple cutting method for a cleaner fit and less bunching around the corners.
And if you’re always looking for ways to make baking a little easier, save this tutorial for your next baking day!
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