Looking forward to baking some cookies for Santa (and maybe some for yourselves) this Christmas? We are too, so we’ve put together a list of the best baking sheets for cookies. Baking sheets can make a huge difference in how well your cookies turn out, so here are some important things to look for with baking sheets:
Best Baking Sheets for Cookies
Material
The four most popular styles of cookie baking sheets are aluminum, carbon steel, insulated, and nonstick.
Aluminum is generally your best bet here. They’re known for heating up uniformly and evenly. In addition, they are thick and built to last for the long haul without any major scuffing. The one thing to note with aluminum baking sheets, however, is that the cookies will tend to stick to the bottom without any parchment paper or cooking oil.
Carbon steel can also be suitable for cookies. However avoid thinner versions of carbon steel sheets, as they often don’t spread heat evenly.
Insulated sheets are designed to heat evenly all the way around (top, bottom, sides, center), as they have an air pocket between two layers of metal that help prevent hot spots and warping. They’re ideal for lighter colored cookies, such as shortbread.
Nonstick sheets do have the benefit of not having to use parchment paper or cooking oil, but they are also more prone to heat warping and scuffs. This is due to the Teflon material that they’re made out of. For those reasons, they aren’t a recommended option.
Rimmed vs. Non-Rimmed
There isn’t a huge difference in performance either way when it comes to choosing between a rimmed and non-rimmed sheet. Rimmed sheets do tend to be thicker, so they tend to be a bit more durable but non-rimmed sheets make it easier to remove delicate cookies. It comes down to your personal preference here.
Light vs. Dark Surface Color
Light surface colored baking sheets are the most ideal for baking cookies. They cook more slowly and evenly, which is what you want for cookies. Dark colored sheets can overly brown the bottoms of your sweet treats.
Our Picks
Without further ado, here are our picks for the best baking sheets for cookies (based on the criteria above):
Vollrath 68085 Wear-Ever Cookie Sheet Pan
Characteristics:
- Material: Heavy-gauge aluminum
- Size: 17″ x 14″
- Light colored sheet
- Two curved edges, two flat edges
AirBake Natural 2 Pack Cookie Sheet Set
Characteristics:
- Material: Insulated aluminum
- Size: 16″ x 14″
- Curved edge on one side
- Light colored surface
Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker’s Half Sheet
Characteristics:
- Material: Aluminum
- Size: 18″ x 13″
- Curved on all sides
- Light surface color