Why Small Silicone Baking Mats Rock
Our favorite parchment paper alternative, small silicone baking mats are great for making cookies, roasting vegetables, and so much more. Because messes stay on the mat (and not on the pan) cleanup is a breeze. Learn more about these versatile little mats and how we use them in our toaster oven below.
So, what is a silicone baking mat? It’s a reusable pan liner that’s made from food-grade silicone reinforced with a fiberglass mesh. The mesh helps to provide even heat distribution.
Magically nonstick, large full-sheet versions of these handy mats have been used in commercial kitchens and bakeries for decades.
After growing in popularity with home cooks the mats can now be found in smaller sizes. They fit a variety of different pans and make cooking for one or two people easier (and more fun too!).
What Can a Baking Mat Be Used For?
Cooking with our toaster oven we use the mats to make all kinds of recipes.
When baking pastries and bread I slide a mat onto the pan before adding food. Because the mat has a nonstick surface it doesn’t need to be greased at all.
Once baked, our chocolate chip cookies, super sticky banana oat cookies, and toaster oven bread all release from the mat with ease.
The mats are also great for avoiding baked-on messes and roasting vegetables with little to no oil.
We use them all of the time to make sticky sweet potatoes and roast spaghetti squash for these yummy spaghetti squash burrito bowls. Any mess stays on the mat and is easy to clean off with hot water and a sponge.
Tim uses a mat almost daily when reheating leftovers in his toaster oven at work. The sink in his office’s kitchen is super tiny, so it’s a lot easier to rinse off a baking mat than it is to scrub a pan.
And during the holidays, the mats are good for placing under fruit pies and saucy dishes to catch spills.
Now you may be thinking, don’t parchment paper and aluminum foil do the same thing? They do but a baking mat can be reused again and again.
The mats last anywhere from 1000 to 3000 uses or more depending on the brand and how they are cared for.
Plus most parchment paper manufacturers warn against using their product in a toaster oven. You can read more on that in this article about the 4 surprising things I’ll never use in our toaster oven.
Uses Beyond The Toaster Oven
Not just for baking, silicone mats are super versatile and have a variety of non-oven uses too.
Like rolling out pastry dough or biscuits. You can also slide one under a cutting board to keep it from moving when chopping veggies or kneading dough.
And most silicone baking sheets are freezer safe too. This comes in handy if you’re making a batch of frozen yogurt bark (so yummy in the summer).
Or if you want to freeze pizza bagels, cinnamon toast, make-ahead grilled cheese sandwiches, or leftover cookie dough for baking later. Flash-freezing the items separately before bagging helps to keep them from sticking together.
Disadvantages
While we love our baking mats immensely they do have a few drawbacks.
Staining: They will discolor over time. It’s not pretty but it doesn’t affect the mat’s cooking ability.
Temperature Limitations: Each mat will have a different heat tolerance but most can withstand temperatures up to 425°F or 450°F. Regardless of their heat tolerance, silicone mats should never be used when broiling.
Retaining Odors: So that our cookies don’t end up tasting like onions, we own two mats. One we use for savory dishes like roasted vegetables or toaster oven calzones and the other is for baking sweets like these double chocolate cookies.
Greasy Buildup: Oil can build up on the mats and require occasional deep cleaning with baking soda or lemon juice.
Storage: They will take up at least a little cabinet space. We keep our mats stored flat on a baking sheet but they can also be rolled up and secured with a rubber band.
Size Limitations: Most mats cannot be cut to fit smaller pans (this is because of the fiberglass threads).
Not Eternal: They won’t last forever and do eventually wear out. After 8 years of solid service, our first toaster oven mat finally started falling apart. Considering we paid $16 for the mat and used it almost every day, I think we got our money’s worth.
Small Silpat Baking Mats
For years we’ve been using mats made by Silpat® to cook in our toaster ovens. They sell super durable mats that according to their website can last for 2,000 to 3,000 uses if cared for properly.
The FAQ on their website states their mats are safe up to 500°F but that they should not be used for broiling.
Also, never place a Silpat directly on or near a heat source like your stovetop, a hot plate, or on the bottom of an oven (or toaster oven).
The company is best known for its full and half-sheet-sized Slipats. But they make some smaller mats too. Below is a list of the small Silpats that we own and use.
Toaster Oven Size: It’s made for use with an 8″ x 11″ pan. Measures 7-⅞” x 10-⅞”
9-inch Round: I mostly use this mat with our square 10 x 10 sheet pans to make pizza. In our 9-inch cake pan, the sides do curl up the pan a little but it hasn’t been a problem when baking. I recently discovered that this mat fits in our drawer-style air fryer so I plan on using it to try baking some air fryer cookies.
Petite Jelly Roll: Fits nicely in most quarter sheet pans and is the mat we use the most often. Measures 8-¼” x 11-¾”.
Perfect Bread Quarter Size: This one is new – we got it for baking bread. It’s supposed to give the bread a crusty finish. Measures 11-¾” x 8-¼”.
Microwave Mat: Tim uses this mat to reheat food and cook potato wedges in the toaster oven at his office. While it doesn’t cover all of the square-shaped pan, it does a pretty job of keeping things clean. Measures 10-¼”.
Important: Do Not Cut A Silpat
Tempting as it might be, do not try to cut a larger mat to fit your toaster oven pan.
Cutting a mat could cause the fiberglass to get into your food. For that same reason, you’ll want to avoid using knives or other sharp objects on a Silpat.
Customizable Baking Mat (Great For Tiny Pans)
We’ve been talking about the awesomeness that is an eighth sheet pan for years. It’s the perfect little pan for small toaster ovens but all of our Silpats are way too big for it.
Last year I started hearing about silicone baking mats that did not contain fiberglass and were customizable. Meaning they could be cut to fit the size of a pan!
So I was pretty excited when I emailed Food52 about their Five Two Silicone Baking Mat and they said it could be used in a countertop oven or toaster oven.
Of course, I immediately bought one to try it out. Here’s how things went.
The mats are solid individually. A single mat measures 11.5″ x 16.5″ and is made of BPA & BPS Free Platinum-Grade Silicone. (Source: Food52)
From one mat I was able to cut liners for (2) ⅛ sheet pans and (1) quarter sheet pan.
Baking Cookies
The first thing Tim and I tried baking was some store-bought cookie dough.
Right away we learned that the silicone will expand when it’s heated so the mat needs to be cut a little smaller than the pan. Otherwise, the expanded mat will bunch up.
So I gave our mat a quick trim and tried again with another batch of dough. This time there was no bunching and the cookies turned out great.
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Next, I wanted to try cooking something that I knew would be messy to see how the mats cleaned up. So I made a batch of our quick-baked sweet potatoes.
Since we already have a baking mat for our quarter sheet pan I cut that mat to fit our Crow Canyon pan. It’s a little oddly sized, so I’ve never had a mat that fits it well.
The sweet potatoes were tender and creamy and as expected left behind a sticky mess. A quick scrub with some hot water and a sponge and the mat looked practically brand new.
Both recipes took a few minutes longer to bake and the sweet potatoes had a little less browning than they usually do with the Silpat mats. Otherwise, the cooking results were very similar.
Even though the Materials and Care information on the Food52 website says the mat is oven safe up to 550°F I would still be cautious using it with higher temperatures in a toaster oven.
Not All Mats Are Toaster-Oven Friendly
The GIR mat made by Pattern was actually the first customizable baking mat that I came across. The sales page didn’t have any info about toaster oven use so I sent them an email and asked.
That same day, I received a really nice response back letting me know: “Use in the toaster oven can cause the mats to bubble or melt if hot air becomes trapped beneath the silicone. The small space concentrates the heat to a degree that can damage the silicone.”
As with any accessory we buy, I would never expect a company to know how the product will behave in every size, shape, and style of toaster oven. Since that would be impossible.
But I have found that if you take the time to ask, most companies are happy to share what they do know.
How to Clean Silicone Baking Mats
Some mats (like the Food52 mat) are dishwasher-friendly. I popped our cut-up Five Two mats on the top rack of the dishwasher and they did great.
While Silpat says their mats can be cleaned in the dishwasher, they highly recommend handwashing.
So after each use, we rinse our Silpats with hot water and air-dry. If needed, I’ll add a little mild dish soap to the mix and make sure to rinse the mat thoroughly so it doesn’t taste soapy.
To clean super greasy mats:
- I heat the mat on a pan in our toaster oven at 350°F for about 5 minutes.
- Using a pair of tongs, I carefully add it to a sink filled with warm water and lemon juice and let it soak for 20 minutes or so.
- After a little scrubbing with our Scrub Daddy and a thorough rinse and drying our Silpats always feel way less oily.
According to this Food Network article and this one from Food52, when heated, the silicone in the Silpat expands so the lemon juice can get into the mat and penetrate the grease. I don’t know about the science but so far this method has worked really well for us.
Shopping Tips
If I’ve piqued your interest in these sustainable mats and you’re ready to get one, here are a few things to consider.
Pan sizes. Mats that fit a quarter sheet pan are pretty common these days. But “toaster oven” mats don’t usually have a standard size. So I’d recommend measuring your toaster oven sheet pan before buying any mat.
Read before cutting. If you need to be able to cut the mat to a specific size, make sure it is not made with fiberglass and is advertised by the manufacturer as safe to cut.
Watch out for counterfeits. Some large online marketplaces (especially the one that starts with an A) have had this issue with the Silpats.
Remember they are not oven liners. Silicone baking mats are intended to line a pan for baking and cooking. They should never be placed on the bottom of a toaster oven or anywhere near the heating elements.
Take note of temperature tolerances. If you’re planning to roast a lot of veggies, mats with lower heat tolerances are not going to be ideal. Also, check if the mat can withstand freezing temperatures if you want to use it for chilling your sweet potato hand pies before baking them.
Lastly, we haven’t had any trouble using silicone mats in our ovens. But toaster ovens do vary a lot, so be cautious. Make sure to read your owner’s manual and follow the manufacturer’s accessory recommendations for your specific oven.
Well, that’s it, more than you ever wanted to know about silicone baking mats. We hope this information has been helpful.
Happy Non-Stick Baking!
One last thing…Have you bought a silicone mat that could be cut?
These types of mats are still pretty new. If you’ve used one to cook with your toaster oven I’d love to hear how it went.
Great info. I don’t have a baking mat as yet but plan to purchase one to use with the toaster oven and air fryer. With summer approaching, I don’t want to heat up a big oven and there are just 2 of us most of the time.
Can you tell me which ones can be cut to size?
Thanks!
Hi Jeanne,
I don’t know of a lot of manufacturers that offer silicone mats that can be cut to size. We linked to the Food52 one that we have in the article above but it looks like they may have recently discontinued that mat (fingers crossed they bring it back).
Looking online I found a mat made by a company called Net Zero Co. that does not have the fiberglass and can be cut to size. Scrolling through the comments I see there are some people who have used the mat in their toaster oven so it might be a good option to check out. Here’s the link: https://www.netzerocompany.com/collections/all/products/silicone-baking-mats
Sorry I couldn’t help more,
Brie
What can I use on the baking tray for non-stick broiling?
Hi Vivian,
Foil might be an option but you’ll want to refer to your toaster oven’s manual or check with the manufacturer first as some do advise against lining the broiling pan with foil.
Thank you so much for providing this website. I have just purchased an Oster Digital 6 slice toaster and convection oven and cannot wait to start using it. I have learned so much from your website already and have loved the recipes and cannot wait to try them. This appliance along with my slow cooker will be my go to cooking vehicles. I am ready to downsize and hoping this Oster will make things easier cooking for one.
Thank you, Susan! I’m so happy you’re enjoying the website and finding some recipes to try with your new toaster oven. 🙂 Oster has some good how-to videos for their ovens that you might find helpful too. You can find them here: https://www.oster.com/service-and-support/product-support/how-to-videos/how-to-videos-page-oven-tips.html
Happy Cooking!
Hi I was just wondering if it can fit a half sheet pan for baking?..i have a USA half sheet pan and i want to use it..and also is it ok to bake french macarons for this one?thank you.
Hi Maria,
It’s going to depend on the size of your toaster oven, a half sheet pan measures 18 in × 13 in. Most larger toaster ovens can still only fit a Quarter Sheet pan which is about 9 x 13 in. and still leave enough room for good air circulation. You’d need a very large oven to use a half sheet pan.
I haven’t tried making french macarons in our toaster oven but I’m sure it can be done. You might just need to play around a bit with the temperature settings. I found this post that has some helpful tips: https://www.bakingkneads.com/how-to-make-macarons-without-an-oven/
Does the 1/4 sheet pan-sized Silpat fit on the 12″ x 12″ baking pan that comes with the Breville Smart Oven Pro? The interior dimensions are a little smaller and it looks like it might have to curl up a bit (which may not be a problem). Thanks for the site!
Hi Shana!
Unfortunately, Silpat® doesn’t make a mat that perfectly fits the Breville 12 x 12 pan. (There might be other companies that do – we just really like this brand so we haven’t tried others)
The toaster oven-sized one fits width-wise but leaves about 3-inches uncovered across the top.
The petite jelly roll size that fits a quarter sheet pan is a little too long width-wise and does curl up at the sides just like you thought it might. It also leaves about 3-inches uncovered at the top of the pan.
They have an octagonal one that’s labeled for a microwave but it can be used in the oven. It does fit in the pan but leaves about 2.25-inches uncovered at each corner of the pan.
Personally, I’m not a big fan of using the 12 x 12 pan for baking as the bump in the middle leaves strange ridges on my cookies. Since our Smart Oven Pro fits a quarter sheet pan, I use it with the petite jelly roll mat for baking. Then I use the 12 x 12 pan for roasting, the darker color of the pan really helps things get browned and crisped.
Thanks for reading and leaving a comment – sorry I couldn’t help more 🙂
No, this is very helpful and good options to ponder! Thanks so much Brie. (Hadn’t noticed the ridge yet, so far we have only made focaccia, which worked out nicely both times! Some cornmeal helped it from sticking this time around.)
Well done on the focaccia! It sounds delicious and thanks for sharing your cornmeal tip 🙂
GREAT article. I, too have spent several hours on your site, as I am new to toaster oven cooking. I inherited a Kenmore Elite convection toaster oven with the studio apartment I just moved into. And a cooktop. the micro is hardly worth mentioning. This was so timely.
I have a number of Temptations ceramic bakeware that I bought over the years from QVC. From reading your article, probably not safe in my toaster oven.
I also have a beautiful borosilicate pie pan. This glass is very different from the components in the glass of a pyrex pan. I did read up on it, and I don’t remember the differences, but it has to do with the ingredients in the glass. do you have any ideas about borosilicate in a toaster oven. I can’t find anything on line. It seems to me the best bet is metal pans. thence know one is safe. I did not know about parchment paper, and have used my silicone coated paper from King Arther several times without a problem, even having a little that rides up over the edge of the pan. So I will watch that.
I don’t like the silat because cleaning is really difficult. Oils stick, get under the mat and stick to the pan. Difficult to clean, and leave a residue that over time just tastes terrible. I wonder I f anyone has any suggestions about that? I am sad not to be able to use my Temp-tations, but will finally, reluctantly give it away…..:(. Thanks for all your hard work and sharing your wisdom. Now on to baking sweet potatoes.!
Hi Jiwa,
Don’t give away those beautiful Temptations baking dishes!
I reached out to their support recently (after a super helpful reader named Trish told me about them) and they confirmed “Temp-tations can be used in a Toaster Oven as long as the ceramics is 4-6 inches away from the heating element. Temp-tations can be used in a Convection oven.” If you’re not sure about a baking dish, always check with the manufacturer if you can, you never know what they’ll say!
Yeah, I agree silicone mats can be a pain in the rear to keep clean if you use them for savory cooking. I know some people roll them up and put them in the top rack of their dishwasher. We tried that and didn’t see a big difference.
There are some videos on YouTube that use methods I haven’t tried before like lemon juice and baking soda. We have a very dirty/old mat that I’m going to use them on and I’ll update this post if they work. Here’s a link to one of them in case you’re interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gogf_Aqq5KY
As far as glass goes, I just avoid using it in our toaster ovens/countertop ovens. Like you said it’s hard to find manufacturer information on older materials and I don’t need more things to worry about when cooking – I’m dangerous enough on my own 🙂
Welcome to the toaster oven club, happy cooking!
Hey there,
JUST bought new TO , Oster medium size convection, after 8 years without one, and have been reading your blog for 2 hours , lol.
I have some questions, I am going to purchase items to bake with since that’s my primary purpose, after reading everything it seems metal is the best , pie tins, sheets, brad loaf pans, all metal? I have some silicone baking items from Tupperware do we know if those are ok? And I have some Corning Ware pieces which I will try to check the website for specific items.. planning on buying a mini muffin tin since mine won’t fit, so metal is the best right? And for donuts also ? have you tried ? pizzas that are soft dough on a pan, but frozen directly on rack?
Thanks so much!!!
Congrats on your new toaster oven, Shani!
Metal pans are great because they’re pretty consistent. I also like using them because I can focus on baking and not have to worry about anything else that can possibly go wrong.
That said, I’d check with Tupperware and see if your silicone bakeware can be used in the toaster oven. So far, any of the companies I’ve contacted about their silicone bakeware have either said a flat-out “no” or just “we don’t know.” I’ve yet to get a “sure, you can do that” 🙂
Metal mini muffin pans work great in toaster ovens.
Also, if you’re looking for a 6-cup muffin tin Nordic Ware recently came out with a line of compact oven pans that includes a nice muffin pan. I just picked it up and it fits in our tiny little Oster and bakes nicely. We also really liked the mini pie pans. Some of the pans are available on Amazon but you can see all of them on the Nordic Ware site (https://www.nordicware.com/bakeware/compact-ovenware).
Casaware also makes a 6-cup muffin tin that doesn’t have handles so it fits in a lot of smaller ovens. I’ve used it for a few of our muffin recipes, like these cornbread zucchini ones (https://toasterovenlove.com/cornbread-zucchini-muffins/).
You should have no problem fitting a metal mini donut pan but the larger 6-donut pan might be an issue, depending on the manufacturer. We were able to fit the Wilton brand one in our old medium Oster by removing the baking rack and sliding the pan into the rack guides but your oven may have a different design.
Your absolutely right, frozen pizzas do best directly on the rack.
For fresh, one of our readers has had great success starting with the dough on the pan and then sliding the pizza onto the rack about 1/2 to 2/3 through the cooking time. That way the crust gets nice and crispy.
Hope that was helpful (and not overwhelming) if you have any other questions feel free to ask 🙂
Happy Baking!
Brie
i have a question.
at the moment i own a cuisinart toaster oven that has the ceramic brick inside. i have been thinking about buying the large breville as a replacement so that i can do more baking in it. i’m interested because i don’t want to heat up the house much.
how does the breville compare with other toaster ovens you have tried regarding the amount of heat given off into the room? i’d like something really insulated.
thank you. i’ll go down and bake some sweet potatoes in the one i have right now….
Hi Jean!
We’ve cooked with one small and one medium Oster, the large Cuisinart Chef Convection Oven and the Breville Smart Oven Pro (BOV845BSS).
The Osters don’t give off much heat since they are smaller. Both the Cusinart and the Breville give off a lot of heat, nowhere near what our full-sized oven does but it is noticeable. That said, both of those countertop ovens cook beautifully.
The Cuisinart now lives in a small kitchenette at Tim’s office. He says no one complains about the heat and they haven’t had any issues with the cabinets.
Before we got a cutting board for the top of the Breville our upper cabinets were always warm to the touch after using the machine and we did have an issue with some paint peeling too.
We haven’t cooked with the newest Breville Air Oven which is the one I think you’re talking about. If you’re on Facebook, I highly recommend joining this Breville Smart Oven Air Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/127215904662130/) there are a lot of bakers in the group and it’s a great way to get an overview of what cooking with the oven would be like (struggles, accessories, etc.)
Hope the sweet potatoes were delish, now you’ve got me craving some 🙂
I own a Breville Toaster oven that has a square 11 x 11 pan. I can’t find a silpat to fit it. I have a smaller one that only covers part of the pan. Any ideas where I can find one to fit my oven pan?
Hi Charlotte,
I haven’t seen a square mat before but there is an octagon shaped one. Obviously, it would not be a perfect fit but it might give you more surface area to work with.
It’s marketed by Silpat as a Microwave Mat but according to the Q&A section at Bed Bath & Beyond it can be used “in a convection oven as long as it doesn’t exceed 500°F and is not exposed to the direct flame.”
BBB has the mat’s measurements listed as 10.5″ L x 10.7″ W, you can see it here.
I love coming to your site to find “things” and “how to’s” for my recently purchased toaster oven.
Silpat quarter sheet mats are on the way..
I have had my TO for two months now and have not turned on my range oven since I got it.. :O)
Off to read the 5 tips for baking cookies now..
Ross, I’m so glad to hear you’re enjoying the site and having such a good time with your new toaster oven!
Can’t wait to hear about all the tasty creations you make with those Silpats 🙂
Happy Baking!
What about other silicone bakeware, like muffin cups? Are those toaster-oven safe?
Hi Jen,
I’d think so but I’ve reached out to a lot of companies and NONE have responded that their products are toaster oven-safe. They usually say either their bakeware works best in an oven or that they haven’t tested the bakeware in a toaster oven.
can they be used in breville smart air fryer oven
Hi James, my mother has the Breville Air and I know on the standard settings she uses a silpat to line her baking pan without a problem.
I’m not sure if it can be used with the air fryer setting or the air fryer basket though. I’d check with Breville’s customer service on that. If you’re in the US their number is (866) 273-8455.
Also, if you’re on Facebook there are two great groups dedicated to that specific oven you might want to check out.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/127215904662130/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1257701644355831/
Thank you for this guide! I just bought a toaster oven and am still trying to find the best way to use it. So glad I came across your blog before trying to put parchment paper in there!
Yesica, I’m so glad you found it helpful. Congratulations on your new toaster oven!
Happy cooking and welcome to the toaster oven club 🙂
Brie