There are numerous ways to bake perfect cookies. While most people cook the dough on a baking or cookie sheet that has been sprayed with baking spray, many place the cookies on either parchment paper or aluminum foil.
You can bake cookies on foil, but keep in mind that cookies baked this way may cook unevenly, causing them to be crispier on the bottom than they are on the top.
Here’s everything you need to know about baking cookies on foil….
Using Aluminum Foil on a Baking Sheet
One of the things you need to remember when baking cookies using foil is that the side of the cookies exposed to the foil will often be a bit darker than the other side. As a result, that particular side is a little more cooked than the other and often has a different taste and texture. That being said, this is neither good nor bad. It’s just a matter of what your preferences are, because most people find the taste and texture of these cookies to be just fine.
Using Aluminum Foil Directly on the Oven Rack
You can also choose to forgo the baking sheet altogether and instead, place your cookies on aluminum foil directly on the oven rack. If you do this, the cookies come out crispier than they would otherwise. This means that more delicate cookies, such as sugar cookies or shortbread cookies, shouldn’t be cooked this way. When you’re placing the foil on the rack, be extra careful so you don’t get burned, and don’t forget to spray the foil lightly first.
You’ll also have to reduce the baking time when you bake cookies this way. It is recommended that you check them after five to seven minutes to make sure they don’t burn.
Why Bake Cookies on Aluminum Foil?
There are numerous reasons you might want to bake your cookies using aluminum foil:
You’re Out of Parchment Paper
Aluminum foil is usually a great substitute for parchment paper.
You Don’t Have a Baking Tray
By placing cookie dough directly on foil that is sitting on an oven rack, you can bake cookies even if you don’t have a baking tray.
Cookies Are Less Likely To Stick
Baking on aluminum foil is a great way to bake cookies that won’t stick to the baking surface they’re on.
Crispy Bottoms, Chewy Centers
This is the perfect cookie combination for lots of crispy cookie lovers!
You’re Not Limited by the Size of Your Cookie Sheet
You can place two sheets of foil side by side on the oven rack and bake huge batches of cookies at a time.
Easy To Clean Up
What could be easier than crumpling up your aluminum foil and throwing it away after baking your cookies?
Reasons Not To Bake Cookies on Aluminum Foil
There is one main reason not to bake cookies on aluminum foil: your cookies may cook unevenly. The bottoms of the cookies will be exposed to a greater intensity of heat, so your cookies may be crispier on the bottom than they are on the top. Again, this is not necessarily a bad thing, but many people simply do not like crispy cookies or prefer cookies that are baked more evenly and that have the same taste and cookie texture on both sides.
Is It Safe To Use Aluminum Foil for Baking Cookies?
Some studies have shown that aluminum can leach into your food while it is being cooked. The exact amount of aluminum that gets into your food will vary depending on the food itself and how high the cooking temperature is. This is especially true when you’re cooking something with a high acidity level.
Aluminum and Acidity
These same studies showed that aluminum will react more to foods that are highly acidic. In practical terms, this means that if you’re baking cherry cookies or lemon bars, for instance, it is likely that a higher percentage of aluminum will leach into them. And while some reports have suggested a link between this phenomenon and diseases such as Alzheimer’s, a lot more research is needed to either prove or disprove that notion. As a general rule, aluminum foil is safe to use when you’re baking cookies, as long as you don’t bake cookies this way daily or numerous times per week.
Aluminum Foil vs. Parchment Paper
When it comes to baking cookies, using aluminum foil as a replacement for parchment paper is quite common. But keep in mind that foil is not naturally a non-stick product like parchment paper is. This is why spraying the foil with cooking spray or baking spray beforehand is so important. If you don’t do this, not only will your cookies stick to the foil, but you might even find tiny pieces of foil inside your cookies when you take them out of the oven. Yuck!
Tips for Baking Cookies on Aluminum Foil
If you’re going to bake a batch of cookies by using aluminum foil, the following tips can make your life a lot easier:
Use Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil
Regular foil is very thin and sometimes hard to work with, but that won’t be a problem if you use extra-thick foil.
Which Side of the Foil Goes Up?
You can put either side of the foil facing up and still get delicious cookies in the end.
Grease the Aluminum Foil
A light spraying of baking spray is highly recommended and will help prevent your hot cookies from sticking to the foil when you take them out of the oven.
Lower the Oven Temperature
Try lowering the oven temperature by 5-10 degrees. You won’t need a super-high baking temperature when you use aluminum foil.
Lower the Cooking Time
Regardless of the temperature you decide to use for the baking process of your cookie recipe, it’s best to check the cookies after five to seven minutes and every five minutes afterwards. This way, you’ll know immediately if they’re cooking too fast, and if necessary you can take them out of the oven a little sooner or lower the temperature even more.
Enjoy your sweet treats!