Brownies: they’re a homemade American classic.
We love their unique texture; crispy on the outside, with gooey chocolatey goodness packed within.
What more could you want in a snack?
If you’re anything like us, then brownies are our kryptonite. Making brownies is one of our favourite hobbies and one of the easiest desserts to make at home. But it should never be hard to find the perfect baking companion to help you make those scrumptious chocolatey delights.
You can bake brownies through a multitude of methods, and it all depends on what flavor, texture and shape you desire. But, what is the best type of baking pan for brownies? We’re going to answer the age-old question, glass or metal?
Top 5 Best Type of Baking Pan for Brownies
OUR TOP PICK
If you’re looking for the quick answer, then look no further! The best brownie pan is the Baker’s Edge Nonstick Edge Brownie Pan.
This pan is a strong winner with its cutting edge technology and design. Baker’s Edge promises that it is ‘designed to be the best brownie baking pan ever’. Its continuous chamber allows the batter to be evenly distributed through the pan, and promotes even cooking.
The best part? The Baker’s Edge Brownie Pan boasts that their unique patented design adds chewy edges to each piece, leaving a soft tasty centre to enjoy.
It’s the perfect all rounder to please all members of the family. No more will someone steal the crispy edges and leave a huge slab of gooey brownie in the middle, this pan caters to all tastes. Not only that, it is extremely durable; made from aluminum with a non-stick coating to ensure your brownies never ruin in the pan.
Even better, it comes with a spatula to reduce scratches, and a free brownie recipe book. What more could you want?
Product Review
The best and most highly commended pan for baking brownies is the Baker’s Edge Nonstick Edge Brownie Pan. It is an aluminum pan of 12 x 9 inches, with a depth of 2 inches. Its innovative design allows you to bake the perfect brownie.
Baker’s Edge is specially designed to circulate heat throughout the pan and evenly to the middle. Its maze-like model makes it easy to section off lines of the brownie, so that each piece has a chewy outside bite with a soft middle.
This makes it the perfect all-rounder to appease the whole family’s appetite. It is marketed as ‘the best brownie baking pan ever’ that fits both box mixes and traditional recipes.
Pros:
- Adds chewy bite to every piece of brownie
- Circulates heat evenly
- Durable
- Non-stick coating (non harmful)
- Fits box mixes & recipes
- Batter spreads evenly
- Unique design
Cons:
- Not dishwasher safe
- Heavy than most other metal pans at 2.6 lbs
EDITORS CHOICE
If you want the best glass baking dish on the market for your brownie baking needs, OXO’s Good Grips Glass Dish is the way forward.
This 8 x 8 dish comes highly recommended by pro and novice bakers. The main attraction with this product is that it goes against everything that people do not like about glass kitchenware. It reduces the risk of cracking and shattering with its borosilicate glass.
This type of glass withstands extreme temperature changes without breakage. It also comes with a free lid to match. It also features large generous handles for a safe and secure grip. Even better, this glass dish is also microwave and dishwasher safe for the lazy baker within you.
If you still don’t buy into it, OXO has a ‘Better Guarantee’ that will repair or replace damaged items!
Pros:
- Freezer-to-oven safe in temperature changes
- Made from borosilicate glass
- Microwave and dishwasher safe
- Clear glass
- Comes with a BPA free lid
- OXO Better Guarantee
Cons:
- Heavy- weighing 2.9 lbs
BEST VALUE
If you prefer a more traditional method of baking brownies, the Wilton Performance Pan is a great fit for you.
It is designed to perfectly fit brownie recipes with an 8 x 8 inch shape. Most recipes call for a pan with a depth of 2 inches, and this pan fits the bill!
This aluminum pan also promotes uniform heat conduction for a simply symmetrical batch of brownies. It is also rust resistant and easy to clean.
Pros:
- 8 x 8 size for brownie recipes
- Even heat conduction
- Symmetrical result
- Bestseller
Cons:
- Not dishwasher safe
RUNNER UP
For a pan that promotes easy baking and cuts clean up time in half, the Pyrex Basics 8 inch Square pan is a perfect fit!
It is made from clear glass so that you can watch your brownies bake and reduce the risk of overbaking or burning your delicious treats. This dish is 8 x 8 inches and has a depth of 2 inches, so it is great for all brownie recipes that create even and symmetrical bites.
A big plus side is that it is made from non porous pyrex glass that will not stain or absorb odours even after extensive use. Pyrex glass is also extremely durable and suitable for microwave and dishwashers without fear of breakage. This is a great option for those bakers that hate the clean-up job afterwards.
As with any glass kitchenware, under extreme temperatures the glass is prone to cracking or smashing. So this dish should be handled with care.
Pros:
- Made from durable Pyrex glass
- Non-porous
- Clear glass
- Microwave and dishwasher safe
- Easy to clean
Cons:
- Prone to breakage at high temperatures
- Heavy
RUNNER UP
There are so many options out there for baking brownies. You may be unsure which has more benefits or downfalls and it’s hard to decide. If you are still not sure whether you prefer glass or metal, Goodcook’s Brownie Pan is the best of both worlds.
It is durable, heavy-duty with a non-stick coating, but also lightweight, simple and easy to clean. This metal pan is 11 x 7 inches and a flatter design, which will give you crispy thin brownies that are bound to impress.
It also has the benefits of glass pans as it is dishwasher safe!
Pros:
- Dishwasher safe
- Heavy-duty & durable
- Lightweight
- Non-stick coating
- Easy clean
Cons:
- May cook unevenly
- Baking sheet design (will bake thinner brownies)
Best Type of Baking Pan for Brownies (Glass vs Metal) Buying Guide
Types of brownie pans
Glass
There are lots of benefits to using a glass pan to cook brownies. The most common draw to baking with a glass pan is the result it gives. Glass pans provide a soft, melting and gooey brownie and lessen the risk of overcooked, burned brownies.
As glass is a great insulator, it has better heat distribution and therefore gives you more evenly baked brownies. Glass pans will heat up slowly, but then maintain the heat. This is good for slowly cooking brownies, making sure they are cooked perfectly all the way through or for recipes with longer cooking times.
However, it also means that once your brownies are cooked, you should remove them from the pan as it will continue to heat your brownies. This runs the risk of overbaking or burning.
Despite the melty and delicious result glass pans achieve, they are not without their downfalls. Glass pans are often more expensive, heavier and prone to breakage. If exposed to temperatures that are too high, glass pans may crack easily. As glass is fragile, it can also crack and smash upon impact.
Metal
The most traditional and commonly used brownie pans are square or rectangular metal pans. These are normal sized metal pans that we can all find in our kitchen. They are simple, easy to use and you can place the batter right onto it and bake right away.
Most metal pans are also super convenient as they have a non-stick coating, however we would recommend using parchment paper or lining to make clean up even quicker. Most metal pans are commonly cheaper than glass pans and easier to store. Metal pans are perfect for harder and chewier brownies that are much easier to cut out of the pan with a clean edge. Metal pans are usually very simple to clean, but often not dishwasher safe.
However, metal is a heat conductor and will heat up quicker than glass. This is great for quick recipes to bake brownies, but you should watch them closely. The quick cook time with metal pans tends to overbake or burn brownies if not monitored correctly. In this sense, metal pans produce harder, chewier and crispier brownies which is great if that is your preference!
Advantages of brownie pans
If you’re a seasoned brownie baker, you know that you can make brownies easily whatever method you decide. However, specific brownie pans and tins provide the ability to increase the flavour and texture of your brownies, depending on what you use.
Using a metal tin will increase the crispy edges to your brownies, whereas glass pans will intensify the softness and gooey interior of your sweet treats.
Glass pans also distribute heat more evenly, and can be utilised to ensure that you do not overbake or burn your brownies, whereas metal pans require close watching to prevent burning.
In addition, the shape, size and depth of your brownie pans will affect the outcome of your brownies. The most common recipes for the perfect brownie calls for a square or rectangular pan, with a depth of about 2 inches.
How to use a brownie pan
Whether you prefer metal or glass brownie pans, it is imperative that you are using them correctly. The last thing you want is to waste time making brownies that come out burnt and tasteless.
It is vital that you line or grease your pan no matter what material you use. This is to make sure that when you are finished baking, your brownies will release easily. Without this, you may break or crumble your brownies trying to get them out of the pan, or damage the pan with a knife trying to cut and remove them. You don’t want to do this.
Another benefit of lining the pan is that you can remove your brownies quickly, not over cook them, and have no pan to scrub clean afterwards!
Buying the right size pan for your brownies
For the most part, popular brownie recipes call for brownie pans that are roughly 8 x 8 inches. This is also dependent on the size of the batches you are making. Deeper brownie pans run the risk of leaving the centre of your brownies undercooked or doughy, while the outside is already cooked.
Your brownies may also be affected by the size of your pan, for instance when you use a small pan, your mixture will be thicker and more cake-like. On the other hand, when using a large pan, the mixture will be spread across a larger, flatter surface and will therefore be thinner and chewier in consistency.
Again, it is subject to what outcome you would like to achieve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which pan is easiest for baking brownies?
If you’re looking to use a pan that cuts clean-up time in half, then we recommend always lining your metal and glass baking pans so that you can slide your brownies right off with no mess, crumbling or cleaning up afterwards.
That being said, for ease and less hassle, then a glass pan may be more beneficial to you, as they bake quickly and with even heat distribution. This means you do not need to stand around and watch them bake with your face up close to the oven door, longing to eat them sooner.
However, you should remember to take them out of the glass pan with the lining so that once they are done, they do not continue to cook in the hot glass.
In addition, if you are anything like us, then we dread the clean up job after baking in the kitchen. If this is the case, then we recommend you purchase a brownie pan that is dishwasher safe!
Do brownies taste better from a glass or metal pan?
The simple answer to this question all depends on your personal preference.
You should consider how you like your brownies cooked. Do you prefer chewier, harder square, clean cut and crispy brownies? If so then a metal pan will work better for your recipe. If you enjoy flatter, smaller brownies, then a flat baking-sheet pan will suit your needs!
On the other hand, if you love more gooey, soft and thick brownies, then a deeper glass pan will be far more beneficial. It’s all about your taste and preference.
How do I prevent breakage and scratches on my brownie pan?
For glass pans, you should ensure that you are not overheating it as they are prone to cracking at extremely high temperatures. You will find that for both glass and metal brownie pans, it is best to line your pans with a non-stick coating or to grease the pans first.
You can place parchment paper down or a non-stick solution to ensure you will not struggle to get your brownies out. This allows your brownies to lift and release much quicker after baking, and you will not need to fuss with knives and utensils to lift them out of the pan.
Additionally, to prevent scratches from your pans it is best to use silicone or wooden utensils as they are scratch-resistant and will not damage your pans when you are cutting and sizing the brownies.
You should also remember to avoid abrasive or damaging cleaning supplies when tidying up after baking.