The Best Brownie Pans

Wilton Aluminum Square Cake and Brownie Performance Pan

The performance pan

This heavy-gauge aluminum pan outperforms the competition, fair and square.

Best Overall

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This performance pan from Wilton is about as straightforward as bakeware gets. Heavy-gauge aluminum construction promises even heating, so you won’t have to burn the edges to avoid an undercooked center. The thick metal also protects against warping, so you can bake with this bad boy for years to come. Who knows — you might just be passing this pan along to your kids one day.

Pros:

• Heavy-gauge aluminum provides even heating and durable construction
• Two-inch depth is perfect for higher cakes or brownies
• Affordable price for a well-made pan

Cons:

• Requires hand-washing to ensure the longest lifespan possible

Silivo Nonstick Silicone Baking Mold

A slick piece of silicone

This silicone pan is dishwasher-safe, so you don't have to worry about scrubbing it.

Easiest To Clean

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Over the last decade, silicone has taken the kitchenware world by storm. Its flexibility, heat-resistance, and nonstick properties make it a practical and affordable addition to every home cook’s arsenal. Silivo’s baking mold takes full advantage of silicone’s food-safe features, boasting an effortless release and high heat capacity. You can throw this pan in the freezer, microwave, oven, and dishwasher without worrying about its integrity. It does have an upper limit of 450 °F, but your brownies might come out crispier than expected if you’re baking at that temperature.

Pros:

• High-quality, food-grade silicone provides a nonstick, flexible release
• Mold is freezer, oven, microwave, and dishwasher-safe
• Wider lip with indentations for easy handling
• Stain and odor-resistant

Cons:

• May need to use a cookie sheet underneath to stabilize the flexible pan

Baker’s Edge Nonstick Edge Brownie Pan

Edges out the rest

You won't ever have to argue over who gets the edges when you bake brownies in this pan.

Best For Crispy Edges

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There are two types of people when it comes to brownies: those who gush over the ooey-gooey center and those who cut all the way around the pan just to get a crispy, chewy corner slice. If the second group sounds like you, check out this nonstick all-edge pan from Baker’s Edge. Its continuous, snake-like design ensures that there are at least two edges to every slice you serve up, and the heavy-gauge aluminum construction promises even heating. Your purchase even includes a nylon spatula to help you scoop out flawless square sweets.

Pros:

• Unique design creates at least two edges on each brownie
• Continuous chamber allows for easy spreading of batter
• Heavy-gauge aluminum body heats evenly
• Nylon spatula and recipes included with purchase

Cons:

• Not as multifunctional as a square pan
• Can be challenging to frost brownies or cakes within the pan

Calphalon Nonstick Square Cake Pan

A clean release

The interlocking nonstick layers of this pan promise an easy, high-performance release with every bake.

Best Nonstick

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Though plenty of products are advertised as “nonstick,” there are certainly some brands that do it better than others. Calphalon has long been in the game of well-made kitchenware, and this nonstick square pan is no exception to its quality. The toffee-colored pan has a heavy-gauge steel core to reduce hotspots and prevent warping, while the outside is made of interlocking nonstick layers to ensure a slick release. A lighter finish means you can keep a better eye on your creation’s browning edges to avoid burning it.

Pros:

• Durable steel core prevents warping and lessens the likelihood of hotspots
• Interlocking nonstick layers provide easy release
• Oven-safe to 450 °F and dishwasher-safe
• Light, toffee-colored finish helps to distinguish burnt edges

Cons:

• Can be hard to handle when hot since it doesn’t have flattened edges

Wilton Mini Fluted Tube Pan

Celebrate with a brownie bundt

This mini bundt pan is ideal for serving up individual desserts to every party guest.

Most Decorative

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Regular brownies are delicious and all, but there’s something so distinctly decadent about digging into a personal dessert. Instead of serving up something sliced and crumbling around the edges, give this mini bundt pan from Wilton a whirl. You can make 12 individual cakes in one pan, and each mold is reinforced with a nonstick coating for a painless release. If you’re in a rush, feel free to toss this pan in the dishwasher, but hand-washing is recommended to ensure a long lifespan. Though it’ll take longer to decorate each dessert, we think you’ll find the finished products well worth it.

Pros:

• One pan makes 12 individual desserts that are ideal for hosting
• Made of nonstick, reinforced steel
• Dishwasher-safe

Cons:

• Pan has larger dimensions than usual, which may not be suitable for smaller ovens

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I still need to grease a nonstick pan?

Unless you’re heavily opposed to using any type of grease, most bakers will agree that it doesn’t hurt to add some oil to ensure a slick release. New nonstick pans will be better at releasing without a coating of butter or oil, but they’re likely to stick more as they get older. A cold stick of butter usually makes for an easy greasing apparatus, but feel free to find something that works for you.

Should I be worried if my nonstick pan starts to flake?

Though they’re designed to be food-safe — and certainly are at the time of purchase — nonstick coatings are known to flake after extensive use without proper care. Luckily, ingesting small flakes of these coatings is considered harmless, as they pass through our body rather uneventfully. To ensure the longest, healthiest lifespan of your nonstick pan, avoid scraping it with metal utensils, washing it with harsh detergents, and overheating it.