Grab a nice cup of tea, because I have a lot to tell you again! At our home, the kitchen is truly the heart of the house. Whether it's a busy Wednesday afternoon with the grandchildren running around, or a quiet Sunday morning where I only hear the oven humming; something is always being baked here. Recently, my grandson Sam was helping me with muffins. He's only five, but he knows exactly how to stir the batter (and how to secretly lick the wooden spoon!). While we were working, my daughter-in-law asked me: "Ivonne, those silicone baking molds you put everything in, are they really more convenient than those old metal tins from back then?"
That got me thinking. I've been using them for years, but I also remember well that I was quite skeptical at first. Because yeah, such a flexible thing that you can almost fold in half, how can a decent cake possibly come out of that? By now, I've found my way in the world of Cooking & Baking and I have a cupboard full of different shapes and sizes. In this blog, I'll take you through my honest experiences. No sales pitches, just the story of a grandmother who loves to bake and wants you to put the most beautiful cakes on the table without frustration. We're going to look at the advantages, the disadvantages, and of course health, because we want our bakes to be safe for the little ones.
Are silicone baking molds a good idea?
If you ask me if silicone baking molds are a good idea, I say wholeheartedly: yes, but you have to know how to use them! The biggest advantage, and every baking enthusiast will agree, is that they are so incredibly flexible. What I always do when I've baked a cake is let it cool on the counter for fifteen minutes first. Then you just press the sides of the silicone baking mold away from the cake. It's almost as if the cake jumps out on its own. No more fussing with knives along the edges to cut things loose, which often damages that beautiful golden-brown crust.
The convenience of storage
At our home, the kitchen cabinets are sometimes truly overflowing. My husband sometimes says I have a collecting habit, but well, you just need the right tool for every dish, right? The great thing about silicone baking molds is that you can literally stuff them into a corner. You can squeeze them, roll them up, or stack them on top of each other without them losing their shape or getting dents like with metal. As soon as you bring them out again, they pop right back into their original model. That saves me a lot of space in my Baking Molds drawer.
Non-stick without the fuss
I used to always be busy with packs of butter and breadcrumbs to grease those old tins. And even then, a piece of cake always stayed behind in the mold, exactly in that one spot where you hadn't greased well enough. With silicone baking molds, that's basically no longer necessary. Although I must honestly admit that for a very detailed bundt pan, I still use a tiny bit of baking spray, just to be sure. But for a standard cake or muffins? Not necessary at all. The smooth interior ensures that nothing really sticks. That makes baking a lot more relaxing, especially if you, like me, sometimes suffer from "baking stress" right before visitors arrive.
How healthy are silicone baking molds actually?
This is a question I get often, and rightly so. We naturally don't want any strange substances ending up in our apple pie. When I first started selling kitchenware, I looked into this thoroughly. Silicone is actually a type of synthetic rubber, made from silicon (sand) and oxygen. It's a material that can withstand extreme temperatures very well, both in the freezer and in the oven baking mold.
Safety first
According to the Nutrition Center, silicone is safe for use with food, provided they are of good quality. What I always do when I buy a new silicone baking mold is check if it's "food grade." Cheaper variants that you sometimes find at budget stores can sometimes contain fillers. A good trick to test this is the "pinch test": if you fold the silicone and a white stripe appears on the fold, there are likely fillers in it. With the silicone baking molds that I sell in my webshop, that doesn't happen; they are pure and safe.
No unpleasant odors or flavors
What I also find very important is that silicone is inert. That's a fancy word for: it doesn't react with anything. It doesn't absorb smells or flavors. I once made a savory quiche in a silicone quiche mold and the next day a sweet fruit tart in the exact same mold. You don't taste the leek in your strawberry tart at all! That's different with some old metal molds, which can give off a bit of a "metallic" taste to your food over time. The Consumers' Association also indicates that high-quality silicone is an excellent choice for the kitchen, as long as you don't heat them above the recommended temperature (usually around 220-230 degrees).
Silicone or metal: which is better?
This is the eternal discussion in the baking world. If I'm honest: I use both, but for different purposes. It's not that one is always better than the other. It really depends on what you want to make. At our home, we choose silicone baking molds when we make something fragile, like an airy mousse cake or small cakes that need to stay in a specific shape. The details of a mold (think of hearts or flowers) often come out much sharper in silicone.
Heat conduction and crusts
Metal conducts heat faster and more intensely. If you like a really crispy, dark crust on your bread or cake, metal usually wins. Metal gets hotter in the oven than silicone. Silicone baking molds actually insulate a bit, which means the baking time is sometimes just a few minutes longer. But the big advantage of that is that your cake cooks more evenly. You have less chance of burnt edges while the inside is still liquid. For my grandchildren, I often make healthy banana breads; they always turn out wonderfully moist in a silicone baking mold without the outside getting hard.
Cleaning: a world of difference
Let's be honest: nobody likes doing the dishes. My husband usually does the dishes here at home (fortunately!), and he is a big fan of silicone baking molds. Why? Because you can just put them in the dishwasher. No fussing with scouring pads to get rid of caked-on residue. Because they are flexible, you can also easily turn them inside out under the tap to clean every corner. In our Baking Molds collection, you'll find molds that last for years, precisely because they are so easy to keep clean. According to Milieu Centraal, the lifespan of a product is an important factor in how sustainable it is, and good silicone really lasts an eternity.
Why sometimes not use a silicone baking mold?
I want to stay honest with you, because not everything is sunshine and roses. There are moments when I'd rather leave my silicone baking mold in the cupboard. The biggest disadvantage is the stability. Because they are so flexible, they can be quite "wobbly" when filled with liquid batter. What I always do is place the mold on the oven rack or on a baking sheet before I fill it. If you try to lift a filled mold to slide it into the oven, there's a good chance it will fold over and your entire kitchen floor will be covered in batter (believe me, I speak from experience, and the dog loved it, but I a bit less!).
The search for the crispy base
As I mentioned: for a truly crispy base, silicone isn't always your best friend. When I make a classic apple pie where the base really needs to "crack," I often reach for my metal springform pan. The oven baking mold interaction with metal provides that specific texture you sometimes miss with silicone. Also for recipes that require a very high temperature (above 230 degrees), silicone baking molds are not suitable. They can then start to deform or even smell a bit, and we don't want that.
Fat-free baking is a myth (sometimes)
Although they are often sold as "never grease again," that's not entirely true for older silicone molds or very complex patterns. After frequent use in the dishwasher, they can become a bit "dry." My tip: grease them lightly with a neutral oil the first few times you use them anyway. And watch out with knives! If you start cutting directly in the silicone baking mold to taste a piece of cake, you'll cut right through the bottom. Always use a wooden or plastic spatula to pop your bake out.
My tips for the perfect pie crust mold
A good pie crust mold is worth its weight in gold. At our home, we love savory pies. Every Friday night is "leftovers day" and then I often make a quiche with whatever we still have in the fridge. I often use a silicone quiche mold with a reinforced rim for this. That's a clever invention: the flexibility of silicone at the bottom, but a hard rim at the top so you can easily move it.
Blind baking in silicone
If you make a pie with a wet filling (like a lemon meringue or a quiche), you often have to "blind bake" the crust first. What I always do with my silicone baking molds is put the dough in, a piece of parchment paper on top, and then fill it with baking beans. Because the silicone distributes heat differently, I often leave the crust in the oven for 5 minutes longer than the recipe indicates. This way you prevent that dreaded "soggy bottom" they always talk about on Heel Holland Bakt.
Choosing the right size
Not every pie crust mold is the same. Pay close attention to the depth. For a flan, you want a shallow mold with a raised edge, while for a quiche you actually need a bit more height for the filling. In our Oven collection, we have various sizes that fit every recipe perfectly. My tip: buy a set of different sizes. Nothing is as annoying as having batter left over because your mold is too small, or getting a very thin tart because your mold was too large.
Conclusion: Baking with pleasure at our home
All in all, I can't live without my silicone baking molds anymore. They've made baking a lot more accessible for me. No more fear of a cake failing because it sticks, and cleaning up is a breeze. Whether I'm making a mess with the grandchildren or preparing a fancy dinner for friends, there's almost always a silicone mold steaming in the oven. In the end, it's about having fun in the kitchen. Tools should help you, not work against you.
I hope my experiences have helped you a bit in making a choice. Whether you go for the classic metal mold or the modern silicone baking mold, the most important ingredient is always a healthy dose of love (and maybe an extra pinch of cinnamon, that always goes down well here!). Feel free to look around in my little shop in the Baking Molds section for more inspiration. Happy baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
How healthy are silicone baking molds?
Good quality silicone baking molds are very healthy and safe. They are made from natural materials like sand and oxygen and contain no harmful substances like BPA or plasticizers. Do make sure you choose "food grade" silicone and don't heat them hotter than the manufacturer advises.
Why no silicone baking mold?
It's better not to use a silicone baking mold if you want an extremely crispy crust (like with artisanal bread) or if you bake at very high temperatures (above 230°C). Also, if you need a mold that must stand very firmly without the support of a baking sheet, metal might be more convenient.
Are silicone baking molds a good idea?
Yes, they are an excellent idea for everyone who loves convenience. They are indestructible, easy to clean in the dishwasher, and ensure that your bakes never stick again. Especially for muffins, small cakes, and delicate shapes, silicone baking molds are ideal.
Which is better, silicone or metal baking mold?
That really depends on your recipe! Metal is better for a crispy result and rapid heating. Silicone is better for easy release, even cooking, and easy storage. Most home bakers benefit from a healthy mix of both in their kitchen cupboard.
Thanks for reading my story! Do you have a golden tip or a funny baking anecdote of your own? Let me know, I'd love that. And don't forget: a day without baking is a day not lived!
Love, Ivonne