I’ve Been Doing This Baking Hack for Years and It Saves Me So Much Money

Have you ever been baking, about to scoop your batter into the muffin tin, and realized you have no paper liners? You can always grease the pan, but coating each divot takes time, and if you don’t have nonstick spray, this process can get very tedious very fast. Plus, those bakery muffins look so appealing with their little paper wrappers.

Lucky for you, and thanks to a TikTok instructional video from one of our favorite creators, @justine_snacks (you may recognize her from butter boards and those viral purple cookies), you can learn how to make them at home in seconds. Here’s how to make perfectly sized liners for any pan with nothing more than a sheet of parchment paper and a pair of scissors.

How to Make Baking Pan Liners Out of Parchment Paper

To Line Muffin Tins

To start, cut a piece of parchment paper (not wax paper!) into about 4- to 5-inch squares for regular-sized muffin cups. For extra-tall muffins or cupcakes, make 6-inch squares. Lay the paper on top of the muffin pan and roughly estimate the inner corners of the cup (I know, circles don’t have corners). Cut slits about the same length as your pan is high (1 ½ to 2 inches or so) into the parchment paper, from edge to center, where you estimate each of the four corners to be. Don’t cut too far in—the slits should not touch, as that would cut through the parchment entirely.

Then, when you press the parchment down into each cup of the tin, the edges magically fold in on each other, creating a perfect parchment liner. If you’re a visual learner like me, watch Justine’s video from 0:32 seconds in.

If this is all too fussy for you, you can skip the cutting step and use a small can (like a tomato paste can) to push the paper down into the mold. Smooth any creases created to ensure the batter doesn’t get stuck in them. This hack will really give your muffins that bakery look (and, psst—you can find more tips for achieving it here!).

To Line Loaf Pans

Start with a piece of parchment that’s a rectangle with about 2 inches of extra space around each edge of your loaf pan. An easy way to do this is to flip your loaf pan upside down, place it on a piece of parchment, then use a pencil to roughly sketch where you’ll want to cut.

Once it’s cut out, place the parchment on top of the loaf pan, and again, roughly estimate where the pan’s inner corners are. Just like the muffin trick, cut a slit towards each of the four corners, trying to make them roughly as long as your loaf pan is high. Then place the parchment inside your pan, gently forcing it in until the longer sides fold behind the short flaps. This trick also works perfectly for 8×8- and 9×13-inch pans.

I promise, once you get the hang of it, this trick works like magic. It may not be as fast as a coating of nonstick cooking spray or slipping pre-made liners in, but I love the way it looks and think it makes my baked goodies look just that much more special. The parchment also peels off conveniently once you’re ready to taste-test. This holiday season, if you’re gifting some homemade baked treats, consider this nifty hack.