How can I tell if I have wax paper or parchment paper?
Scratch the sheet with a fingernail. Wax paper usually leaves a cloudy white streak of wax, while silicone-coated parchment stays clean. Only parchment belongs in the oven: at 400°F (200°C), wax paper can melt, smoke and stick to food within 10 minutes. Wax paper is fine for cold uses like rolling dough or freezing patties.
How to do it
- Tear off a sheet from the unlabeled rollLay it flat on a dark counter or cutting board so any mark is easy to see.
- Scratch the surface firmly with a fingernailPress in and drag your nail a few inches across the sheet, the way you would scrape a label.
- Read the mark: a cloudy streak means wax paperWax paper usually leaves a cloudy white streak where the wax was scraped off. Parchment has a silicone coating, so it normally shows no mark at all.
- Bake only on parchment and keep wax paper for cold jobsUse parchment for cookies, roasting and anything else that goes in the oven. Use wax paper to roll dough, set fudge in the fridge or separate patties for the freezer.
- Label the roll once you knowWrite 'wax' or 'parchment' on the roll or its box so you don't have to test it again.
Questions that come up
Can parchment paper burn in the oven?
Parchment resists heat, but it isn't fireproof. Most rolls are rated for roughly 420 to 450°F, so check the box for yours. Above that limit, or under a broiler, the edges can brown and char. Trim any overhang so the paper can't touch a heating element or the oven walls.
What if the fingernail test doesn't leave a clear mark?
Some lightly coated wax papers leave only a faint mark. Rub the sheet between your fingers: wax paper often feels slightly tacky and may leave a residue, while parchment feels smooth and dry. If you're still not sure, treat it as wax paper and keep it out of the oven.
Are my cookies safe to eat if I baked them on wax paper?
The wax on kitchen paper is meant for food contact, so a little melted wax on the cookie bottoms is usually more unpleasant than harmful. Scrape off the waxy spots, or throw away any cookie that is badly stuck or scorched. Air out the kitchen if it smoked. Never put wax paper near a heating element, because it can catch fire.
Full transcript
Smoking, stuck cookies? Use parchment, not wax paper. Unsure which roll? Scratch it with a fingernail. A cloudy white streak usually means wax: keep it for cold jobs. Parchment stays clean. Same dough, 400 degrees: wax paper smokes and sticks, parchment slides right off.