Baking Paper vs Foil for Pavlova: Which One Actually Works Better?

Everyone who’s ever made a pavlova knows the dread: you take it out of the oven, ready to frost and serve, and the bottom sticks. Or worse - it tears apart in a messy, sugary heap. The culprit? Often, the wrong lining on your baking tray. For decades, home bakers have debated whether to use baking paper or aluminum foil for pavlova. The answer isn’t as simple as ‘use what you have.’ It’s about science, texture, and how sugar behaves under heat.

Why pavlova is so tricky to bake

Pavlova isn’t just a meringue with fruit on top. It’s a delicate balance of crisp shell and marshmallow-soft center. That structure relies on slow, even drying in a low oven - usually around 100°C to 120°C for 1.5 to 2 hours. Too much heat, and the outside burns before the inside sets. Too little airflow, and it turns sticky. And if the base sticks? You’re stuck with a broken dessert.

That’s why the surface you bake it on matters. Not all non-stick surfaces are created equal. Baking paper and foil might look similar, but they behave very differently under heat and moisture.

Baking paper: the trusted choice

Most professional bakers, including those in Melbourne’s top patisseries, swear by parchment paper. Why? Because it’s designed for this exact job. Baking paper is coated with silicone, making it heat-resistant, non-stick, and slightly porous. That porosity lets a tiny bit of moisture escape as the meringue dries - critical for pavlova’s signature crisp shell.

Here’s what happens when you use it:

• The sugar crystals in the meringue don’t fuse to the surface
• Moisture wicks away slowly, preventing sogginess
• The pavlova lifts off cleanly, even after cooling
• No greasing or oiling needed - the silicone coating does all the work

I’ve baked over 200 pavlovas in the last five years. Every single one used parchment. I’ve never had one stick - not even in humid Melbourne winters. The only rule? Make sure it’s baking paper, not wax paper. Wax paper melts. Baking paper doesn’t.

Foil: the shortcut that backfires

Aluminum foil seems like a good idea. It’s shiny, it’s in every kitchen, and it’s non-stick - or so you think. But foil is a metal conductor. It heats up fast and holds heat longer than paper. That means the bottom of your pavlova cooks unevenly. You might get a dark, overdone base while the top is still soft.

Worse, foil has no porosity. It traps moisture. The sugar in the meringue doesn’t dry properly - it just melts into the foil’s tiny creases. When you try to lift it, the bottom tears. You end up with a sticky, uneven mess that looks like it was dragged through a sugar factory.

Some people grease foil to help. That’s a band-aid fix. Grease makes the surface slippery, but it also changes how the meringue sets. You might get a slightly easier release, but the texture suffers. The pavlova becomes greasy on the bottom, loses its crispness, and doesn’t hold its shape.

Real-world test: side-by-side bake

Last month, I ran a simple test. Two identical pavlovas, same recipe, same oven, same cooling time. One on parchment, one on foil.

The parchment one lifted off in one clean piece. The shell was crisp, the inside soft and chewy. It held its dome shape perfectly.

The foil one? Half the base was stuck. I had to scrape it off with a spatula. The bottom was darker, slightly chewy instead of crisp, and the edges curled unevenly. When I cut into it, the sugar had crystallized into hard patches where it had fused to the foil.

Result? The parchment pavlova was 100% usable. The foil one? Discarded.

What about silicone mats?

Silicone baking mats are great for cookies and macarons. But for pavlova? Not ideal. They’re too thick and insulating. The bottom doesn’t dry out enough. You end up with a soft, rubbery base - the opposite of what you want. Stick with parchment.

Pro tip: how to prep your baking sheet

Even with baking paper, you need to anchor it. If the paper slips, your pavlova spreads unevenly. Here’s what works:

1. Place the baking paper on your tray
2. Dab a little bit of meringue - just a teaspoon - in each corner
3. Press the paper down onto the dots. It’ll stick and stay flat
4. Pipe or spoon your meringue on top

This tiny trick stops shifting, ensures even baking, and saves you from a lopsided pavlova.

Why this matters beyond pavlova

Choosing the right liner isn’t just about pavlova. It’s about understanding how heat, moisture, and surface texture interact. The same principle applies to macarons, meringue nests, and even roasted vegetables. Baking paper lets things breathe. Foil traps. And for delicate, sugar-heavy bakes? Breathing is everything.

Final verdict: use baking paper

Foil might be quicker to grab. But for pavlova, it’s a gamble. Baking paper is the only surface that gives you consistent results - crisp shell, soft center, clean release. It’s not magic. It’s science. And it’s the reason professional bakers never use foil.

If you’ve been using foil and your pavlovas keep falling apart, this is your sign to switch. Buy a roll of parchment paper. It costs less than $5. It lasts for years. And it will turn your pavlova from a disappointment into a showstopper.

Next steps: get it right next time

Stop guessing. Stop hoping. Grab a roll of baking paper. Use the corner-dab trick. Bake low and slow. And next time you serve a perfect pavlova - crisp outside, pillowy inside, no sticking - you’ll know exactly why.