Greaseproof Paper vs Baking Paper: What’s the Difference

Both are thin, pale sheets that live in the same kitchen drawer, so it is easy to assume they are interchangeable. They are not. Pick the wrong one and grease soaks straight through, food sticks, or a lined tray behaves nothing like you expected. The difference comes down to how each sheet is made, and once you know that, choosing becomes obvious.

The short answer

Baking paper is coated or treated so it resists heat and releases food, which makes it the one to use in the oven. Greaseproof paper is dense and oil-resistant but not heat-resistant, which makes it the one to use for wrapping, lining boxes, and separating layers. If a recipe says "line a tray," reach for baking paper. If a job says "wrap it," reach for greaseproof.

What actually makes them different

Baking paper (baking parchment)

Baking paper starts as a paper sheet that is coated, most often with silicone, so it does not stick to food and can take high oven heat. That coating is the whole point: cakes lift away cleanly, biscuits do not weld to the tray, and roasted vegetables slide off without a scrape. It is built for the oven first and the drawer second.

Greaseproof paper

Greaseproof paper is not coated. Instead, it is made by beating the paper fibres for much longer during production, which makes the sheet dense enough that oil and moisture struggle to pass through. That density is why it feels slightly smooth and waxy to the touch. It is excellent at stopping grease, and it is not designed to sit in a hot oven.

Side-by-side at a glance

• Heat: baking paper takes typical oven temperatures; greaseproof paper is for wrapping and short contact, not sustained oven heat.

• Grease: greaseproof paper is the stronger barrier, which is why it is the wrapping and lining choice for food service.

• Release: baking paper releases sticky bakes; greaseproof paper will let cakes and biscuits cling.

• Look and feel: both are pale sheets, but greaseproof feels denser and more translucent, while baking paper often has a faint non-stick sheen.

• Best job: baking paper for the oven, greaseproof paper for wrapping, layering, and presentation.

Where people get caught out

The most common mistake is reaching for greaseproof paper because it is closer to hand. In a hot oven it can darken and become brittle, and because it has no non-stick treatment, baked goods stick. The second mistake is the reverse one: using expensive baking paper for wrapping, when greaseproof paper does the same wrapping job for less.

How to choose, by job

Line a tray or tin

Use baking paper. Look for a sheet rated for the oven temperature you are working at, and keep it flat so air can move around the food.

Wrap sandwiches, pastries, or burgers

Use greaseproof paper. It holds grease in, does not transfer flavour, and folds cleanly for a neat finish.

Separate layers in a box or between portions

Use greaseproof paper. Its density stops moisture and oil moving between layers, which keeps texture intact in storage and transport.

Present food for sale

For wrapped, boxed, and display products, greaseproof paper is the practical everyday choice. For anything that goes into a hot cabinet or oven, use a paper that is rated for that heat.

What to look for when you buy

• The stated use. Suppliers label paper for baking, wrapping, or general food contact, and that label is the fastest guide.

• Heat rating. If it will meet an oven, the packaging should say so.

• Sheet size and format. Rolls suit wrapping and quick lining; pre-cut sheets suit consistent tray sizes and busy kitchens.

• Certification. For commercial food contact, check the paper carries the relevant food-safe certification for your market.

Buying in bulk

Greaseproof paper is used by the sheet in busy kitchens, so the cost is really the cost per sheet, not the cost per roll. Buying in a pack size that matches how fast you go through it keeps the price per sheet down without leaving stock sitting in a storeroom. Choose a supplier who stocks both baking and greaseproof paper in the formats you actually use, so you are not substituting one for the other out of convenience.

Quick recap

• Oven and non-stick: baking paper.

• Wrapping, layering, and grease resistance: greaseproof paper.

• Both look alike; the coating is what separates them.

• Match the paper to the job and stop substituting out of habit.