The 5 Best Substitutes for Cooling Rack

A cooling rack is used to let freshly baked goodies air out and cool down when it comes to baking.

This is done by putting the cooked item on top of the wire rack after cooking in the oven.

The purpose of the wire rack is to allow air to circulate all around it for even cooling.

Larger items, such as a cake or casserole dish, will require more space on the cooling rack than smaller items, like cookies or cupcakes.

If you are in the middle of baking something and your cooling rack isn’t available, there are several alternatives you can use to allow your baked goods to cool.

In this article, we will be discussing five of the best substitutes for baking cooling racks.

What is Cooling Rack?

A cooling rack is a must-have for most bakers.

It allows the air to circulate freshly baked goodies and cools them down faster to be stored after they’ve finished cooking.

Cooling racks come in various sizes and styles, so you can choose one that works best for your individual needs.

Some cooling racks collapse to take up less space; some have two layers of wire grates, while others can adjust to fit any size pan or platter.

You may think that cooling racks are unnecessary if you’re only baking a small batch of cookies or cupcakes, but using one prevents the baked goods from sitting in their own steam and getting soggy.

The 5 Best Substitutes for Cooling Rack

For most people, cooling racks can be an expensive addition to your kitchen that you might not need all the time.

Luckily many alternatives will help with baking and cooling when a rack won’t work.

1 – Cooking Pan and Parchment Paper

Using a cooking pan and parchment paper is easy to essentially “bake” off any baked goods.

You can also use the sides of the baking pan as a cooling rack by placing it on top of your counter or cutting board, but make sure that there’s enough room for air to circulate underneath as well.

Then, layer your baked goods on top of the parchment paper.

There’s no need to turn the oven back on and let it heat up again.

Ensure enough breathing room around your items so they do not get soggy with steam.

If you don’t have parchment paper handy, use a regular cutting board.

The lines on the board help with cutting your goodies evenly after they’ve cooled off.

2 – DIY Cooling Rack

Making a DIY cooling rack is a great way to save money and still have something that will work for your needs.

All you have to do is find a metal grate that’s sturdy enough not to warp when exposed to high heat.

Then, you’ll need a wooden or plastic cutting board that can sit on top of it.

The board’s edges should be far enough apart, so there’s plenty of room for airflow underneath your items, but small enough so that the board doesn’t slide around on top of it.

As long as you have these two items, then you’ll be ready to get started.

Just place your cooked goods on top of the cutting board and allow them to cool in peace.

3 – Crumpled-Foil Rack

If you don’t have parchment paper handy, use a regular cutting board.

The lines on the board help with cutting your goodies evenly after they’ve cooled off.

You can also crumple up some aluminum foil and use it as a DIY cooling rack that’s easy to set up and take back down again when you’re done.

All you have to do is crumple up some aluminum foil and place it on top of a baking pan.

Make sure that you don’t cover the entire surface area, but just enough that the foil isn’t bunching together.

Then, place your items on top of the “rack” and wait for them to cool off.

4 – Wood Slats

Using wooden slats is another easy way to cool baked goods without a cooling rack.

You can use wooden slats as a DIY cooling rack by simply placing them on top of the counter or table you’ll be working on and placing your items on top of them.

Then, allow your goodies to sit and cool off in peace, so they aren’t exposed to too much steam and don’t get soggy.

It’s important to note that you should make sure you place your items far enough apart, so they have an even amount of breathing room and don’t get soggy with steam.

5 – Larger Plates

If you don’t have parchment paper handy, use a regular cutting board.

The lines on the board help with cutting your goodies evenly after they’ve cooled off.

Another alternative that works well is to place your items on an oven-friendly plate and allow them to sit and cool off there.

Make sure that you keep your plates close by to be used promptly.

If you aren’t in a hurry and want to let your items cool off slowly, then place the plate in an area where there’s no airflow, and it’ll take several minutes for them to cool off.

Conclusion

Cooling rack allows heat to escape so that the food baked does not get soggy.

However, there are other substitutes for cooling rack, which can be used instead of it.

These substitutes include a cooking pan and parchment paper, DIY cooling rack, crumpled-foil rack, wood slats, and larger plates.

We hope that this article was helpful.

If you liked what you read, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below.