Usually not — silicone releases on its own once the bake has cooled. But grease it lightly for the first few bakes, for sugary or low-fat batters, and for detailed molds. It costs nothing and guarantees release.
What silicone does on its own
A good silicone surface is naturally nonstick. Butter-rich cakes, muffins and quick breads usually release from a bare pan once cool. That is a property of the material at its best — cheaper or older pans, and pans with a built-up film, behave differently.
When to grease anyway
- The first few uses, while the surface settles in.
- Sugary batters, which caramelize and glue to any surface.
- Low-fat batters, with little fat of their own to release.
- Fluted or detailed molds, where batter grips the corners.
How to grease it
A thin wipe of butter or neutral oil with a paper towel or brush. For a cake, add a dusting of flour. Go easy on aerosol sprays, which can bake into a tacky film that makes the pan stick more over time.
How to get the bake out
Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then peel the silicone away from the bake — that is the advantage of a flexible pan. Tipping it out hot is how silicone gets its reputation for sticking.
The related silicone question: support
A flexible pan full of batter is hard to move. Put it on a sheet pan before filling, and carry the sheet. The same applies in an air fryer — see can I put a silicone mold in an air fryer.
And the browning trade
Silicone insulates rather than conducts, so crusts stay paler and softer than in metal. For a browned loaf, a metal pan does better: on this site the GoodCook 9 × 5 in nonstick loaf pan, the Sur La Table PFAS-free loaf pan and the KitchenAid aluminized steel loaf pan. See the baking tins and molds page and coatings and what kills them.
What readers want to know
When should I grease a silicone pan anyway?
For the first few uses, for sugary or low-fat batters, and for detailed or fluted molds. A thin wipe of butter or oil — or butter and a dusting of flour for a cake — costs nothing and guarantees release. Cakes rich in butter or oil usually release from a bare pan.
Can I use cooking spray on silicone?
Sparingly. Aerosol sprays can leave a film that bakes on and turns tacky over time, which is the usual reason a silicone pan starts to stick. A brushed-on thin layer of oil or butter avoids it; if a film has built up, wash with hot water and a degreasing dish soap, or soak in a baking soda paste.
Why does my cake stick to a silicone pan?
Most often because it came out too soon. Let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then peel the silicone away from the cake rather than tipping the cake out. A sticky residue on the pan, or a batter low in fat, are the other two causes.
Last reviewed 18 October 2026