We’ve been talking about this Substitute for Cooking Spray for a couple years now, and finally made a batch live! Whoohoo! Our homemade pan release is easy to make and works like magic!
Homemade pan release is great for all cakes and cupcakes (and breads like chocolate chip banana bread!), but especially bundt cakes which have so many nooks and crannies! I can’t wait to use it on our Rainbow Bundt Cake and our Cake Mix Donuts!
Substitute for Cooking Spray – Easy Pan Release
Pan release ingredients
- Flour – Make sure it’s regular all purpose flour and not cake flour or self rising flour.
- Vegetable oil – Canola, vegetable oil, or even olive oil will work.
- Shortening – I like to use a vegetable shortening like Crisco (store brand is fine).
How do you make a substitute for cooking spray? (Step-by-step)
⭐ First, add flour, oil, and shortening to a bowl.
⭐ Then, blend with an electric mixer or hand blender until fully combined and result is a paste-like texture.
⭐ Finally, store in a sealed container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Tips and tricks
The trick to a good substitute for cooking spray is adding flour. You know how your grandma used to butter, then flour the insides of the cake pan? There’s a reason she did that! Homemade nonstick pan release is better than cooking spray because it’s easy to make (you probably have all the ingredients!) and so cheap!
Frequently asked questions
What can be used instead of nonstick cooking spray?
Our substitute for cooking spray is this magical pan release that is sometimes called goop. It’s a super simple recipe made with vegetable oil, vegetable shortening (like Crisco), and flour.
The most important part of this recipe is the flour, as it’s what helps the baked goods release easily.
How do you grease a pan without cooking spray?
Greasing a pan without cooking spray is easy! Just grab your favorite basting brush (I’m a fan of silicone basting brushes because I feel like they clean easier), dip it in the substitute for cooking spray you just made and paint the surface of your pan.
Make sure to use a nice full coat of pan release, and flip your cake out of the pan while it’s still a little bit warm. I never recommend waiting until a cake is fully cooled, even when using commercial cooking sprays.
Can you use olive oil instead of cooking spray?
I wouldn’t use plain olive oil as a pan release, but you could substitute the vegetable oil for olive oil in this substitute for cooking spray recipe. The caveat will be that olive oil has a stronger flavor than vegetable oil, so if you’re making a delicately flavored dish, you may find that the olive oil changes the flavor slightly.
There are so many variations of olive oil on the market now though that you could likely find a mild olive oil to use if you were so inclined!
Recipes to Make with our Substitute for Cooking Spray
Y’all know I am #NOTABAKER, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love to make a cake. I’m just not making it from scratch. Although, I almost feel like we’re working our way up to it.
Hahahahaha. No, we’re not. Why would we do that when delicious box cake mixes are a thing and it’s so easy to bring them up to the next level with a few tweaks? Check out these amazing desserts that you can make with our easy magic pan release!
- Rainbow Cake – We make this gorgeous rainbow cake in a bundt cake pan and then drizzle super colorful icing all over the top. And don’t forget the sprinkles!
- Orange Cake – Whole oranges, you guys! There are WHOLE oranges in this cake! Is that nuts? What’s nuts is how incredibly delicious it is. Don’t skip the orange juice glaze on top!
- Valentine’s Cake – This pretty pink cake uses conversation hearts to make it alllll about Valentine’s Day – but if you just want a pretty pink cake (who doesn’t love a pink cake?!), then skip the hearts and go all out on the sprinkles!
- Chocolate Overload Cake – Inspired by our trip to Aruba, this chocolate cake not only tastes fantastic, but it brings back so many joyous memories. I hope that when you make it you’ll share it with friends and create wonderful memories too!
- Salted Caramel S’mores Cake – I feel like I just don’t need to say anymore. This cake y’all. This cake.
- Pumpkin Spice Belgian Waffles or Strawberry Shortcake Waffles – Mmmmmm.
Tools we love
- Stick Blender – While you can definitely whisk this together by hand, you’re going to make faster work of it and come out with a smoother result if you use an electric blender. I like an immersion blender like this because it’s no muss, no fuss, and easy to clean up.
- Mason Jars – We store our magic pan release in mason jars in the fridge. I’m a fan of the wide mouth jars so it’s easy to get the brush in and out and make sure you’re getting all the goop.
- Silicone Basting Brush – A silicone basting brush or pastry brush works perfectly to paint the insides of your pan with the non stick cooking release. They also come clean really easily with a little soap and water, and they won’t melt if you use them at high temps, like basting on the grill.
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How to Make a Substitute for Cooking Spray
Substitute for Cooking Spray
Ingredients
- Flour
- Vegetable oil
- Vegetable shortening like Crisco
Instructions
To make
- Combine ingredients in equal parts, then blend until smooth. You could whisk by hand, but I find an electric blender gives a much smoother consistency.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
To use
- Brush into your pan with a basting brush, make sure to get in all the crevices and be generous.
Video
Nutrition
This pan release is especially perfect for intricate bundt pans like we used in our apple bundt cake recipe or waffle irons like in our classic waffle recipe, or muffin tins like blueberry muffins!
Debbi says
I made this 45 Year’s ago at a school I worked for we called it “pan coat “ ! Works great , easy to make and store !!!funny how things come around a gain ! This was befor spray came out !!
Cathy says
Can you tell me how long this will last in the fridge safely? Thanks so much!
April says
homemade pan release will keep in the fridge almost indefinitely as long as it’s kept clean in an airtight container with no contamination 🙂
Barbara Dahl says
Can coconut oil be substituted for the Crisco?
April says
i haven’t tried it, but it might? my worry would be that it hardens more than crisco, so you might want to use a little less.
Ambure says
Have you used Lard instead of Crisco?
April says
I haven’t tried lard. Would love to hear if you try it!
Tami says
I’ve always kept mine in the cupboard and have never refrigerated- never had a problem
Marie says
Going to make a batch today. Thanks for a great idea and recipe
April Woods says
You’re welcome!
Linda Chudej says
My Mom always coated her cake pans with Crisco then dusted them with flour so this recipe is takes me back to her kitchen when I was growing up. She didn’t use vegetable oil but I’m going to now that I’ve decided to bake. I’m not a baker either but I DO love pumpkin and muffins!! You have inspired me to bake these muffins. They’re perfect for us (my husband and me) because he doesn’t like pumpkin so being able to freeze these muffins is great—that way I won’t eat way more of them than I need to on the day I bake them. 🙂
dot says
thanks for recipie
Rebecca Jolly says
Though I do not like cooked pineapple, except on pizza, this recipe would be made for guests. I would let each guest decide whether they want Ice cream, whipped cream or both on the cobbler. I would probably just go ahead and make homemade ice cream to go with this.
JR says
I used this Mamma Magic today when I baked 2 pullman White sandwich loafs. I was so pleased how well this worked releasing baked loafs. I saved this recipe over a year ago and now I`m mad at myself for not mixing and using earlier, Thank you April you are so awesome!!!!
JIM JASPER says
I would like to try the time release recipe, however am I missing something? I don’t see any measurements for the ingredients could you please let me know thank you.
Kimberly says
Same. What are the measurements. Just 1:1:1 I’m assuming?
April Woods says
Yes, the first line of the instructions say equal parts 🙂