What is a Jelly Roll Pan?

What is a Jelly Roll Pan?

It would seem that you could make a jelly roll with almost any flat pan, but the best way to insure that you get great results is to use a jelly roll pan. These may seem to look a lot like a standard cookie sheet. They do, but there is one significant difference. A jelly roll pan has a raised edge that is about an inch higher than the surface of the sheet itself.

While this type of cooking tool is often called a jelly roll pan you may have used it for vegetables, cookies and meat without knowing about the name. A jelly roll pan is rather simple and inexpensive, in addition to being very easy to clean. No ridges on the cooking surface make the cleaning more difficult. You won’t find little corners or deep round surfaces to reach into (as you do with pots and pans).

What to Look For

If you decide this type of pan would be perfect for making jelly rolls or a lot of other delicious edible items, go to your local general-merchandise store or kitchen supply store and start shopping. The best pans of this type are a bit heavier than a cookie sheet of comparable size. Jelly roll pans are made this way so that they hold the heat and distribute it evenly across the cooking surface. In addition, the extra metal used to make a quality jelly roll pan helps it stand up to regular use.

Most cooks of traditional mindset avoid using newer pans with non-stick surfaces. Instead they prefer the metal to be the same all over, including on the cooking surface. They use grease, butter or some other substance to keep food items from sticking. Be careful when using a jelly roll pan with a non-stick surface. This material may scrape off. That is simply damage to your cooking tool. If you do have a non-stick surface on your jelly roll pan, don’t use a metal spatula or other utensil to remove items from the pan’s surface.

What to Make

Of course a jelly roll pan can be used to make jelly rolls. The raised edges and the size of the pan are perfect for this rare treat. But this type of pan is also good for making granola bars from scratch. The same can be said for sheet cookies. Both granola bars and sheet cookies will bake well on a jelly roll pan. The sheets can be cut into individual bars when the sheets are slightly cooled.

So, don’t be put off by the name. A jelly roll pan is much like a cookie sheet except it has the raised sides. These raised sides will help keep other items in place, just as they help shape the jelly roll.