I’ve mentioned before that I use silicone molds to make homemade gummy vitamins and lotion bars, along with several other household staples.
I’ve gotten one question so often that I decided it deserved its own post:
Is Silicone Safe for Baking?
Unfortunately, this is one of those questions that I usually answer by saying: It depends.
To understand that answer, it is important to understand several often-confused terms:
- Silicon– A natural chemical substance (atomic #14), meaning it can’t be divided into smaller particles without splitting atoms. It is the second most abundant element (after oxygen) and when it bonds with oxygen creates minerals called silicates (like quartz, olivine, micas, thomsonite, jadeite, and prehnite)
- Silica– A compound made of silicon and another element. It is present in the human body in high amounts and emerging research suggests it can be beneficial for health. I’ve mentioned it before when talking about diatomaceous earth and how I consume it in natural form, but it isn’t the same as silicon or silicone bakeware and isn’t relevant when talking about the safety of silicone.
- Silicone– A synthetic polymer created by adding carbon and/or oxygen to silicon. It can exist as a solid, liquid, or gel and is often used in medical devices like pacemakers, joint replacements, and implants. It is generally considered safe for these uses and is now used to make silicone bakeware.
When we are speaking about bakeware, we are referring to silicone, the synthetic polymer. It is considered “FDA approved as a food-safe substance” and is generally considered inert.
Unfortunately, there hasn’t been much research on silicone bakeware or silicone molds so while there isn’t any evidence that it is harmful, there also isn’t much evidence that it is safe.
Testing on Silicone:
The testing that has been done on silicone is on medical-grade silicone without fillers or additives and at body or room temperature. These studies have shown that silicone is safe at these temperatures and long-term follow-up data support this.
Silicone’s safety at high temperatures has not been adequately tested and this is where the controversy emerges.
On paper, silicone bakeware is rated for temperatures below freezing and up to almost 450°F, so on paper it is safe.
Dangers of Silicone in Bakeware?
Again, any dangers are anecdotal at this point and not scientifically backed, but that doesn’t necessarily prove the safety of silicone. Some potential dangers include:
- The potential for leaching at high temperatures
- Fillers used in lower-quality silicone
- Potential odor during high-temperature use
These dangers are not proven and are reported only at high temperature use, but still worth investigating further.
Benefits of Silicone Bakeware
One major advantage of silicone bakeware is that it is considered more non-stick than many traditional types of bakeware, especially with muffin cups and bread pans.
Silicone bake mats and other silicone baking products are often easy to clean and prevent sticking when baking. The flexibility of silicone bakeware and molds makes it easy to get things out of them and makes cleanup easier.
Silicone is also dishwasher safe, petroleum free, and is not supposed to fade or scratch.
The Bottom Line
I hope that we will see updated research on the safety of silicone. Until we do, I feel comfortable using silicone at low temperatures and in the refrigerator or freezer, but try to avoid it in baking or high temperature use.
In any use, I consider silicone much safer than plastic, which I avoid at all costs. If you use silicone molds or bakeware, make sure it is high quality and doesn’t contain fillers or dangerous additives.
I stick to silicone molds for cool-temperature uses like:
These are the silicone molds I have:
- Silicone Bags (to replace plastic bags for fridge use)
- Lego bricks and people molds (great for homemade chocolate)
- Daisy Mini Molds (great for gummy vitamins)
- Mini Loaf Pans (great for soap bars)
- Muffin Cups (for lotion bars)
- Flower and Leaf Molds (for soap and lotion bars)
- Mini heart molds (for chocolate and gummy bears)
- Gingerbread Molds (for meltaways)
For now, I’m sticking to cool-temperature uses for silicone until we know more about its safety at high temperatures.
What is your take on silicone baking molds? How do you use it?
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You ladies are hilarious! A “super-taster” and a “great spoon licker”! I have a “Super Nose and Super Taste Buds” and I now I know I am NOT the ‘Crazy” one in my house-LOL! Glad I am not alone 🙂
Per the info on Parchment Paper. I used it to cook fish on last week and the paper edges burnt to a crisp black and the whole house smelled horrible! I had no idea and I thought it was safe. I will be getting rid of it now.
I am a great spoon licker, but when I lick a silicone spoon I’m left with the taste of it in my mouth – which makes me very suspicious!
Thks, Katie! I was happy to find this post bc I’ve been wondering about my bakewear. I made brownies (325F) last night and once again I could taste the silicone. I am a “super-taster,” meaning I have the gene that allows me to taste & smell more than most. But, I wonder is it safe to eat food cooked in silicone if I can taste it? Obviously, It could mean something has leached into the food. I also taste plastic, i.e.: food that has been stored in the refrigerator. I’ve even noticed it occasionally in some resturants. I am wondering, has anyone else been able to taste like this? I have appreciated reading your comments that have been posted thus far; and would welcome anyone who’d like to share their thoughts, or personal experiences regarding the topic of my comment. Note: I do not taste anything unnatural when I use the old-fashioned cookwear. I.E.: I usually use glass for baking, and iron, stainless steel & Kitchenmaid pots for stovetop cooking.
Hello Lisa!
I already tried it at home and it helps me a lot for my hobbies on baking and also it is safer than i thought before because usually I’ve been using stainless steel and glass but now i prefer silicone for it has Fresh Vibrant Colors. i also have a doubt if this is safer by using a silicone cups but i found out that it already approved by BPA Free & FDA Durable Baking Molds. and i want to try this for my new baking decorations. I hope this information of mine can help you 🙂
I definitely can taste chemicals when they are in food and having read this article, have decided to rid myself of my plastic food containers and use silicone. But I am not sufficiently convinced to use silicone for heat-related purposes.
BTW … I use health food store detergents but recently felt compelled to use ‘Shout’ stain remover on some dress shirts. My favorite PJ’s in the same wash came out reeking of the stuff.
I hope the odor goes away the next time I do a wash … absolutely cannot wear them until then.
Hello I have been given a pair of silicone egg poacher pods which I have used twice, on both occasions I can taste the silicone in the egg. I floated them in simmering water as instructed. The pods smelt strongly of si!icons before I used them. I have tried washing them in bicarbonate of soda also putting in the dishwasher but they still smell. Not sure I want to use them again.
What are your thoughts on Xtrema’s FridgeX Collapsible Silicone Storage Set. I know you mentioned that you own a set in your article “How to Store Food Without Plastic”. Do you use your set for reheating?
I use it for storage and mostly reheat in glass or metal.
Thanks! I just purchased my first set. I can’t wait to get it. I’ve been dumping plastic from my cabinets for the past week. I feel so refreshed. LOL
Like the commenter above mentioned, you completely skipped over parchment, which is silicone imbedded paper, and has been in use for decades.
The temperature warnings are because above a certain temperature, silicone bakeware “melts”, for lack of a better term. I forgot about the temperature warnings once, had a silicone liner in the oven, and was roasting potatoes at over 500F. Smoke and an acrid stench that lingered for days filled my kitchen. When I managed to get the liner out of the oven, it had turned brittle almost like it had dried out. Moving it, it cracked and crackled. Obviously it went directly into the garbage.
I have also managed to melt a “hole” in one of my spatulas. I believe it was lying in a cast iron pan while I heated it up. There is an area of textural change on the side, where it was touching the pan. The rest of the spatula was unaffected.
I do still use silicone because there aren’t many alternatives.
Katie, I have tried silicone for mini lotion bars and had unsatisfactory results in getting them out of the mold intact. What do you do? I have had better results with mini soaps.
I also am hesitant to try silicone for baking, but then I still have a lot of stainless, glass and stoneware.
Robyn
Thank you!
I too, have attempted to research silicon kitchen items, but found almost nothing on it. I would be very interested in finding the articles you used in this article. This is one article that I would have appreciated you giving links to your sources for the information. Not that I am disagreeing or contradicting anything in this article, it’s just that I have seen NOTHING on it by searching, and would like the chance to read what you have.
I also don’t trust the FDA or any government group that is supposed to have our best interest in mind, as they frequently (always!?) don’t know or have enough data or enough time testing to say for sure, and seem to be in the pockets of massive corporations and are more interested in giving them business than in helping the common person find truly safe, healthy things.
Just look at their track record, and they way they almost refuse to say anything they have in the past said is fine after finding out the reverse. They keep silent so they don’t look so bad for saying it was great in the first place! Actually, have they EVER reversed a finding? I think it has always been someone else saying what the facts are about something they have said is fine!
As for silicone, I have molds for cold or non-heated items as you have mentioned, but I also have spatulas and similar cooking tools for heated usage, as well as just buying a colander for steaming, as it was larger than anything else, and half the cost of stainless steel and easier to store…now I wonder if those are safe?
Thanks for the article giving us your opinion, it helps, but I really wish someone with scientific background, and facts and figures, and a true goal of giving the health and safety of this new product without regard for how it might affect the sales of silicone cooking products or putting that above human health.
So are you saying parchment paper is safe, because I believe it is coated with silicones? Thanks, carolyn
What about silicone menstrual cups like the Diva Cup? When I’m wearing it, obviously it doesn’t heat up to oven temperatures…but to 98.6ish. Is that still a “safe” temp?
Good question! I, too, am now wondering about this, though I only used my cup (Sckoon) for a few months before I got pregnant. The temperature doesn’t seem like it would be too hot from how it feels when you take it out, but I suppose you would have to contact your cup maker about the type of silicone used and look up if any tests have been done in regards to that kind of silicone. If you wanted to avoid the potential danger altogether without purchasing throw-away natural tampons and without resorting to just reusable pads, I have heard of people using natural sea sponges to good effect. I haven’t looked too much into it (it DOES sound a bit scary and intimidating), but that could be an alternative you can look into depending on how much it matters to you. I like the easy cleanness of using a cup/tampons, but now I wonder if I will return to using my cup (if it still fits after having a baby! Bad timing for that purchase…) once my periods return. I am getting extra super crunchy as I learn more and more before this baby comes, so who knows how “crazy” I’ll be by that time.
I feel like I’m unraveling a great puzzle in all of the research I’ve been doing before having this little one, and I am doing my best, but it is extremely complex! It does seem to me that more and more people care about safety regarding plastics and such, so hopefully there will be a manufacturing shift in response to consumer’s demanding safer, more quality products like with the organic food movement. But from that movement, we can see that when demand shifts, you still have to be on the look-out for greenwashers and that just because something is “organic” doesn’t mean it’s good for you, like non-gmo organic canola oil. Just like everything that says “BPA-free” isn’t good for you either. It seems like the research and verifiability checking never ends!
Oh the trials of us Green Goddesses!
*consumers.
Ugh! My perfectionism insists I correct that.
Was doing a little more research, and I found that some menstrual cups are made with natural latex. I believe I read while researching natural latex beds, that natural latex is “open celled” and whereas most allergies are from “closed cell” latex as is used in latex gloves? DEFINITELY NOT SURE on that, but if you don’t have a latex allergy, this could be a great option (and maybe even if you do have an allergy, although of course the manufacturers recommend the silicone option for those with latex allergies).
The one I found is at Keeper.com where they sell two kinds: The Keeper in natural gum rubber (latex) and the Moon Cup in a silicone. I am emailing the company to make sure that there is nothing else mixed into the latex and I will let you know what I find out if there is anything else in it besides rubber.
I have wondered the same thing. Lead safe mama has tested some cups. She’s be worth a look for you.
I am really disappointed in this article. It’s not as meticulously researched as your articles usually are, and I feel a little like it was supposed to come across was “sciencey” but there is no actual data here, simply what you would do. I hope we get back to the regular quality of articles soon.
Sorry you feel that way. Unfortunately, there truly isn’t much that I can research when it comes to silicone since not many studies have been done on using it, especially at high temperatures so it is hard to offer anything more concrete at this point, but I will definitely update if I find new information or studies