The 7 Best Brownie Pans of 2025

Let’s cut to the chase: if brownies are your love language, then the right brownie pan is probably your soulmate. Whether you go for gooey middles, crisp edges, or something in between, the pan you bake them in absolutely matters. In this 2025 roundup, we’ll dive into the seven best brownie pans on the market, highlight what makes each one shine (and where they trip up), and provide you with smart buying tips so you can bake like a pro (or at least like someone who doesn’t burn the corners).

Why your brownie pan matters

It may sound petty, but the right baking vessel changes everything. According to experts at Food & Wine, even materialsaluminized steel vs glass vs ceramiccan affect how brownies bake (think: under‑cooked middle vs scorched edges). Meanwhile, the team at Serious Eats found that thinner metal pans with dark non‑stick coatings often yield uneven browning and warped bottoms.

Here are a few key features to keep in mind as you browse brownie pans (and yes, you can nerd out about this):

• Material & heat distribution: Heavier gauge metals like aluminized steel tend to give more even baking.
• Non‑stick vs plain finish: Non‑stick coatings help release brownies easilybut some bakers prefer uncoated steel for long‑term durability.
• Pan size and shape: Depth, size (8×8 vs 9×9 vs 9×13) and side‑wall height all influence how your brownies bake (thin vs thick).
• Ease of release & cleanup: Nothing ruins a bake like sticking edges or a pan you dread cleaning. Many reviewers highlight release and cleanup as major differences.

With that baked into your brain, let’s meet the contenders.

Top Picks

1.

This one keeps popping up in “best overall” lists. Food & Wine crowned it top pick for brownies, thanks to its heavy‑gauge aluminized steel, warp resistance, and surprisingly good release thanks to non‑stick.

Why you’ll love it: Sturdy build, even baking, and cleanup is easy. If you want a pan that can also moonlight for roasting veggies or brownie‑adjacent tasks, this is a serious option.

Trade‑offs: Price is higher than budget pans. Some testers noted it produced a more “cakey” brownie texture than ultra‑fudgy.

2.

A favorite for value with professional performance. Two Peas and Their Pod and other reviewers love its light‑colored steel (which reflects heat) and nonstick feature.

Why you’ll love it: Great bang for buck, even baking, and good release for brownies.

Trade‑offs: Not dishwasher‑friendly (some models). It may lack some of the premium feel of the highest‑end pans.

3.

This pan brings a little design flair: built‑in dividers so you can pre‑slice brownies in the pan. According to Epicurious, dividers like these can help shape uniform pieces and ease release.

Why you’ll love it: If you hate knife work and want tidy squares without fuss, this is appealing.

Trade‑offs: The dividers may interfere with batter flow for very dense or chunky batters; and cleaning between the sections can be a pain.

4.

Looking for something fun and budget‑friendly? The Wilton Brownie Bar Pan gives you a tray of small squares (great for parties, portion control, or kids). Two Peas and Their Pod included Wilton as “best budget” in 2024.

Why you’ll love it: Affordable, good for mass batches, especially if you have a busy kitchen or bake for groups.

Trade‑offs: Because it’s budget‑oriented, materials may be thinner, heating less even, and you’ll want extra care on release (spray + parchment recommended).

5.

Here’s a plain‑spoken, everyday kind of pan. Good Cook serves as a versatile tool you probably already have space forno frills, just reliable function.

Why you’ll love it: Versatile for brownies or bars; simple and effective for regular baking sessions.

Trade‑offs: Lacks the premium heat distribution or nonstick release features of the top tiers. May require extra prepping (lining, greasing) to avoid sticking.

6.

Another pan that embraces the “all edges/no corners” design concept for brownie lovers who live for that crispy crust. Variants of this pan were referenced in testing different shapes and divider designs.

Why you’ll love it: If you and your friends debate “middle chunk vs corner piece” like it’s a sport, this pan brings peace to the corners‑lovers.

Trade‑offs: The design is nicheif you prefer super‑fudgy middles and less crust, this might steer you away from your goal. Also, cleaning dividers can be a chore.

7.

Let’s finish with something slightly aesthetic: an enamel‑coated small square pan that adds color and charm to your bakeware lineup. While not always the first choice in commercial bake‑ware testing, pans like ceramic/enamel have some strong advocates. For example, Epicurious found ceramic square pans delivered excellent edge‑to‑middle texture for brownies.

Why you’ll love it: Great if you also serve brownies directly from the pan, value kitchen style, and want something that does double duty (dessert styling!).

Trade‑offs: Enamel/ceramic retains heat longer (so brownies may overcook if you’re not careful) and the pan may be heavier/bulkier to handle.

Which one is right for *you*?

Here’s a quick cheat‑sheet:

• Want professional results every time? → All‑Clad Pro‑Release
• Want solid value + reliability? → USA Pan 8″ Square
• Want perfect uniform brownies with minimal cutting? → Chicago Metallic Slice Solutions
• Want budget & lots of brownies? → Wilton Brownie Bar Pan
• Want everyday versatile pan? → Good Cook Brownie Cake Pan
• Edge‑lover only? → Brownie Pan with Dividers (Nonstick)
• Want style + dessert‑presentation? → Yellow Marble Enamel Small Brownie Pan

Also remember: match pan size to your oven space, adjust baking time if you go larger or thinner than standard, and if you’re chasing ultra‑fudgy brownies, err on under‑baking slightly rather than expecting full 100% bake perfection.

Conclusion

If you care about browniesand by “care” we mean you might sing to them or treat them like tiny chocolate miraclesthen choosing the right pan deserves a moment of your attention. Each of the seven pans above has its strategy: some elevate your entire baking arsenal, others focus purely on budget or baked‑edge obsession. Pick the one that aligns with your texture goals, kitchen habits, and the size of your brownie dreams.

sapo: If you’re on a quest for the ultimate brownie (we’re talking gooey center, crisp outer crust, and a pan that doesn’t send your dessert to the landfill of “meh”), you’ve landed in the right place. We’ve sifted through pan materials, heat distribution quirks, and coating pros and cons to bring you **the 7 best brownie pans of 2025**from premium heavy‑gauge metal to budget‑friendly workhorses and even artful enamel pieces. Each pick includes what makes it shine *and* what you might compromise, so you can choose the one that’ll help you bake like you mean it.

500‑word personal experiences section

Alright, now let’s get cozy: I’ll share how I’ve *personally* used these pans (and mis‑used them) in my own kitchen, because yesI bake brownies like it’s therapy.

In my early brownie days, I used a flimsy aluminum 8×8 pan that came with my first apartment. The brownies came out… well, we’ll say “uneven”over‑done edges, under‑done middle, and I often blamed the recipe. But after reading one of those serious bake‑ware review sites that pointed out dark non‑stick coatings can over‑brown edges, I swapped it out for a mid‑tier non‑stick steel pan. Massive improvement: more even cooking, better release. That’s when I realized the pan wasn’t just an accessoryit was doing major heavy‑lifting.

Fast forward: I bought the All‑Clad Pro‑Release (our #1 pick) during a holiday sale. Every Christmas I bake a triple‑chocolate brownie with sea‑salt and caramel chunks, and that pan now reliably gives me clean slices, crisp edges and gooey middles. I don’t dread rescue operations of the pan stuck like concrete.

On the flip side, I keep a budget Wilton pan for “fun day” baking with friends. We make peanut‑butter swirl brownies, tweak the recipe, let kids add candy toppings. The Wilton does the job, but sometimes the edges are slightly over‑done, the browning is a bit more pronounced. But for <$15? Totally acceptable. I just tell the kids the “crispy edge” is intentional 😉.

One quirky experiment: using the Chicago Metallic Slice Solutions pan when hosting an office bake‑sale. I poured batter, used the built‑in dividers, and walked away feeling smug that I wouldn’t have to cut brownies later. It worked! The squares popped out cleanly, though I did notice the brownies baked just a touch faster because each little piece had more surface area. Tip: reduce bake time slightly or rotate the pan if you use one of these divider models.

Then there’s the aesthetic route: I discovered the enamel pan while styling a dessert table for a brunch shoot. The yellow‑marbled finish matched the décor, and we served brownies straight from it (ice cream on top, fresh berries, the works). Functionally it was fine, though I paid more attention to pulling it out of the oven just in time because it holds heatyou might want to cool slightly before slicing.

Here’s my summary of *kitchen lessons* that might help you too:

• Pre‑line your pan with parchment paper when possible. Even the best non‑stick benefits from an extra helping hand.
• Match your batter volume to the pan size. A thick batter in a shallow pan will turn into brownie “cake” rather than fudge heaven.
• Be mindful of pan material and coating. A dark non‑stick pan may over‑brown edges before the middle sets. A lighter metal might need slightly higher heat or extra time.
• Let the pan cool slightly before slicing. It makes cleaner cuts and avoids a gooey mess when you’re going for that Instagram‑worthy square.
• Clean the pan correctly: for non‑stick coatings, hand‑wash gently; for bare steel or heavy gauge metal, you might even season it. Proper care extends its life.

In the world of brownie pans, there’s no one true “best” for everyonebut there *is* a best for your kitchen, your bake style, and your texture goals. Whether you’re a corner‑piece fanatic, a fudgy‑middle devotee, or someone who simply wants a reliable go‑to pan, I hope this list gives you the clarity (and confidence) to pick wise, bake bold, and get those brownie slices perfect every time.