The Best Ramekin Substitutes

If you don’t have ramekins (or don’t even know what they are), you’re not alone!

Ramekins were more popular a few decades ago, although they are still used in some cuisines today. These small baking containers are used for cooking and serving foods such as French onion soup, crème brulee, custard, soufflé, etc.

If you’re following a recipe that calls for a ramekin but you don’t have one, what can you do?

What is the best substitute for ramekin?

Tea cups and mugs, baking dishes and muffin tins, small bowls, flan trays, and mason jars are all good substitutes for ramekin. Make sure all substitutes are oven-safe, or plan to cook and serve on separate plates.

There are quite a few ramekin substitutes you can use when you don’t have any on hand. Which substitute you use will depend slightly on what you’re cooking, but most substitutes can be found in your kitchen right now!

To help you make the best ramekin meals and desserts without having to run out and buy a set, here’s a breakdown of the best ramekin substitutes, how to use them, and which one is best for which recipes.

What is a ramekin?

Before choosing the best replacement, it makes sense to know exactly what you’re replacing. Understanding what a ramekin is will help you better choose the substitute to use.

Originating from the French ramequin, which describes a shaped dish used to serve baked meat or cheese dishes, a ramequin is a small bowl used for cooking and serving food.

Ramekins are now used everywhere to prepare individual servings of baked goods, both at home and in restaurants.

Some of the most popular dishes to cook in a ramekin are vanilla custard, crème brulee, and French onion soup. You can make almost any dish in a ramekin if you want a small serving.

You may have heard of ramekins as soufflé dishes, since they are both the same thing, and that speaks to the popularity of using these small bowls to make a light and fluffy souffle.

These little plates are circular and need to be glazed. Although they can be used to contain sauces, they are used more for baking. The cylindrical bowl should measure between 3 and 4 inches in diameter.

Traditionally, ramekins are white ceramic containers, but now you can get them in different colors and patterns to suit your kitchen. You can also find ramekins made of different materials, such as steel and glass.

What to look for in a ramekin substitute

Now that you know exactly what a ramekin is, what it’s made of, and how big it should be, you can read on to find out exactly what to look for in a ramekin substitute.

Material

Traditionally, ramekins are often made of ceramic, so it makes sense to find a substitute that is as close to the real thing as possible.

This will ensure that the food cooks similarly if you use the ramekin substitute for more than just serving.

You may have some small ceramic bowls or mugs in the kitchen that you can use.

If you don’t have other ceramic options at home, you can always choose to also use steel, aluminum, cast iron or enameled dishes. All of these materials are usually fine, but make sure they’re oven-safe.

Check that you do not need to adjust the recipe to accommodate the change in cooking material (or colour!).

Form

Ramekins are round, and their substitutes should be, too. However, if you can’t find a round substitute, you can opt for something that is oval or square in shape.

Avoid using a rectangular plate, as it could interfere with the way the food cooks, and even spoil it!

A ramekin is about 5-6cm in diameter, so look for a substitute that is as close in size as possible. Anything too big might not cook the recipe well.

Depth

The substitute you choose for your ramekin should have a similar depth, without being too shallow or too deep.

The sides should be high enough to prevent a dish like a soufflé or bake from being too shallow and burning, but also not so high that it won’t cook properly.

Be sure to find a container that is about the same height as a regular ramekin, so the food rises well and cooks evenly on all sides.

The Best Ramekin Substitutes

Some of the best substitutes for ramekins are utensils you already have in your kitchen, making it that much easier for you to stick with your recipe!

Below you will find some alternatives to ramekins that you can use to make a wide variety of dishes and desserts:

1. Cups

Ceramic mugs are possibly the best substitutes for ramekins, as long as the mug is heat resistant and can go in the oven!

Since ramekins are shorter than most cups, you’ll need to use one that’s shorter, rather than a taller cup. Using a cup that is too tall can cause uneven cooking and cause delicious soufflés to fall apart.

If you are serving dessert and want to use something that resembles a ramekin, you can use a white cup to make it as similar as possible.

Cups are also great for cooking French onion soup , as they are the perfect container to drink the soup once it’s cooked. Just use a glove or kitchen towel to grip the handle when you take the hot mug out of the oven.

It’s fine to use the mug to microwave leftovers (but check first for hidden metal in the rim, handle, or trim), but it’s best to avoid putting mugs in the freezer.

2. Baking dish

Casseroles and baking dishes can be used in place of a ramekin, but be careful to adjust the recipe for different sizes.

Baking dishes and casseroles are often larger than ramekins, so factor that into cooking time.

For desserts that need to rise and are more difficult to cook, you will need to use a smaller baking dish. Do not use anything larger than 15-20 cm in diameter.

Most baking dishes are microwave and freezer safe, but may be too large for this.

3. Bowls

Most of us have a few bowls in the cupboard, and they can be ideal to use instead of ramekins. Again, you’ll need to make sure the bowls are oven-safe so they don’t crack or break when exposed to heat.

You can also adapt the recipe to make larger servings, rather than individual servings, by using slightly larger bowls.

This works well for more savory dishes, but you’ll need to be careful when increasing portion sizes and servings for dessert recipes that call for single-serving containers.

It’s a good idea to lightly brush the bowl with butter or oil before baking any food in it, as it will most likely not have any non-stick properties. This will only help you lift the food out of the bowl with ease.

You can use small or slightly larger bowls. Just make sure the bowls are freezer or microwave safe before you use them in either. The stamp at the bottom should indicate if this is possible.

4. Cups for custard

If you have some custard cups in the kitchen that you probably don’t use, now you can put them to new use as a substitute for ramekins.

These small glass bowls are round and can come in different shapes and sizes.

The most common size flan bowls hold about 6 ounces of batter or food. They are usually made of oven-safe material, porcelain and stoneware, and must be oven-safe.

To use in place of ramekins, it’s best to bake them in a double boiler to prevent burning and allow delicate foods to cook evenly.

It is best to use flan molds only in the oven, not in the microwave or freezer. Decant food into freezer-safe or microwave-safe dishes if necessary.

5. Jam jars

Use any empty jam jars you have to replace ramekins in the kitchen.

Smaller size jam jars can be used to bake desserts in the oven. They are one of the cheapest options, and it gives you a way to reuse some of your waste.

The jars can be used over and over again, as long as they don’t spoil or crack, and if you care for them properly. They are especially good for making custards.

Do not use the jam jars in the freezer or microwave, as they may burst or crack.

Soup Bowl Substitutes - By Recipe

Some recipes are better suited to some ramekin substitutes than others. Here are some of the most popular ramekin dishes, and what are the best substitutes for each.

This doesn’t mean you can’t try other substitutes, but these seem to work better for the particular recipe and ingredients, giving you results almost exactly what you’d expect from using a traditional ramekin!

For the Crème Brulée: One skillet

Crème brulee is best cooked in a wide, shallow pan. This allows it to cook evenly and gently, while still having the silky smooth texture once done.

To bake the crème brulee without the help of moulds, it is best to use a wider glass or ceramic dish. This way you won’t necessarily get individual servings, but everyone can plate on the platter.

If you use too deep a pan, the crème brulee could be undercooked or overcooked, or both.

It’s also a good idea to avoid using metal pans, as these will likely conduct too much heat to the outside of the crème brulee, potentially leading to burnt edges.

These shallow casseroles should be freezer and microwave safe, but be sure to check the seal first to be sure.

For Soufflé One cup

The soufflé is what ramekins are made for, and it can be hard to find the perfect substitute. However, sometimes the simplest answer is the best!

To make a soufflé at home without using a ramekin, look through your kitchen cabinets and choose a good-sized cup of coffee or tea.

Choose a medium-sized one, or a little smaller, so that the soufflé cooks as it should, while still being soft on the inside.

You have to make sure that the cup you use is suitable for the oven (they usually have stamps on the bottom that indicate this).

You will also need to grease the inside of the cup with a little oil or butter first to make it easier to lift the food once it is baked. Do not fill the cup to the top with the soufflé batter, as it could overflow as it rises.

Coffee mugs and tea mugs can be used in the oven if they are oven safe, and in the freezer if they are freezer safe. They can also be microwaved to heat up leftovers.

For the lava cakes A muffin tin

Who doesn’t love a gooey chocolate lava cake? You don’t have to run out and buy molds to make this decadent dessert at home.

Instead of using a pan, you can use a cupcake pan to make little lava cakes. Muffin tins can be a bit smaller than ramekins, but fill in as much batter as you see fit, and serve two instead of one!

It’s important to grease or flour the muffin tins before placing the lava cake batter, as it’s very likely to stick and you don’t want the chocolate to spill out of the pan rather than the plate.

If you don’t want to sprinkle powder around your chocolate lava cake, you can always sprinkle cocoa into the pan.

Muffin tins are freezer friendly, but they are quite large. Don’t put them in the microwave!

For the pudding: Half-pint jars

To feel a little fancy, you can serve individual servings of pudding to your guests at home. You can use half-pint canning jars for this.

These mason jars should hold up well to the low heat of the oven, which is all you need to bake most puddings.

Opt for wide-mouthed jars if you can, as they make unmolding the pudding much easier. If the jar comes with a lid, even better! You can use it to store the leftover pudding and enjoy it another day.

These mason jars should not be put in the freezer or microwave, and are best used at a low temperature in the oven.

Ramekin Substitutes by Recipe Review [Table]

To make it as easy as possible for you, here’s a quick rundown of our best suggested ramekin substitutes per recipe.

We know this is a far cry from all the recipes you might want a ramekin for, but with this quick guide, it should be easy to figure out which substitute will work best for your particular dish.

Your bread pudding , for example, will probably do better in mason jars or cups, as it’s somewhere between a “regular” pudding and a thicker delight like crème brulee.

Related questions

Can I use Pyrex dishes instead of ramekins?

Pyrex glass containers can be used in place of ramekins, as long as they are the right shape and size for the recipe and dish you are making.

On the other hand, if you are only preparing a good delicacy for yourself or your family, you can use a large pyrex dish.

However, you may have to slightly adjust the baking time and temperature, and you will lose a bit in terms of presentation. Still, your dish should turn out just fine.

What is the best size for a ramekin?

If you want to buy some ramekins to use at home, it is best to invest in ones that hold 6 ounces. It is the most versatile size. It is used for a wide variety of dishes.

Are all ramekin oven-safe?

Yes, all proper ramekins must be oven-safe if sold as such.

They can be ceramic, melamine or porcelain. All these materials are oven, freezer and dishwasher safe. In addition, they make it very easy for you, since they are used for different things in the kitchen!