Butter Paper vs Wax Paper: What's the Difference?
By the Avco Boxes team · Updated
"Butter paper" is a regional name, common in South Asia and elsewhere, that usually means greaseproof or baking paper, and sometimes means tracing paper. Wax paper is paper coated with paraffin or soy wax. Wax paper is for cold use only. Butter paper sold as baking paper can usually go in the oven, but only if its packaging says so.
What "butter paper" means
Unlike wax paper or parchment paper, "butter paper" isn't one specific product. It is a name people use for whatever thin, grease-resistant paper is sold locally, and what you get depends on where you are and which shelf you buy it from.
- In kitchens, especially in India, Pakistan and other parts of South Asia, butter paper usually means greaseproof paper or baking paper: a thin sheet used to line cake tins, wrap sandwiches and rolls, and keep oily snacks from soaking through.
- Some products sold as butter paper are silicone-coated baking paper, effectively the same thing Americans call parchment paper.
- Others are plain greaseproof paper, which resists oil because of how densely it is made but may not be as nonstick as coated parchment.
- In stationery and art shops, butter paper often means translucent tracing paper used for drawing and drafting. That is not a food product and should not be used for cooking or wrapping food.
So when you see butter paper in a recipe or a shop, the name alone doesn't tell you much. What matters is what the packaging says the paper is for.
What wax paper is
Wax paper is easier to pin down. It is thin paper coated with wax, traditionally paraffin and in some products soy or another plant wax. The coating makes it moisture-resistant and nonstick at room temperature, which is why it is popular for wrapping food, lining counters and separating layers in the fridge or freezer.
The wax is not heat-resistant. It can melt onto food and pans in the oven, and the paper can smoke or burn, so wax paper stays out of hot ovens, air fryers and anywhere near direct heat. Our guide on whether you can put wax paper in the oven goes into why.
Butter paper vs wax paper side by side
| Butter paper (kitchen use) | Wax paper | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Usually greaseproof or baking paper; varies by product | Paper coated with paraffin or soy wax |
| How it resists grease | Dense paper, sometimes a silicone coating | Wax coating |
| Oven | Only if the packaging says it is oven-safe | No |
| Nonstick when hot | Yes if silicone-coated; plain greaseproof may need greasing | No; the wax melts |
| Fridge and freezer | Yes | Yes |
| Wrapping food | Yes | Yes |
| Name is consistent | No; can also mean tracing paper | Yes |
If a roll is just labeled "butter paper" with no other details, don't assume it is oven-safe. Look for words like "baking paper", "oven-safe" or a maximum temperature, and make sure it is sold for food use.
Which one should you use?
Pick by the job, not the name on the roll:
- Baking, roasting or lining a cake tin: use a paper sold as baking paper or parchment with an oven temperature rating. If that's what your butter paper is, it will work. Wax paper won't.
- Wrapping sandwiches, rotis, wraps or burgers to eat soon: either works. Greaseproof butter paper is good at stopping oil soaking through; wax paper is good at holding in moisture.
- Rolling out dough, setting chocolate or lining the counter: either works.
- Separating layers in the freezer: either works.
- Following a recipe from another country: when a recipe says "butter paper" for baking, it almost always means baking paper or parchment, not wax paper.
For the US names behind all of this, see wax paper vs parchment paper, our greaseproof paper guide, and butcher paper vs parchment paper if you are wrapping meat or barbecue.
Wrapping paper for restaurants and food trucks
Whatever a region calls it, the cold-side jobs are the same everywhere food is sold: wrapping a burger, sub or kati roll so it holds together, lining a basket under fries, and keeping grease off customers' hands. Printing that sheet with your logo is an easy way to brand food that leaves the counter.
Avco makes printed, food-safe wrapping sheets from greaseproof paper for these uses. Choose custom deli paper, custom wax paper, burrito and sandwich wrap paper or biodegradable wax paper in sizes from 6x6 to 14x18 inches on white or kraft. Sheets are packed 400 to a bundle with a 5-bundle minimum, and low-minimum wax paper starts at one bundle for runs under 2,000 sheets. Artwork setup is a one-time $75, the digital proof is free, and production is in the USA. See everything under custom food paper. These sheets are for wrapping and lining, not for baking.
Frequently asked questions
- Is butter paper the same as wax paper?
- No. Wax paper is always coated with wax and is meant for cold use. Kitchen butter paper is usually greaseproof or baking paper, which has no wax coating and, if labeled for baking, can go in the oven. They overlap only for cold jobs like wrapping food and lining counters.
- Is butter paper the same as parchment paper?
- Often, but not always. Butter paper sold as baking paper is usually silicone-coated and works like parchment. Butter paper that is plain greaseproof paper may be less nonstick, and butter paper from a stationery shop is tracing paper, which is not for food. Read the packaging.
- Can butter paper go in the oven?
- Only if the packaging says it is oven-safe or gives a maximum baking temperature. Many kitchen butter papers are made for baking, but because the name covers several products, the label is the only reliable guide.
- Can I use wax paper instead of butter paper for baking?
- No. Wax paper's coating melts in the oven and the paper can smoke or burn. If a recipe calls for butter paper in the oven, use parchment or baking paper instead.
- What is butter paper called in the US?
- For kitchen use, the closest US equivalents are parchment paper (also sold as baking paper) and greaseproof paper. For drawing, the US term is tracing paper.