Jelly roll pans are baking pans that have 1-inch high sides. They differ from the standard baking pan or sheet because of the raised sides. The side of the jelly roll pan is typically 1 inch deep which is very practical in various baking and cooking needs. Some generic cooking or baking pans are referred to as sheets because they are almost always flat. Some have raised sides or lips for better food-handling but none of them have the 1-inch sides that are present in a jelly roll pan. As its name suggests, jelly roll pans are originally designed for baking cake rolls or jelly rolls. The raised sides make it easier for bakers to handle the cake dough and roll it in the center. The 1-inch deep pan basically helps prevent spilling of the dough on the sides resulting to an easier roll for the cake.

Aside from cake rolls, jelly roll pans are also used and preferred by bakers in making cookies. Standard flat baking sheets can also be used but the raised sides of jelly roll pans literally prevent the cookie dough from slippage or sliding. The 1-inch sides are especially helpful when getting the cookies out of the oven. If the pans are flat, some cookies may slide off to the sides and fall to the floor. This unfortunate baking incident is basically prevented with the use of jelly roll pans.

Vegetable roasting may also be done using jelly roll pans. The basic idea of using the jelly roll pan is to prevent vegetable pieces from sliding off to the sides during preparation and cooking. The raised sides of jelly roll pans provide usefulness and practicality to baking and cooking. Jelly roll pans may also be used for roasting meat items with minimal sauce. The 1-inch pan will be enough to hold some liquid or sauce to meat dishes that may also have juice in them.