Looking to bake a dessert or casserole and need a dish that holds 3 quarts? Exactly how big is a 3 quart baking dish and how much does it hold? Read on to find out!
3 Quart Baking Dishes
For me, the moment the air crisps and the leaves start to change signals the official start of baking season.
There is nothing more comforting and cozy than a day spent at home baking. Though there is a special place in my heart for cooking, baking brings back so many great memories.
Baking is also a fun change of pace from cooking because, with cooking, it is often easy to experiment with new flavors and ingredients, but with baking, there is an exact science to it. You need to be exact with certain measurements, baking time, and know how ingredients interact, otherwise, the results could be disastrous.
One element of cooking that often trips people up, myself included, is dish sizes. Usually, baking dishes are referred to by their dimensions, when really, the important measurement is volume, or how much the pan holds. Though dimensions play into calculating the volume of a baking dish, different dimensions can still add up to the same volume.
Baking Pan Sizes
One of the most common sizes of baking pans is the 3 quart baking dish. It’s also known as a 3-quart casserole dish.
The 3-quart dish refers to the volume the dish can hold. But as we’ve learned, a 3-quart dish can come in various sizes. Think square pan, bundt pan, pie plates, a springform pan, and various specialty pans.
This guide will outline which baking dishes hold 3 quarts of volume so that next time you’re in the kitchen baking, you will have the right size dish.
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Is a 9×13 pan 3 quarts?
To determine the volume of a dish, three measurements are important: length, width, and height. 3 quarts is equal to 12 cups or 96 fluid ounces.
If a pan is 9×13, that refers to the length and width. In order for a 9×13 baking pan to hold 3 quarts, it would have to have a height of at least 2 inches.
A 9×13 pan that holds three quarts may also be written as 9x13x2 to include the height of the pan.
What is a 3 quart baking dish equivalent?
A 9x13x2 rectangular casserole pan holds 3 quarts of liquid.
If you don’t have a 9x13x2 inch pan, there are several other pans that can hold 3 quarts of volume.
Here are some substitutes for the 9x13x2 inch pan that can hold 3 quarts of volume:
- Two 9-inch round pans
- Two 8-inch square cake pan
- A 3-quart dutch oven
What are the dimensions of a 3 quart pan?
There are many different dimensions of pans that can hold 3 quarts in volume. The most called-for dish is the 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan.
Other pans that hold 3 quarts of liquid volume include:
- two 9-inch round cake pans
- two 8-inch square cake pans
- 3-quart dutch ovens
- 10x6x4 loaf pans
What size is a 3 quart Pyrex?
In my home, Pyrex baking dishes are a kitchen essential.
They are durable glass casserole dishes. Since they are made of glass, they are dishwasher, refrigerator, microwave, and oven safe, so I can use them in so many ways! The glass is also so easy to clean and doesn’t stain.
In addition to the ease of cleaning, Pyrex dishes also come with plastic lids making them perfect for food storage! I love making casseroles in Pyrex dishes because I can make them ahead of time, refrigerate them, bake them, serve them, and store leftovers all in one dish.
Pyrex dishes come in many shapes and sizes, but the standard 3 quart Pyrex is 9×13 inches. The 9×13 dish is a 3 quart glass oblong baking dish perfect for casseroles, desserts, sheet cakes, and so much more!
How many people does a 3-quart pan serve?
Another great thing about a 3 quart baking dish is that it can easily serve the entire family. From casseroles, to lasagna, to cake, to other desserts, there are endless foods you can prepare in a 3-quart dish.
How many people one dish will serve depends on what you are baking. For an entree or main dish, a single 3-quart dish will serve about 10-12 people.
If you are serving a side dish, a 3-quart dish will serve many more people–probably around 20 or more–since side dishes have small serving sizes.
Desserts baked in a 3-quart baking dish will also serve about 20 people because, again, dessert portions tend to be smaller than entree portions.
Serving 10-12 portions of an entree may seem like a lot, but the great thing about dishes baked in 3 quart pans is that they generally make for great leftovers. A meal made in a 3-quart dish can easily serve a family of four for two nights.
If you live alone and are into meal prepping or want to get into it, a meal made in a 3-quart dish can easily last an entire week.
Craving More Casseroles?
If you love this recipe as much as I do, pin this to your favorite casserole Pinterest board and share it on your favorite social media channels!
Whether you are preparing for a party or baking casseroles for a week’s worth of meals, a 3-quart baking dish is the perfect size for a vast variety of your baking needs. Three-quart dishes also come in a variety of shapes and sizes that are sure to cater to whatever occasion you stumble upon.
No matter what baking adventure you’re embarking on, this guide will help you find the perfect size dish for your quest.
My Favorite Dishes
Pyrex Glass 9x13x2 Oblong Dish
Casserole Dish with Lid (dishwasher safe, microwave safe)
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