Bake up the perfect batch of cookies no matter where you are with a tried-and-tested recipe for the best High Altitude Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Baking at a high altitude can be pretty tricky and can lead to cupcakes that fail to rise or cookies that are rock-hard. I’ve spent more than 20 holiday seasons in the mountains of Colorado at nearly 8,000 feet, which has given me ample time to tinker with every component of this classic dessert to create a reliable recipe for High Altitude Chocolate Chip Cookies that are soft, tender and quick to whip up.
What Is Considered High Altitude Baking?
Roughly 3,500 feet above sea level is when baking recipes need to be tweaked to account for high altitude conditions. The higher you are, the less air pressure there is, and this change impacts the way various elements within a recipe interact.
How Do You Adjust Baking for High Altitude?
Several modifications need to be made to the traditional ratio of cookie ingredients in order to ensure the cookies rise and maintain their soft, fluffy texture at any altitude.
- Decrease the baking time slightly
- Decrease the amount of sugar
- Increase the flour
- Increase the liquid
I have already made all of the necessary adjustments in this recipe to guarantee your cookies turn out perfectly, batch after batch. Just like a basic cookie recipe, you can customize these with any variety of nuts, dried fruits or different types of chocolate.
What’s the Best Chocolate for High Altitude Chocolate Chip Cookies?
My favorite chocolate mix-in is a combination of semisweet chocolate chips and bittersweet chocolate chunks. This duo leads to the perfect balance of sweetness and results in a flavor home run.
Just like classic chocolate chip cookies, this high altitude variation can be frozen either in the baked or unbaked stage. If you’re baking them from the frozen state, decrease the oven temperature by 25° in order to account for the slightly longer time they’ll need to fully bake.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition, then beat in the vanilla extract.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add the mixture to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined then beat in the chocolate chips.
- Using a small ice cream scoop or two spoons, scoop 2-tablespoon portions of the dough onto the lined baking sheets, spacing the mounds at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake until the cookies are just set in the centers and slightly crispy around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.
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Chewy, soft and yummy, but still flat as a pancake. Maybe because I’m above 7,000ft, which is pretty high. I also noticed no baking powder, think that addition would help? Thanks
I have lived at 4300 ft for 44 years and my chocolate chip cookies were pretty awful.Although they may taste less sweet than commercial cookies they make up for it in being much chewier.Thanks so much
So glad you’re enjoying the recipe, MaryEllen!
They are so good and perfect me and my siblings! Thank you!!
Thrilled you all enjoyed them!
Made these yesterday & my family loved them!! Making again today!! Thanks for this recipe.. I’m from Denver, CO so I needed this recipe!!
Do you have a high altitude peanut butter cookie recipe??
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Virginia! I will add a peanut butter version to my recipe development list!
These taste delicious. This will be my go to cookie recipe for the family!
Thrilled to read this, Tiffany!
Made these very good cookies tonight. Used a small scoop, I did add corn starch with my flour. Came out very golden color, soft,moist and delish. I am at 7345 ft. Thanks for the recipe.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Karen!
How much corn starch? Mine were still flat.
These are amazing, I wrote the recipe down immediately after trying! I’ve tried a couple other high altitude recipes and this is it. My husband agrees, I can hear him open the jar throughout the day
I’m so glad you’re enjoying it, Jenna!
These cookies are perfect! Thank you for this high-altitude recipe that takes the guesswork (and fear) out of baking at 8,000 feet. FYI, I doubled the chocolate chip quantity. And the medium size cookies I made yielded about five dozen. Thanks again.
Thrilled you enjoyed it, Molly!
I used to use another High Altitude Chocolate Chip recipe, however wasn’t 100% satisfied. I tried this one and perfect cookies everytime. People at work are jealous. I do share the recipe!
So thrilled to read this, Claudia!
Finally a recipe that actually works! So good and fluffy every time!
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoy the recipe, Amber!
I’m at 10k feet and I definitely had to add some flour to the cookies but this is a great recipe! Thank you!
I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe, Carrie!
The best chocolate chips I have made since my move to high altitude! Thanks
I’m so happy to hear that you’ve been enjoying the recipe, Barb!
Are these tender or sturdy cookies? In other words, would they stand up ok in the mail without a lot of fuss.
Hi Carol! It depends on how you package them but they should travel well in the mail!
My husband could not stay away from these cookies. Easy to make and they turned out absolutely perfect. Thank you for a great recipe for Denver altitude.
You are so welcome, Sheila! I’m thrilled you and your husband enjoyed the cookies!
So easy and so great! The first I have found since we moved to a higher altitude that taste like my old ones!
Delicious! I live south of the Colorado Springs elevation 6860ft. Perfect cookies
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the cookies, Tamyra!
Fantastic. Best cookies I’ve ever tasted!! Followed recipe at 5280 ft.
Amazing! I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Renee!
Turns out fluffy and moist every time.
I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying the recipe, Katie!
My cookies were delicious, but still pretty flat. What am I doing wrong??
Hi Makenzie! What altitude are you baking them at? And did you confirm your leavener is fresh?
Worked perfectly in Colorado at 5280ft! Thank you, they are delicious!
Woohoo! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Kim!
Kelly,
For the 8 years I have lived in Colorado Springs at 7,000 ft., I have had to adjust practically every cake and cookie recipe. I have finally figured out the measurements you offered today. It is the first time I have seen a chef offer these. Your changes really do work, especially that shortened baking time. I hope that your readers will make note of your suggesting. So grateful to you, and happy holidays.
Thank you so much for your note, Nancy! I’m so happy you’ve been enjoying Just a Taste. Happy holidays!
I have made this recipe twice and absolutely love the way they turned out each time. Soft, tasty, AND NOT FLAT
Woohoo! I’m so thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe, Cory!
My favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe ever…I don’t use any others not. At 5,500 ft elevation, they stay mounded. I do add more chocolate chips than the recipe calls for, about another 1/2 cup b/c I love a little more chocolate.
Woohoo! I’m so happy you’ve been enjoying the recipe, Lisa!
Good cookies. Had to bake at 350 instead of 325. They cooked faster at 350. Cooked 350 for 10min and were
Perfect
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe, Ann!
We live at a high elevation in Utah and I finally found a cookie recipe that tastes great and isn’t completely flat. Yum!
Woohoo! I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Tricia!
I live in Colorado an DC must follow high altitude recipes. This chocolate chip cookie recipe I’d divine. I wish I didn’t love these cookies so much! Double batch all the time. I give them away so I don’t eat dozens of them.
I’m so thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe, Kathryn!
Amazing! Thank you for this recipe!
You are so welcome, Tonja! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe!
Excellent! Simple recipe and works perfectly at one mile elevation. My family descended upon the cookies like a pack of ravenous wolves. My children and husband enthusiastically approve.
The texture is crunchy and soft. Perfect. They look pretty, too.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Can this recipe be cut in half without affecting the outcome?
That should work, Lucy!
The absolute best chocolate chip cookie ever!!!!!! Thank you, I finally can enjoy a great cookie again at high altitude. 5000 ft. In Albuquerque New Mexico
Woohoo! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Bonnie!
Finally a Chocolate Chip cookie that doesn’t come out like a pancake. Thank you so much! My husband is in heaven. I haven’t made cookies in so many years. Next week I’m going to try your high altitude carrot cake. All my cakes sink in the middle. #6200altitude
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the cookies, Sophia!
These cookies are awesome! I have had success with another recipe at sea level many times – people tell me they’re addictive!- but have struggled since recently moving to Colorado Springs. This recipe was the answer for high-altitude baking. Thank you!
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Christina!
Yay finally not a flat chocolate cookie recipe. I live at 6,200 ft and this worked. Thanks!
You are so welcome, Mik!
Love these with chopped walnuts.
Yum! Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Beatrice!