Best High Altitude Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

So if you live at high altitude, then this is the best high altitude chocolate chip cookies recipe I know of. And if you don’t? It still is one of the best chocolate chip cookie recipes around!

Finding a good cookie recipe is worth its weight in gold.

I love all cookies, but a chocolate chip cookie recipe is my fave.

My mom used to bake the ones on the back of the Nestles Toll House bag and we devoured them like all children would.

But as I grew up and malls came into existence, I quickly discovered Mrs. Fields.

I would have love to grown up next door to Mrs. Fields!

But alas I didn’t, though I quickly discovered that chocolate chip cookies didn’t have to be flat and crispy.

In my opinion, the best chocolate chip cookies are loaded with chocolate chips.

And they become chewy chocolate chip cookies with brown sugar that makes them almost caramelly.

I’ve made lots of chocolate chip cookies and I love each one, but this recipe is perfect for high altitude bakers-or not-and works great at sea level or higher.

This chewy cookie is one great recipe if your cookie description is similar to mine.

6 things that make this basic cookie recipe a bit different than the classic chocolate chip cookie recipe:

For starters, these chocolate chip cookies bake at 400 degrees.

Unlike the other favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, these delicious cookies contain melted butter.

No white sugar in these. Just brown sugar and vanilla extract and large eggs.

They contain more salt.

And what makes these perfect for high altitude baking?

This high altitude chocolate chip cookies recipe contains no leavening of any kind.

No baking soda or baking powder. So no worries about high elevation.

These cookies also contain plenty of chocolate. Not just one bag of chips, but 14 ounces!

Yes, that little bit does make a difference. And if you really want them over the top, chop some of your own chocolate to add in, besides just chocolate chips.

Just take a sharp chef’s knife and slice the chocolate on the diagonal into shards.

I use the Trader Joes dark chocolate bar. Chop the shards up a bit if you need to, but usually they come out the perfect size.

For best results this cookie dough should be chilled overnight or even a couple days.

Bummer, huh? Just try to keep yourself away from the cookie dough.

Cookie dough becomes better flavored and hydrated when left in the fridge.

I left mine a few days and so much the better.

This recipe absolutely requires chilling, so don’t think you can skip this step.

Besides most cookie recipes turn out Way Better if chilled and especially if baking at high altitude.

They don’t spread and turn into flat cookies if you chill them.

So let’s get started with the best high altitude chocolate chip cookies recipe:

Begin by melting the unsalted butter. Let it cool all the way! It doesn’t have to solidify but it should not be warm at all.

In a stand mixer combine the melted butter with the brown sugar and beat until well incorporated and the mixture looks a bit like thin, creamy peanut butter.

Add the room temperature egg and the egg yolk, vanilla extract and beat until creamy.

Combine flour with 1 teaspoon salt and add the dry ingredients on low speed to the large bowl.

Stir in the chocolate chips and the chopped chocolate and some nuts if you like, and then cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

Place the chocolate chip cookie dough in the refrigerator for as long as you can stand it.

Line your baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat pad and preheat the oven.

Roll the cookie dough into dough balls and place on the cookie sheet.

I place 18 balls on each sheet in rows of 4/3/4/3/4 with the second and 4th row being spaced in the empty space from the row before it.

Hope that makes sense!

Do not press down on the dough or you won’t have thick cookies.

Bake about 10 to 12 minutes. I like the bottoms golden brown and as the butter inches out the bottoms become crispy and the interiors stay chewy.

Cool on a wire rack and store in an air tight container or a giant zip lock bag.

These cookies will last a few days or they can be frozen.

I don’t know if this is the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe but it sure is one of our favorite cookie recipes.

At a higher altitude there are so many things one can do to improve on their baking.

What I love about this chocolate chip cookie recipe is that it works here and even in Philly!

These are great cookies!

Though I don’t know if this same principle would work with all cookie recipes I guess I might have to try it.

If you aren’t baking these delcious cookies then my best tip for baking cookies at high altitude locations is merely to cut the leavening in half.

And chill-chill your cookie dough.

Both of those tips make a huge difference if you are having issues!

Here in Denver it is snowing and I wish that I had some warm cookies to dive into.

But I gave them all away to celebrate the birth of a new baby.

And really what can be better than homebaked high altitude chocolate chip cookies to welcome a new babe into the world!

Need Some More?

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Walnuts

Loaded Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chewy Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have already posted this recipe in this post, but felt it was time to update it to a high altitude cookie recipe!

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