Perfectly Puffy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Because you can never have enough chocolate chip cookie recipes, I bring you Perfectly Puffy Chocolate Chip Cookies. A little cake like and perfectly dense, these chocolate chip cookies have quickly become a favorite at Casa de Mountain Mama.
You know what I love? Chocolate Chip Cookies. I like them crispy and flat, fluffy and cake like, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, with nuts, without nuts, made into bars and sticks (yes, sticks!), baked into a skillet and everything in-between.
YOUR FAVORITE TYPE OF CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE
I have a ton of chocolate chip cookie/bar recipes on the blog and for good reason. They seem to be everyone’s favorite, you know? While I’m not all that particular when it comes to chocolate chip cookies (can you tell?), my husband is firmly in the camp of thin and crispy- light on the chocolate chips, please. I really don’t discriminate when it comes to the iconic cookie unless it’s a crappy, store bought, full-of-fake-ingredient kind of chocolate chip cookie. Then, I’ll pass. Otherwise bring me a hot cup of milky tea and all the cookies.
HOW TO MAKE PUFFY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
These particular cookies are exactly as I call them- puffy. They’re a little more cake like and not as caramel-y as a traditional chocolate chip cookie. It’s all in the method. This recipe is great because you don’t need to let the butter come to room temperature first- you microwave it just so that it’s slightly melty. These have a little more flour than a traditional cookie and the result is delicious. They’re sort of pudding like. But not in a weird way. 🙂
TIPS FOR FREEZING CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
I always double a cookie recipe whenever I’m baking because that’s just how I roll. More cookies = better, right? Here are my best tips for freezings the extras!
– Make sure cookies are completely cool before putting in airtight bag and freezing.
– Don’t microwave the baked, frozen cookies- they’ll come to room temperature in minutes.
– If you decide to freeze the cookie dough (my preferred method), freeze the cookie dough balls on a cookie sheet in the freezer for an hour or so before transferring the cookie dough balls to an airtight baggie. Make sure to line the cookie sheet with parchment first!
– When baking frozen cookie dough, simply add 1-2 minutes of baking time.
TIPS FOR MAKING COOKIES AT HIGH ALTITUDE
This particular recipe has already been modified for high altitude but I get so many emails asking how to modify recipes for high altitude, I thought I’d give you my best tips for adjusting cookie recipes for high altitude!
– reduce the sugar by a few tablespoons.
– decrease the baking soda/powder by 1/4 teaspoon per 1 full teaspoon.
– increase the flour by a tablespoon or two.
I always think cookies take a little bit longer the higher in altitude you go so try adding 1 minute and go from there!
photos by Deborah Dekoff/ recipe by Mountain Mama Cooks
PrintPerfectly Puffy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yield: 16 cookies 1x
Yield:
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A perfectly puffy chocolate chip recipe that has been modified to work at high altitude.
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons salted butter (one stick)
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- 2/3 cup your favorite chocolate chips (I like semi-sweet)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
- In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
- In a glass bowl, microwave the butter for about 40 seconds to just barely melt it. It shouldn’t be hot – but it should well on it’s way to liquid form; remove from microwave.
- Using a stand mixer, beat the melted butter with both sugars until creamy about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and the egg; beat on low speed until just incorporated.
- Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until a soft dough forms. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand with a large wooden or similar sturdy spoon.
- Roll the dough into 16 largish balls and divide between two cookie sheets that have been lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes until the cookies look puffy and just barely golden. Take care not to over bake the cookies as they’ll continue to bake as they cool on the pan. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet before removing.
- Store cookies in an airtight container on the counter or in the fridge- they’re my favorite when just chilled! The cookies also freeze beautifully.
159 Comments
It’s easy to turn down a store-bought packaged cc cookie. But homemade with love–give me 10, right now.
You seem to have a good perspective on being healthy! Looks yummy!
I try! I play by the 80/20 rule. Thanks for the comment!
Hey girl–always looking for a great chocolate chip cookie recipe. Made these a couple days ago. Hands down best recipe for chocolate chip cookies! Thanks!!!!
So glad you liked them. We couldn’t get enough!!
I’ve made these twice – came out perfectly. Everyone loves these soft-batch delicious cookies. Thank you.
We loved these cookies!! No surprise though because we love all of your high altitude desserts 🙂
Anxious to make! (typo in #7 BTW)
is there an adaption to the recipe for at sea level ovens
Try decreasing the flour by a few tablespoons + increasing the sugar by 1-2 tablespoons.
I used this recipe to fine tune my finicky high altitude baking. Thank you!! I have found a few changes (chilling dough, only using real butter, etc) make huge differences in the altitude!
I have finally had chocolate chip cookie success at altitude. My husband is thrilled.
Yes! I’m so happy. Enjoy the cookies and thanks for leaving a comment. Happy baking!!
I thought I would mention one change I would make. I live at 9,650 in a Breckenridge. I use half butter and half butter flavored Frisco.
*Crisco I presume.
Kelley- these are a delicious, beautiful looking, no fail, cookie to make when living the high altitude life in MT! Thanks for taking all the guess work out of my baking!
You’re so welcome. Glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for leaving a comment! Happy baking!!
You have been a life safer since I moved to Ecuador, and where I live the altitude is 8600 feet. Who knew boiling eggs would be affected by altitude? But, all of my cookies spread and are greasy. Even this recipe. So disappointed. They taste delicious, but flat. So any suggestions? Could I add more flour? Help!!
Sandi
Baking at altitude gets more fickle the higher you go! At 8600 feet, I would increase the flour by a few tablespoons and decrease the leavening by 1/8th of a teaspoon and see how that works!
These were SO fantastic!! Baking at altitude is always a scary guessing game for me- full of crossed fingers, overflowing cake pans and of course, ultimately, baked goods with that signature “sink hole” look to them. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes- Thank You!!
You’re SO welcome! I hope I can take some of the guess work out of high altitude baking for you!! Glad you enjoyed the cookies!
Success! I tried your suggestions and the result perfect cookies! Thanks
I just want to say thank you!! I have had so much trouble with my baking since moving to Colorado. You have solved all my issues. Your cookies turned out perfectly!!! You are a life saver!!
So glad you like them. Enjoy!!!
I made these at 6000 feet near Denver and they’re perfect. These and your website will be my go-to. I’ve made many a flat cookie here. These were beautiful and I added craisens with the chocolate chips.
wow. First recipe that I didn’t need to change. chocolate chip cookies have been the most difficult for me since moving to altitude. thanks for providing such an easy (and delicious) recipe!
You may have to change your recipe title to “No-fail, interchangable high altitude cookies”
Currently @ (7,500)ft
I had many odds against me.
Only made cookies from scratch once in my life (in NY)
No baking soda (used baking powder substitution ratio)
no brown sugar (made some concoction with sugar & honey.. bc.. no molasses )
No vanilla extract..Only powder vanilla
No butter, used margarine (less amount)
No choc chips (broke chocbar into pieces
No parchment paper (greased pan)
Not even a tempurature knob on the oven! (Guessing game)
I followed all the directions working with what I got .
And wow! They still came out great
To give them a brown color, I put them under the broiler for a little. But that flattened them out just a tad.
Still good though!
2nd oven batch i didn’t bother with browning them under broiler and they came out puffy like in your pictures 🙂
I don’t know if all those changes makes it a different recipe but I wanted to thankyou for making it so easy to make cookies right the 1st time without having to experience a failed high altitude bake-venture
These worked perfectly at Denver’s elevation! Everything this expecting mama was hoping for in the cookie craving.
I was a little nervous because my butter melted to liquid, but these still turned out amazing! Perfectly puffy is a perfect description for them. Came out just right baked for 11min at 6000’ elevation – made 24 mini cookies instead of 16 larger.
These cookies came out perfect, just like the name. This is the first time I’ve ever made cookies and had the yield come out as written in the recipe…I made a double batch to take with me to a work function. I’m a little worried I didn’t make enough as my 4 year old daughter keeps stealing them off the counter where they are cooling.
what?! these cookies are amazing! I’ve tried other high-altitude recipe variations but these take the cake. Thank you so much. I was so sick of having flat, ugly cookies. I’m at about 5000 feet.
I’m so glad! Enjoy!!
These are perfect. Just made them for the first time two days ago and making them again today. Have you ever made a modification for oatmeal cookies?
Dear Kelley,
how much ml contains the cup your using for your recipes? The same question for the tablespoon. I noticed (thanks to wikipedia) that this could vary a lot between different countries. Perhaps you could write this in your faqs too for international readers?
At least I think large eggs should be the same around the world, only if the chicken is some kind of not normal-enormous, so would the eggs I suggest
My family & I are on a ranch in NM along the continental devide, almost 8000 ft. These cookies turned out amazing!!! Just like your pics!! Thank you!!! Thank you!!! Hubby says best he’s ever had and he is hard to please! Lol
Awesome! That’s what I like to hear. Glad you liked them and thanks for leaving a comment!!
Hello neighbor! I am in Layton, Utah. After 2 and a half years here, FINALLY! A recipe that doesn’t fall flat on me! I am so happy to have found this. Thank you! They’re perfect!
Hearing this never gets old!!! So glad you have a trusted chocolate chip cookie recipe now!
These are amazing! Please tell me you have a high altitude oatmeal cookie recipe that is as delicious as this one!
Will these work as a pazookie? Have loved making these as a cookie – the ONLY one that works for me in Colorado, but wanting to try a cast-iron pazookie tomorrow!
I’ve never tried it but I don’t see why not! I’d add a few minutes of cooking time and keep an eye on them!
Eureka! I have (well you have) found it! The first of many cookie recipes that did not spread at 5600 ft in Ajijic, Mexico. I did increase the flour to 2 cups, but I bet even as called for they still would be perfect. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. I made a triple batch after the first sheet came out.
Yay! I’m so happy that worked out for you!!
I moved to denver 8 months ago and I didn’t know about high altitude baking. Geeze I’m a New York girl. So thank you so much. This is just what I needed.
sounds like i had the same problems as many a baker…. at 7000ft i basically wanted to give up baking, as substituting didn’t always seem to work quite right. i haven’t baked cookies in 2.5 years for fear of the dreaded flat, lousy looking cookie. I SHALL FEAR NO MORE! thank you SO much for this wonderful recipe, they turned out perfectly with some time adjusting for my oven. i am no longer a non-cookie baker, thank goodness, as they’re my favorite thing on the planet to bake. thank you sincerely for sharing this recipe!
Yay!!! So many of my recipes have been adjusted for high altitude so be sure to try some of the other recipes too!
oh i will for sure – thanks again!
This has become a family favorite since we moved to high altitude. I’m relearning how to bake. Thanks for some great recipes.
8,000 ft here in Wyoming, I was really skeptical trying this because I’ve tried multiple recipes and they always turn out flat and a bit greasy (yet still good) but these are really freakin good! They’re fluffy and yummy! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Yay! So happy they worked for you!
Finally a Colorado native has made yummy Chocolate chip cookies! Thanks so much!
I have been searching for a choc.chip cookie for years since we’ve moved to @6,000 ft. south of Denver, CO.
I just bit into one that came out of the oven and I say: HURRAY! I’VE FOUND IT!
I guess everyone has various likes in their CCC, but this is mine. Thank you!
Without a doubt, the best cookie recipe I’ve ever found! Living at altitude is a challenge for baking and I’ve tried so many cookie recipes over the years, but this one is perfect as is. No mods needed. You won’t be disappointed. So glad I found this blog 🙂
Yay! Thank you for the high praises! xo
These might be the best cookies I’ve ever made! I was a bit worried because the dough was a bit crumbly before baking but I followed the recipe exactly and these turned out AMAZING! Thank you!
OMG more than amazing cookies …. gracias!
OMG more than amazing cookies … gracias
Had some trouble with this recipe at 5400 ft. First question is regarding the butter. At 40 seconds in the microwave the butter was liquid. Not really hot but should it be completely melted. The finished dough was crumbly. It had to work hard to shape the balls and push the chips in because they would not not incorporate into the dough. Second question is regarding the dryness. Should I try reducing the flour a bit. Final result is hard to assess. They did not spread very much, maybe because dough too dry.
Did you use room temperature butter or butter from the fridge when you microwaved it? It should just barely be starting to melt. Really soft but not melted.
My guess is you might have added too much flour. As you can see, these cookies have been made and reviewed by many and have great results. Could you have accidentally added too much flour?
Yay! I’ve lived at sea level my whole life and recently moved to 6500 feet. I was ready to give up on chocolate chip cookies and then I found this recipe. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
You are so welcome!!
I just moved to Colorado from California and I knew that baking at a higher altitude would be challenging. I’ve been baking for many years, but never at above sea level.
I just made your chocolate chip cookie recipe and I absolutely love it. I doubled your recipe, mixed in a chopped semi-sweet chocolate bar and a handful of chocolate chips. Instead of rolling the dough, I used a scoop and they were absolutely delicious! They remind me of the ones they sell at Disneyland with white chocolate chips and raspberries. Definitely will bookmark your site and recipes.
Thanks for sharing!
Awesome!!! Thanks for the kind comment!
Dough turned out well in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The chips don’t stick within the dough so I had to make sure they were buried. I am going to double recipe this time. The kids ate them all instantaneously. Thanks for the recipe!
Great! Thank you!
The dough is super yummy, and the cookies even spread out well in Colorado. Great high altitude recipe, I brought some up skiing and they were still just as great!
Cookies make the best ski pocket snacks!
Delicious! Have made them again and again since moving to Albuquerque – 5,300 ft. Thank you!
Yummy! Turned out great!
These work well in high altitude… this is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe for high elevation… I cooked it for ten minutes and let it sit for 5 minutes on the pan… after I put it on a cooling rack and let them cool for another ten minutes… thank u so much…
Thanks for your input. Glad you enjoyed them!!
I was about bake my dough but nocied its almost dry/crumbly. Still forms ball, but wondering if before baking I should do something about this. I would say it is about premade cookie dough consistency or a tad dryer. Any tips
It’s definitely a dryer cookie dough but I wouldn’t say that’s dry enough to be crumbly. How’d they turn out?
they came together pretty well actually and retained moisture and volume when cooling down! Awesome recipient 🙂
Do you think I could brown th butter and then cool it, only to bring to room temperature again? Browning the butter imparts a really wonderful flavor but I am worried about the spread.
These worked well at about 5,200 elevation. We loved the texture — chewy and not flat!!!!
We prefer a bit more of a caramel flavor, which means more brown sugar. Has anyone fiddled with the proportions of white and brown sugars? I’m a bit hesitant to screw with it and mess up the texture.
You could try browning the butter firs and then letting it sit until it gets that soft consistency. Play with the sugar, too. You could certainly increase the brown sugar (perhaps use dark) and decrease the white.
Hi Kelley. So I tried it with 1/2 c brown and 1/4 c white. We thought the flavor was more Carmel-y, which we liked. But alas, it was a flatter cookie. Part of it may be that the brown sugar readily available here (Mexico) is different. I will seek out the US-style brown sugar and try again. Thanks for your reply.
Thank you! This recipe worked perfectly in Colorado Springs.. This was my first time making chocolate chip cookies.
My sister and I live in Denver and LOVE this recipe! Thank you!
Thank you!!!!
What about NOT high altitude? I’m at about 1200′, not high but not sea level either
There are plenty of non high altitude recipes out there. I’m sure you can find a great one if you google puffy chocolate chip cookies. Most recipes are written for sea level.
Loved! Mixed with mnms and worked perfectly yet again. This is my go to cookie recipe in Colorado Springs
I live at 9,000ft and I have NEVER had cookies turn out so fluffy before! This recipe is wonderful! Thank you
I’d love to try this recipe. My daughter has a dairy allergy– do you have any suggestions on what to substitute for the butter?
I don’t, I’m sorry. You could try coconut oil…I guess.
I didn’t have butter on hand and used coconut oil. Perfection! The coconut oil works just as well.
Thank you Kelley!!!
Another outstanding recipe for all of us who live at an higher elevation. These cookies come together so fast and are delicious. I used semi-sweet mini chips and a cookie scoop and put them on the parchment paper to bake. I live in Northern AZ at 5500′. Thank you Kelley!
Thank you!!!! xo
Hi Kelly,
I could use a little help with short bread is it even possible up here? They come out of the oven like pancakes
Totally! It’s key to use cold butter, get the flour ratio right, and increase the oven temp a bit. I’ll bring you some!
Yippee!
I made these at altitude (Colorado Springs), substituting gluten free flour (Bob’s Red Mill) in a small countertop oven and they turned out beautifully- delicious and picture perfect puffy! Hard to tell they’re gluten free! Thank you for this fantastic recipe!
Perfect at 6500 feet. I chose 1/2 semi-sweet and 1/2 white chocolate chips. Next time, there will be nuts.
I’m the only one in my family that eats nuts in cookies so I often leave them out or I’m eating the whole batch of cookies on my own. A heaping 1/2 cup of walnut or pecan pieces would be delicious!
Absolutely perfect! I added no taste red food color for a Valentine’s Day look and they are amazing! So tall and yummy!
Thank you for sharing this high altitude recipe I’m at 8530 ft.
I made this recipe and I did four x at once. It was Max don’t do more than four times but with that said I have four adult kids grandkids and everybody just absolutely love them it beats any recipe taste wise and texture and it was just absolutely the best cookie I’ve made in 5 years since I’ve moved here. Flavor-wise Best I Ever Had thank you so much
Wow! 4x!!!! How did that all fit in your mixer?!
I live at just under 7300 ft and haven’t been able to make a good chocolate chip cookie. This one is amazing. So simple and delicious. Thank you!
PERFECT KITCHEN QUARANTINE COOKIE RECIPE!
There just aren’t enough stars for this recipe!
I don’t bake often (I love sweets too much!), but I always keep my larder fueled up with the basics in case of emergencies. Well, I would say a lockdown during a pandemic qualifies and since I like up in the Rockies and can walk several miles everyday, why not go for the comfort foods…particularly chocolate chip cookies.
When baking at high altitude (I’m at 8K ft), I’ve always been frustrated by the results of other recipes, so this one caught my eye. It was right up my alley! I’ve made it three times in the past three weeks and each batch was wonderful. It’s nearly foolproof. I call these little gems my “motivator bites” because I know if I am not putting in 4 miles pushing my dang 9-pound senior dog in his stroller up and down our neighborhood streets each day, I can’t have any cookies.
My twists:
– Used 3/4 (rounded) cups chocolate chips (there is NEVER too much chocolate!)
– Used dark brown sugar, not light
– Used vanilla bean paste instead of extract
– Baking them on a Silpat yielded perfectly (but not too perfect) shaped cookies.
Note – mine didn’t brown very much, they are a little blonder than the photos, so first time I baked just a little too long. 11 minutes was the perfect outside-crispy-inside-soft cookie. Also, they didn’t spread that much, but perhaps it was because I made them a tiny bit smaller. But dang they were (are) delicious.
(Sorry for the tome)
I live at almost 9000 feet and these were perfect!!! Thank you thank you thank you!! I didn’t microwave the butter because mine was already at room temperature… Excellent!!!!
I added 1 tsp of Almond Extract to my last batch… SO GOOD!!!
Looks like such a delicious cookie! I can’t wait to try. Thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you for this amazing recipe. My daughter made these this afternoon and it is the first time in 12 years of living at high altitude, 6900 ft, that we have had good homemade chocolate chip cookies! We had to bake them a minute or two longer than suggested but that is probably due to my oven being old and cranky.
Love this recipe so much! I live in Colorado and make these cookies way too frequently. Thanks for the foolproof high altitude recipe!
ALSO works super well with earth balance butter (dairy-free and soy-free)!
If there were more stars I would give you way more
Delicious! My bf kept commenting on how puffy and yummy they were! This will be a part of the recipe rotation for sure.
These are DELICIOUS! I love a good chocolate chip cookie and this is probably my fave so far!!
Dang girl!!!! These are THE BEST cookies! For high altitude especially! LOVE LOVE LOVE! Finally I’ve found an amazing recipe. My only complaint is the batch is too small . I doubled it to feel satisfied. Might even have to triple it in the future
“Mountain mama” inspired me to put on some John Denver and bake these cookies with the kids. Great way to spend the afternoon, great recipe!
Just made this recipe for the first time. These chocolate chip cookies are my new favorite! I didn’t think I would ever find a yummy high altitude cookie recipe, but this was it. When I heard “puffy” I was a bit worried because sometimes I relate that to dry, but it wasn’t at all. Thank you Mountain Mama!
I made these yesterday and followed the instructions to the T. The dough balls barely spread out and stayed super thick. We live at 6000 ft which is just a little above Denver. Not sure what went wrong. 🙁
Sounds like maybe you added too much flour. Measure correctly and if happens again, decrease the flour by 1/8th cup or so.
You’ve nailed it again!
Just moved to altitude last year and 17 choc chip cookie recipes later I found Mountain Mamas cookies. Thank you thank you thank you! I almost gave up!
Yay!! Finally, a cookie recipe that works for us! We moved a few months ago to a higher elevation and our beloved cookie recipe fell flat here. I’ve been searching for a recipe that is puffier and I found it. Thank you so much! My whole family is gobbling down cookies as I type.
All I have to say is…. THANK YOU! I teach Culinary Arts in Colorado and that subject has never been my favorite. I have always been the “sewer” FACS teacher not the cooking teacher. Throw in high altitude baking and I am really lost. This recipe was easy for my kids and also easy for me to teach. It almost a “no fail” recipe which is exactly what I needed. Thank you for this website and all your hard work. It is saving me!
I’m so glad to have found your page, and this recipe! We just moved from San Diego (0 ft elevation) to Colorado and I have been struggling to adapt to the altitude changes with baking. Not only was this recipe easy, but they are hands down the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve had. Thank you so much!
FINALLY!!! Where have you been? LOL. My family and I moved to Loveland, CO from San Francisco a year ago and it did not occur to me to search high altitude baking until now. I have been scared to bake here in Colorado with my favorite recipes but you’ve taken the fear away. It’s no longer a mystery. The cooking part I got, just basically add more liquid and time. I am really excited now. I can bake without the goods coming out dry!! Thank you Kelly!!!
This is possibly the most amazing cookie recipe I’ve ever tried! I’ve made these twice now! Appreciate your sharing!
Your recipes are my go to since I moved to Colorado. Thank you!!
This was my first real attempt at making baked goods since moving out to Colorado. Im not a baker but i had to put my kitchenaid mixer to work.These Cookies, fresh out of the oven, were some of the best I’ve ever had TBH. This floridian flatlander has been afraid of baking out here in high altitude too… I think I left them in a little too long though because they got harder once they cooled. Either way that was my mistake and Im super excited to try this recipe again; luckily I saved some of the dough and only ruined 7 cookies out of the whole batch.
I just stumbled upon this recipe last night. I had inspiration to make a Andes mint chocolate chip cookie but the recipe is for sea level. Being in Colorado means nothing baked right unless I modify. I used cut up Andes instead of chocolate chips. I froze them before I cut them so they’re in nice squares. This recipe turned out perfectly!
I have been searching for a better high altitude chocolate chip cookies and let me tell you, I have made some soupy disasters.
This recipe NAILED IT. Absolutely delicious. Chewy, nice shape. Amazing.
Made them today in Breckenridge at 9150 ft. Followed directions exactly and the doubled recipe turned out great, nicer shape and puffier than my other recipe that I make in Arizona in the winter. I trusted your recipe because the chocolate Bundt cake always turns out perfectly.
Made these again, assuring consistency, and results were another 5 star rating. You are now my go to for all things high altitude!
Delicious cookie! I baked mine at 350 degrees for 13 min and they were clearly under cooked. My oven is brand new and we checked it with a thermometer. We’re at 7000 ft so I don’t know what “high altitude” level is but next batch I’ll bake for 15 min @ 350.
From Utah all my cookies end up flat as a pancake. These are the best high elevation cookie recipe ever! They stay soft and fluffy, we use a cookie scoop and they are the best! Thanks for sharing! ❤️
I pride myself on my baking skills in general, and usually I bake to order for lack of a sweet tooth. One bite of anything and I’m good for some time. However, I still search for ones that I could like, and it’s rare that I find recipes with the taste and texture that I not only want the whole serving, but I cant seem to consume enough servings. This recipe as well as your brownie recipe have made my sweet tooth insatiable. Coming from a baker in a Colorado mountain town, I always look to Mountain Mamma first and foremost for any recipe I want to try.
LOVE all your recipes. I couldn’t bake in Colorado until I found your site. Many thanks.
Here’s a sweet tip: you can punch up the sweetness on any baked recipe with 10 drops of liquid stevia or monk fruit. Sometimes with this tip, I’ll cut down on the sugar but only when I don’t think it will affect the recipe consistency.
Thank you for figuring all this out and posting your recipes. <3
Made these tonight at 8,500 feet. Turned out great! Thanks!
Perfecting my chocolate chip cookies was one of my pandemic projects since I was spending more time at home. I tried a few other recipes and then someone told me about Mountain Mama’s cookies. I made these and never looked back. (Now I’ve tried several other Mountain Mama cookie recipes, too — we’ve loved them all!) Thanks so much!
Awe, thank you! That means everything!
My friends nicknamed me Mountain Mama years ago as a joke. So I had to try this recipe. My kids LOVED them and so did I! I will be making more. Best chocolate chip cookie we’ve ever had! Thank you so much
Andrea in Massachusetts!
LOVE this recipe, it has become my go-to for perfect cookies at 6,300ft. Last batch I made them I subbed in 1/2c dark chocolate chips and 1/2c heath bar pieces…so good! Thank you 🙂
Is it 1 and 3/4 cup flour or 1, 3/4 cup flour. I followed your recipe to the T and as I was making them I swore they weren’t right and should of went with my instinct and went with 3/4 cups. As this recipe did not turn out for me! The dough is dry and crumby again following it to a T. Very disappointing considering all the raves!
It’s 1 cup + 3/4 cup (@ 220 grams). Make sure you’re measuring the flour correctly. If you use too much flour the cookies will be crumbly and dry.
So good!!!! Living in Mexico City and my old favourite recipes haven’t been working well! Thank you!
From West Bend Wisconsin! Baking out here, Colorado Springs, has led to nothing but failure! That was until I found you! Beautiful cookies! Perfect everytime! Thank you for bringing joy back to baking!
Perfection! Thanks so much for your insights into high altitude baking for this Grandma from Portland, OR now in Colorado. The kids will have good expectations that Colorado cookies will be just as good as Oregon cookies. And in this recipe, even better! Looking forward to baking from more of your recipes! Satisfaction!!
I live at ~6,300 feet and these cookies came out nice and puffy.
Although I followed the recipe perfectly, I thought I had done something wrong because the dough became very crumbly when I was almost done adding the flour mixture. I had to knead the dough with my hands a bit for it to stick together. Wondering if this is expected? I wonder if reducing the flour a bit (maybe 1/4 cup) might help next time?
Still – the cookies came out nicely in the end so I’m glad to finally have baked some non sunken cookies at this altitude. Thanks for the recipe!
If the dough was crumbly, my best guess is you added too much flour. This dough shouldn’t be crumbly at all!
I live at 6200 feet and love it except when I want to bake. Nothing turns out like it should and did when I lived at lower altitudes. I now search for high altitude recipes when I bake and this one is a ten star recipe!
When I read that you just have to microwave an entire stick of butter rather than let it come to room temp I was all in. I started with 30 seconds and it was soft but I wanted to try for the full 40 seconds. With that extra 10 seconds half the butter was melted. Generally that has meant runny cookies for me. But I followed the recipe and guess what? The cookies were beyond perfect!
They were puffy and soft on the inside and had the right amount of crispiness on the outside! My daughter couldn’t get enough of them. She said they taste like cookie dough- and that’s a good thing. She loves cookie dough. My husband usually stops at one cookie and he ate two!
My cookies needed 11-12 minutes in the oven and I took them out when they still looked a tad undercooked.
This recipe is so simple to make with such a fantastic outcome that it will become my go-to cookie recipe now. Thank you Kelley for sharing!
Back to high altitude baking- it seems to me that things don’t brown on top. My cookies, bread, cinnamon rolls, etc don’t have that usual brown “done” look even when they’re cooked. They’re usually still raw looking so I always now have to be careful not to overbake.
This comment is completely true! I did the recipe (Keep in mind I’m at 5,200 FT) and it turned out absolutely amazing! These cookies were so good I accidentally ate the entire tray and had to make more for the rest of my family! I now make these cookies every weekend for the family! #blessed
My 3 year old helped me make these, super easy. I dont think we melted the butter enough but they came out great.
Hey there! Shaniqua Johnson here, I make this recipe every day for me and my family, I make about 2 trays a day, we can’t get enough of these! Since I’ve made these so many times, I have a couple tips. One, the butter has to be straight from the fridge to the microwave for 30 seconds, 40 if you have a lower wattage microwave, I’m gonna say this again because of how important it is, you absolutely HAVE to take it straight from the fridge to the microwave then into the dry ingredients mixture. use just a TINY bit more salt then what the directions say. And instead of using chocolate chips, buy Semi Sweet, Milk, and Dark chocolate bars and break them into large and medium sized chunks, the variety between milk, semisweet, and dark chocolate makes the cookies have a variety of flavor in each bite, makes them SO good! And lastly, make the cookies in different sizes! You can make em’ big, small, or medium, but making a ton of tiny cookies is great, or making some extra large cookies are also fun, make sure to adjust time accordingly and only change size for the entire batch rather then size per cookie. Well, thank you for reading and I hope you found this helpful, thanks so much!
Wow! So many thoughtful suggestions. I’m going to try these tips as well! Thanks for the taking the time to comment!
Hi! I absolutely love these cookies, as do my children!
I was thinking of making a variation of this and doing chocolate cookies with white chocolate chips. How much cocoa powder would you recommend adding?
Wow! It works! I live at 5500 feet – earlier this week I baked a batch that was completely ruined, so flat and greasy and sad. I had to toss them. I tried this recipe today and it yielded the most beautiful, yummy cookies! Slightly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. I also like that this recipe makes half the amount that most recipes make.
This is the only recipe I’ll use from now on. Thank you, Kelley!!
LOVE this recipe! Some of the best cookies I have had and made in my life!
These turned out fantastically! I live at 8400 ft in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador. Even though I have lived here almost 15 years, I am still struggling with some baking items. No more struggles with this CCC recipe. Thank you!
I’ve never had cookies work out at altitude! These are perfect and delicious!
This recipe turns out perfect every single time!!!! I love it and so does everyone that tries it! Baking @ 9300ft!
My whole life I made beautiful, fluffy cookies until I moved here (about 3,500 ft. elevation). Once I realized my flat cookies were due to altitude, I tried tweaking my go to recipe with online tips, but nothing worked. Then, I tried a recipe with cornstarch that another person who lives in my area recommended, which still resulted in flat cookies. I found this one and decided to give it one more try, and lo and behold, I actually got puffy cookies, and everyone in my house agreed they were also delicious! Thanks for a wonderful high altitude recipe!
I love the soft, puffy texture of these! My chocolate chip cookies have always flattened out right away, and I finally thought to try a recipe specifically modified for high altitude (I’m at 7,000 feet), and they turned out perfectly! Will definitely be making these again. Thank you!
We have tried this recipe in Colorado Springs, at about 6,000 ft and dough was very dry and crumbly. Not sure what went wrong
My guess is you might have miscalculated and added too much flour? Or left out some butter or egg? It’s a tried and true recipe as you can see from the hundreds of comments. So sorry it didn’t work out for you!