High-Altitude Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe by Nicole Hampton
Not Yet Reviewed

These high-altitude chocolate chip cookies are soft, pudgy, and packed with two kinds of chocolate: chunks of bittersweet chocolate for melty, gooey pools plus mini chocolate chips for morsels in every bite. While cookies can be prone to spreading at high altitudes, contributor Nicole Hampton, who lives at 5,000 feet above sea level, specifically developed these cookies to hold their structure while offering all the comfort and satisfaction of classic chocolate chip cookies.

Prep
35 mins
Bake
10 to 14 mins
Total
1 hr 30 mins
Yield
about 3 dozen 3" cookies
Beautifully baked High-Altitude Chocolate Chip Cookies shown on a plate and counter with a glass of milk in the background. - select to zoom
Beautifully baked High-Altitude Chocolate Chip Cookies shown on a plate and counter with a glass of milk in the background. - select to zoom
Several beautifully baked High-Altitude Chocolate Chip Cookies shown on a plate and counter with a glass of milk in the background. - select to zoom
A High-Altitude Chocolate Chip Cookie split on a cooling rack showing the brown color of the dough and the gooey large chocolate bits in the cookie. - select to zoom
Beautifully baked High-Altitude Chocolate Chip Cookies fresh out of the oven on a cooling rack. - select to zoom
Shop Holiday Gifts

Instructions

Prevent your screen from going dark as you follow along.

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F with racks in the upper and lower third. Line two baking sheets with parchment. 

  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda until combined. Set aside. 

  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater or in a large bowl working with an electric hand mixer, beat together the butter and sugars on medium-low speed until well combined, 1 to 2 minutes.  

  4. Scrape down the bowl, then add the eggs and egg yolk one at a time, mixing to incorporate between each addition. Then, stir in the milk and vanilla until fully incorporated. 

  5. Stir in the flour mixture on low speed until a soft, sticky dough forms and no dry pockets of flour remain. 

  6. Set aside about 1/3 cup (56g) of the chopped chocolate. Add the remaining chopped chocolate and the mini chocolate chips to the dough and stir on low speed until evenly distributed. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before portioning and baking.) 

  7. Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon portions (a 2 Tablespoon Scoop works well here), and place on the prepared baking sheets about 2" apart (nine cookies per sheet).  

  8. Distribute about half of the reserved chopped chocolate evenly among the cookies, pressing it into the tops of each ball. 

  9. Bake the cookies for 10 to 14 minutes, rotating front to back and top to bottom halfway through, or until the edges are lightly golden brown. The centers may look a little underbaked, but they will set as the cookies cool on the baking sheet.  

  10. Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if desired. Let the cookies cool for about 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack. 

  11. Bake the remaining cookie dough, topping with the remaining chopped chocolate before baking. Serve the cookies slightly warm or at room temperature. 

  12. Store the baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 to 7 days. 

Tips from our Bakers

  • The cookie dough can be transferred to the freezer after it’s scooped into balls and topped with chocolate (step 8). Once frozen, transfer to an airtight bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake directly from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time, if needed. 

  • Developer Nicole Hampton, who publishes high-altitude recipes on her blog Dough-Eyed, finds that people who live between 3,000 and 7,000 feet above sea level do not need to make adjustments to her recipes. If you live above 7,000 feet, use our High-Altitude Baking Guide to make further adjustments.  

Baker’s Resources