Hey guys! I’ve got a pretty little batch of double-chocolate cookies that are perfect for your high-altitude kitchen today! Plus, it only makes about 12-15 cookies, so you won’t end up with 4 dozen cookies to worry about- it’s a medium batch recipe we’ll say!
This is a classic high-altitude chocolate cookie recipe with an easy dark chocolate base and lots of chocolate chunks. It’s also super easy, and you can mix the whole thing by hand. Let’s get to it!
How to Make High-Altitude Chocolate Cookies
I’m a big fan of recipes that don’t require a mixer, and this is a perfect example. We’re using browned butter, which makes the cookie dough a little softer and easier to stir together by hand. Here are all the ingredients for this one:
Once your butter is browned, you can pour it into a mixing bowl to cool off. You don’t need the butter to solid again, but you want it to be cooled off for about 20 minutes so it’s not too hot. Then you can stir in the egg, vanilla extract, and milk. Stir in the dry ingredients, and work quickly because the butter will start to firm up.
Finally, stir in your dark chocolate chunks. I like to use a chopped up chocolate bar instead of chocolate chips for a few reasons- you get lots of bits and pieces in different sizes, plus you can usually get better quality chocolate as well!
Once everything is well mixed, you have a few options. I scooped the cookies, and rolled the tops in chocolate sprinkles. Another great choice is to just pop a few more chocolate chunks on top of each cookie. Then it’s off to the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour, and up to 48 hours. You want the butter to fully firm up before you actually bake the cookies.
Then it’s off to the oven until they are just set and have tons of melty chocolate running throughout. These are super easy, hope you guys love them as much as we do!
Tips & Tricks for High-Altitude Chocolate Cookies
These are super easy to put together, but I’ve got a few tips to help you along the way!
- Do I have to brown the butter? No, you don’t, but it’s a great way to bring extra flavor to these cookies! If you don’t brown the butter, go for melted and slightly cooled butter, and omit the milk.
- Do I have to chill the cookie dough? Yes, the dough must be chilled before baking in this case. The dough should be thick before chilling, but fairly soft. Chilling the dough helps the butter solidify again, which prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
- What kind of chocolate should I use? I like to use a 60-70% dark chocolate bar that’s been chopped up. You can use chocolate chips, but it really is much better with chopped chocolate instead. I promise it’s worth the extra step!
- Can I freeze these Chocolate Cookies? After the initial chilling in the fridge, you can transfer the cookie dough scoops into a freezer-safe container and freeze for 3-6 months. The bake time will be the same from frozen, just on the longer side of the indicated time range.
- What if I don’t like sprinkles on my cookies? Instead of sprinkles, you can opt to chop a little extra chocolate and gently press a couple extra chunks on top of each cookie.
- I’m at about 5,000 ft. above sea level and I find that most people who live between 3,000-7,000 ft. above sea level do not need to make any adjustments to my recipes.
Enjoy!
High-Altitude Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 tbs milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 3 oz chopped dark chocolate
- 3 tbs. chocolate sprinkles
Instructions
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt, and set aside.
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In a medium saucepan (light-colored interior if you have one), melt the butter over medium-high heat until completely melted and bubbling. Lower the heat to low-medium, and use a heat-proof spatula to stir the butter constantly. It should take about 3-5 minutes to start to brown. Once brown bits start to form on the bottom of the pan, remove it from the heat and transfer the butter into a large glass bowl. Immediately stir in the milk and vanilla extract to stop the butter from burning. Allow the butter to cool for 10-15 minutes, or until it’s still liquid, but the bowl feels mostly cooled.
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Stir in the sugar and brown sugar until well combined. Then add in the egg, and again stir until the mixture is combined and the egg is no longer visibly showing any streaks. Add in the dry ingredients, and mix until you’ve got a thick dough formed. Then, finally add in the chopped chocolate.
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On a small baking sheet or plate lined with parchment paper, scoop your cookie dough into about 2-tablespoonful-rounds. You should end up with 12-15 cookies in total. Roll the tops of each round into the sprinkles to coat the tops. Cover the cookies in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour, and up to 48 hours.
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After chilling the dough, you can either transfer the dough to a freezer safe container and freeze for 3-4 months before baking, or you can bake them now! Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the cookie dough about 2 inches apart on your baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until lightly golden around the edges. Cool for 5-10 minutes before eating them warm!
Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!
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