13 Best High-Altitude Baking Recipes

These high-altitude baking recipes are fantastic for those living well-above sea level.

Because the higher you go, the more interesting things get with baking.

Easy High-Altitude Baking Recipes

When you’re at a higher altitude, the air pressure is lower. This has many affects on baking. For starters, you’ll likely have to adjust the oven temperature or bake times. 

And if you were to use a regular recipe, you’d have to make other adjustments. Adjustments to the ingredients themselves. 

Whether you’re used to baking in high-altitude or not, these recipes are tailor-made to succeed. And they’re fantastic base recipes to have in your arsenal. 

Here are 13 must-have high-altitude baking recipes!

1. High-Altitude Chocolate Cake

Chocolate cake is life. Just ask Miss Trunchbull- or rather- Bruce (he basically risked his life for chocolate cake).

And this recipe is ideal if you live in South America or Colorado. 

Or anywhere else Midwesterners like me may have trouble breathing. Because if you live over 3000 feet above sea level, it’ll be perfect every time. 

This chocolate cake is incredibly moist, insanely decadent, and totally sinful. It’s made with Dutch-processed cocoa and sour cream. So, the flavors are out of this world. 

You’ll notice hints of vanilla, salt, and espresso. But mostly, you’ll taste rich chocolate. 

2. High-Altitude Banana Bread

Banana bread is such a versatile sweet bread.

It’s great for gifting to others, potlucks, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. So, every high-altitude baker needs a reliable banana bread recipe.

And this is it! 

Every bite of this banana bread is soft and moist and bursting with banana goodness. Plus, it is chock full of nuts for added texture and flavor. It’s fantastic. 

But yogurt does all the heavy lifting. Yogurt is the reason this bread is so tender and moist. You’re gonna love it! 

3. High-Altitude Flourless Monster Cookies

If you’ve ever had a Monster cookie, then you know they’re peanut butter based. And, sadly, peanut butter cookies are drier than the Sahara. 

The chances of this happening are even greater at high-altitude.

BUT NOT ANYMORE!

This delicious Monster cookie recipe is custom-made for high altitudes. 

Not only are these cookies seriously tasty, but they are perfectly chewy. They have just the right amount of moisture.

And they still have all of your Monster cookie favorites. 

They’re loaded with oats, peanut butter, M&Ms, and chocolate chips! And did I mention that these are gluten-free and dairy-free? Because they are. 

4. High-Altitude Cheddar Biscuits

Biscuits are great. But cheddar biscuits are superior. And these savory, sort-of-spicy, cheddar and serrano pepper biscuits… ELITE. 

The biscuits are flaky and buttery- they’re everything you want in a biscuit. But then you get the touch of gooeyness from the cheese. Oh, man. 

And then the gentle heat of the serranos? These are so darn tasty. You’re gonna want to make them for every meal. 

Look out, Red Lobster! These biscuits are coming for you. 

5. High-Altitude Vanilla Cake

You can never go wrong with a solid vanilla cake recipe. And for you high-altitude bakers, this recipe is SOLID. It’s full of delicious vanilla goodness. 

But what’s more, it’s a fabulous base recipe for other flavors. You can turn this cake into Funfetti, lemon, marble, strawberry, almond- whatever you like! 

And on top of it all, there’s an option to make a gluten-free version! 

6. High-Altitude Pumpkin Bread

This high-altitude pumpkin bread is the epitome of fall. 

It’s fabulously pumpkin spice-y, with a touch of chocolate chip cookie! And if you didn’t know, pumpkin and chocolate are amazing together. 

Every bite is tender, with a bit of texture from chocolate chips. You will want to eat this all day long.

7. High-Altitude Funfetti Sugar Cookies

Sugar cookies are great. But funfetti sugar cookies? They’re like every childhood dream on steroids. 

They’re kid-friendly and adult-approved. These cookies are fun for the whole family. And in this case, they’re high altitude-approved as well!

These funfetti sugar cookies are chewy and sweet, like any good cookie should be. They taste like vanilla and butter. So, you know they’re good. 

And colorful sprinkles add an extra layer of fun!

8. High-Altitude Yellow Cupcakes

Yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting are like the kings of kids’ birthday parties. Everyone likes them. And what’s not to like?

The vanilla cake is fluffy and buttery, and perfect. And when you dollop rich chocolate frosting on top? It’s *chef’s kiss.* 

This recipe guarantees perfect yellow cupcakes from 3,500 ft. and above! 

9. High-Altitude Zucchini Bread

Zucchini bread is highly underrated. I’m guilty of under-appreciating the deliciousness that is zucchini bread. 

And this recipe makes perfect zucchini bread for those living at high altitudes. It’s moist, sweet, spiced, and addicting. 

If you’re worried about veggies in your bread… don’t.

It’s the same idea as carrot cake. There is plenty of sugar, spices, and other good things to hide the zucchini.  

10. High-Altitude Blueberry Muffin

Blueberry muffins are one of my favorite breakfast foods. I love making them ahead of a busy week, so I can grab one and go. And the whole family loves them. 

They’re soft and moist and utterly scrumptious. 

Plus, they contain enough fruit to allow me to pretend they’re healthy. I mean, these high-altitude blueberry muffins are like half blueberry. 

At least it feels that way because they’re bursting with blueberries. So let me live my delusions in peace. 

11. High-Altitude Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everyone loves chocolate chip cookies. And if they don’t, they may need to be checked out by a doctor. #isaidwhatisaid #sorrynotsorry

But not all chocolate chip cookie recipes are created equal.

A perfect chocolate chip cookie toes the line between chewy and gooey. It should have crispy, almost crunchy edges. 

But it shouldn’t be crunchy everywhere. It should be buttery, sweet, and balanced. But most importantly, a chocolate chip cookie should be loaded with chocolate. 

And this recipe is all of that! 

12. High-Altitude Lemon Pound Cake

Skip the line at Starbucks and save yourself some money. You can make a delicious lemon pound cake at home that rivals their lemon loaf. Truly. 

This cake is uber lemony. It’s stuffed with both lemon zest and juice. But the star of the show is the lemon glaze. 

It’s a simple glaze made from lemon juice and powdered sugar. But it’s so bright and tart that it makes this whole loaf simply shine. 

13. High-Altitude Puff Pastry

I’m obsessed with pastries.

You just can’t beat the buttery flaky goodness of puff pastry. And you can fill it with cream cheese, regular cheese, fruit, chocolate, meat, veggies- anything! 

I LOVE IT.

But pastry is known for being difficult. Add in the weirdness of high-altitude baking, and it has the potential to be disastrous. Enter this recipe. 

It’s a masterful, easy rough puff pastry that anyone can do. And it tastes so much better than store-bought pastry.

Then, you can turn it into whatever dessert or snack you want!