Chocolate Brownies

Recipes

Nov 10

Written By Jennifer Minyard

High Altitude Chocolate Brownies

If you have ever watched a pan of brownies develop a beautiful, crackly top in the oven, only to have the center crater into a gooey, undercooked canyon the moment you pull them out, you’re not alone. This is a classic high-altitude baking frustration.

At higher elevations, lower atmospheric pressure causes the air bubbles in brownie batter to expand too quickly. Before the flour and eggs have time to set into a stable structure, those bubbles burst and the pan collapses. At the same time, moisture evaporates more rapidly in thin mountain air, often leaving brownies that taste overly sweet but feel oddly dry or greasy.

This high-altitude chocolate brownie recipe delivers a perfectly level pan, a dense, fudgy crumb, and that coveted thin, papery crust on top. Below, you’ll find the science-backed adjustments that make all the difference.

The High-Altitude Science

To get these results, we made three key shifts:

Sugar Reduction: As moisture evaporates faster at altitude, sugar becomes more concentrated, which can weaken structure and create a gummy texture. The sugar reduction keeps the balance focused on rich cocoa flavor while improving stability.
Structural Support: An increase in flour adds just enough gluten to support the rapidly expanding air bubbles, preventing the brownies from sinking as they cool.
Moisture: Since the mountain air is so dry, we’ve added an extra egg yolk. This provides fat and emulsifiers to help the brownies stay fudgy and cohesive instead of crumbly.

Chocolate Brownies

PREP TIME: 20 minutes COOK TIME: 25-30 minutes SERVINGS: 16 squares

Sugar: Reduced to 1 cup to prevent structural collapse and over-sweetness.

Flour: Increased to 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons to increase stability.

Liquid/Fat: Added 1 extra egg yolk for richness and moisture.

Temperature: Baked at 360°F to help the edges set before the middle can sink.

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup high-quality cocoa powder

1 cup + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Prep Grease an 8x8 inch square baking pan or line with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 360°F (182°C).

2. Mix Butter & Sugar In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter and sugar together.

3. Incorporate Eggs Add the eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla. Whisk vigorously for 2 minutes. This incorporates just enough air for a crackly top without making the brownies cakey.

4. Sift in Dry Ingredients Sift in the cocoa powder, flour, and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Do not overmix, or the brownies will become tough.

5. Fold in Chips Fold in the chocolate chips.

6. Bake Spread the batter evenly into the pan. Bake for 25–30 minutes.
Altitude Check: Test at 25 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with a few moist crumbs attached—not wet batter, but not clean.

7. Cool Let the brownies cool completely in the pan. This is crucial at high altitude, as the structure continues to set as it cools.

Simply Altitude Pro-Tips

Sift the Cocoa: At high altitude, cocoa powder tends to clump even more than usual due to the lack of humidity. Always sift your cocoa powder into the batter. You could end up over-mixing the batter trying to get the lumps out, which ruins the texture.

Room Temperature Eggs: Cold eggs can seize up your melted butter, leading to an uneven bake. In the mountains, we want everything to emulsify perfectly to fight off dryness. In a hurry? Drop your eggs in warm water for 5 minutes before using

Explore More High-Altitude Baking

If you enjoyed this recipe, head over to our High Altitude Baking Made Simple page. It’s our combined resource for mastering the science of elevated baking, featuring helpful adjustment charts and troubleshooting tips for different altitudes.

Looking for more mountain-tested treats? Try these next: