High Altitude Cooking and Baking Guide

Tips and tricks for cooking and baking above 3500 feet

Frustrated with flat muffins and dry cookies? If you live at high altitudes, about 3,500 feet or more above sea level, you know that foods bake and cook differently, and we've got all kinds of info to help you with that challenge.

The handy charts below give you specific adjustments you can try when baking and cooking. Because the effects of high altitudes can vary, we recommend that you first make a recipe as written before you adjust it. If the food is not quite right in texture or appearance, try one recipe change at a time until you're happy with the result.

Keep these things in mind when you bake: At high altitudes...

• Air pressure is lower, so foods take longer to bake. You may need to increase the temperature and/or bake time.
  
• Liquids evaporate faster, so you might need to adjust amounts of flour, sugar and liquids so that batter isn't too moist, dry or gummy.
  
• Gases expand more, so doughs rise faster. Leavening agents (things like baking soda and baking powder) may need to be decreased. Doughs may need shorter rising times and may need to be “punched down” (deflated) twice during the rising process, even if a recipe calls for it only once.

The suggestions below are for cooking or baking from scratch. For cake mixes and mixes for other baked goods, check the package for directions specifically for that product.

Baked foods	What might go wrong...	You can try this...
Breads, Quick	Includes banana bread, coffee cakes, gingerbread and other quick breads. May expand too much during baking Bread may partially collapse Sticky or tacky to the touch Dipped center	Decrease baking soda or baking powder (1/8 to 1/4 tsp) Decrease sugar (1 to 2 Tbsp Decrease fat (2 Tbsp to 1/4 cup) Increase water (1 to 4 Tbsp) Increase flour (2 to 4 Tbsp) Increase oven temperature by 15°F to 25°F
Breads, Yeast	May expand too much during rising time Drier texture Bread may have large holes throughout	Decrease flour and/or increase liquid until dough is soft and elastic Allow dough to rise only until double in size (rising time may be shorter) Punch down (deflate) dough (and allow to rise) twice
Bars & Brownies	Overbaked sides, underbaked center Sunken center Gummy texture Greasy appearance or touch	Decrease oven temperature by 25°F Decrease oil (1 Tbsp to 1/2 cup) Increase flour (1 Tbsp to 1/3 cup) Increase water (1 Tbsp to 1/3 cup) Increase bake time (up to 10 minutes)
Cake, Angel Food	Over-rising and spilling over pan sides Coarse texture Falls out of pan when cooled upside down	Decrease oil and/or sugar (1 Tbsp to 1/3 cup) Beat egg whites only to soft-peak stage Increase flour (1 Tbsp to 1/3 cup) Increase water (up to 1/3 cup) Increase oven temperature by 25°F
Cakes, 13x9-Inch & Layer	Too dry, crumbly, pasty or dense Sunken center Overbaked exterior, underbaked interior Overly moist layer at top or bottom Cake “falls” (not enough structure)	Decrease oil or shortening (1 to 2 Tbsp) Decrease baking soda or baking powder (1/8 to 1/4 tsp) Increase liquid (1 to 4 Tbsp) or add an egg Increase flour (1 Tbsp to 1/2 cup) Increase bake time until doneness is achieved
Cookies	Cookies usually bake well at high altitudes, but you might notice: Cookies have a drier texture Cookies may spread too much Cookies may not spread enough Cookies may overbrown Cookies may be underdone	Decrease butter or shortening (2 Tbsp to 1/4 cup) if cookies spread too much Decrease sugar slightly if cookies spread too much (amount depends on size of batch and other ingredients) Increase liquid by 1 to 2 Tbsp only if dough is too dry and cookies don’t spread Increase flour (starting with 1 or 2 Tbsp) if cookies spread too much Increase bake time by 1 to 3 minutes Decrease bake time by 1 to 2 minutes
Fried Dough	Cooks too fast Overcooked outside, undercooked inside	Decrease cooking temperature 3°F per 1,000 feet of altitude Increase cook time
Muffins, Biscuits & Scones	Muffins, biscuits and scones usually bake well at high altitudes, but you may notice: Drier texture Muffins have flat tops that flow together Too brown	Decrease baking soda or baking powder (1/8 tsp) Decrease sugar slightly if batter is too thin and flows out of muffin cups Increase number of muffins (because batter at high altitudes has more volume) Increase liquid by 1 to 2 Tbsp if batter is too thick Increase flour (starting with 1 Tbsp) if batter is too thin and flows out of muffin cups Increase or decrease bake time by 1 to 3 minutes
Pie Crust	Pie crusts usually bake fine at high altitudes, but you might notice: Drier texture when you're forming the dough	Increase water slightly (starting with 1 Tbsp) until dough holds together well and is flexible

Keep these things in mind when you cook: At high altitudes...

• Air pressure is lower, so foods take longer to cook. You may need to increase the temperature and/or cook times.
  
• Water boils at a lower temperature, so foods prepared with water (like pastas and soups) may take longer to cook. You might need to increase the temperature and/or cook time.

Cooked foods	What might go wrong...	You can try this...
Eggs, Hard-Cooked & Soft-Cooked	May take longer to cook Liquid may evaporate faster	Add a pinch of salt to the water before heating For hard-cooked eggs, boil 5 minutes, then cover and let stand 15 minutes After allowing to stand, drain and rinse with cold water
Grilled Foods	May take longer to cook	Watch foods xtra carefully while grilling Allow more time for larger foods to cook thoroughly Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness Place food further from heat to avoid burning Baste foods during last 5 to 10 minutes Grill over lower heat to keep foods from drying out and burning (and it may take longer to cook)
Meats	May take longer to cook	Watch meats carefully when cooking by any method Allow more time for meats to cook thoroughly Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness
Pasta & Rice	May take longer to cook Liquid may evaporate faster	Increase cooking liquid (water), if it is evaporating too fast and it seems necessary Increase the cooking time
Slow-Cooker Foods	For food safety, fthe ood in slow cookers has to reach and then stay at a a high temperature during cooking. You may notice that slow-cooker foods: May take longer to cook	Defrost frozen meat, poultry and vegetables before cooking in slow cooker Do not remove lid from slow cooker, especially during first 3 hours Check temperatures of cooked foods with a meat thermometer Turn cooker to High heat setting after adding ingredients near end of recipe (such as for gravy or sauce) Increase the liquid amount if using cornstarch or flour to thicken e sauce or gravy
Soups, Stews & Sauces	May take longer to cook Liquid may evaporate faster	Add water to get the consistency you want (for sauces, start with 1 to 2 Tbsp; for soups and stews, amount needed could be up to 1 cup)
Vegetables	May take longer to cook	Increase cook time up to 5 minutes or until hot and tender