These Eggless Black and White Cookies are soft and cakey! Super easy to make at home with simple ingredients.
Eggless Black and White Cookies may seem intimidating, but they’re surprisingly easy to make at home and so delicious.
Black and white cookies are soft, cakey cookies covered with a thick layer of icing flavored with both vanilla and chocolate, giving them their iconic look. They are a staple in New York city’s bakeries and delis.
The cookies have a light and soft cake-like texture. They are something halfway between a cake and a cookie. Bursting with vanilla flavor and a super soft texture, these large cookies are topped with half vanilla and half chocolate icing.
The great news is that this cookie dough doesn’t require any dough chilling. And after baked, the cookies stay soft if you store them in a covered container.
So let’s get baking!
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Cream cheese
- Milk
- Pure vanilla extract
- Full-fat sour cream
For the Icing
- Confectioners’ sugar
- Milk
- Light corn syrup
- Pure vanilla extract
- Salt
- Unsweetened natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder
- Fresh lemon juice (optional)
Step-By-Step Recipe Photo Tutorial
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
Step 1 – Make The Cookie Dough
Whisk dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Then, cream butter + sugar together first, then add cream cheese + milk + vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream.
Step 2 – Form The Cookies
Using a greased ice cream spoon or a 1/4 cup dry measuring cup, drop mounds of dough 4 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets.
Step 3 – Bake
Bake for 15 – 17 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
Step 4 – Make the Icings
Whisk the confectioners’ sugar, 3 tablespoons of milk, corn syrup, vanilla extract, and salt together in a medium bowl. Divide the icing into two bowls. To the remaining icing, add 1 tablespoon of milk and the cocoa powder. Whisk until combined. To the other half, add the lemon juice if desired. If you want a plain vanilla flavor, omit the lemon juice.
Step 5 – Frost the Cookies
Spread a thin layer of vanilla icing onto half of each cookie– the flat side. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or until set so that the icings do not bleed into each other. Spread the chocolate icing onto the other side and allow the icing to set completely for about 1 hour, before serving.
Recipe Tips
Use room-temperature ingredients in the batter. This will help them incorporate and emulsify better.
For evenly sized cookies, use a 1/4 cup (2 ounces) cookie scoop to portion them.
I recommend baking one cookie sheet at a time.
Let the cookies cool completely before icing, or the icing will melt.
Ice the flat undersides of the cookies, not the rounded tops.
The best tool for spreading the icing is a small offset spatula. Use the edge of a knife or offset spatula to create a neat line along the middle; just use the sharp edge to gently draw the icing from the center to the edge, then clean it and repeat from the center to the other edge. Don’t worry if they are not perfect; they will be delicious anyway.
I find it easier to ice the cookies one color at a time and chill them in between for the icing to set.
Substitutions & Additions
- You can really color the icing any color you want, so feel free to take your cookies from black and white to technicolor.
- Add a 1/4 teaspoon of almond, lemon, or peppermint extract to flavor the white icing if desired.
- Top the cookies with some sprinkles, edible glitter, or luster dust to make them more festive.
- Corn syrup helps the glaze “set” and gives it that gorgeous shiny appearance. If you don’t want to use corn syrup, you can substitute for glucose.
Adapt This Recipe For Other Food Allergies
This recipe is egg-free and nut-free, but you can certainly adapt it to other food allergies.
GLUTEN-FREE: Substitute all-purpose flour for 1-to-1 Gluten-Free flour. This is my favorite brand.
DAIRY-FREE: Use your favorite plant-based milk, and dairy-free or vegan butter. Make sure to use an unflavored, unsweetened variety of non-dairy milk. Soy and oat milk have the best consistency and very neutral flavors.
My favorite dairy-free butter brands for baking are:
Also, use dairy-free or vegan cream cheese. My favorites are violife and trader joe’s.
Storing & Freezing Instructions
STORE leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
FREEZE: I recommend freezing the cookies after baking. Baked Black and white cookies can be frozen, frosted, or unfrosted, for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Black and white cookies are soft, cakey cookies covered with a thick layer of icing flavored with both vanilla and chocolate, giving them their iconic look. They are a staple in New York city’s bakeries and delis.
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Recipe Card 📖
Eggless Black and White Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cup (315 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (174 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (175 g) granulated sugar
- 2 oz (56 g – about 4 tablespoons)cream cheese softened
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons (30 ) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
ICING:
- 3 cups (360 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 4 tablespoon (60 m) milk, divided
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons (15 g) unsweetened natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice (optional)
Important
Don’t forget to check out the step-by-step photos above in the post—they’ll guide you through the process and make everything super clear!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add cream cheese, milk, and vanilla extract, and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
- Reduce speed to low and add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the sour cream. Beat until everything is well combined and no pockets of flour remain. This batter is thick.
- Using a greased ice cream spoon or a 1/4-cup dry measuring cup, drop mounds of dough 4 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 15 – 17 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
Make the icings:
- Whisk the confectioners’ sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, corn syrup, vanilla extract, and salt together in a medium bowl.
- Divide the icing into two bowls. To one-half, add the lemon juice if desired. If you want plain vanilla flavor omit the lemon juice. To the other half, add 1 tablespoon of milk and the cocoa powder; mix until glossy and smooth adding more milk if needed to match the consistency of the vanilla icing.
- Spread vanilla icing onto half of the cookies– the flat side. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or until set so that the icings do not bleed into each other. Spread the chocolate icing onto the other side and allow the icing to set completely for about 1 hour, before serving. If you leave the cookies at room temperature for a few hours (or overnight) the icing will set hard.
- Use room temperature ingredients in the batter. This will help them to incorporate and emulsify better.
- For evenly sized cookies, use a 1/4 cup (2 ounces) cookie scoop to portion them.
- Let the cookies cool completely before icing, or the icing will melt.
- Ice the flat undersides of the cookies, not the rounded tops.
- The best tool for spreading the icing is a small offset spatula. Use the edge of a knife or offset spatula to create a neat line along the middle; just use the sharp edge to gently draw the icing from the center to the edge, then clean it and repeat from the center to the other edge. Don’t worry if they are not perfect; they will be delicious anyway.
- I find it easier to ice the cookies one color at a time and chill them in between for the icing to set.
- You can really color the icing any color you want so feel free to take your cookies from black and white to technicolor.
- Add a 1/4 teaspoon of almond, lemon, or peppermint extract to flavor the white icing if desired.
- Top the cookies with some sprinkles, edible glitter, or luster dust to make them more festive.
- Corn syrup helps the glaze “set” and gives it that gorgeous shiny appearance. If you don’t want to use corn syrup you can substitute for glucose.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Eggless Baking Frequently Asked Questions
You’ve asked, and I’ve answered! Read on for a handful of answers to the most frequently asked questions about eggless baking.
