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overhead view of Black and White Cookies over a white surface
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Eggless Black and White Cookies

These Eggless Black and White Cookies are soft and cakey! Super easy to make at home with simple ingredients. 
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 10 cookies
Calories 346kcal

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)

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.

Notes

 
STORE 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.
QUICK BAKING TIPS  
  • 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.
 
SUBSTITUTIONS AND 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.
 
If you're making this recipe, please read the whole post content to get lots of tips, tricks, variations, frequently asked questions, and step-by-step photos. Also, before you get started, I recommend reading my Beginner’s Guide to Eggless Baking and my FAQs section.
 
 Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
 
Please note that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary depending on the products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 346kcal | Carbohydrates: 83g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 258mg | Potassium: 155mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 529IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 2mg