These big, soft black and white cookies have that perfect cake-like texture with smooth vanilla and chocolate icing on top. I first tried one at a tiny deli in Brooklyn years ago, and I've been hooked ever since. The contrast between the sweet vanilla icing and the rich chocolate side is pure comfort, and making them at home is easier than you'd think.
If you love classic bakery treats, you'll also want to try my Marble Loaf Cake Recipe or these Easy Lace Cookies for more nostalgic flavors.
Why You'll Love This Black and White Cookies
This Black and White Cookies gives you bakery-style cookies with that signature soft texture and perfect icing ratio. The cookies are thick enough to feel substantial but still tender and light. The vanilla icing is sweet and smooth, while the chocolate side adds just enough richness to balance it out.
You don't need fancy ingredients or tricky techniques. Just a mixer, some pantry staples, and a little patience while the icing sets. The results look professional and taste even better.
These Black and White Cookies also keep well, so you can bake a batch and enjoy them throughout the week. They're perfect for gifting, potlucks, or just having on hand when you need something sweet.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Black and White Cookies
- Black and White Cookies Ingredients
- How to Make Black and White Cookies
- Substitutions and Variations
- Equipment For Black and White Cookies
- Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- What Makes Black and White Cookies So Special
- Expert Tips
- Serving Suggestions
- FAQ
- Related
- Pairing
- Black and White Cookies
Black and White Cookies Ingredients
Here's what you need to make soft, bakery-style Black and White Cookies with smooth icing.
See Recipe Card Below This Post For ingtedient Quantites
For the Cookies:
- All-purpose flour: Forms the base structure and gives these cookies their tender, cake-like crumb. Spoon and level your flour to avoid adding too much.
- Baking powder: Helps the cookies rise and stay soft. Combined with baking soda, it creates the perfect light texture.
- Baking soda: Works with the sour cream to add a subtle lift and balance the sweetness.
- Salt: Enhances all the flavors and keeps the sweetness from being overwhelming.
- Unsalted butter: Adds richness and moisture. Make sure it's softened to room temperature so it creams properly with the sugar.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cookies and helps create a tender texture when beaten with the butter.
- Egg: Binds everything together and adds structure. Room temperature eggs mix more evenly into the batter.
- Vanilla extract: Adds warm, classic flavor that complements both the cookie and the icing.
- Sour cream: This is the secret to ultra-soft cookies. It adds moisture and a slight tang that balances the sweetness beautifully.
For the Icing:
- Confectioners' sugar: Creates a smooth, glossy icing that sets perfectly. Sifting it prevents lumps.
- Whole milk: Thins the icing to the right consistency for spreading. The fat content helps it stay creamy.
- Light corn syrup: Keeps the icing smooth and gives it a beautiful shine.
- Vanilla extract: Flavors the white icing with classic vanilla sweetness.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness in the icing.
- Cocoa powder: Turns half the icing into rich chocolate. Natural or Dutch-process both work since there's no leavening involved.
How to Make Black and White Cookies
These Black and White Cookies come together easily and bake up thick and tender.
Preheat your oven: Set it to 350°F (180°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined. Set this aside.
Cream the butter and sugar: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter and sugar on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes until the mixture looks smooth and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, then beat on high for another minute until everything is well combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl so nothing gets left behind.
Combine everything: Turn the mixer to low speed and add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the sour cream. Mix just until no flour pockets remain. The batter will be very thick, almost like frosting.
Scoop and bake: Grease a ¼-cup measuring cup and use it to scoop mounds of batter onto your prepared baking sheets, spacing them 4 inches apart. You'll fit 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes until the edges turn lightly golden. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the vanilla icing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, 6 tablespoons of milk, corn syrup, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth and glossy.
Make the chocolate icing: Scoop out 1 cup of the vanilla icing and put it in a separate bowl. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of milk and the cocoa powder, then whisk until the chocolate icing is smooth and well blended.
Ice the cookies: Turn each cookie flat-side up. Spread vanilla icing over half of each cookie using an offset spatula or butter knife. Pop them in the refrigerator for 15 minutes so the vanilla sets and the two icings won't bleed together. Then spread chocolate icing on the other half. Let the icing set completely at room temperature for about an hour before serving.
Store properly: Keep your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate them for up to a week.
Substitutions and Variations
Sour cream substitute: Full-fat plain Greek yogurt works if you don't have sour cream, though the texture won't be quite as tender.
Dairy-free option: Use plant-based butter and a dairy-free sour cream alternative. For the icing, swap whole milk with almond or oat milk.
Less sweet icing: Cut the confectioners' sugar by ½ cup if you prefer a less sugary coating.
Chocolate cookies: Add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the cookie batter for a chocolate base instead of vanilla.
Mini cookies: Use a tablespoon to scoop smaller cookies and reduce baking time to 10 to 12 minutes.
Equipment For Black and White Cookies
You don't need anything fancy to make Black and White Cookies at home.
- A handheld or stand mixer makes creaming the butter and sugar much easier. You could do it by hand, but it takes a lot of elbow grease.
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats prevent sticking and make cleanup simple. Don't skip this step.
- A ¼-cup dry measuring cup gives you perfectly sized, uniform cookies every time. Grease it lightly so the batter releases easily.
- An offset spatula helps spread the icing smoothly, but a regular butter knife works fine too.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
These Black and White Cookies keep well, which makes them perfect for planning ahead.
Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. The icing will stay set, and the cookies will remain soft.
Refrigerated: They'll last up to a week in the fridge. Let them come to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
Freezing: You can freeze baked, unfrosted cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before icing.
You can also freeze fully iced cookies. Just make sure the icing is completely set first, then layer them between parchment paper in a freezer-safe container.
Make ahead: Bake the cookies up to 3 days in advance and store them tightly covered at room temperature. Ice them the day you plan to serve them for the freshest look.
What Makes Black and White Cookies So Special
Black and White Cookies aren't technically cookies at all. They're soft, pillowy little cakes with a tender crumb that's somewhere between a cookie and a cupcake. The magic is in that dual icing, half glossy vanilla and half deep chocolate, spread thick over the flat bottom of each cookie.
These iconic treats have been a New York deli staple since the early 1900s. You'll find them wrapped in wax paper at Jewish delis, corner bakeries, and coffee shops all over the city. They're nostalgic, simple, and impossibly satisfying.
What I love most is how forgiving they are to make. The batter comes together quickly, the Black and White Cookies bake up thick and tender, and the icing sets beautifully without any fuss.
Expert Tips
Room temperature ingredients matter. Cold butter won't cream properly, and cold eggs can cause the batter to curdle. Let everything sit out for about 30 minutes before you start.
Don't overbake. The Black and White Cookies should be lightly golden at the edges but still pale in the center. They'll firm up as they cool.
Check your batter consistency. It should be very thick, thicker than pancake batter but not quite as stiff as typical cookie dough. If it seems too thin, stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons of extra flour.
Sift the confectioners' sugar. This prevents lumps in your icing and gives you that smooth, professional finish.
Let the vanilla icing set before adding chocolate. That 15-minute chill time in the fridge keeps the two icings from bleeding into each other.
Use full-fat sour cream. Light or fat-free versions won't give you the same tender texture. The fat is what makes these Black and White Cookies so soft.
Serving Suggestions
Black and White Cookies are perfect on their own, but here are a few cozy ways to enjoy them:
Serve them with a hot cup of coffee or black tea. The sweetness of the icing pairs beautifully with a strong, slightly bitter drink.
Pack them in lunchboxes or wrap them individually in wax paper for a nostalgic deli-style presentation.
Arrange them on a platter with other bakery favorites like Peanut Butter White Chocolate Bark for a dessert spread that feels special without being fussy.
They're also wonderful with a cold glass of whole milk, especially if you're sharing them with kids.
FAQ
What is so special about black and white cookies?
They're iconic New York bakery treats with a soft, cake-like texture and dual icing that's half vanilla, half chocolate. The balance of flavors and textures makes them totally unique. My family loves how they're not too sweet but still feel like a real dessert.
What is a black and white cookie called?
They're sometimes called half-moon cookies or half-and-half cookies, especially outside New York. In the city, they're just black and whites. My neighbor Sofia grew up calling them "deli cookies" because she'd always grab one after school.
What flavor is a black and white cookie?
The cookie itself is vanilla-flavored and tender, almost like a soft cake. The icing is half vanilla buttercream and half chocolate. Together, they create a sweet, nostalgic flavor that's hard to resist.
What is a traditional black and white cookie?
A traditional version has a soft, cakey vanilla cookie base topped with thick vanilla icing on one half and chocolate icing on the other. It's been a staple in New York delis and Jewish bakeries for over a century. The icing should be smooth and glossy, and the cookie should be tender enough to bite through easily.
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Pairing
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Black and White Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
- Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, then blend in the egg and vanilla until smooth, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Lower the mixer speed and add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the sour cream, mixing just until a very thick batter forms with no dry pockets.
- Scoop the batter using a greased ¼-cup measure, spacing mounds well apart on the pans, and bake until the edges are lightly golden.
- Let the cookies rest on the pans briefly, then move them to a rack and cool completely before decorating.
- Whisk the confectioners' sugar, most of the milk, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt into a smooth icing, then move about one cup to another bowl and blend in the remaining milk and cocoa.
- Spread the vanilla icing over half of each cookie's flat side and chill briefly so it firms up without running.
- Cover the other half with chocolate icing and let the cookies sit until the tops are fully set before serving.
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