Black and white cookies. If you’re not familiar with this bakery item, you’re in for a treat! They’re a cake-like cookie that’s soft yet firm and are then glazed with half chocolate and half white icing. They’re a staple of NY bakeries and I’ve always loved them.
I’ve been making this recipe for so many years that my photocopied recipe is completely stained and tattered so I’m glad I’m finally posting it for posterity. If you’re a Seinfeld fan you’ll remember the “look to the cookie!” episode. These are so legit you’ll be transported on a taste trip to the Big Apple in no time!
I veganized this recipe years ago using various egg replacers amongst other tweaks, but using aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas) has been a game changer for some recipes like this. I find just adding a little flax meal (not as much as I would use making flax eggs with plain water) with aquafaba works really well. You can use all flax egg if you prefer but try my method, it really works.
You can make traditional one side black and one side white cookies but can also color the white icing if you’d like. I sometimes mix it up for various holidays and made shades of pink and red for Valentine’s Day, orange and black for Halloween or even green tinted icing for St. Patrick’s day!
Tips for cookie success:
- Use vegetable shortening. Vegan butter or coconut oil won’t work the same I’m afraid. I buy the Spectrum brand sustainable non-hydrogenated oil variety at my local store but it’s also available on Amazon.
- Use an ice cream scoop for uniform size and shape. I use a 2 inch trigger style scoop for these and a lot of other cookie recipes. If you’ve ever made Whoopie pies, these are similar in the consistency of the batter and are cake-like.
- For clear definition between the colors, use a small offset spatula. Using one of these will ensure you get clean even semicircles of icing. Start with one color and ice each half then move onto the others.
There’s a distinct what I call “bakery flavor” to a lot of pastries and cookies I remember from my childhood. It’s a combination of citrus, almond and vanilla and it’s faint but definitely there. I have an optional addition of lemon zest that gives a hint of that bakery flavor. You don’t have to add it but it definitely helps to give these that je ne sais quoi or indescribable taste. I hope you enjoy these!
Vegan Bakery Style Black & White Cookies
30
servings30
minutes15
minutesThese are legit bakery style black and white cookies that are totally vegan!
Ingredients
- Cookies
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
3/4 cup vegetable shortening (see notes regarding substitutions)
1 1/2 cups vegan cane sugar
6 tablespoons aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas)
1 tablespoon finely ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup vegan milk
2 teaspoons white vinegar or lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (optional)
- Chocolate Icing
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon water
2 tablespoons plain vegetable oil
2 cups confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup or agave syrup
- Vanilla Icing
2 cups confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons warm water
1 tablespoon light corn syrup or agave
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
- Cookies
- Sift the first four ingredients together. Using a stand or handmixer, cream the shortening and sugar together until well mixed about 1 to 3 minutes.
- Add the flax meal to the aquafaba, whisk and let stand for 5 minutes. Beat the flax/aquafaba eggs and vanilla into the creamed mixture.
- Add the vinegar or lemon juice into the vegan milk and let stand for a few minutes to curdle. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the sour milk beginning and ending with the flower and mixing well after each addition.
- Preheat your oven to 375°. Using a 2 inch ice cream scoop or large tablespoon, drop onto parchment lined or greased baking sheets leaving room between each cookie to spread. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. They should be lightly browned, and spring back lightly when touched with the tip of your finger. Cool completely and spread half of each cookie with each color icing. Let the cookies dry completely on a wire rack.
- Chocolate Icing
- Stir the cocoa water vegetable oil and light corn syrup together in a microwave safe bowl. Cook in the microwave in 10 second intervals until slightly warm. Depending on the strength of your microwave, this could take up to 20 to 30 seconds. Now stir in the 2 cups of confectioners sugar until completely blended. It should be thick but still have movement and level out like a thick glaze when left to settle in the bowl. If too thick, add about 1/4 teaspoon warm water a little at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
- Vanilla Icing
- Combine all ingredients and stir well until blended and spreadable. Like the chocolate icing, if too thick, add a little bit of warm water to make it the right consistency.
- Icing the Cookies
- Use a small offset spatula to ice each side of the cookies. Start with one color and ice each half of those cookies and let them dry for 10 to 15 minutes then ice the other halves with the other color icing filling in any gaps as you go.
Notes
- I don’t recommend using anything but shortening for the cookies. If you use another fat like vegan butter or coconut oil, you may have unexpected results.
- You can use another liquid sweetener for the icing other than corn syrup like agave or brown rice syrup.
- You can use another egg substitute if preferred. All flax egg would work but I have not tried applesauce or another replacement so use at your own risk.
- If you don’t have a trigger ice cream scoop or an offset spatula, visit my Amazon store to see what I use.
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