Black and White Cookies: 11 Half-and-Half Bakes With a Sweet New York Deli Story

Black and white cookies are having a moment again, and anyone who grew up near a New York deli counter knows exactly why. That soft, cakey round with one half glossy vanilla and the other half shiny chocolate is part cookie, part cake and all nostalgia. Searches for a good homemade recipe are climbing fast this fall, and home bakers are putting their own spin on the classic for Christmas trays, birthdays and Hanukkah parties. Below you will find 11 half-and-half bakes, starting with the real New York original and its upstate cousin, then moving on to minis, peppermint twists, cookie sandwiches, a giant cookie cake, easy bars and a few clever shortcuts. Every recipe uses simple pantry ingredients, and the icing trick is the same for all of them: frost the vanilla side first, let it set, then add the chocolate..

Classic New York Black and White Cookies

The true New York version is not really a cookie at all. It is a fluffy drop cake baked from a thick vanilla batter with a hint of lemon, frosted on its flat bottom so the icing goes on smooth. Bakeries across the city have sold them since the early 1900s, and the history of this deli treat traces it to immigrant bakers who wanted a treat that looked fancy but used cheap ingredients. The secret to the glossy finish is a warm fondant-style icing made from powdered sugar, corn syrup and hot water, not buttercream. Frost one half white, let it firm up, then paint the other half with chocolate for that famous clean line..

You will need: 2 1/2 cups cake flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup soft butter, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, 4 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons light corn syrup, about 1/3 cup hot water, 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, 1 ounce melted dark chocolate.

How to make it: 1. Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy, then add the eggs, vanilla and zest. 2. Stir in the flour, soda and salt alternately with the buttermilk to make a thick batter. 3. Scoop 1/4 cup mounds onto lined sheets, spread slightly and bake at 350°F for 15 to 17 minutes; cool completely. 4. Whisk powdered sugar, corn syrup and hot water into a thick, pourable icing; spread it over the flat bottoms of half of each cookie. 5. Stir cocoa and melted chocolate into the remaining icing, thin with a few drops of hot water and frost the other halves.

The Bakery Box Original That Made Black and White Cookies a Deli Legend

For generations, New Yorkers have carried these home in plain white bakery boxes, stacked like coins and wrapped in waxed paper. Upstate in Utica, bakers make a close cousin called the half-moon, which uses a chocolate or vanilla cake base topped with a thick fudge frosting and fluffy buttercream instead of thin poured icing. Both cities claim the original, and the friendly argument is half the fun. A famous 1990s sitcom even turned the cookie into a joke about getting along, which is one reason people still order one for the whole table. Bake a dozen, box them up and you have an instant hostess gift.

You will need: 1 batch classic cake-style cookies (from the first slide) or 12 chocolate drop cakes for the half-moon version, 1 cup chocolate fudge frosting, 1 cup vanilla buttercream, white bakery box, waxed paper.

How to make it: 1. Bake and fully cool the cookies on a rack, flat side up. 2. For half-moons, spread fudge frosting thickly over one half of each cookie. 3. Pipe or spread fluffy vanilla buttercream over the other half and smooth the line with a knife. 4. Chill for 15 minutes so the frosting firms up. 5. Layer the cookies in a bakery box with waxed paper between rows.

Mini Black and White Cookies for the Holiday Cookie Tray

Full-size black and white cookies are almost as big as a saucer, which is why bite-size minis are taking over holiday cookie trays. Use a small scoop and you get about 40 two-bite cookies from one batch, perfect for parties where guests want to try a little of everything. Tuck them into paper candy cups so the icing stays neat when the tray gets passed around. They also pair nicely with other easy bakes, and if you need more ideas, our list of easy Thanksgiving cookies has plenty of simple fall treats to share the platter with. Minis dry faster, so ice them the same day you bake.

You will need: 1 batch classic cookie batter, 1 batch vanilla icing, 1 batch chocolate icing, small paper candy cups, 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop.

How to make it: 1. Scoop level 1 1/2 tablespoon mounds of batter onto lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart. 2. Bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes, just until the tops spring back. 3. Cool completely, then dip the flat side of each cookie halfway into vanilla icing. 4. Let the vanilla set for 20 minutes, then dip the other half in chocolate icing. 5. Set each mini in a paper cup and arrange on a tray.

Candy Cane Peppermint Half-and-Half Treats for Christmas

Swap the chocolate side of black and white cookies for bright red icing and a whisper of peppermint, and the deli classic turns into a Christmas showstopper. The cakey base stays the same, but a few drops of peppermint extract in the icing make every bite taste like a candy cane. Sprinkle crushed peppermint candies over the red half while the icing is still wet so they stick. These look stunning on a cookie exchange table and travel well in tins once fully set. Use gel food coloring for a deep, true red without thinning the icing.

You will need: 1 batch classic cakey cookies, 1 batch vanilla fondant icing, 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract, red gel food coloring, 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies, small evergreen sprig for serving.

How to make it: 1. Divide the icing in half and keep one half white. 2. Stir peppermint extract and red gel coloring into the other half until deep red. 3. Frost the white half of each cookie first and let it set for 20 minutes. 4. Spread red icing over the other half, keeping the center line straight. 5. Scatter crushed peppermint over the red side right away and let dry.

Black and White Cookie Sandwiches With Vanilla Buttercream

Two small iced cookies pressed together with a thick swirl of vanilla buttercream make a treat that feels like a bakery whoopie pie. Kids love lifting off the top to lick the cream, and grown-ups love that one sandwich is plenty. Bake the black and white cookies a little smaller than usual, around three inches, so they stack easily. Ice the tops first, let them dry completely, then fill. Chilled for an hour, they slice cleanly in half to show off the creamy middle, which makes them great for lunchboxes and dessert boards.

You will need: 24 small classic cakey cookies (3 inches), vanilla and chocolate icing, 1/2 cup soft butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, pinch of salt.

How to make it: 1. Ice the flat sides of 12 cookies half vanilla, half chocolate and let them set completely. 2. Beat the butter, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy. 3. Pipe a thick ring of buttercream onto the rounded side of each plain cookie. 4. Top with an iced cookie, icing side up, and press gently. 5. Chill for 1 hour before serving or slicing.

Black and White Cookies Turned Into One Giant Party Cake

Why bake two dozen cookies when one big one can feed the whole party? A giant cookie cake baked in a pie dish or springform pan has the same soft vanilla crumb, iced half white and half chocolate across the top. It is a fun birthday cake for anyone who loves black and white cookies more than layer cake, and you can add sprinkles for a celebration feel. Bake until the center just springs back so it stays tender. Slice into wedges and watch everyone reach for the piece that has a little of both sides.

You will need: 1 batch classic cookie batter, 1 cup vanilla icing, 1 cup chocolate icing, butter for the pan, rainbow sprinkles (optional).

How to make it: 1. Grease a 10-inch springform or deep pie pan and line the bottom with parchment. 2. Spread the batter evenly and bake at 350°F for 28 to 32 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. 3. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out and cool fully. 4. Lay a strip of parchment down the center and spread vanilla icing over one half. 5. Remove the strip once set, ice the second half with chocolate and add sprinkles if you like.

Easy Black and White Cookies Bars, Baked in One Pan

If scooping and icing two dozen rounds sounds like too much, bake the batter in a sheet pan and cut it into squares. These bars give you the same tender vanilla cake and two-tone icing with a fraction of the work. Ice the whole slab with vanilla, then pour chocolate icing diagonally over half for a bold look, or ice each square separately for a tidy finish. They hold up beautifully at potlucks and bake sales, and leftovers stay soft for two days in a covered pan. Cut with a hot knife wiped clean between slices.

You will need: 1 batch classic cookie batter, 9×13 inch pan, 1 batch vanilla fondant icing, 1/2 batch chocolate icing, parchment paper.

How to make it: 1. Line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment and spread the batter evenly. 2. Bake at 350°F for 22 to 25 minutes, until golden at the edges. 3. Cool completely and lift the slab out of the pan. 4. Spread vanilla icing over the top and let it set for 30 minutes. 5. Spoon chocolate icing over half of each square or one diagonal half, let dry and cut.

Sky Blue Half-and-Half Bakes for Hanukkah

Bakeries in New York have long sold blue and white versions during Hanukkah, and they are easy to make at home. Tint half of the vanilla icing pale sky blue and keep the other half snowy white, then add a line of silver sugar pearls down the middle for sparkle. Hanukkah 2026 begins on the evening of December 4, so these are perfect for a family gathering or school party. Like classic black and white cookies, they look beautiful next to chocolate coins on a dessert table. For a pareve version, use oil and a plant-based milk instead of butter and buttermilk.

You will need: 1 batch classic cakey cookies, 1 batch vanilla fondant icing, sky blue gel food coloring, silver sugar pearls, small offset spatula.

How to make it: 1. Divide the icing in half and tint one portion pale blue. 2. Spread white icing over half of each cookie and let it set for 20 minutes. 3. Ice the other half blue, keeping a straight edge along the white side. 4. Press a row of silver sugar pearls along the center line while the icing is wet. 5. Let dry for 1 hour before stacking or packing.

German Pinwheel and Checkerboard Swirls From Two Doughs

In Germany and Austria, black and white means something different: crisp butter cookies made from vanilla dough and cocoa dough rolled into swirls and checkerboards. Known as Schwarz-Weiß-Gebäck, they are a Christmas tradition in many homes and look like a lot of work, but the method is simply stacking and rolling two logs of dough. Chill the dough well and the patterns stay sharp. They keep for weeks in a tin, which makes them a smart make-ahead holiday cookie. Brush the layers with a little egg white so they stick together.

You will need: 2 cups flour, 2/3 cup soft butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, pinch of salt, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon milk, 1 egg white.

How to make it: 1. Mix flour, butter, sugar, yolk, vanilla and salt into a dough and divide it in half. 2. Knead cocoa and milk into one half to make a dark dough. 3. For pinwheels, roll each dough into a rectangle, brush with egg white, stack and roll into a log. 4. For checkerboards, cut both doughs into strips and stack them in alternating colors. 5. Chill 1 hour, slice 1/4 inch thick and bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes.

Half-Dipped Butter Fingers for Afternoon Coffee

These crisp, golden butter cookies dipped halfway in dark chocolate borrow the two-tone look in the simplest possible way. Pipe the dough into short oval fingers, bake until the edges are golden, then dunk one end in melted chocolate. They are lighter than the cakey original and perfect with coffee or tea in the afternoon. Use good dark chocolate and a splash of oil for a glossy coating that snaps when you bite. Set them on parchment and keep them in the fridge for 10 minutes so the chocolate firms up fast.

You will need: 1 cup soft butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 cups flour, pinch of salt, 6 ounces dark chocolate, 1 teaspoon neutral oil.

How to make it: 1. Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until pale, then mix in the flour and salt. 2. Pipe 3 inch oval fingers onto lined baking sheets with a large round tip. 3. Bake at 350°F for 12 to 14 minutes until the edges turn golden; cool completely. 4. Melt the chocolate with the oil until smooth. 5. Dip half of each cookie into the chocolate, let the excess drip off and chill until set.

Lazy Black and White Cookies Made From Half-Dipped Oatmeal Rounds

Here is the shortcut busy bakers swear by: take any soft drop cookie, such as oatmeal or peanut butter, and dip half in melted chocolate. You get the look of black and white cookies without making two icings, and the chewy texture is a nice change from the cake-style version. Children can help with the dipping, which makes this a fun weekend baking project. Let the dipped cookies set on parchment so the chocolate side stays smooth and shiny. Add a drizzle of white chocolate on the plain side if you want a more dramatic contrast.

You will need: 18 baked oatmeal or peanut butter cookies, 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, 1 teaspoon coconut oil, 2 ounces white chocolate (optional), parchment paper.

How to make it: 1. Bake your favorite drop cookies and let them cool completely. 2. Melt the semisweet chocolate with the coconut oil in short bursts, stirring until smooth. 3. Dip half of each cookie into the chocolate and scrape the back on the bowl edge. 4. Lay the cookies on parchment to set at room temperature or in the fridge. 5. Drizzle the plain halves with melted white chocolate if you like and serve.