These cookies will hit the spot for any craving for the classic Black and White Cookies. They’re soft and tender with that famous crack of chocolate and white frosting on top. The best part is that the cookies in this recipe are Paleo, Gluten Free, and Sugar Free!
These cookies are so addictive. Don’t expect them to hang around for long, because they will fly off the cookie plate faster than you can say “New York, New York.”
Traditionally, Black and White Cookies are a staple of New York bakeries, but I first took notice of them in a classic bakery in Evanston, Illinois. Apparently, they’re a Midwestern thing, too. Wow – they were so impressive! Cakey and big with that hint of lemon and vanilla and almond and the crisp crunch of the frosting on top. Delightful.
Black and White Cookies are tricky, because what makes them who they are is that delicious sugar-laden frosting on top. Instead of using a sugary frosting, I’ve used sugar-free dark chocolate chips melted to make a smooth frosting and sugar-free white chocolate chips. I love Lily’s Dark Chocolate Baking Chips and Lily’s White Chocolate Chips. They give these cookies the perfect flavor, and the chocolate chips are sweetened only with a little erythritol and stevia. I don’t like to bake with erythritol much, because it’s a High FODMAP food, but for an occasional treat as a cookie frosting, it’s worth the indulgence.
When I started developing this recipe, I followed the lead of all the traditional Black and White Cookie recipes. Those are basically making a cake batter that is baked on a baking sheet. The batter has sour cream which gives it extra tenderness and extra lift. It’s a brilliant idea.
But it didn’t work so well for a Gluten Free, Paleo, Sugar Free, and Dairy Free cookie. As is often the case when doing allergen-free baking, I realized that I had to approach this cookie from a different direction. Which was from that of a cookie recipe.
My recipe follows the technique of making a sugar cookie dough where you mix it by hand, roll it out, chill the dough, and then cut out the circles. In the end, you get the same result but just from a different method of approaching it. The flavor is right, the texture is right, and you end up with an absolutely delicious cookie.
Take your time with the frosting. Find your own method for getting that straight line in the middle. And if it’s not completely straight, don’t worry about it. It’s just a cookie, after all! And it will still be delicious.
So, pull out all the stops and impress your friends and family by cooking up a batch of these Black and White Cookies that are Paleo and Sugar Free.
Why You’ll LOVE this Recipe:
- Paleo
- Gluten Free
- Sugar Free
- Low Carb
- Low Cholesterol
- Beautiful cookies
- Delicious!!!
Ingredients for Black and White Cookies:
- almond flour
- baking powder
- kosher salt
- baking soda
- Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks
- vanilla extract
- lemon zest
- liquid stevia
- eggs
- dark chocolate chips
- white chocolate chips
- coconut oil
Notes on Ingredients:
Almond flour – Almond flour is a terrific low carb flour for these cookies. It’s naturally tender, and it’s high in protein and fiber. It already imparts a subtle almond flavor, so I found that it wasn’t necessary to add almond extract to the mix.
Baking powder – Our leavener. We want these cookies to be nice and soft and tender.
Kosher salt – For flavor.
Baking soda – An extra leavener for that extra fluff and to counteract the acidic ingredient (the lemon zest).
Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks – This shortening is plant-based and low in cholesterol. It’s not too greasy, and it bakes up perfectly.
Vanilla extract – For flavor, of course.
Lemon zest – This is what kicks Black and White cookies up a notch. Be sure to zest your lemon using a microplane zester so that you get a fine zesting with plenty of citrus flavor and no bitter pith.
Liquid stevia – The only sweetener in the cookie dough. I always use only liquid stevia and not powdered.
Eggs – The eggs are the binders, and they also form the structure of the cookies.
Dark chocolate chips – Use sugar-free dark chocolate chips (not milk chocolate) so that you get that almost-black color.
White chocolate chips – Use sugar-free white chocolate chips. White chocolate chips do have a small amount of milk in them, so once these cookies are frosted, they’re not Dairy Free.
Coconut oil – Using coconut oil in the frosting helps to keep the chocolate from burning when it melts, and it also helps the chocolate to harden once it cools.
How to Make Black and White Cookies From Scratch
Make the Cookies
In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
Add the melted Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks, vanilla, lemon zest, liquid stevia, and eggs. Stir until completely combined.
Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll out the dough to ¼” thickness. Place the dough in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare 2 baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or Silpat mats.
Remove the dough from the freezer. Using a 2” diameter circle cutter, cut out circles from the dough and place them on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
Make the Frosting
In a microwaveable bowl, combine the white chocolate chips with 1 Tbsp. coconut oil. Microwave for 45 seconds. Stir until smooth.
In another microwaveable bowl, combine the dark chocolate chips with 1 Tbsp. coconut oil. Microwave for 45 seconds. Stir until smooth.
Using an offset spatula or a spoon, decorate half of each cookie first with the white chocolate frosting. Then decorate the other half of each cookie with the dark chocolate frosting.
Place the cookies in the refrigerator until the frosting hardens. Store cookies in the refrigerator for 3 days – if there are any still left by then! Eat and enjoy, as always.
More Sugar Free & Gluten Free Cookies:
Black and White Cookies – Paleo Sugar Free Low Carb
Ingredients
- 3 cups almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks (1 stick), melted
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon liquid stevia
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil, divided
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almondvflour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
- Add the melted Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks, vanilla, lemon zest, liquid stevia, and eggs. Stir until completely combined.
- Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll out the dough to ¼” thickness. Place the dough in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare 2 baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or Silpat mats.
- Remove the dough from the freezer.
- Using a 2” diameter circle cutter, cut out circles from the dough and place them on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely.
- Make the frosting. In a microwaveable bowl, combine the white chocolate chips with 1 Tbsp. coconut oil. Microwave for 45 seconds. Stir until smooth.
- In another microwaveable bowl, combine the dark chocolate chips with 1 Tbsp. coconut oil. Microwave for 45 seconds. Stir until smooth.
- Using an offset spatula or a spoon, decorate half of each cookie first with the white chocolate frosting.
- Then decorate the other half of each cookie with the dark chocolate frosting.
- Place the cookies in the refrigerator until the frosting hardens.
- Store cookies in the refrigerator for 3 days.
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