These black and white chocolate chip cookies are light and delicate, with a hit of Kahlua for extra flavor and plenty of white chocolate, dark chocolate, and nuts in every bite!
Don’t mistake these for ordinary chocolate chip cookies! This recipe for black and white chocolate chip cookies manages to be light without sacrificing a good flavor punch. The white chocolate is a nice complement to the cookies and a good pairing with the semisweet chocolate. Of course, the Kahlua doesn’t hurt, either!
Why You’ll Love These Black and White Chocolate Chip Cookies
- A classic with a twist. Chewy chocolate chip cookies are always a win, but these black and white chocolate chip cookies have a uniquely light texture, along with a bit of coffee flavor.
- The perfect balance of flavors and texture. The combination of semisweet and white chocolate is perfection, and I also love the contrast between the delicate crumb, crunchy nuts, and rich chocolate.
- Easy to make and customize. This recipe is simple enough for even beginning bakers, and you can easily switch up the add-ins to put your own spin on it.
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Cake flour – Learn how to measure flour.
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Light brown sugar – Here’s the difference between light vs. dark brown sugar.
- Granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter – Learn more: Unsalted or Salted Butter: Which is Better for Baking?
- Water
- Egg – You only need to use half of an egg. Alternatively, you can use 2 tablespoons of liquid egg.
- Kahlua – Or brewed coffee if you prefer.
- Vanilla extract – I like to use my homemade vanilla extract.
- Semisweet chocolate chips
- White chocolate chips – When I use white chocolate, I make sure that I use the very best that I can find. Both Guittard and Lindt make the good stuff. If you can’t find those, be sure to check the label before you buy any to make sure that it contains cocoa butter.
- Chopped pecans – Or another nut you’d like to add. Hazelnuts would be quite good!
What Is Cake Flour?
Cake flour is a finely milled flour made from soft wheat with a lower protein content than all-purpose flour. This lower protein content helps produce cakes, cookies, and other baked goods with a tender, delicate crumb and lighter texture.
How to Make Black and White Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Cream the butter and sugar. Use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the sugars and butter until light and fluffy.
- Add the wet ingredients. Combine the water, egg, Kahlua, and vanilla and then beat this into the creamed butter and sugars.
- Finish the dough. Lower the mixer speed and mix in the dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in the chips and pecans.
- Bake. Drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake in a 350ºF oven for 12 to 14 minutes. Cool on the pan for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to finish cooling. (Learn more: Why Every Baker Needs Wire Cooling Racks)
Tips for Success
- Adjust the flour as needed. When testing, I found some differences with brands of cake flour. Because of its higher protein content, King Arthur cake flour tends to create a denser batter than Swans Down. Just keep this in mind and feel free to add up to another ¼ cup of flour if needed.
- Soften the butter. Make sure to take the butter out of the fridge in advance and let it soften at room temperature. This will make it easier to cream with the sugar and create a lighter texture. Learn more: How to Soften Butter
- Toast your nuts. Toasting nuts enhances their flavor. Here’s how to toast pecans.
- Know the basics. Read my baking tips for beginners before you get started if you’re new to baking.
Variations and Substitutions
- Different chocolates. Try using bittersweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or even butterscotch chips instead of semisweet or white chocolate.
- Orange zest. I think fresh orange zest would work well in these cookies. Add it to the sugar and rub it in with your fingers to infuse a bit of orange flavor into every bite.
- Add a drizzle. Drizzle melted dark chocolate over the cooled cookies for an elegant finish.
How to Store
Store the black and white chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. They’re a bit more delicate than traditional chocolate chip cookies, so layer them carefully.
Can I Freeze This Recipe?
You can freeze individually portioned dough for these cookies and bake them from frozen whenever the craving strikes. Freeze the dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then transfer it to a freezer bag. You’ll need to add an extra minute or two to the baking time.
To freeze the baked black and white chocolate chip cookies, let them cool completely, then place them in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze individually. Once frozen, transfer the cookies to a freezer-safe bag or container. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving or gently warm them in the microwave.
More Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes
- Sprinkle Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Zucchini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
Black and White Chocolate Chip Cookies
These black and white chocolate chip cookies are light and delicate, with Kahlua for extra flavor and plenty of chocolate in every bite!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240g) cake flour*
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (150g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup (59ml) water
- 1/2 large egg**
- 1 & 1/2 tablespoons Kahlua (or brewed coffee)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (63g) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup (57g) white chocolate chips
- 2 & 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans (or other nut), toasted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, combine both sugars and the butter. Beat until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
- Combine the water, egg, Kahlua, and vanilla. Add to the sugar/butter mixture, beating until well blended.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and pecans.
- Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until set and beginning to brown around the edges. Cool on the pan for 1 to 2 minutes. Then, remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
*Depending on humidity and the brand of cake flour used, you may need to add up to another 1/4 cup of flour.
**Lightly beat one large egg, and use half of that, which is about 2 tablespoons.
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light.
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11 Comments on “Black and White Chocolate Chip Cookies”
These look so very good! I’ll have to give them a try. What kind of cake flour did you use?
Swans Down. I like King Arthur’s cake flour but haven’t found it locally.
The cookies look wonderful. Wish I could get some!
Totally agree with you about white chocolate. In my book, the darker the better. (I’ve even been known to swap some bittersweet for semisweet sometimes…oops.)
Do you think if you were to use just AP flour it would taste/turn out the same? Does the cake flour make it chewier or something? I would love to try this recipe but I’m not sure about buying a whole bunch of cake flour when I don’t really use it for anything else. 🙂
Lindsey, the cake flour makes these lighter and more delicate. You can make your own cake flour, although you might not get quite the same results. Measure the total amount of flour. For every cup of flour, remove 2 tablespoons of flour. For this recipe, you would remove 4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Add the same amount of cornstarch. Mix or sift really well, and you’ve got cake flour!
These look soft chewy and delicious – perfect chocolate chip cookie 🙂
I used to feel the same way, until I discovered top quality white chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa butter. I think the key is the word “chocolate.” It’s not chocolate, and if we gave it a different name we could better evaluate it on its own merits, and not compare it to chocolate. That said, this recipe looks very good — it might even work with a bit of saffron or lime zest added to the dough for something else entirely. Thank you for posting.
I seldom use white chocolate but this is a definite exception. It blew my mind when I read it was from Cooking Light.
These look so delicious! Do you use Silpat baking your cookies?
Nicole, I am a huge fan of Silpat for baking cookies. I haven’t baked without one for years.