Masuk Free Press

A brand of baked goods is making headlines for both its sweet success and infamous dissension. This brand is none other than Crumbl Cookies.

The franchise gained virality on social media shortly after its grand opening in 2017 due to its large, gourmet-style cookies with enticing visual quality and flavor options. The most notable quirk of the business is the rotating menu that changes every week.

“I went to Crumbl in Fairfield with my friend,” said Masuk senior Brandon M, “It was very sanitary, very friendly employees. I would recommend them, especially their chocolate chip cookie.”

However, behind this fun brand advertising sweet treats lies secrets and misinformation that consumers have slowly begun to discover. 

The first thing customers started to realize about the cookies was their serving size. The website lists each cookie flavor sold that week and the number of calories below it. Many patrons recall eating a whole cookie from Crumbl, only to find out that the amount of calories and sugar listed on their website for each flavor only accounts for one-quarter of the cookie. Crumbl has been criticized for this, as it can be misleading and possibly dangerous for consumers, especially considering each cookie’s high sugar and fat content.

One of Crumbl’s signature and frequently recurring cookies is their milk chocolate chip. It contains 32 g of total fat and 52 g of sugar, far more than the American Heart Association recommends per day, which is 36g of sugar for men and 25g for women. 

Crumbl has also recently branched out from only selling cookies, now including cakes, brownies, and pies about the same size as their 4.25-inch cookies on the menu. Most recently released was the brownie sundae, which contains much more sugar than their chocolate chip cookie, at a staggering 47g of sugar per serving and 110g in total.

“It’s not the healthiest thing,” said University of Rhode Island (URI) sophomore Grace Waleck. “Even for a cookie, there’s a lot of sugar. That’s why I only get Crumbl once in a while.”

Because of the stark contrast between the serving and total size of each item, customers have raised concerns regarding this as unsafe or misleading. Patrons wonder if this is too deceptive of an act for Crumbl, considering that the United States Food and Drug Administration requires brands to list a serving size as what amount a person would most likely consume, not by what quantity would be ideal or the most healthy.

In addition to the obscured nutrition information, some wonder if the cookies are really worth their high prices or if they taste as good as they look.

“I went to Crumbl in Warwick, Rhode Island, once a month with my best friend Grace,” said Kaity Yehle, a sophomore at URI. “We bought their weekly cookies, a pack of six. They looked amazing, but the taste wasn’t incredible. Lots of calories as well.”

Crumbl Cookies rose to this level of fame as a brand through social media. Influencers began posting “weekly Crumbl reviews,” which are short-form videos in which a creator will rate the appearance and taste of each weekly cookie. This was a win-win for Crumbl and these influencers. The videos garnered many views and appeal from their following, allowing them to profit and Crumbl to reach the eyes of more potential customers without spending money on sponsorships. Social media content like this provides the opportunity for anyone to find and take an interest in the product. They might then share it with their friends or family, expanding the viewership of Crumbl even further.

“Online influence made me want to buy Crumbl,” said Yehle. “It’s definitely popular because of that. There was such a long line!”

As of 2023, it was clear that Crumbl had the most prestige online as a bakery brand. Compared to their competitors, Crumbl had over 3.5 million more followers on Instagram and about 6.8 million more followers on TikTok than their counterparts, as shown below. As of October 2024, Crumbl’s following has risen to 5.9 million on Instagram and 9.4 million on TikTok.

“I found Crumbl through TikTok,” said Waleck. “I go with my friends. It’s crowded, but the cookies are very good.”

Despite its faults, Crumbl is capable of bringing people together through its weekly lineups and dessert promotions.

“It was a fun time with my friends and some good cookies,” said Yehle, “I might recommend it to a friend if they haven’t experienced it before.”

Even while Crumbl remains surrounded by criticisms and controversy, the silver lining remains that the brand can provide an opportunity for customers to bond with those they care about. It allows them to share fun, sweet moments again and again with each menu rotation. Regardless of the debates surrounding it, Crumbl remains a popular gourmet pastry franchise that won’t be baking its last cookie anytime soon.