We Tried 5 Crumbl Desserts: Do They Live Up To The Hype Of The Cookies?

It's almost impossible to resist the allure of that bright pink storefront with the smell of sugary goodness wafting out the front door. Known for its huge array of innovative cookie flavors (257, to be exact) and weekly changing menu, Crumbl has stolen the hearts and taste buds of Americans, with nearly 900 locations churning out millions of cookies daily.

Now a national phenomenon, Crumbl started with humble beginnings: a labor of love born of two cousins who wanted to create the perfect chocolate chip cookie. Cookies have always been the heartbeat of the clean-cut bakery, but recently, there have been a few newcomers on the rotating weekly menu. Dessert bars, pies, cakes, and even puddings have begun springing up in the place of a sixth cookie, and fans have mixed feelings about the new additions, taking to Reddit to argue whether or not the brand should just stick to what they do best: cookies.

To get to the bottom of this dessert dilemma, I took it upon myself to visit a small handful of Atlanta-area Crumbl locations to taste-test a few of these recent confections. Judging on qualities like portion size, flavor, and consistency, I not-so-scientifically weighed whether these additional desserts were worth the calories and if they deserved a spot next to Crumbl's much-beloved cookies. So, what was the final verdict? Let's see how the cookie crumbles.

Innovation is Crumbl's calling card, and the Utah-based brand carries this ethos through to its new dessert offerings. In keeping with its signature rotating menu format, non-cookie desserts change on a weekly basis, so it's unlikely you'll find the same treat on the menu twice. So, if you find something that piques your interest, you'll want to go ahead and grab it for fear of watching it disappear forever.

It's hard to say which new treat will make the cut from week to week, but based on the recent offerings, we can make a deliciously educated guess. The first non-cookie treat to debut on Crumbl's menu was a cream cheese frosting-topped cinnamon square in January 2024 — think cinnamon rolls but served in cake form. A few weeks later, a fluffy tres leches cake appeared on the menu, providing a nice textural contrast to the already beloved tres leches cookie.

While the initial non-cookie desserts seemed to stay within the realm of tray bakes, Crumbl has kicked its baking prowess into high gear with an onslaught of sweets that run the confectionery gamut. Summer 2024 saw the debut of a berry trifle cake cup, peanut butter dessert bars, and a layered strawberry shortcake alongside the crave-worthy cookie flavors.

For this late-summer taste test, I started out with the non-cookie dessert on offer the week of August 12, 2024: the lemon blackberry cake. The presentation was lovely with two perfectly round poppyseed-specked yellow sponges sandwiching piped pink frosting with a deep purple blackberry jam topping. My only complaint was that a significant portion of the jam stuck to the top of Crumbl's signature pink box, leaving me with the not-so-unpleasant task of scraping it off.

Worried that this lemon cake could be all style and no substance, I took my first bite. I couldn't have been more wrong. The cake was moist yet firm, providing the perfect amount of chew without being tough or crumbly. I could definitely taste the lemon in the cake with maybe a touch of artificial lemon extract, but not enough to affect the overall flavor. The poppy seeds added a nice earthy touch to the sponge, all complemented by the surprisingly fresh-tasting blackberry frosting. The jam wasn't overly sweet; if anything, it brought a tart, acidic brightness to the cake that balanced out all the other flavors beautifully. If fruit desserts are your jam, I would definitely recommend keeping an eye out for this lemon blackberry cake should it ever reappear on Crumbl's menu.

As a lifelong Southerner and banana pudding fanatic, I have to admit that I was skeptical of this one. I've tried my fair share of bland or artificial-tasting store-bought banana puddings and was more or less expecting the same from a bakery that specializes in cookies.

The first thing that struck me was the portion size. A nearly pint-sized container of banana pudding wrapped in Crumbl's signature pink packaging was a promising sign of the treat to come. As a quick aside: Driving home in the heat of a late August day in Atlanta is no joke, so I have to give Crumbl a bit of a pass on the texture — the treat was a little on the melty side by the time I arrived home no more than 10 minutes after purchasing my pudding. That being said, this confection was still silky smooth with plenty of banana flavor without being too sweet. The still-crunchy Nilla wafers added a much-needed textural contrast to the creamy pudding. While my intention was just to have a taste of Crumbl's banana pudding, I have to admit that I inhaled nearly the entire container in one sitting.

It may still be 90-plus degrees outside, but that's not stopping fall treats from popping up on Crumbl's menu. Following the annual late-August release of Starbucks' pumpkin spice latte, the cookie shop debuted its first autumnal sweet of the season: a classic pumpkin bar.

Like Crumbl's other tray bake desserts, the pumpkin bar is served in a tin, which makes it easy to transport and share, if you so choose. Admittedly, this one looks a little homemade, which isn't necessarily a bad thing; it's just not what we've come to expect from a bakery known for its eye-catching cookies. Flavor-wise, this one hit all the autumnal high notes for me. Real pumpkin flavor packed a punch, beautifully spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg for that all-important warming sensation needed in seasonal sweets. The cream cheese icing was luscious and smooth, spread to the perfect thickness to add just the right amount of sweetness to the spiced cake.

Where this dessert fell a little short was in the texture. Maybe it was just the pumpkin bar I was served, but the center was definitely not cooked all the way through. As someone who loves an underbaked brownie, this wasn't an issue for me, though I can see how the gooey texture could be a deal-breaker for some. I would still recommend giving this one a second chance if you can get your hands on it.

When banana bread appeared on Crumbl's otherwise overly sweet menu, I have to admit I wasn't super excited to try this one. Banana bread certainly has a time and a place, but it's not top of mind when selecting a dessert option. With an open mind, I picked up my signature pink box and was immediately surprised by the heft of the portion. A full mini-loaf of banana bread stared back at me from inside the box that could easily be shared between several people. So, in terms of value, this one took the cake (pun intended).

I'm not exaggerating when I say that this one surpassed all expectations. The banana bread was light and spongy, providing the perfect cake-like texture I crave from a dessert. It was moist without being overly wet or dense, and a crispy streusel topping added both a delightful textural contrast and an extra dose of sweetness. If I had to nitpick, I would say that the bake could have used a bit more of a banana bite, but I was by no means hunting for flavor within the cake. The main note was certainly fresh banana with no artificial aftertaste. This is definitely a worthy contender for a grab-and-go brunch offering, and thanks to its hefty size, it certainly delivers bang for your buck.

As a part of a ploy to promote the "Beetlejuice" sequel in theaters on September 6, Crumbl teamed up with the spooky cinematic brand to create a creepy cake worthy of the undead demon himself. The nearly black cake definitely captured the creepy vibe with swirled black and white frosting, a dash of green and purple sprinkles, and a grave-inspired cake topper that read "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice."

On par with Crumbl's other cake-based desserts, this sponge was light, fluffy, and moist without falling apart at the touch of a fork. Suffice it to say that this bakery has its cake recipes down to a science. The dark cocoa sponge had a definitive chocolatey flavor that, once again, tasted like the real thing. The icing, on the other hand, had a pretty artificial taste to it, probably due to the use of black food coloring to achieve that striking swirl — think grocery store birthday cake.

While certainly eye-catching, this one was definitely a case of style over substance, not surprising considering it was clearly developed for promotional purposes rather than to capture a beloved flavor like Crumbl's other desserts. All things considered, it was a good cake. The textures were on point and it looked great. It just may not have been the best thing Crumbl's ovens have ever produced.

I've been a fan of Crumbl's unique cookies for a long time, but even I have to admit that its newly debuted desserts might just take the cake. Each of the treats I tried absolutely nailed the flavor profile that was advertised, which is more than I can say for some of Crumbl's cookies. While a few of the textures were inconsistent, the perfectly balanced flavors more than made up for a gooey cake or slightly runny pudding.

One thing to keep in mind with Crumbl's non-cookie desserts is that they do cost a bit more than the signature cookies. An upcharge of anywhere between $0.59 and $0.99 applies to each of the treats, which may be a deterrent for budget-conscious snackers. That being said, the portion sizes were consistently on the large side, making these non-cookie desserts easily sharable between two to three people if you so choose.

Based on factors like cost, taste, texture, and variety, I would say that I hope Crumbl continues its streak of serving non-cookie desserts. Plenty of thought has clearly gone into each treat, from crafting individual elements to execution and final presentation. While cookies continue to be Crumbl's bread and butter, it's nice to have the option of a quality, over-the-top dessert for when you really want to treat yourself.