10 Facts You Didn't Know About Crumbl Cookies

There's perhaps no fast food dessert chain that gets quite as much hype as Crumbl Cookies, the iconic cookie brand that just can't seem to stop growing. It's massively popular amongst dessert lovers, and it doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon. But what do you really know about the brand? Sure, maybe you've tasted the cookies — and you may even be a regular — but there's a good chance that there's a lot you don't know about Crumbl Cookies.

Well, don't worry, because we've done some digging, and we've realized what you soon will: There's a lot you probably don't know about the brand. Whether you're there on a weekly basis or you have yet to try a single Crumbl cookie, these facts should give you a somewhat clearer picture of what the company is all about. Diehard Crumbl fans and Crumbl newbies alike deserve to know what the company's really up to, after all. So, sit back, maybe grab a cookie, and learn more about this cookie brand you've been hearing so much about lately.

Back in 2017, two cousins, Jason McGowan and Sawyer Hemsley, decided to join forces to create the perfect chocolate chip cookie. That may seem like a humble task, but that was the decision that birthed Crumbl, now a massive company with locations seemingly popping up weekly. But the two founders didn't just want to make an incredible cookie to enjoy with their families after a long day of work. Rather, they wanted to share that cookie with countless other people, prompting them to start their business. In just a matter of years, Crumbl has expanded rapidly — and all because two cousins had a passion for cookies.

The first physical Crumbl location was in Logan, Utah. The idea was that an open-concept kitchen would give customers an inside look into how each cookie was made, hopefully helping them feel closer to their dessert. From there, things really took off. It was no longer just about chocolate chip cookies, and it was no longer about just a single location.

Crumbl only opened its doors in 2017, which means in the scheme of all the major chains out there, it's a relatively new company that's far less established than many of its competitors. But just because it's young hasn't stopped the chain from absolutely dominating the dessert industry in the United States. In fact, it's currently the fastest-growing cookie company in the entire country and one of the fastest-growing dessert companies, period. And it has the numbers to back it up. Since 2017, the chain has expanded to over 1,000 locations. You can find locations in both Canada and the U.S. — and in the case of the latter, locations spread across the country from coast to coast.

There are plenty of other cookie brands to choose from if you're looking for a place to get your sweet treat fix, but with Crumbl popping up in more and more locations, it's probably only going to get more ubiquitous in the next few years. And if there's not a location anywhere near you yet, just wait ... based on the numbers, it's probably coming.

Of course, like with any major company, it's not all unicorns and rainbows over at Crumbl. In fact, the company has faced some incredibly serious allegations while it's been expanding. Perhaps the most egregious of these allegations have been ones regarding franchises violating child labor laws. And it wasn't just one or two kids sitting behind the counter. A shocking 46 minors were discovered working at Crumbl franchises across six states in 11 stores, which indicates this was a relatively widespread problem in the company.

Many of the minors found to be working at these stores were 14 to 15 years old, who, by law, cannot work more than eight hours a day, cannot work more than 40 hours per week, and can't be at work past 7 p.m. during the school year. The stores were fined early in 2023, and the charges came out to around $58,000 for the franchises.

Sure, it's difficult to run a business, but that doesn't mean it's okay to break labor laws just to make sure you're selling enough cookies to cover your bottom line. When stories like this come out, it makes us question the labor practices of the company in question — and kind of ruins our appetites for cookies, if we're being honest.

See a Crumbl cookie, and you might immediately recognize its large size or its sometimes over-the-top decorations. But see someone holding a light pink box, and you probably don't even need to see what's inside — you know it's a Crumbl box. That's because Crumbl's pink box is undeniably iconic. Of course, it serves a practical purpose, as a box helps better protect the delicate cookies while you're transporting them. But this box isn't all about practicality.

The pink box makes Crumbl's cookies automatically recognizable — even when you can't see the cookies themselves. The founders want people to look at a light pink box and immediately know it's a Crumbl box. Not only is it eye-catching, but it's also just cute, which makes it perfect for posting on Instagram when you want to show off your cookie haul. This leads to what is essentially free advertising for the brand. So why wouldn't they want a box that stands out from the rest? Now, the next time you see someone holding a pink box, you'll know exactly where they were earlier in the day. And who knows? Maybe you'll start craving a cookie, too.

Sure, cookies probably aren't exactly what you think of when you're trying to follow a strict diet. But some people have dietary restrictions, and even when they want to indulge, they still have to make sure they're not eating the ingredients they either choose not to or actually can't eat. This is why it's so important for restaurants — especially chain restaurants — to offer a variety of alternative options for those who may not eat dairy, eggs, soy, or a handful of other ingredients.

Being such a large company, you'd think Crumbl would have a few options for those who have dietary restrictions. Unfortunately, though, that's not the case. In fact, the chain is notoriously unfriendly to those who have to watch what they're putting in their mouths. Currently, the store does not offer kosher, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, or keto options on a regular basis. Plus, because of how the locations are set up, cross-contamination is a concern, even if some of the cookie recipes don't call for ingredients like dairy or gluten. What's more, the company says it doesn't have any plans to incorporate these kinds of items into its lineup anytime soon. Therefore, if you're looking for a cookie company that caters to eaters with dietary restrictions, the truth about Crumbl is it's probably not what you're looking for.

Have you ever had a Crumbl cookie you immediately fell in love with? Well, if you come across a flavor you really, really like, then you may want to stock up on it while you can because there's a good chance it'll be a while until the flavor comes around again. That's because most of the desserts the chain offers are limited-time products because of the brand's weekly rotating menu. That means you won't have to eat the same cookies again and again if you go to Crumbl regularly. But it also means that it can take a while until your favorites come back around.

Generally, specific flavors only come out once or twice a year because the brand boasts around 170 flavors. On one hand, that's a good thing — a huge part of Crumbl's appeal is the fact that you get to try new flavors every time you go in. At the same time, it can be a big bummer when you've found a flavor you particularly like. Your best bet? Go often enough that you don't miss the next time your favorites come around.

When a company is as successful as Crumbl, it's no surprise that other companies try to follow suit. But sometimes, they follow suit so closely it comes down to a lawsuit, which is exactly what happened when some of Crumbl's Utah-based competitors allegedly started copying the popular cookie brand. Two companies, Crave Cookies and Dirty Dough, were sued by Crumbl in 2022 for infringement based on packaging and trademarks. However, both the companies that were sued for infringement said that Crumbl's claims were false.

In fact, the competition got so contentious that The Salt Lake Tribune called the situation the "Utah cookie war." We guess there are worse things to go to war over. In the end, the two accused companies ended up using the situation as ad fodder, with one claiming that its cookies were so good it was getting sued. And as far as Crumbl's fate? It doesn't seem like the brand has suffered too much from the alleged infringement, considering its massive growth.

Look, we all know that dessert tends not to be the healthiest meal of the day. But you're probably not digging into a box of cookies for your health. Rather, dessert is supposed to be a fun way to supplement your healthy food with something sweet and indulgent from time to time. That being said, just because we know that cookies don't tend to be healthy doesn't mean we want to regularly eat cookies that are significantly worse for us than average cookies on a daily basis. And in some ways, Crumbl fits that description perfectly. Why? Because, well, shockingly, some of Crumbl's cookies can be almost 800 calories each. No, not calories in your whole box. We mean that there can be nearly 800 calories in a single cookie.

Although you may assume that one cookie equals one serving, that's not actually the case. Read the fine nutrition print, and you'll see that a serving is actually only ¼ of a cookie. That means that these whopping desserts are actually meant to be shared. Although this information is presented on the website, we don't blame anyone for thinking that a single cookie is one serving — that makes sense in most cases. Of course, if you want to indulge in a whole Crumbl cookie, nobody's stopping you. Enjoy the whole thing! But when it comes to regular snacking, you may want to actually split these cookies between friends or family members to avoid that inevitable stomachache.

If you want your company to be successful these days, it's not just about the product. You also have to have a sparkling social media presence, or customers will barely even realize you're in business. Luckily, Crumbl's social media game has been on point every step of the way. First of all, Crumbl is serious when it comes to appearances. The brand makes its packaging and its product look amazing so it shines on social media. Then, its social media feed itself always delivers, too.

Because the brand has a weekly rotating menu, social media plays a key role in informing customers about what they can expect in the upcoming week. Not only do customers get this information through social media, but they can also access it from the brand's app. Perhaps one of the reasons the company has grown so fast is simply because the corporate team knows how to focus on social media.

It's no secret that Crumbl's cookies are larger than normal. And considering how many calories are in each cookie, you may realize that you don't want to eat an entire cookie in one sitting. Or, perhaps you're sharing your Crumbl cookies with a big group. Sure, you can give everyone their own cookie, but what if you want to try a variety of flavors? It's better to break them up so everyone gets a taste of all the flavors you selected.

The good news is that you don't have to try to break your cookies into even-sized pieces because Crumbl actually sells its own branded cookie cutter. This is a great option for Crumbl cookies specifically because so many other cookie cutters won't be big enough to properly break your Crumbl cookie into pieces. Plus, it's kind of satisfying to separate your cookies into bite-sized portions every time you get a new batch. If you're trying to portion your Crumbl cookies for whatever reason, you should definitely look into trying the brand's cookie cutter for yourself.