“That one wasn’t good,” TikTok darling Nara Smith declared in a recent review video as she took a bite of a cookies and cream milkshake-inspired Crumbl cookie.
“It could be worse,” she said of Crumbl's brownie. She doesn’t like peanut butter, she admits, which softens the “2” rating she gave the Crumbl peanut butter cookie, but she did fawn over the frosting on a pumpkin cookie.
Smith—a model and influencer who has amassed 10.4 million followers on TikTok by serenely preparing elaborate meals in runway-ready outfits—gave Crumbl cookies a lukewarm (at best) review earlier this month. Her husband, model Lucky Blue Smith, co-starred in the review video and seemed equally unimpressed. Later, Smith admitted she tossed the iconic pastel pink box of cookies in the trash, mostly uneaten, and recreated a Crumbl-like recipe for her kids in true Nara fashion, complete with made-from-scratch sprinkles and homemade butter.
It begs the question: Has the Crumbl backlash begun?
Smith’s review wasn’t the only bad press Crumbl has received lately. A pop-up event in Australia left a Crumbl-curious crowd disappointed after serving days-old cookies at inflated prices. The event wasn’t sponsored by Crumbl, which only operates in the United States and Canada. While not exactly new criticism, some have also called into question the high-calorie count of Crumbl’s treats, including a new brownie that tops 1,100 calories.
Will The Crumbl Cookie Empire Ever Crumble?
Crumbl is, indeed, at a crossroads, but they can easily climb out of the hole with a smart PR strategy, says Priscila Martinez, a marketing expert with 20 years of experience and the founder and CEO of The Brand Agency.
“TikTok is very forgiving and the audiences there love cunning comebacks,” she says. “They welcome brands that smartly lean into the negativity. Crumbl can respond to the Smith video with a funny take, name a bland cookie after them, or otherwise hijack the news cycle so that they reign supreme again.”
Martinez says the Crumbl backlash has indeed begun, but they are at a moment where they can still control the narrative and come out on top.
Crumbl undoubtedly has enjoyed sweet success over the last several years. The cookie franchise was founded in Logan, Utah, in 2017 by cousins Jason McGowan and Sawyer Hemsley who spent thousands of dollars baking and testing recipes in a quest to create the perfect chocolate chip cookie. Today, there are 1,068 Crumbl stores in the United States and Canada, with roughly 100 of those opening in 2024. Crumbl sells 1 million cookies every day. Soon, cookie lovers in Australia will get to taste the real-deal, as Crumbl told Delish it has plans to open in Australia, with updates on locations and opening dates coming soon.
Delish reached out to Crumbl for comment for this story, and while the brand didn’t respond directly to Smith’s review, they addressed its growth in a statement: “With each new location, Crumbl aims to create a warm and inviting atmosphere where people from all walks of life can come together to enjoy freshly baked desserts and create lasting memories.”
TikTok influencer Grace Mary Williams doesn’t see Crumbl slowing down anytime soon. A toy and candy reviewer based in New York, her Crumbl cookie reviews consistently garner hundreds of thousands of views, a recent one racking up 1.4 million views.
To stay fresh (and ever-present in social media’s feeds), Crumbl releases six new desserts each week. Williams says she started doing the weekly drop Crumbl reviews in February 2023 when a store opened near her in Long Island—and her honest opinions help her audience decide whether the new flavors are worth it or not before buying. (Depending on where you are located, a single cookie clocks in around $5).
“My favorite thing about Crumbl is how every week is a different lineup,” says Williams, who ranks the cornbread cookie with honey butter frosting No. 1. “There are constantly new cookies to try out so it keeps it fun. It is such a simple yet fun thing to look forward to every Monday. It’s kind of like when your favorite episode drops.”
Crumbl is ‘Unapologetically Indulgent’
No one should be too surprised that Nara Smith’s review of Crumbl wasn’t exactly glowing. She’s known for her elaborate made-from-scratch meals, so it's understandable that a commercial, sugar-packed cookie doesn't align with her tastebuds, says Carissa Erzen, a full-time baking blogger at Humbly Homemade who has five years of experience developing dessert recipes.
“Crumbl cookies are unapologetically indulgent, and that’s part of their charm,” says Erzen, who describes herself as an “on-again, off-again fan" of the brand. “Crumbl fans get excited about the rotation of cookie flavors—the fun takes on nostalgic flavors, the gooey, slightly underbaked cookies, and the thrill of carrying out that iconic pink box," she says.
From a baker’s perspective, Erzen says, the innovation and craftsmanship behind Crumbl’s weekly rotating flavors is impressive.
When it comes to calories, Crumbl cookies range from about 740 to 950 calories. But the brand debuted Crumbl minis (initially just on Mondays) earlier this year. Due to popular demand, Crumbl minis were made available all week long at participating locations.
Despite the high sugar and calorie count, Crumbl can even count dietitians among its fans. Heidi McIndoo, R.D. with FoodieMomRD, says she scooped up two Crumbl cookies for her family of four to share this week.
“I firmly believe vitamin P (for pleasure) is a part of healthy eating,” McIndoo says. “For many, Crumbl provides that pleasure.”
But, of course, balance also needs to be considered. Beyond the calories, a single full-size Crumbl dessert, she points out, contains around 75% of one's daily saturated fat and added sugar.
These cookies are meant to be shared, she says. In fact, according to the nutrition facts panel, there are at least a few servings in each large-format cookie.
In the end, Crumbl doesn't really owe anyone an explanation for its price or high calorie counts, says marketing expert Ashton Boothroyd, the CEO of Identi.fi Marketing.
“It is a snack, a treat, and sure there are other options out there,” Boothroyd says. “However you go to Crumbl to indulge. The fanaticism around the brand is a by-product of giving people a viral ‘treat,’ not affordable, healthy products.”
