Sophomore Natalie Suresh arrives inside Crumbl Cookies, awaiting to try the new weekly flavors, but disappointment quickly sets in after the first taste. For many, their initial excitement fades once they start wondering if the oversized cookies are worth the price.
Senior Ryan Borromeo explained that he often goes to Crumbl Cookies to explore new options, although it is usually a surprise whether the cookie lives up to the hype or not.
“Some of the flavors can be okay or really good, and that’s the thing about Crumbl Cookies. It’s that you don’t know what you’re tasting until you actually get it,” Borromeo said.
Crumbl Cookies originally opened in 2017 and has experienced steady sales since. The flavor selection changes weekly, with six different cookies customers choose from. Crumbl Cookies has also recently introduced several different cakes and sweet treats into their lineups.
Some students were disappointed with certain flavors that Crumbl Cookies has released. Suresh recalled her first experience getting some cookies with her parents after a field hockey game. At first, she was thrilled to try the trending cookies but was displeased after the first bite.
“I couldn’t wait, but once I took a bite out of it, it was just mid, and my parents were like, ‘Oh, so this is the reason why we spent like 30 bucks,’” Suresh said.
Many complained about the store’s prices being unreasonable for cookies, which is typically $4.99 for one. Similar to Suresh’s parents, Borromeo pointed out how the cookies are not worth the cost. He believes alternative cookie brands give a similar experience to Crumbl’s cookies but at a cheaper cost.
“I think the prices are too high,” Borromeo said. “I feel like one cookie for five bucks is insane when I can buy an Oreo pack for four bucks.”
Senior Aafiyah Khan noticed people often criticize the cookies’ overall taste because of their sweetness. Some students only enjoy certain cookies at Crumbl but are not fans of other flavors. For example, Khan appreciates the classic milk chocolate chip cookie but believes a local cookie store in Santa Clara, Choc Cookies, is better than Crumbl Cookies.
“It’s (Crumbl Cookies) not special. It’s pretty mid actually. It’s just over-sweetened, and you could get better cookies from other places,” Khan said. “I love Choc Cookies.”
Similar to Khan, social science teacher Pilar Svendsen recommends other bakeries over Crumbl Cookies. Svendsen explained why she favors the Los Gatos bakery, Icing on the Cake.
“They’re known for banana cake, which is not obviously a cookie, but their variety of baked goods in general just go through the roof,” Svendsen said. “When I think about Crumbl Cookie, I think that what’s appealing about them is they’re a very large cookie.”
Another part of Crumbl Cookies that students disapprove of is the health factor. Junior Mindy Nguyen questions the cookies’ nutritional aspect. Each cookie contains 700 to 800 calories, with a recommended serving size of one-fourth of the cookie. Nguyen agrees with those on social media who criticize the amount of calories.
“There’s a lot of social media posts about how unhealthy they are, and they wish it wasn’t so nasty. Why is it so unhealthy, so sugary?” Nguyen said. “A quarter of a cookie is already 250 calories, so why can’t it have the same taste but less calorie intake?”
Despite the costs and calories, the shop has allowed students to experience new flavors and join the trend, however, many agree that the pros are not worth going to Crumbl Cookies. Khan emphasized social media’s contribution to unrealistic expectations and their inability to live up to their anticipation.
“TikTok made them popular, but in the end, Crumbl’s just isn’t worth the hype,” Khan said.