Charles: Intro
This spring, The Panther Press chose to review Crumbl Cookies, a popular bakery that offers a dynamic menu of six different flavors each week. The Panther Press members tried six products from Crumbl Cookies in Novato including the Semi- Sweet Chocolate Chunk, Pistachio Gelato, French Toast, Sea Salt Toffee, Wedding Cake and Peanut Butter Cookies and Cream. Its offerings include classic cookies such as chocolate chips, as well as innovative cookies inspired by popular desserts and seasonal themes.
Although Crumbl Cookie flavors change each week, the qualities of the beloved cookies remain the same. From the warm dough, the thick sweet frosting, and the unique intricate design, Crumbl Cookies will always remain a favorite treat. That being said, not everyone believes each flavor is a hit. Below are The Panther Press’s compliments and complaints for the cookie line up of week May 12-18.
Merritt and Sarah: Wedding cake
Sarah (pro)
The Wedding Cake Crumbl cookie was an extremely blissful, sweet treat. Visually, it was beautifully crafted, from the soft vanilla bean infused cookie to the raspberry cream cheese and vanilla swirled frosting coupled with the white chocolate pearls. You know how in the movie, Ratatouille, Remy has an ultimate euphoria while tasting his newfound food combination? That’s how it felt to
taste this cookie — colors flying, angelic music playing — the whole nine yards. Wedding Cake is truly the right name for this cookie as it was sophisticated in both taste and presentation. It certainly is a 100/10 in my book!
Merritt (con)
I found the Wedding Cake cookie to be unappetizing and soggy. As I bit into the overwhelming, sweet, tall stack of frosting that sits upon a tasteless and undercooked cookie, I gagged. I quite literally could not handle this downgraded safeway cookie that is the Crumbl Wedding Cake cookie. In an attempt to save your tastebuds, I strongly recommend against even coming near that wretched thing called a cookie.
Merritt and Sarah: Pistachio Gelato
Merritt (pro)
The Pistachio Gelato cookie is the perfect combination of everything a cookie should be. Sweet yet sophisticated, nutty yet buttery,rich yet subtle; the Pistachio Gelato cookie transports you to a romantic regency era tea party, gossiping among duchesses. It wasn’t just a cookie, it was an experience. One I am better for, as my eyes have been opened to everything a sweet treat can be. I can not emphasize enough how you must try this cookie so you too can be struck with the remarkable feels as I have.
Sarah (con)
The Pistachio Gelato cookie honestly left much to be desired. Usually when eating a cookie, one shouldn’t have to struggle to even swallow given how terrible it already tastes in your mouth. Despite the fact that I normally like pistachio flavored treats, this cookie was definitely a strange outlier. The taste reminded me of when I had COVID-19 — I couldn’t taste a thing. The buttery texture contrasting with the dry crust made me wonder how one cookie could have two such distinct (and horrendous) flavors. I couldn’t even finish the cookie because… well, I love myself too much. I personally hope that this cookie never graces the light of day ever again.
Hannah and Alice: Semi-sweet chocolate chunk
“It’s just a chocolate chunk cookie, nothing bad about it, but nothing special either,” most people would comment. And of course,
hat is true. If cookies were colleges, a chocolate chunk cookie would be my safety.
The Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunk balances the flavor especially well, giving you that rich chocolate flavor without being too sweet. We rated this cookie a 10/10 for its classic but rather comforting flavor. There is an abundance of melted chocolate chunks that feels your nostalgia for a classic, and the sea salt on top adds a perfect balance of sweet and salty. Every bite is rich and full of flavor. The cookie is crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside. It was perfectly baked. When the chocolate chunks begin to melt in your mouth, it creates a perfect harmony with a glass of milk. It reminded the two of us of the chocolate chip cookies that we used to make as kids with our families.
Caroline and Kylie: French Toast
Caroline (con)
French Toast is a classic flavor. It’s like pancakes and waffles, a key ingredient in a perfect Saturday breakfast. So tell me why I bit
into Crumbl’s French Toast cookie expecting a syrupy bite of goodness, only to flail for a tissue as an unpleasant taste of burnt hair filled my mouth. I’ve never had such a strong desire to spit a cookie straight into the garbage can as in that moment.
Appearance-wise, the cookie was perfect. With a syrupy brown sugar glaze on top of a buttery, crunchy cookie and a dollop of buttercream on top, it looked identical to that incredible top piece on a stack of french toast. Appearances were deceiving. The syrup flavor was overpowering and sickeningly sweet. The buttercream was essentially pure butter and contrary to my childhood dream of biting into a stick of butter, it was horribly unpleasant. Every piece of the beautiful treat combined into a horrid burnt sugar taste that I was happy to get rid of. I’d be satisfied for the rest of my life if I never have to try the French Toast cookie ever again.
Kylie (pro)
There is nothing better than french toast, a cinnamony buttery delight, to start off your day. French Toast is a breakfast marvel that never fails to offer comfort, its warmth and sweet syrup wraps you in a wave of nostalgia like a comforting hug. The French Toast Crumbl Cookie is no different! The cookie engulfs you into lazy Sunday mornings and the sweetness of childhood. It is shaped like a cube, adorned with a scoop of buttercream. Chocolate and powdered sugar are drizzled on the top, making the cookie look, as well as taste, like a delicious treat. When you bite into it, the texture has the lightness of a spongy cupcake, not the crispiness of a cookie. The salty butter on top balances out the sweetness of the cake, making a harmonious treat where one flavor does not overpower the other. If you are looking for a tasty treat to transport you back to your childhood, the French Toast cookie is for you!
Delaney and Sharifa: Peanut Butter Cookies and Cream
If you are also an oreo lover, you won‘t want to miss out on Peanut Butter Cookies and Cream. Since the both of us love oreo and peanut butter, this cookie checked all the boxes for us—dark with light, sweet chunks. The cookie was sweet with a slight hint of coffee. The oreo bits sprinkled on top crumbled off as we took a bite of the sweet cookie. This Crumbl Cookie stood out to us compared to the other flavors of the week and we rated it a solid 8/10. We highly recommend trying it for its perfect mix of sweet and chewy flavors.
Coda and Larkin: Sea Salt Toffee
Even if you think you are not a big fan of toffee, we strongly recommend giving this cookie a try. We do not usually love toffee, but this cookie was a game-changer. The combination of flavors and textures was simply perfect.
This cookie itself is chewy and has just the right amount of sweetness. The milk chocolate chips and buttery toffee bits are evenly distributed throughout, making each bite. What makes this cookie truly special is the sprinkle of sea salt on top, which adds a savory touch and balances out the sweetness.
If you’re looking for a new favorite cookie, look no further than Crumbl’s Sea Salt Toffee cookie. We highly recommend giving it a try – you won’t be disappointed!
Aarya:Conclusion
As our last article of the year, and with our seniors, this Crumbl review was both especially close to our hearts and a symbol of our team work. All of our Panther Press members enjoyed the cookies, though some of our taste buds had a downfall with the Pistachio Gelato, and embraced the sweetness they brought to our day. From French Toast to the Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunk, the idea of a sugar rush only made our inner children jump out as we herded around the cookie box at its arrival. It is safe to say that this year’s Panther Press team was a little too crazy for chocolate (as could be observed in our ratings) and a whole lot of crazy for fun journalism.
