A rising cult cookie brand is causing a stir with its startlingly calorific and high sugar offerings.
Utah-based company Crumbl has released a new flavor which contains 1,130 calories, which is four-and-a-half times more than a Glazed Krispy Kreme donut.
Crumbl’s $4 Brownie Sundae – which has become a viral hit – also contains 10g of sugar, three times the CDC’s entire daily recommended amount for an adult man.
Boston-based food policy expert and Northeastern University professor, Dr Darin Detwiler, told DailyMail.com that the nutritional values are ‘alarming’ given how popular the cookies are becoming.
Since launching in 2017, Crumbl has expanded to more than 800 locations worldwide, making it the fastest-growing cookie company in the US, and social media videos of fitness influencers speed-eating them have racked up millions of views.
Despite the health concerns around Crumbl cookies, TikTok is awash with people sampling their offerings, as part of a growing food trend
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Dr Detwiler said that while the cookies can fit into ‘an occasional indulgence, regular consumption of items with this much sugar, saturated fat, and calories could be detrimental to overall health.’
He continues: ‘Cookies and ultra-processed foods like these are the root cause of the health and obesity problem in American.
‘If these cookies were firearms, they would be illegal.’
Many people on social media have also branded the Crumbl cookies ‘diabetes in a box.’
Crumbl’s Brownie Sundae – which comprises a ‘gooey’ brownie, ‘velvety’ vanilla mousse, warm fudge, rainbow sprinkles and ‘a cherry on top’ – is currently only available at select stores, with the outpost in Las Vegas being one of the locations.
While it is the most calorific dessert currently on offer at Crumbl, the dessert brand’s other offerings also pack a punch.
The second most calorific option is the Tres Leche Cake, which serves 970 calories per dessert, thanks to a combination of fluffy vanilla cake, tres leches sauce, and whipped cream.
Meanwhile, two new seasonal favorites – caramel apple and maple cream sandwich – deliver 860 calories each.
Even the simplest recipe – a milk chocolate chip cookie – contains 730 calories.
The lowest calorie offering currently on Crumbl’s menu is the seasonal pumpkin chocolate chip, with each full round containing 470 calories.
Dr Detwiler says desserts don’t need to be calorie-free, but ideally, a dessert portion would fall between 200 to 400 calories, ‘offering indulgence without contributing excessively to daily caloric intake.’
One popular sweet treat that falls into this category is Dunkin’ Donuts’ glazed donut.
One donut contains 240 calories, 11g of fat and 13g of sugar.
Crumbl’s brownie sundae – which comprises a ‘gooey’ brownie, ‘velvety’ vanilla mousse, warm fudge, rainbow sprinkles and ‘a cherry on top’ – is currently only available at select stores
Despite the health concerns around Crumbl cookies, TikTok is awash with people sampling their offerings, as part of a growing food trend.
Many content creators post daily reviews of the flavors, with new releases amassing the most hits.
TikToker @cillastyle reviewed the new chocolate sundae brownie from Crumbl and gave it a big thumbs up.
In her video review she tells viewers: ‘The middle is so gooey and fudgy its so good… this is a 10 out of 10 for me.’
Similarly, @morganchompz gives Crumbl’s calorific release a rave review.
She says, after giving the hefty square a try: ‘This is impressive, it really does taste like a brownie sundae ice cream and all.
‘Like, I am genuinely very impressed. The brownie itself is fudgy, soft and chewy, every element is good. It’s working together.’
Despite the health concerns around Crumbl cookies, TikTok is awash with people sampling their offerings, as part of a growing food trend
Many content creators post daily reviews of the flavors, with new releases amassing the most hits
Dr Detwiler told DailyMail.com that while Crumbl provides ‘transparent’ nutritional information on its website, the way it is presented could mislead customers.
Each label shows the nutritional values for ‘per serving’ first, when this is just a fraction of the actual dessert.
Highlighting this as an ‘opportunity for misinformation,’ Dr Detwiler added: ‘Without clear labeling, consumers may underestimate the caloric and nutritional content, which is particularly concerning with oversized portions like those Crumbl offers.
‘Additionally, in any rapidly expanding food business, there are potential risks of supply chain fraud (mislabeling ingredients) or food safety failures, especially if the brand grows faster than its capacity to maintain strict quality controls.’
Part of its USP is that it offers a unique weekly rotating menu, featuring six new flavors and according to its website, more than one million cookies are sold per day.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Crumbl for comment on its products and nutritional values.
