Cookie shops have become a craze over the last year with numerous stores such as Mary’s Mountain Cookies and Goodly Cookies popping up across Omaha. The newest, Crumbl Cookies, has a unique business model that differs from its competitors. Each Monday new flavors are added to the menu and a short six days later they are replaced. After a lengthy 30-minute wait that extended into the parking lot off of 168th and West Center Rd., I had a chance to try this week’s selections.

I started off my taste testing extravaganza with a staple: the Milk Chocolate Chip. While most of Crumbl’s cookies go away after a one-week span, this is the one and only cookie that remains on their menu permanently. Right away, I noticed that the circular dessert had a nice balance, with a crisp outer layer yet soft and gooey middle. Texture-wise it checked all of the boxes for a well-cooked treat, but the flavor was a different story. I found the large milk chocolate chips to be way too overpowering and sweet for the already sugary base. The cookie definitely has potential and adjustments like switching to semi-sweet chocolate chips and adding in sea salt could help it to be reached. While I found the cookie somewhat enjoyable, homemade chocolate chip cookies can’t be beaten and as of right now it is not one that I would reorder.

As I moved on to the first flavor of the week, the bright fluorescent pink-colored frosting of the Confetti Cake cookie caught my attention. On top of the pigmented cream cheese frosting was a dusting of rainbow sprinkles and below was a perfectly baked sugar cookie base. While the cookie wasn’t as extravagant as some of the other selections, I appreciated its simplicity. The tartness of the cream cheese helped to cut the extreme sweetness of the other components and create a well-rounded dessert. 

The next treat I tasted was the Original Featuring Peanut Butter M&M’s Candies. It had a crunchy outer shell and a gooey peanut butter filling inside. Mixed into the batter were large melty clumps of peanut butter M&M’s. This was definitely one of the better cookies that I tried because it wasn’t too sweet; the saltiness from the peanuts helped to balance out the flavor. It also had a nice texture and the candies mixed in added a much needed crunch.

After continuing on to the Brownie Batter flavor I was quickly let down. The thick chocolate cookie, topped with gooey batter and filled with semi-sweet chocolate chips looked appetizing, but the bitter flavor quickly changed my opinion. The cookie lacked the sweetness of the other selections and was comparable to chocolate-flavored vegetable muffins that can be found in the freezer section of Costco Wholesale. After one small bite, I moved on to the next.

Passion Fruit was the flavor that I was most excited to taste test and it did not disappoint. The flavor of the fruit was subtle but was represented in the cookie, the frosting and the popping boba pearls that sat on top. It was much different than any cookie I have tried before and the popping boba added a unique texture and experience. However, the liquid that the pearls were in came along with them and pooled on the top, leading to a sogginess a few hours after purchasing.

My favorite out of all of the desserts I tried was definitely the Classic Oatmeal. When I purchased it, the cookie had just come out of the oven and was still warm and gooey, similar to a bowl of oatmeal. The chunky oat-filled cookie was mixed with notes of vanilla and molasses and topped with a tasty cinnamon strudel, each component added to the complex layers of flavor. 

There was one similarity between all of the cookies that I was not fond of: they were too overwhelming. Between the four and a half inch diameter and intense sugary elements, the cookies were too much. Personally, I would prefer a smaller and more mellow version of what Crumbl serves. While it was an entertaining experience to try the six cookies once, because of the overpowering flavors and excessive size I don’t think that I will be returning to Crumbl next week for the new flavors.