Reddit Says This Popular Crumbl Dessert Is Dry And Overpriced

Crumbl, the popular pink cookie chain founded by two entrepreneur cousins with no baking background but plenty of tech and marketing know-how, has over 1,000 stores. Crumbl and its cookies became a household name by understanding the power of the internet. However, social media users have an issue with one of its desserts. Multiple Reddit threads have proclaimed their disappointment over its tres leches cake. Let's begin with one Reddit commenter: "A moment of silence for the people who have only had tres leches at a Crumbl." 

Let's get into what went wrong. The origin story of tres leches has its roots in Latin America. The name translates to "three milks" and the dish is made from evaporated, condensed, and whole milks soaked into a simple sponge cake. This makes the dessert moist and rich, but many people on Reddit find Crumbl's to be dry. Another user said of the company's cake, "It was bland. Lacked flavor. I tasted 0 condensed milk. Honestly I think crumbls [sic] '3 milk sauce' is a mix of whole, 2%, and skim milk." Redditors also found the dessert to be overpriced. One Reddit user said they preferred getting it from "a local Mexican bakery. They usually have massive slices for less than $5 and I prefer supporting my community anyway." Compared to your local pastelería (bakery) where it can be around $4 a slice, Crumbl's costs over $6.

The best spot for good tres leches would be a nearby panadería or pastelería (which are Spanish words for bakery). It is likely to be moist and will probably cheaper, too. While any old bakery may carry the cake, searching specifically for a panadería on Google or Yelp will yield more fruitful results. If you live in a big city, finding an authentic spot may be even easier. You also might be able to find it at your favorite local Mexican restaurant.

Another non-traditional spot people can purchase tres leches is Whole Foods. One Redditor confesses, "I crave Whole Foods tres leches cake weekly." You can always make your own tres leches cake. Creating the mixture from scratch takes a little time but it is worth the effort.  Another poster went on to say, "Trader Joe's has a pretty decent tres leches which is way better than Crumbl's." As another commenter put it, "Crumbl tres leches is for people that have no idea you can get real tres leches elsewhere."