Why Does Crumbl Sometimes Upcharge Its Desserts?

The tasty Utah-born dessert chain known as Crumbl has been adding upcharges to its menu items for a while. Some recent sweets to be hit were the company's Cookies & Cream Brownie and Biscoff Cake, which had upcharges of $1.49 in March 2025. When such items are ordered, the fees are shown as an added cost tacked onto the base price. What's the reason for the uptick?

Even employees don't seem to know exactly why, but theories abound among disgruntled Crumbl fans. Many believe inflation is the culprit, as it has been for so many merchant price climbs of late. An example is Costco's price hike for one of its most popular bakery items, butter croissants. Many companies tack on charges in the face of rising costs. Denny's, for instance, implemented surcharges in 2025 for menu items containing eggs when the avian flu led to nationwide egg shortages and price hikes. Whether Crumbl is up-charging for similar reasons has not been disclosed. Others speculate the charge is just old-fashioned avarice and the company wanting to make more money.

Crumbl became a household name due to its cookies, which are the main staple of the chain's menu. But other desserts have also been added to the rotating lineup, including items like brownies, cakes, and pies. A Utah Crumbl employee stated that while she was not certain of the reasons behind the upcharges, she believed the larger size of the specialty desserts could be an explanation. Sweets like the brownies, cakes, and pies are bigger than Crumbl's cookies, and they also require more ingredients.

Increased prices at Crumbl are nothing new, whether outright, through upcharges, or in the form of fees. Franchise-wide price increases were implemented in 2022 that had some customers claiming they wouldn't buy Crumbl anymore. In 2023, two California customers sued the company, alleging that Crumbl was charging a hidden service fee, both on its app and in stores, to get more money from transactions without actually raising its menu prices. Crumbl later stated it discontinued the fee in question before the lawsuit was filed.

Upcharges for certain desserts have ranged from small — 29 cents for one double fudge menu item in 2024 — to higher charges like the recent $1.49 for brownies and cakes. Weekly specialty items frequently come with an upcharge, like the Kardashian-Jenner-themed desserts offered in April 2025. Kris' Classic Yellow Layer Cake had an attendant add-on charge of 99 cents while Kourtney's Flourless Chocolate Cake had an upcharge of $1.99 per treat.

Crumbl offers weekly flavors, which are literally here one day and gone the next. Since the shops are closed on Sundays, enthusiasts only have six days to grab these time-restricted goodies, much to the sorrow of avid patrons unable to get to their local store before the flavors change. Crumbl recently updated its menu, though, adding a specialty Dessert of the Month that doesn't change weekly but is available for an entire calendar month. The first treat to be the monthly star in this new practice was March 2025's Cookies & Cream Brownie — complete with its order upcharge.