There's Something Off About Crumbl's First 'Gluten-Friendly' Dessert (And It's Not The Taste)

Crumbl Cookies changes its sweet offerings every week. Starting today, it's running what it's calling "Kardashian Jenner Week," featuring desserts inspired by none other than the Kardashian and Jenner family, spanning from matriarch Kris Jenner through its youngest Kardashian sibling, Kylie (I did not know we were still doing this, but okay!). Most of what's being featured is Crumbl's flagship product, cookies, but there is one notable standout — Crumbl released what it's calling its first "gluten-friendly" dessert in the form of a flourless chocolate cake.

Flourless chocolate cake recipes are primarily made with chocolate, sugar, eggs, and butter, which makes them extraordinarily rich and gluten-free by default. Some recipes, like torta caprese, can use alternative flours like almond as a binder as well. This cake, which is inspired by Kourtney Kardashian, is labeled gluten-friendly because it's made without gluten-containing ingredients, and it also doesn't have refined sugar in it. But you can't escape the fact that it's prepared in kitchens where flour is ever-present, so Crumbl can't guarantee that there won't be any cross-contact. This means the cake isn't necessarily a celiac disease-friendly product.

The flourless chocolate cake is covered in a chocolate glaze and is presented with a few fresh raspberries and costs $6.98 individually prior to tax at my nearest location, though full disclosure, Crumbl did send me a voucher to try it today (Crumbl charges more for desserts than the normal cookies). Is it any good? Well, it's not bad, but beyond the fact that it's not for-sure gluten free, it also has some textural issues that keep me from fully endorsing it.

Crumbl's flourless chocolate cake is wet and scoopable, sort of like a cross between a brownie and chocolate pudding. I've made a few flourless chocolate cakes myself, and none had a texture this soft. It has a very moist mouthfeel rather than the denser, drier one that's typical in flourless chocolate cakes. The cake itself has a decent but not-too-complex chocolate flavor to it, but it doesn't melt away completely as you eat it — it breaks up and leaves tiny bits behind, almost like minuscule curds. Again, this isn't quite typical of most flourless chocolate cakes I've made at home or had in a dimly lit restaurant. The soft, slightly chunky texture could be a result of the applesauce used in the recipe, which is an uncommon addition to flourless chocolate cake.

Don't mistake this for me saying it's bad. It's not. In fact, the cake is inoffensively fine. It's definitely good for a gluten-free dessert, so there's that at least, but there's something about its wet, slightly grainy texture makes it feel less luxurious than it should. At $7, I'd say it's not worth a curiosity purchase; the cookies are a little more indulgent-tasting, if you're able to enjoy gluten. And unfortunately, people with celiac disease, the core audience for gluten-free desserts, may not be able to eat this new product. But if you're a gluten-free eater for other reasons, I'm sure you'll at least enjoy this as your first foray into Crumbl. Just think of a cross between a pudding, brownie, and a cake, and don't expect a classic flourless chocolate cake, because Crumbl's interpretation is slightly off the beaten path.