Should you pay $120 for luxury cookies, or are these budget-friendly alternatives just as sweet?
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After tasting dozens of cookies for our cookie club coverage, I thought I knew every online bakery worth its salt. However, that was before fellow editor Mary Henn turned me onto an internet-famous bakery called Last Crumb. In that moment, everything I thought I knew about luxury cookies changed.
After testing the brand several times, we’re no longer strangers to Last Crumb—just take a peek at our dedicated review. This luxury cookie brand built a name for itself using witty marketing and showstopping branding that feels expensive. We truly thought we’d never find another cookie delivery service with such a fun selection of flavors. That is, until we heard about a new-to-us brand, Caked Cookies.
With both cookie brands offering distinctive flavors and upscale ingredients, we just had to see how these women-owned small businesses compared with one another. To give each option a fair shake, we ordered a dozen of both brands’ bestsellers. While many of the cookies were judged on their own tasty merit, several flavors overlapped. For those, we chose to do a side-by-side comparison and choose a winner. Our top picks are detailed under “winning flavors” below.
So, without further ado, I present: The Battle of the Cookies!
The Splurge
Last Crumb
Oversized, witty and nestled in a sleek black box, Last Crumb cookies are a luxurious gift that keeps on giving.
Packaging
We give Last Crumb a 10/10 for design and presentation. In addition to the signature, glossy black box the cookies arrive in, each order also contains an informative (and slightly sassy) cookie booklet. Each cookie is individually wrapped in its own tear-open packaging for freshness, so they last for up to two weeks at room temperature (and longer in the freezer). This makes them an ideal pick for parties or gifting.
One of our favorite aspects of the packaging are the clever names the cookies sport, such as Better Than Sex (chocolate chip), The James Dean (cookies and cream milkshake) and Donkey Kong (banana cream pie). The cookies themselves are also delightfully oversized and most are even better after a 15-minute spin in the microwave.
Frequent brand collaborations also keep things fresh. We’ve tried several of these limited-edition drops, including collaborations with beer brand Guinness and a festive holiday assortment in a bright red box. The Guinness gift box also came with a bevy of fun extras, like bottle of butterscotch sauce, two pint glasses, a cookie tin and a clever tasting guide.
Flavor Selection
Last Crumb’s flavor selections lean pretty classic, but the brand weaves in deliciously detailed ingredients that make the flavors wholly original. The chocolate chip cookie, for instance, includes a blend of dark chocolate, rich chocolate and milk chocolate in both chips and chunks. The dough blends together caramelized butter and coffee for a flavorful detour, and a dash of Maldon sea salt on top elevates these cookies to mind-blowingly tasty.
“As someone who has done her fair share of cookie baking, I was impressed with how homemade these taste,” tester Katie Bandurski says in our dedicated review. “Most mail-order cookies taste like they’ve been packaged for weeks and are packed with preservatives. Last Crumb cookies taste like I picked them up from a local bakery.”
She’s not the only staffer who’s smitten with these sweets. Editor Mary notes that her batch of cookies was fresh, beautifully packaged and dangerously delicious. In my testing, standout flavors include Netflix And Crunch (cinnamon toast crunch) and When Life Gives You Lemons (lemon bar). These giant cookies are well worth savoring!
Winning Flavors
Chocolate Lava
Espresso adds a deep, rich flavor to this Chocolate Lava Cookie. Unlike the Caked version, which features chocolate chips throughout, this decadent dessert offers a soft, gooey ganache core that liquifies when heated. Out of all the flavors I tried from Last Crumb, this was my personal favorite as a total chocoholic. It was perfectly tender and absolutely divine.
S’mores
The Caked version of this cookie felt a little more like a chocolate chip cookie with marshmallow topping. In contrast, the Last Crumb S’mores Cookie felt true to the legacy of this ooey, gooey treat. Soft and drizzled with luscious milk chocolate, the cookie itself is absolutely delicious thanks to a dough made from actual graham crackers. A soft marshmallow dollop on top gives it a little added oomph.
Price and Value
So, what’s the drawback of these delicious cookies that seem almost too good to be true? Well, they come at a cost. Boxes come in both half-dozen or dozen sizes, priced between $90 and $120. Tack on a $15 shipping fee, and you have a $135 box of treats. That equals out to $10 per cookie. In short, these are definitely premium cookies at a premium price point.
That said, folks can save 10% by subscribing to monthly, bimonthly or quarterly deliveries.
The Steal
Caked Cookies
Affordable and ambrosial, these cookies are reminiscent of Grandma's bakes crossed with unforgettable flavors.
Packaging
Caked’s packaging isn’t as flashy as Last Crumb’s sleek black box, but it’s still very giftable. Our assorted dozen came in a standard cardboard box filled with black paper shreds for extra cushion. Inside this box is a smaller box featuring the brand name and a cute sticker that acts as a seal. The packaging is secure enough that none of the treats inside arrived crushed or smooshed. Win!
In addition to classic packaging, the website offers a few gift box options featuring fancy packaging and extras like candles and mugs for different occasions. If you don’t see something that fits your vision, you can also reach out to the team directly for any specific requests.
The cookie packaging is simple yet professional, detailing the cookie name, dough base, any additions and a list of potential allergens. The plastic sleeves containing the cookies are resealable, so it’s easy to save any leftovers for later. Trust us, though—you won’t want to stop snacking on these scrumptious sweets.
Flavor Selection
Caked cookies are soft, tender and flavorful, albeit not as “gourmet” as Last Crumb. They offer a familiar homemade feel that contrasts Last Crumb’s larger, more luxe look. Customers choose between building their own box from a list of in-stock flavors or snagging an assortment of either six or 12 surprise cookies. Folks can also buy in-stock cookies a la carte for around $4 each. Those interested in specific flavors can order a dozen of a single specialty flavor as well.
When shopping on the site, customers enjoy a wide range of cookie choices—and like Last Crumb, these aren’t your average treats! Overall, we found the selections from Caked to be a bit more adventurous and exotic overall, albeit a bit smaller and less aesthetic. Standout selections include Ube Mochi, Honeydew Walnut (which is also available as a 12-inch cookie cake), Dark Chocolate Pineapple and Hokkaido Milk Tea. Of course, there are also classic selections, including Chocolate Chip, M&M and Oatmeal Raisin. There are even a few vegan and gluten-free flavors available, like Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter.
One key area where Caked differs from Last Crumb is in treat type. Apart from cookies, the brand also offers gourmet brownies with fun flavor additions and chocolates in sweet shapes. And much like the carefully crafted cookies, these additional options are simply stunning. Craving a Chocolate Pug, anyone?
Winning Flavors
Birthday Cake
Fluffy and cake-like, this classic Birthday Cake cookie was absolutely wow-worthy. The sprinkles on the outside of the cookie were generous without being messy, and the birthday cake flavor was detectable without being cloyingly sweet. While it didn’t have white chocolate chips like the Last Crumb version, we found it far more reminiscent of actual birthday cake.
Red Velvet
Unlike Last Crumb’s version, the Caked take on Red Velvet Cake cookies didn’t have a cream cheese ribbon running through it. However, it was melt-in-your-mouth tender and had a better flavor overall than the Last Crumb version, which was a bit too tangy. We also liked the addition of chocolate chips, which added much needed texture to the richness of the cookie.
Price and Value
Perhaps the biggest difference between Caked and Last Crumb is the price point. While Last Crumb’s cookies cost $120 for a dozen, Caked rings up at only around $40 for a dozen. That makes each Caked cookie just over $3 apiece—around $7 cheaper than Last Crumb’s price per cookie. While the cookies are a bit pricier at $4 per cookie when purchased a la carte, that’s still much less expensive than the alternative.
Like Last Crumb, shipping set us back about $15. All told, the final price comes in at around $55 for a dozen.
The Bottom Line
So, which brand is our overall pick? Both offer delicious, tender cookies with complex and surprising flavors. They both use secure delivery to ensure nothing breaks in transit. Cookies from both brands freeze well and last up to two weeks at room temperature, and neither include questionable preservatives.
On the topic of value, it’s pretty clear that Caked cookies offer a much better bang for your buck at just over $3 per cookie. Not only are the cookies absolutely decadent, but their affordability makes them an excellent choice for gifting or a care package. Heck, at such a low price point, I might just order another dozen to stash in my freezer and enjoy when cravings hit. For folks on a budget, these cookies are a fantastic pick, especially since the available flavors are well beyond ordinary. The brand also offers several allergy-friendly options.
In terms of consistency and presentation, Last Crumb is the clear winner. The gorgeous, glossy packaging and sealed cookie wrappers make for a wow-worthy gift. In addition, we love that the brand partners with other brands, as seen with its Guinness collection. These collabs also give the brand a bit of an edge when it comes to giftability. Plus, we love that the cookies are ever so slightly larger and more aesthetic than their Caked counterparts. Those who can afford the higher price point will find these luxury treats well worth the splurge.
Why You Should Trust Us
Growing up with a mom who scratch-made cookies for every occasion—from birthdays and school bake sales to Thanksgiving and Christmas—cookies always held a special place in life’s celebrations. Now, as Taste of Home‘s resident expert in all things food and drink, I consider myself somewhat of a cookie connoisseur. While it sounds a lot better than “cookie monster,” the general idea is the same: I see a cookie, I eat it. Because of this, I have a pretty good grasp of what makes for a tasty cookie.
