The tres leches cookie is a popular dessert item sold exclusively at Crumbl Cookies. Crumbl Cookies is a nationwide chain of gourmet cookie shops specializing in fresh baked cookies. The tres leches cookie first appeared on Crumbl’s weekly rotating menu in August 2021 and has since become a customer favorite.
The tres leches cookie is Crumbl’s take on the traditional tres leches cake, which is a sponge cake soaked in three types of milk – evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream. Crumbl has adapted this concept into a soft sugar cookie soaked in three kinds of milk and topped with milk cream frosting and sweet coconut flakes.
Here is a quick rundown of the key facts about Crumbl’s tres leches cookie:
- Base: Soft sugar cookie
- Soaking: 3 kinds of milk – evaporated milk, condensed milk, regular milk
- Toppings: Milk cream frosting, toasted coconut flakes
- Size: A large 4 inch cookie
- Price: $3.98 per cookie
- Availability: Rotating weekly flavor, appears every 6-8 weeks
The tres leches cookie has quickly become a fan favorite due to its rich flavor and ultra soft, moist texture. Keep reading to learn more about what makes this cookie so delicious.
The Soft Sugar Cookie Base
The base of the tres leches cookie begins with Crumbl’s signature sugar cookie recipe. Their sugar cookies are baked fresh in-house and known for their soft, cake-like texture.
Crumbl’s sugar cookie dough contains:
- Butter
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
The cookies are baked until the edges are lightly golden brown but the centers remain soft and underbaked. This creates the signature soft, doughy texture Crumbl sugar cookies are known for.
The tres leches cookie starts with a plain sugar cookie base that is soft and sturdy enough to absorb all the milky soakings.
Soaked in Three Kinds of Milk
True to its name, the tres leches cookie gets soaked in a mixture of three kinds of milk:
Evaporated Milk
Evaporated milk is milk that has been heated to remove 60% of its water content. This makes it creamier and more concentrated in flavor compared to regular milk.
For the tres leches cookie, Crumbl uses canned evaporated milk which has a deeper, richer taste than fresh milk.
Condensed Milk
Condensed milk is milk that has been evaporated beyond evaporated milk, removing 75-90% of the water. It is extremely thick, smooth, and sweet.
Crumbl uses sweetened condensed milk, which has sugar added to offset the preserved milk’s tartness. The added sugar makes condensed milk very sweet and syrupy.
Regular Milk
Crumbl uses plain whole milk as the third milk for soaking. The fresh milk helps balance the richness of the evaporated and condensed milk.
Together, these three milks create a soak with diverse flavors – rich, creamy, sweet, tart, and fresh. The cookie absorbs this milk blend during its overnight soak, making it remarkably soft and moist.
Topped with Milk Frosting and Coconut
After soaking in the three milks overnight, each tres leches cookie is topped with:
Milk Cream Frosting
The milk cream frosting starts with a basic vanilla buttercream made with butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and cream. Crumbl then adds whole milk to make the frosting extra creamy, smooth, and milky.
The frosting has a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture that complements the soaked cookie base.
Toasted Coconut Flakes
Finally, toasted coconut flakes are sprinkled over the frosting, adding sweet coconut flavor and crunch.
The coconut plays off the tropical tres leches theme, while also adding texture contrast to the ultra soft cookie.
Size and Price
Each tres leches cookie is generously sized at 4 inches across. This is larger than Crumbl’s classic cookies, which are typically around 3.5 inches.
The tres leches cookie is priced at $3.98 per cookie. This lands around the middle of Crumbl’s pricing scale. Signature specialty cookies range from $3.98-$4.48 while classic flavors are $3.50-$3.98.
So you get a good amount of bang for your buck with the huge, decadent tres leches cookie.
Availability
The tres leches cookie first appeared on Crumbl’s weekly menu rotation in August 2021. Since then, it has returned every 6-8 weeks as a limited time weekly special flavor.
Crumbl rotates through over 100 different specialty cookie recipes. Customer favorites like tres leches enter the rotation more frequently while new flavors may only appear once.
Customers never know which cookies will be featured each week, which is part of Crumbl’s appeal. Fans monitor social media closely for menu reveal announcements.
The tres leches cookie has already gained popularity among Crumbl devotees, who look forward to its intermittent returns.
Nutrition Information
Here is the nutrition information for one 4-inch tres leches cookie from Crumbl:
| Nutrition Facts | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 510 |
| Total Fat | 18g |
| Saturated Fat | 11g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 60mg |
| Sodium | 320mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 78g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0g |
| Total Sugars | 56g |
| Added Sugars | 56g |
| Protein | 3g |
As you can see, the tres leches cookie is high in calories, fat, and sugar as you would expect with such an indulgent dessert cookie. The soakings and frosting really amplify the sugar content.
One cookie packs over half of your recommended daily added sugar! So the tres leches cookie is definitely a special occasional treat.
Taste Review
Fans rave about the tres leches cookie’s rich flavor and ultra soft, moist texture. Here’s a breakdown of the sensory experience:
Texture
The texture is the tres leches cookie’s biggest claim to fame. The overnight milky soak makes the sugar cookie base incredibly soft and spongy. It practically melts in your mouth.
The soaked cookie easily pulls apart into moist, fluffy pieces. The smooth milk frosting and flaky coconut also contrast nicely with the soft base.
Flavor
The triple milk soak gives you a layered taste experience:
– The evaporated milk provides deep, caramelized milk flavor.
– The sweetened condensed milk is syrupy and very sweet.
– The fresh whole milk balances out the rich milks with its mild dairy freshness.
The milk cream frosting is subtly sweet and vanishingly smooth. It adds even more milky flavor without overpowering the cookie base.
Finally, the toasted coconut flakes provide tropical flair. They add a touch of natural sweetness and texture.
Altogether, it’s an indulgent, nostalgic flavor bomb that milk lovers will go crazy for.
Visual Appeal
Visually, the tres leches cookie is a stunner. The creamy white frosting and golden coconut flakes atop the caramel-hued cookie base just “pops”.
The softness allows for photogenic ooze shots when the cookie is split open. Pictures of this cookie get high engagement on social media feeds.
How to Order
You can purchase the tres leches cookie both in-store and online while it’s featured weekly at Crumbl Cookies locations.
To find your nearest Crumbl, visit their website which has a store locator tool. Most locations are open from 8am-10pm on weekdays, 8am-midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, and are closed Sundays.
When ordering in-person, you simply select the tres leches cookie from that week’s menu display.
For online ordering, you can select the tres leches cookie as an add-on to any customized box when it’s available that week. Just log into your Crumbl account, select your location, and add one or more tres leches cookies to your box.
You can also order the cookie for local delivery if your location offers delivery. Then you don’t have to leave the house to enjoy this decadent dessert!
Online ordering is the best way to secure your tres leches cookies before they sell out each week. Crumbl’s specialty flavors have been known to run out by the end of the week.
Copycat Recipe
If you don’t live near a Crumbl Cookies or miss out on the limited-time tres leches offering, try making a copycat version at home!
Here is a recipe to recreate this cookie:
Ingredients
For the cookie base:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the milk soak:
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup whole milk
For the frosting:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1-2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For topping:
- 1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. Make cookie base: Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Scoop 1-2 tablespoon sized balls of dough onto baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.
4. Bake 8-10 minutes until set but still soft in the middle. Allow to cool completely.
5. Make milk soak: Whisk condensed, evaporated and whole milk together until blended.
6. Dip each cookie into the milk mixture until soaked through, then place on a parchment lined tray. Refrigerate overnight.
7. Make frosting: Beat butter until creamy, then mix in powdered sugar, salt, milk and vanilla until smooth.
8. Frost each soaked cookie, and sprinkle toasted coconut flakes over the top.
And there you have it – a homemade version of the Crumbl tres leches cookie! While it requires some effort, it’s totally worth it for this delicious and unique cookie.
Conclusion
The tres leches cookie from Crumbl Cookies is a deliciously decadent dessert treat. Its soft sugar cookie base soaked in a triple milk blend and topped with coconut makes for an amazing textural experience and bold milky flavor. This specialty cookie has quickly become a fan favorite during its limited rotations on Crumbl’s weekly menu. Customers eagerly anticipate when this exotic cookie will appear next!