We tested Baked! vs. Insomnia Cookies so you don’t have to
Five points for next level shit
As an IU student, you’ve probably ordered Baked! more times than you can count. But then there’s this little place called Insomnia Cookies your friends at other colleges won’t stop raving about.
So, which one is really better? Baked! of Bloomington, or Insomnia Cookies?
I let my curiosity get the better of me, and I took the burden upon myself to find out. (For science.) I talked my roommate into a last-minute adventure to the closest Insomnia Cookies, which is located in Broadripple of Indianapolis, for some cookie sampling. Then, we drove back to Bloomington and got Baked! the same day to test each side by side.
I went beyond my tastebuds, and judged them on their store aesthetic, product packaging, options available, flavor/texture, and lastly, price.
Aesthetic
Insomnia Cookies is a cute bakery, but they don’t really deviate from that aesthetic. They look, feel, and sound like a bakery. I am a fan of the logo, though. It’s cool as shit. +5 points
The Indianapolis location doesn’t have a lot of seating. Where are you supposed to wait?
They had really cute labels on specific cookies telling customers which cookies look like which. Again, cute, and only cute. +1 point
+ 1 bonus point for the attractive employee who helped me
Baked! of Bloomington, on the other hand, looks completely different. They aren’t really cute, per se, but they’re eclectic as fuck. The building itself looks like a house, which gives it a hole-in-the-wall vibe. Inside, customer-decorated cookie boxes and other weird trinkets line the walls all over the store. You walk in, and a wave of comforting baking-cookie smells attack your scent receptors, and you are automatically put at ease. +5 points
They have an entire chalkboard wall room where customers can decorate as they wait for their cookies to finish baking. +3 points
On the other side of the building, you have a game room where you can chill and look at local art while you wait. +1 point
Running totals:
- IC: 7 points
- Baked!: 9 points
Packaging
I have to give this one to Insomnia Cookies with their cool-as-shit-logo on a fancy box. I know what phone number to call, should I want to order again, because it says it right there on the box. +6 points
Although Baked! does advertise local events on their boxes, so they get +3 points for supporting local businesses.
Running totals:
- IC: 13 points
- Baked!: 12 points
Options
Insomnia Cookies offers nine different traditional cookies like chocolate chunk, peanut butter, M&M, and oatmeal raisin. +9 points for 9 cookie varieties
Baked!, however, offers whatever-the-fuck kind of cookie you can come up with, based on their long list of mix-ins. +15 points for customization
Each place offered milk options, including chocolate, skim, and 2%. +3 points to each
Baked! offers two other kinds of soy milk to enjoy with your cookies. +2 points for being inclusive
Insomnia Cookies has ice cream to make your cookies a la mode, which is fucking awesome. +5 points for next level shit
But wait… Insomnia Cookies does not have gluten free or vegan options available in stores (at least not at the Indianapolis location) for those with dietary restrictions . -6 points for being exclusionary
Running totals:
- IC: 24 points
- Baked!: 32 points
Flavor
Insomnia Cookies were firmer and got hard quickly when completely cool. They were warm, but they didn’t have that fresh-out-of-the-oven taste we all love so much. They were decent, but they didn’t taste all that special — I don’t think I would ever drive an hour out of the way again. +5 points
Baked! was gooey, rich and delicious. They tasted fresh-out-of-the-oven and had the heat to prove it. They didn’t get particularly hard when they were completely cool, either, which was a plus. +9 points
Running totals:
- IC: 29 points
- Baked!: 41 points
Price
It all comes down to this. As far as cookies go, neither place is particularly cheap. You have to pay a premium for cookies available until the wee hours of the morning wherever you decide to order them from, but Insomnia Cookies is actually more expensive. A half dozen costs $8.25 with no extra frills at Insomnia Cookies. A half dozen at Baked! costs $6.78. +1 point to Baked! for being more affordable.
Final results:
- IC: 29 points
- Baked!: 42 points
Baked! reigns supreme in a side-by-side comparison. Sorry, Insomnia Cookies.