What happens when you take the most nostalgic candy ever and drop it into a gooey, pink-frosted, crème-filled cookie? You get the NERDS Sugar Crush—a sweet, limited-time creation from Dirty Dough and NERDS Candy. Available through June 19 and back again in August, this cookie delivers a wild combo of texture, color, and full-on sugar joy. For anyone in foodservice, retail, or private label looking for the next dessert idea, this drop shows how playful collabs can drive serious engagement—and serious sales.
Wait, there’s candy in my cookie?
Yep. And not just any candy. Dirty Dough went full nostalgia mode and teamed up with NERDS to create a cookie that’s gooey on the inside, crunchy on top, and totally over the top.
The limited-edition NERDS Sugar Crush cookie includes:
- A soft sugar cookie base
- A vanilla crème–stuffed center
- Bright pink frosting
- A rainbow of crunchy NERDS candy sprinkled on top
Available now through June 19 at over 65 Dirty Dough stores nationwide, the cookie will also make a comeback for one more week in August.
“With consumers rediscovering classic treats reimagined in bold, indulgent ways, the mix of NERDS candy and Dirty Dough was a natural match. Our gourmet cookies are known for their indulgent, stuffed centers, and NERDS candy adds a playful, crunchy twist to it.” Sarah DeVore, head baker at Dirty Dough. “
Gooey meets crunchy, and it works
This isn’t just a cute treat. It’s smart dessert marketing. From the visual appeal to the playful pairing, Dirty Dough and NERDS nailed the sensory trifecta:
- Crunch + goo = contrast that keeps you biting
- Colorful layers = instant Instagram appeal
- Candy-stuffed cookie = the ultimate throwback treat
And it’s all happening inside a rotating weekly menu—Dirty Dough’s secret weapon. The brand is known for high-impact, short-run drops that keep people checking back and trying new flavors. NERDS never miss the sweet spot!
“It’s the perfect balance of texture, fun and creativity. And a great example of how we continue to push boundaries with limited-time flavor drops and bold innovation,” added DeVore.
Sugar-coated dreams
Whether you’re in R&D, retail innovation, or private label development, this drop offers a crash course in what works:
- Visual storytelling sells – From that bubblegum pink frosting to the rainbow crunch, this cookie photographs beautifully (and eats even better).
- Textural mashups win – A gooey vanilla crème center plus the iconic NERDS candy? That’s dessert dynamite.
- Limited-time drops drive repeat traffic – Customers love the thrill of getting something exclusive—and they’ll return to see what’s next.
- Nostalgia never gets old – NERDS® has been around since the ’80s, but throw it into a modern dessert, and boom—new audience, new excitement.
- Simple base, bold twist – The sugar cookie itself is basic. It’s the topping and filling that make it stand out.
And from a sourcing standpoint? This is the perfect blueprint for using bulk inclusions, frosting flavors, and ready-to-bake dough bases to craft something high-impact without reinventing the wheel. If you’re developing your own indulgent treat, the path is paved in pink frosting and rainbow crunch.
Sugar crush time
The NERDS Sugar Crush cookie is playful, indulgent, and just the right amount of wild. It shows how collabs can stretch across categories—candy and cookies, old-school and new-gen—and still feel fresh.
And more importantly, it reminds us:
- Creativity counts.
- Texture matters.
- Nostalgia is a strategy.
For foodservice buyers, importers, or anyone building a product line, this is proof that sweet partnerships don’t just taste good—they make business sense.
Need help finding the right ingredients for your own cookie craze? From bulk candy inclusions to private label dessert bases, we’ve got your back.
Ready to turn your idea into the next flavor drop everyone’s talking about?
Let’s make it happen. Reach out today or browse our ingredient catalog to get started.
