Crumble & Flake Patisserie

Oh, crumble and flake how I live thee. The delicious little scone with sour cherries and lavender, sprinkled with salt; the apricot and blue cheese scone with its mix of sweet and pungent. The smaller sizes mean you can try more things with less guilt. I go out of my way to pick up a bag to share at work. The most difficult part is making sure I share.

This is indefinitely my favorite bakery in Seattle. Not only do they offer artisanal handcrafted macarons. The macarons are one of the biggest ones I’ve seen in Seattle. Only 3 are offered daily but trust me these flavors are quite unique.
The cream puffs are the best ones I’ve had in Seattle. Not too sweet and there’s a fair amount of cream inside.
The croissants are equally as good, buttery, flaky and soft on the inside.
I’ll definitely be swinging by here whenever I’m in the area, can’t resist those macarons!
My only complaint is that they’re usually closed by 3pm. Perhaps that’s a good thing for my waist line.

4.5 stars for amazing pastries all around!
* Paprika Cheddar — 3.5 stars: Not as mind blowing as I expected but I ate it hours later. Super airy and light, which is great, but just not my cup of tea (I prefer lots of layers, crunch, and butter).
* Cherry Chocolate Almond — 4.5 stars: So unique and very almondy. 4.5 stars because it’s unique but not my favorite. Weekdays only.
* Passion Fruit Square — 5 stars: Love lemon tarts and passion fruit so this was heaven for me. Perfect consistency, flavor packed, just felt the crust could have been better.
* Chocolate Kouign Amann — 5 stars: Must order!
Will definitely return for their pistachio croissants (Fri-​Sun only!)

Don’t be fooled by the tiny storefront — this place is worth a stop! I’ve only been here once and can’t wait to return to try more things. We ordered the Kouign Amann, pistachio croissant, cinnamon roll, and chocolate chip cookie (the kids’ request), and everything was AMAZING. Everything was the perfect amount of buttery goodness without being overwhelming. I loved the lightness of the cinnamon roll — I think the texture was similar to a croissant. The prices weren’t outrageous, either, which can be the case with some of these bakeries.
My only complaint is that I wish there was seating in the store. We snagged a spot at the streetside «bar,» but it’s not exactly kid-​friendly for little ones who aren’t tall enough to reach the counter. But really, the pastries got inhaled fast enough that we weren’t standing out there too long.

Yup, I still really like this place. Annnnnd I once got the pistachio croissant (yumyumyum) on a weekday. It was like a tiny miracle.

Maybe my expectations were too high but I was a bit underwhelmed. The pistachio croissant was soft and had pistachios on top but the «jam» inside didn’t pack the pistachio flavor punch I expected. The Kouign Amann was good but mine had some burnt edges that overpowered the flavor. Lastly, the coffee cheweo (chewy oreo) had an odd aftertaste that made me not want to take a second bite. I can’t quite pinpoint what the aftertaste was but both my significant other and I didn’t want anymore after the first bite. (Maybe the other items tainted our taste buds?). The bakery itself is super cute but the lack of seating was a disappointment as we ended up eating everything in our car.

4.5 stars. I love this Patisserie and wished that it was a little closer to my place that I could frequent more often. I actually ended up at Crumble & Flake for the first time because one of the places I intended to stop by today hasn’t opened yet. So, I ended up wandering around the area and figured it’s finally time to try Crumble & Flake out after hearing so much about it.
Honestly, I had a hard time trying to decide what I wanted once I was in the store. There were just so many things I wanted to try. The lady was patient enough to let me just take some more time to look around and decide. I ended up with 3 things (Chocolate Kouign Amann, Goat Cheese & Tomato Jam Croissant and Cheddar Scone) and honestly finished ALL of them by myself within a few hours of getting them (oops.hehe…yea.it was that good!) for a total of $ 10.50 (excl. tips). I actually like that their pastries are of smaller sizes, so they didn’t make me feel as bad for eating them all (although I’m sure calorie-​wise, it was probably not the healthiest for me to eat them all in one-​sittng :D~~. My favorite was the Chocolate Kouign Amann. There’s a slightly salty yet flakey crust outside that blends well with the sweeter filling of chocolate inside. I thought the combination of a lil salt and sweet really blended well together. The goat cheese + tomato jam combo was also super interesting… but I wish the tomato jam was a little less runny. The small cheddar scone was satisfying. The size was smallest of all 3 pastries I got, but it was a good thing to nibble if you aren’t too hungry. That said, if given a chance again, I would still like to eat any of them in the future.
I wish there were places to sit around in this store. The store is super small with no seating that everyone just stops by to grab their pastries and/​or coffee and leave. I ended up taking a bus back to my place to finish all the pastries I got… yea. but they all still tasted wonderful!

This seriously is one of the best bakeries in town (if you’re curious, I’d say Fuji is just slightly better (though very different offerings) and is just ahead of Bakery Nouveau. Get here early (as with any bakery) for the best selection. They’ll close when they run out of food, and I’ve noticed that they’ve closed as early as 11 on some days.
This is one the few places in Seattle (maybe the only one) I’ve witnessed that offers Koign Amanns (pronounced Queen A-​Mon). Not sure if I spelled that correctly, but I think I’m close. The best way to explain these heavenly items are that they are croissants stuffed into muffin pans (here, they are shaped like biscuits) that have been precoated with a sugar glaze, then baked. Crumble & Flake offers a chocolate version too. Both versions are amazing and you should consume copious amounts.
I give C&F extra kudos for their very creativity concoctions. I’ve seen things like pink peppercorn with rosemary scones. All their offerings are delightful, so don’t hesitate to go crazy. One «critique» I’d pass along is that my beau mentioned their chocolate croissants aren’t as «chocolatey» as the ones at Bakery Nouveau. While BN definitely is a rival, I feel like C&F has a slight advantage due to their creative ingredient combinations and their perfect pastries (the croissants are so buttery and flaky).
Finally, I have to mention that their house-​made sriracha caramel corn is simply out of this world!

Never was a place so accurately named. Oh do their pastries crumble. Oh how their goods flake. Part of me wishes that I lived closer while the other part knows that if I lived within walking distance of Crumble & Flake that I would eat here every single day and quickly become broke.
I love their corner location and that you can watch their bakers work their magic if you arrive early enough. While I do wish there was a little room to sit inside and savor their pastries, I also love the draw of their tiny spot. It’s so whimsical and light. Plus, there’s a «streeteary» just outside which is designed so as to allow you space to set down your coffee & pastry while you stand and enjoy. Standing is supposed to be better for your digestion anyway.
My two favorites – thus far – are the cinnamon roll and the cheddar paprika croissant.

best. croissants. ever.
(brevity is the soul of wit)

Grab and go treats, literally, because there’s no seating. Crumble & Flake introduced me to my first Kouign Amann and it certainly won’t be my last! The macarons here are a work of art: beautiful, imaginative, so delicate and yet so bold. I normally don’t try macarons outside of Laduree because I don’t want to set myself up for disappointment, but seeing these beautiful little macarons, I couldn’t help myself and they certainly did not disappoint. I wish they would make adorable boxes for these macarons so I can gift them to girlfriends. One of the best gifts I’ve ever gotten was a box of pastries from Amandine bakery in LA (thanks Fenty!).
I have yet to try the coveted pistachio croissant because I can’t seem to drag my ass out of bed early on the weekends, so I guess I’ll try again next weekend…

Pretty sure I got lucky — there was no line when I got there at 11:30am on a Saturday and they still had a good variety of pastries available! Of course, I had to try their famous kouign-​amann. I got both with and without chocolate as well. It’s something different that you don’t see everyday and I loved every bite of it. Would definitely recommend this to anyone in Seattle (even if there’s a ridiculously long line ;))

I am in love with the croissants from here!
A friend had recommended the Pistachio Croissant and wow was that amazing! It is absolutely delectable, flaky, full of pistachio flavor and not overly sweet.
I also really enjoyed the Smoked Paprika and Cheddar Croissant, it is savory and flaky and so delicious.
They also serve some seriously awesome coffee.

*** In Short ***
Fantastically tasty pastries. Show up early lest you want the dredges.
*** In Depth ***
Yet another bakery that I’ve struggled to check out on previous trips to Seattle, just barely succeeding this last trip, showing up about half an hour before they closed. That, of course, meant that they ran out of almost all their popular items: particularly, well, the ones that flake.
So, after a quick, «what do you have left that’s still popular and amazing,» I ended up leaving the bakery with a blueberry and a lemon cream puff, and a hunk of huckleberry coffee cake. The cake was enjoyable, for sure, but the cream puffs (which I ate immediately), were absolutely DIVINE, with a not-​overly-​sweet, but still rich and creamy filling.
Let’s see if I can show up earlier next time to grab something that’ll be terribly difficult to clean out of my clothes.
***Accessibility Info***
Venue — A small, but accessible shop with low display cases that shouldn’t provide any issues. The hills surrounding and leading to the bakery, on the other hand, may prove difficult to traverse for some.
Bathroom — Didn’t try them, but also doubt they have any public ones.

Hands down the best pastry shop in Seattle. Everything, just EVERYTHING is absolutely knock your socks off delicious.
Good thing I’m a morning person. And for the sole reason of snagging a pistachio croissant, you should be too. This pistachio croissant is my favorite croissant in the city. Trust me. The croissant is perfect. Pistachio butter is perfect. Flaky air pockets are perfect. Pistachio butter between each layer is nothing like you’ve ever tasted. Perfect.
Macarons, scones, croissants, pastries… if you don’t get here early enough, you will be sad because they will already be sold out. Get up at the ass crack of dawn, handle your routine, go for a run (parking sucks although you may get lucky this early), SHOW UP, and purchase your noms. Leave happy. Repeat as often as you need to feed your addiction. In my case, once a week.
The lines grow by the second, just as quickly as they sell out.

What I purchased:
pistachio croissant: nice flaky croissant with pistachio sprinkled on top and inside. It was pretty good. Not too sweet
kouign-​amann: I really liked this one. It’s a round crusty cake on the outside and inside is similar to a croissant. Loved the crispiness when u bite into it. I recommend u try this.
Grapefruit macaron: first time getting grapefruit macaron ever. Wanted to see how it tasted. I didn’t really like it bc of the bitter after taste. I think I like the smell of grapefruit more than the taste.
Canele: a small French pastry with soft custard in the center and thick caramelized crust.
Coconut cream puff: my favorite out of the 4 pastries. Looks like they sprinkled cookies on top of the cream puff so when you bite into it, there’s a good crunch. The cream was good and had a coconut flavor. Try it… it’s good!
Tip: come early bc they run out of the good stuff quick

«Simple yet decadent pastries made in small batches.»
This is a small bakery with limited customer space. Do not let the size fool you. This bakery is full of simple charm and well-​executed French baking. The bakery is conveniently located in a corner spot and the large windows help advertise the delicious baked goods. The smell of freshly made Kouign Amann and other puff pastries filled the sidewalk and draws attention to anyone passing by. The selections depend on the time of the day and if you happen to arrive near closing time, expect slim pickings.
I’ve tried the Kouign Amann in regular and non-​chocolate. Both versions had a nice coating of caramelized sugar with a light sprinkling of sea salt. Their rhubarb financier tasted fresh, light and delicate. Their macaroons were perfectly filled and the flavors are rotated to match the season. I recommend the goat cheese filled pastry, Kouign Amann, and macaroons, and passion bar. They also serve coffee and is a great companion to their pastries.

Just tried two of their pastries:
Kouign-​amann — I have always wanted to try this. I heard Crumble and Flakes sells one of the best. Honestly, I was a little underwhelmed. The pastry had a good caramelized crust, but I was expecting a flakier, more buttery and softer inside, which it fell a little short. A lot of people seem to love this, but maybe I just have a different palate.
Pistachio croissant — I will just I almost did not get this. I came here for the kouign amann as my sole purpose, and good thing I got this because the first pastry was a little disappointing. This on the other hand I would say was the best croissant I have tried. I have been a big fan of the croissants at Bakery Noveau but I believe Crumble and Flake’s pistachio is better. A little crunchy on the outside, soft and flaky on the inside filled with wonderful and abundant pistachio filling! You can not go wrong with that. It was not too sweet. I gave this to my GF. Had I known it would be this good, I would have gotten one for myself. But the two bites I had was enough to say this is the best! I will definitely get this again and probably something else, but not the kouign amann.

¹⁰⁄₁₀. Thank you, pastry gods, for blessing us Seattlelites with Crumble & Flake.
A good croissant is hard to find — but don’t fret, because I’m here to tell you that I’ve found our winner: the infamous cheddar & paprika croissant. The buttery dough is mixed with cheddar cheese and smokey paprika, giving the pastry an intensely savory flavor. There’s feathery pull apart layers, while being simultaneously soft and flakey. And just like the name of the bakery, each bite leaves you wanting to salvage the remaining ‘crumbles and flakes.‘
I couldn’t leave without trying the popular kouign amann, so I bought two: chocolate and plain. My favorite part was the caramelized crispy shell-​like exterior. The inside was filled with airy, buttery layers. The chocolate kouign amann (which I preferred over the plain) is filled with a sweet, but light chocolate cream.
I also purchased two cream puffs, one with coconut filling and the other with cheesecake. I was disappointed that they didn’t have the mango filling, but I’ll save that for another time. I bought the cream puffs for my parents, who said they were delicious.
I’m already planning my next visit. The location is quite difficult to find, especially with parking, but that won’t stop me from returning! I’m not much of a morning person, but I’d be more than willing to sacrifice some sleep if that means getting my C & F fix.

We arrived Saturday morning 10 minutes before opening and a line quickly formed behind us.
Our loot: pistachio croissant, canele, raspberry cheweo, koiugn amann, mango Crème puff, earl grey and chocolate macaron, and passion fruit macaron.
We quickly shared the mango crème puff before it got soggy. The mango crème was exceptional. It was so fragrant and just like mango purée. Amazing.
The pistachio croissant became the best croissant I’ve ever had. It must have been twice baked as it had a very crispy exterior. It had an abundance of pistachio filling. Loved it but too rich to eat all in one sitting.
The canele was delicious. It was only my second canele — my first one was from a French bakery with French owners and employees in Vancouver BC. This one at Crumble and Flake had a very crispy exterior and a soft and very eggy custard filling. Two very different textures in one pastry. Delicious.
Koiugn amann was also really good. Crispy, buttery, and flakey. I loved the thick layer of caramelized sugar crust. Yum.
The macarons were just OK. The passion fruit was too tart and I think the earl grey would have been better paired with something else besides chocolate. The only thing I did not like was the raspberry cheweo. Way too sweet — I couldn’t even eat this.
What a wonderful way to start a Saturday morning.