On December 4, 2025, the beloved late-night bakery chain will treat fans nationwide with a special giveaway — the first 100 rewards members at each participating U.S. location of Insomnia Cookies will receive a complimentary Snowball Classic cookie. That’s not all: one lucky customer per store could receive a rare version filled with purple buttercream — and win free warm cookies for a full year. In celebration of this holiday treat and its unprecedented growth, Insomnia Cookies is closing out 2025 with serious momentum.
A Sweet Milestone: 350 Bakeries and Counting
This year marks a landmark for Insomnia Cookies — the chain has officially surpassed 350 store locations globally, spanning the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. In 2025 alone, the company opened 55 new bakeries, with a record-setting 25 of those unlocked in just the fourth quarter. That makes this closure the brand’s most aggressive expansion period ever.
The company’s leadership doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Projections now estimate more than 75 new store openings in 2026 — a pace that would help Insomnia move toward its long-term ambition of roughly 1,800 bakeries worldwide within the next decade. This explosive growth reflects a strategic push to meet cookie cravings wherever they arise: campus towns, urban centers, airport hubs, and entertainment venues alike.
What Is the Snowball Classic — and How the Giveaway Works
The Snowball Classic is Insomnia’s festive, winter-inspired take on the sugar cookie. Baked fresh and topped with powdered sugar and edible glitter, it’s filled with velvety buttercream — intended to evoke the softness and sparkle of fresh snow. On December 4, around the launch of the cookies, the first 100 members of the Insomnia Rewards program at each bakery can get one free, while supplies last.
Here’s the kicker: at each store, one of those Snowball Classic cookies will have a hidden burst of purple buttercream. If you get that version, you win free warm cookies for a year. To claim the prize, winners must photograph the purple-filled cookie with their receipt and scan a special in-store QR code to submit the entry. This digital confirmation must be submitted by 3 a.m. PST on December 6. Insomnia will notify winners within seven business days with redemption instructions.
The giveaway isn’t just a promotion — it doubles as a celebration of the company’s recent growth milestone and an invitation to both loyal fans and newcomers to join the Insomnia Rewards program (it’s free to sign up).
Beyond Free Cookies: What’s Fueling Insomnia’s Cookie Empire
The surge in bakery openings isn’t the only thing powering Insomnia’s expansion. In mid-2025, ownership solidified under investors Verlinvest and Mistral Equity Partners, who bought out the remaining minority stake held by Krispy Kreme for $75 million in cash. This move gives Insomnia full strategic control and the backing to pursue aggressive growth, infrastructure investments, and broader distribution.
Under this new ownership, the company has emphasized a flexible, omni-channel business model. It isn’t just opening more stores — it’s expanding into new retail channels, such as airport terminals, sports arenas, and other high-traffic venues. By embedding itself within cultural and entertainment hubs, Insomnia aims to turn its signature warm cookies into an almost ubiquitous indulgence, available wherever and whenever cravings strike.
This business model — combining physical expansion, late-night delivery, and strategic footprints in campus towns, urban cores, and entertainment venues — underscores the brand’s mission to become the go-to destination for late-night cravings and spontaneous sweet treats.
Why 2025 Might Be a Turning Point for Late-Night Indulgence Lovers
Three major developments align this year to position Insomnia Cookies for a new era:
- Unprecedented physical growth, with the brand surging past the 350-store mark.
- A high-profile holiday marketing push, anchored by the Snowball Classic drop and cookie-for-a-year sweepstakes.
- Full ownership consolidation, enabling faster decision-making, deeper investments, and strategic expansion across new market channels.
The Snowball Classic and its purple-frosting surprise aren’t just marketing fluff — they’re symbolic of Insomnia’s growing confidence. By offering an accessible “free cookie” moment and the possibility of a year-long reward, the chain invites both longtime fans and curious newcomers to engage. At the same time, the rapid expansion ensures that more people — and more cities — will soon have access to late-night cookie delivery and cozy bakery bites.
For treat seekers, night owls, students beating deadlines, or anyone craving comfort after dark, Insomnia Cookies is doubling down on indulgence. Their plans suggest this could be just the start of a nationwide — even global — phenomenon where warm cookies are never more than a few blocks away.
What Customers Should Do to Get in on the Action
If you’re eager to snag a free Snowball Classic, here’s how to maximize your chances: depending on your local Insomnia store, try to be among the first 100 Insomnia Rewards members when doors open on December 4. If you’re new to Rewards, sign up online or through the app — it’s free. If you find the purple buttercream center, don’t forget to photograph the cookie alongside your receipt and submit via the in-store QR code by 3 a.m. PST on December 6.
Even if you don’t find a purple-filled cookie, the Snowball Classic itself promises a cozy, seasonal treat. And with so many new stores opening, odds are — if you don’t have an Insomnia nearby now, one might be on the way soon.
Looking Ahead: What 2026 Might Hold
With over 75 new store openings projected for 2026, fans should expect the Insomnia footprint to grow even more widely. The brand’s backing by Verlinvest and Mistral Equity Partners suggests future innovations in menu, delivery speed, store formats, and perhaps even expanded late-night or 24-hour offerings. As Insomnia doubles down on street-level retail, high-traffic venue partnerships, and optimized delivery infrastructure, the dream of warm cookies on demand becomes more real for millions of potential customers.
For those who’ve loved Insomnia since the dorm-room days — and for those just discovering it — the coming year promises even easier access, new flavor drops, and perhaps more surprise giveaways.
Craving a warm, sugar-glazed cookie this winter? Make sure to check out your nearest Insomnia location on December 4 — you might walk away with a free treat, or even cookies all year long.
Let us know in the comments: What’s your go-to Insomnia cookie order, and will you be lining up for December 4?