Cobbler vs. Pie: What's the Actual Difference?

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In the sweet world of fruit desserts, pies and cobblers could be considered cousins. Sure, there are plenty of non-fruit-filled pies like Ree Drummond's famous pecan pie and she even found a chocolate cobbler out there that's moved her to tears. However, both are usually associated with cooked seasonal fruit like apples and peaches along with a dough.

But besides both tasting good with a scoop of ice cream, that’s typically where the similarities end. While one is more structured and sliceable, the other tends to be a little more freeform. And the doughs used for each contribute to that greatly. So, if you've ever wondered what the real difference is between cobbler vs. pie, you've come to the right place!

Here, we’re digging into the delicious details of what defines each dessert and what makes them different—even if they're both equally as scrumptious.

What is a pie?

Aside from the all-important fruit filling, the trademark characteristic of any pie recipe would be its pie crust. Dough is rolled out to line the pie dish and sometimes blind-baked, a pre-baking step that allows the crust to transform into flaky, golden perfection once the pie filling logs enough time in the oven.

Some pies have single crusts like Ree's famous Dreamy Apple Pie, while others are double-crusted like spiced apple pie. And then there are others that fall somewhere in between like an apple-pear lattice pie. No matter the number of crusts or style of top crust, these fruit pies all share a bottom crust used to line a pie plate and hold everything together.

What is a cobbler?

Considering the bottom crust of a traditional pie is keeping all the pieces together, it should come as no surprise that the crust on a cobbler is more, well, cobbled together. (Check out Ree's blueberry cobbler, as an example.) The fruit filling is assembled in a baking dish before a biscuit-like dough is dropped on top. After baking, the top crust of a cobbler has baked into crisp and craggy islands of sweet biscuits rising above the free-flowing fruit filling.

What makes a cobbler different from a pie?

The biggest difference between a cobbler and a pie is the placement of the dough. Pies have, at a minimum, a bottom crust with the fruit placed on top, while a cobbler has the fruit on the bottom and a dolloped dough on top instead. The doughs used are also different, with a pie typically using a rolled-out pastry versus the dropped biscuit topping of a cobbler. Fun fact: You may see similar fruit desserts covered in drop doughs called "grunts" or "slumps" as well.

Pies usually require more prep time and a longer bake time in order to get the bottom crust fully cooked. They also need more time to cool so the filling can set. Cobblers, on the other hand, typically cook faster since the dough is on top. They can also be eaten when warmer since you simply have to scoop them into a dish to serve without having to hold their shape. Either way, both yield results that are an ideal pairing for whipped cream or ice cream.

What is the difference between a cobbler and a crisp?

Once you start the discussion of cobblers, it's inevitable that you mention crisps and crumbles, too. They're all made similarly with a fruit filling layered on the bottom with a crust of some sort on top. The main difference is that typically, cobblers have a biscuit dough while crisps have a streusel-like topping made of butter, sugar, flour, oats, and sometimes nuts. They are all scooped and served similarly, either hot or at room temperature.