The Difference Between Cobbler and Crumble

To me this is what a peach cobbler should look like.

My daughter and I were having a conversation over her failed attempt to make a peach cobbler.  I’m not sure what her problem was, but we’re trying to figure that out.  It brought up the topic, though, of the difference between a cobbler and a crumble, or crisp, or several other similar creations.  Just what are the differences???

I’ve done some research, and would like to share my findings with you!

Peach cobbler and apple crisp are just two of the many great fruit desserts that are similar to each other in that they are basically fruit baked with dough either under or on top of them. Many of these desserts were named for how they look after being baked.   They are made with fruits, such as apples, peaches, blueberries, raspberries, black berries, nectarines, and plums.

A cobbler is a type of deep-dish fruit dessert with a thick biscuit or pie dough crust that is prepared and then served warmed to guests. It is very similar to a pie except that the crust is thicker and it is traditionally placed only on top. However, over the years, ingredients and preparation methods have been created that bake the cobbler crust on the top for some recipes and on the bottom for others.  The consensus is that the dish got its name because the lumps of cooked dough resembled cobblestones.
In the United States a cobbler is typically made with fruit or berries but in the United Kingdom it is typically a meat dish. In the United States, peach, blueberry and cherry cobblers are among the most popular varieties.

A crumble is a dessert with a crumb topping made from flour, sugar, and butter combined into a mixture that is sprinkled on top  and baked. The topping is made up of basically the same ingredients as a pastry except it doesn’t contain any liquid. When the crumble bakes the butter melts and mixes with the flour and sugar to create a crunchy, crumbly topping. A crumble is very similar to a crisp except that the topping for a crisp generally contains oats and often nuts, giving it a coarser texture that the crumbles toppings.

The traditional crumble topping contains flour, sugar, and butter but there are many variations, which some include ingredients such as oats, nuts, and spices. As more of these ingredients are added, the crumble becomes even more similar to a crisp. A crumble also resembles a cobbler, which has a fruit filling with a top crust and no bottom crust. The difference being that top crust of the cobbler contains a leavening agent such as baking powder with gives it more of a smooth bread type texture rather than crumbly. One of the most common crumble desserts is “apple crumble”, but it is also common to use blueberries, strawberries, peaches, rhubarb, and plums.

Peach Cobbler Recipe

See Peach Cobbler on Key Ingredient.

Apple Crumble Recipe

See Apple Crumble on Key Ingredient.

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