Cobblers, Crumbles, And Crisps: There's Actually A Difference

Fresh fruit loves company, and there's nothing that company loves more than fruit made into a crispy, buttery dessert such as a cobbler, crisp, or crumble. These three foods have the same general premise. Each takes a base of fresh fruit, mixed with sugar and spices, and topped with a buttery, flour-based topping to make a mouth-watering dish. If you want to take it to the next level, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and let it melt and meld perfectly with the flavors of your dish.

However, while these dishes do have quite a bit in common, it should be noted that they are distinctly different, and not interchangeable (seriously, do not serve your aunt a cobbler if she specifically requested a crisp). Perhaps the most distinct of the three is the cobbler. Cobblers have a fruit base and biscuit topping. Crumbles, on the other hand, have a streusel-like topping. Now, here is where things get fuzzy. Crisps have a streusel topping just like crumbles, and the two terms are often used interchangeably. However, crisps can, and often do, include oats in their topping mix. Of course, these factors barely scratch the buttery surface of the distinctions held by each dessert, so it's worth digging in further.

Perhaps the most iconic version of the cobbler is peach cobbler, a succulently sweet dessert often served in Southern restaurants and at backyard barbecues across the country. To those who know and love a cobbler, it's pretty easy to spot the real thing. However, for those less versed in the world of fruity desserts, it can be difficult to parse a cobbler from a crisp (or a Betty, for that matter). Essentially, a cobbler consists of two components: A fruit base and biscuit topper. Unlike crisps and crumbles, which feature a streusel topping sprinkled over a syrupy, fruity base, cobblers have a more solid and sturdy topping. The biscuits used can range in taste from regular canned biscuits to sweeter, flaky recipes. So cobblers can be less sweet than crisps or crumbles, depending on what topping you use.

Some recipes for cobbler also call for cookie dough or cake mix. It should be noted that using cake mix might make your cobbler into more of a dump cake. Other variations call for putting the biscuit topping on the bottom rather than the top. However, this pushes the cobbler more into the realm of pie territory. So you might want to keep those biscuits on top.

Now, it's clear that cobblers have a distinct definition. Basically, you know a cobbler when you see one. But what about crumbles and crisps? Well, those can be a bit fuzzier. Crisps and crumbles vary in origin — while crisps are originally American, crumbles are British – but they have a lot in common. As stated above, both crisps and crumbles have a fruit base and a streusel topping. However, crisps can differ with their inclusion of oats within the topping. The name of a crisp comes from the fact that the oats would get crispy when the dish was baked. Oats give crisps a more subtle, slightly nutty flavor, and a more nuanced texture that can really make the fruit base pop. Pairing oats with an apple base, for example, makes a great autumnal dessert. You can also add other inclusions in your topping, such as nuts or seeds, which can add good texture to your dish.

Crumbles may also feature nuts in the streusel topping, but this is entirely optional. And you don't need to limit your crumble game to dessert, either. Crumbles can also feature a savory base ingredient, though they aren't as widely known as the sweet version. Though, what is a biscuit top chicken pot pie if not a savory cobbler? These are the questions that today's top philosophers must ponder.