17 Dessert Cobbler Recipes That Are Better & Easier Than Pie (2024)

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By Camille LowderUpdated: May 18, 2023

17 Dessert Cobbler Recipes That Are Better & Easier Than Pie (1)

When it comes to summer desserts, there’s nothing more classic than a pie. Warm, bubbly fruit encased in a buttery, flaky crust? There’s nothing better… well, almost nothing. There are actually a number of baked goods that we think might just take the crown away from pie, like crumbles, crisps, slumps, and more (bonus: no finicky pie crusts!). One of our absolute faves? Gotta be the cobbler. Whether you’re a master just looking for flavor inspiration, or have never experienced the delight of a cobbler and need somewhere to start, we’ve got recipes here for you. Check out our 17 cobbler recipes for ideas, then get excited—your dessert game just leveled up.

First things first, what is a cobbler? A cobbler is a baked fruit dessert in which a fruit filling is covered by flaky biscuits, then baked all together. The biscuits are usually scattered on top of the fruit filling, giving the overall visual of a cobbled road (hence the name).

Now, what should you fill it with? Though cobblers are great with nearly any fruit you can think of, we have to admit that there’s one in particular we’re especially fond of—peaches! Peaches are perfect for a cobbler because they’re sweet and seasonal, and they don’t completely fall apart when baked (though their skins do, so no peeling required!). Use them on their own, like in our peach cobbler, or pair them with other fruits, like in our peach blueberry cobbler, our Instant Pot blackberry peach cobbler, or our campfire berry peach cobbler.

That said, tons of other fresh fruits are lovely in a cobbler. Try our apple cobbler, our strawberry cobbler, our blackberry cobbler, or our cherry cobbler to see just how versatile they can be, then have fun coming up with your own combinations. You can even use sweet-adjacent veggies like sweet potatoes or tomatoes—our savory tomato cobbler and our dessert-worthy sweet potato cobbler are proof.

Peach Blueberry Cobbler

Warm fruit cobblers are our absolute favorite summer desserts. The buttery biscuit-like topping over juicy, jammy fruits like peaches or blueberries make for a perfect combo. If you don’t have fresh fruit, you can go frozen! Let the fruit thaw out first, then you’ll be good to go.

Get the Peach Blueberry Cobbler recipe.

Strawberry Cobbler

Fresh fruit topped with a biscuit-like topping is the perfect formula for an irresistible, not-too-sweet summer dessert. Here, peak season strawberries really make this easy dessert shine and create an almost syrupy juice that you'll be scraping the pan for.

Get the Strawberry Cobbler recipe.

Campfire Berry-Peach Cobbler

You can cobbler over a fire—and it even browns like the real thing. Stupid-easy to prep, this bubbling fruit skillet is impossible to mess up. Change up this recipe with your favorite berries, we think strawberries or blueberries would pair nicely with peach too.

Get the Campfire Berry-Peach Cobbler recipe.

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Blueberry Cobbler

We just can't choose between our favorite part of this cobbler: the juicy, burst of blueberries or the crispy, not-to-sweet biscuit topping? The jury is out.

Get the Blueberry Cobbler recipe.

Peach Cobbler

This peach cobbler is juicy and sweet with just a hint of spice from ginger. The crackly top here is buttery with the perfect crunch from coarse sugar sprinkled on top.

Get the Peach Cobbler recipe.

Cherry Cobbler

Like in most cobblers, this cherry version is adorned with a buttery, buttermilk biscuit topping. What makes it extra special is the cherries—they create their own sauce while baking, but hold their shape well and stay nice and tart.

Get the Cherry Cobbler recipe.

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Blackberry Cobbler

One of summer's simple pleasures is cobbler. This is our perfected biscuit topping—don't be intimidated by the word biscuit—that works with any type of fruit you want. Blackberries are perfect for their sweet-tart flavor, but use whatever fruit you have on hand. Just don't forget to serve with ice cream.

Get the Blackberry Cobbler recipe.

Strawberry Pop-Tart Cobbler

Pop-Tarts are wonderful, but not the best (or fanciest) for sharing. Enter: a Pop-Tart cobbler you can serve for breakfast or dessert. Want even more Pop-Tart-inspired flavor? Try our strawberry Pop-Tart blondies next.

Get the Strawberry Pop-Tart Cobbler recipe.

Instant Pot Blackberry-Peach Cobbler

Summer calls for as many fruit cobblers as possible. There's just one thing: when it's hot out, we HATE turning on the oven. Enter, the Instant Pot. No need for extra heat, and the cobbler only needs 15 minutes (!!) to cook.

Get the Instant Pot Blackberry-Peach Cobbler recipe.

Apple Cobbler

Nothing says fall better than an apple cobbler. It's amazing right out of the oven with a big scoop of ice cream on top.

Get the Apple Cobbler recipe.

Sweet Potato Cobbler

Sweet potatoes want to be more than just a marshmallow-topped casserole, and we don't blame them. Boiling them in a mixture of water, sugar, vanilla, and spices infuses them with a ton of flavor, making them just as good as their summer desserts counterparts like peach or blackberry cobbler.

Get the Sweet Potato Cobbler recipe.

Gluten-Free Peach Cobbler

It’s as if peaches existed solely to be topped with this fluffy buttermilk biscuit topping. And with almond flour and Swerve granular, this recipe is gluten-free and keto-friendly.

Get the Gluten-Free Peach Cobbler recipe.

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Tomato Cobbler

If you think a non-berry-or-peach cobbler sounds odd, just wait until you dip a fluffy cheddar biscuit into the mess of bursting roasted tomatoes and caramelized onions beneath. 😍

Get the Tomato Cobbler recipe.

Mini Upside-Down Peach Cobblers

Cooking these mini cobblers in a muffin tin creates a delicious caramel layer on the bottom that, once flipped, makes a beautiful topping. Serve these babies warm with some whipped cream for the cutest individual desserts.

Get the Mini Upside-Down Peach Cobblers recipe.

Chocolate Caramel Cobbler

When winter rolls around and our favorite fruits are out of season, we're making this chocolate cobbler. With equal parts gooey caramel and tender, ultra-chocolatey cake, we think its a great replacement for its summer counterparts.

Get the Chocolate Caramel Cobbler recipe.

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Triple Berry Cobbler

Never made a cobbler before? This is a great place to start—take note of the proportions of the berries (we used raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries), then feel free to swap in your faves!

Get the Triple Berry Cobbler recipe.

Pumpkin Pie Cobbler

We've done away with pie crust completely and we have NO REGRETS. The pumpkin pie filling itself is about as classic as it gets: pumpkin, cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and plenty of pumpkin spice. The topping is where things get interesting, and spoiler: It's SO much easier to make than pie crust.

Get the Pumpkin Pie Cobbler recipe.

17 Dessert Cobbler Recipes That Are Better & Easier Than Pie (2024)

FAQs

Is cobbler easier than pie? ›

The biggest difference is that a cobbler is so easy to make (easier than pie!). While a pie is made with a bottom crust and often a top crust, the dough and the fruit filling cook together in a cobbler.

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Why is fruit cobblers not considered a pie? ›

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.

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Is cobbler dough the same as pie crust? ›

Cobbler is sometimes described as a kind of fruit pie, but strictly speaking, the two are different. Pies are made from pastry, rather than biscuit batter, and they are fully encased, with a crust at the top and the bottom, while cobblers typically only have a topping.

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What is the difference between a crisp and a cobbler? ›

Cobbler: A fruit dessert made with a top crust of pie dough or biscuit dough but no bottom crust. Crisp/crumble: In Alberta, the terms are mostly interchangeable. Both refer to fruit desserts similar to cobbler but made with a brown sugar streusel topping sometimes containing old-fashioned rolled oats.

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What is a professional cobbler? ›

A shoe mender, shoe repairer, a shoe-maker, one who hand-crafts shoes. In modern day, a cobbler is a master craftsman, an artisan. A cobbler is a patcher and a stitcher and a shiner and a cordwainer and a girdler and glover and a thonger and ultimately—a smile maker.

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Why is my cobbler not done in the middle? ›

If your cobbler isn't done in the middle after 35-45 minutes, you can cover it with foil so it doesn't get too brown and continue to bake until the batter is completely cooked in the middle.

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What's the difference between a clafoutis and a cobbler? ›

Contrary to clafoutis, the fruit needs to be cooked down, which lends the dish more malleability in the integrated flavors. As a result, cobblers are more compote-like in palate, as opposed to clafoutis's more natural fruit taste.

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What is cobbler topping made of? ›

The method for the topping goes like this: Combine equal parts flour and sugar, and add enough melted butter to make a dough. This makes a very sweet cobbler with a topping somewhere between a sugar cookie and pie crust. Let me repeat that: a topping that is equal parts cookie and pie crust.

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How do you know when a cobbler is done? ›

A probe thermometer inserted in the center of the cobbler should reach 200°F in the thickest part of the topping. The filling should be bubbly around the sides, and the tops of the biscuits should be more deep amber than golden.

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Why is it called Brown Betty? ›

This has led some historians to believe that Betty was the name of the cook and creator of the recipe and that brown was in reference to her skin color.

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What is a buckle vs cobbler? ›

Though crumbles, crisps, and cobblers are more akin to pie, a buckle is a lot like cake. In fact, they look nearly identical to fruit-filled coffee cakes. As the batter rises in the oven, the weight of the fruit causes it to “buckle.”

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Is cobbler a Southern thing? ›

The recipe originated from the South, and this cobbler was syrupy sweet, with a buttery peach filling, peppered with tons of cinnamon, and always topped with a buttery, flaky, lattice-like crust, similar to something that would be on a pie.

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Is the cobbler difficult? ›

The summit of the Cobbler is a huge rock. For this reason, climbing this mountain is quite challenging. Even for people who are not afraid of heights it is very exciting to reach the top of the mountain.

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Is the cobbler an easy walk? ›

Get to know this 11.6-km out-and-back trail near Arrochar, Argyll and Bute. Generally considered a challenging route. This is a very popular area for hiking, running, and walking, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring.

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Is it easier to make pie or cake? ›

Pie is hard. Getting the crust right, getting the filling right, pie take skills and patience and practice. Anyone can make cake. My goddaughter could make a boxed cake at like four years old.

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