Some cobbler recipes, especially in the American South, resemble a thick-crusted, deep-dish pie with both a top and bottom crust that lack leavening and are less cake-like.

[2] English settlers were unable to make traditional suet puddings due to lack of suitable ingredients and cooking equipment,[2] so instead covered a stewed filling with a layer of uncooked plain biscuits, scone batter or dumplings, fitted together.

[3] The origin of the name cobbler, recorded from 1859, is uncertain: it may be related to the archaic word cobeler, meaning "wooden bowl",[4] or the term may be due to the topping having the visual appearance of a 'cobbled' stone pathway.

The verb cobble means to assemble from available parts, which can be used to describe using scraps of pie crust or leftover scone or biscuit to combine with whatever filling or fruit was readily available.

[citation needed] Note that crisp and crumble differ from the cobbler in that the former's top layers may also include rolled oats made with oatmeal.

Savory versions, such as beef, lamb,[14] or mutton, consist of a casserole filling, sometimes with a simple ring of cobbles around the edge, rather than a complete layer, to aid cooking of the meat.