The Difference Between Pies and Tarts (2024)

Easy as Pie? We explain the difference between Pies, Crumbles, Cobblers, Tarts and more!

From Pies to Galettes, there are many delicious treats to serve your guests after dinner. But what makes them all different? We’ve broken it down for you!

Pies – This classic dish has a familiar and simple equation: bottom pie crust + filling + top pie crust = delicious pie. While the top pie crust is optional, when used it is pinched together with the bottom crust to make a seal.

PiesTarts – If you’ve ever thought a tart was pie, you’re forgiven because they’re incredibly similar. The main difference is that tarts only have a bottom crust, and the crust is much thicker than a pie crust.

Galettes – This is basically a pie made without using a pie dish, but because that would be too simple galettes can be made with any type of pastry dough. To make, you flatten your dough and pile your fruit filling in the centre leave about 1-2 inches of space between the filling and the edge of the pasty. Then you fold the edges up and just slightly on top of the filling to make a rustic looking pie crust. The top of the filling stays exposed.

Crumbles – If you’re looking for an easy alternative to pie try a crumble. There is no pie crust in a crumble which cuts down your prep time when making from scratch. Crumbles also have a streusel like topping

Crisps – No crisps and crumbles are not the same thing, but if it wasn’t for their topping they would be. Instead of the crumbles streusel topping, a crisp is topped with a mixture of: oats, flour, sugar and butter. Some variations call for the addition of nuts and spices to the topping as well. This dessert is baked until the topping is, like its name, crisp.

Cobblers – Similar to a crumble, a cobbler doesn’t have a bottom crust. Instead the fruit filling is put in a baking dish and topped with biscuit dough to form a top crust.

Grunts – These are basically a cobbler, except instead of being baked in an oven they’re cooked on the stovetop. When you make one, you’ll know how this dessert earned its name. As steam escapes from biscuit crust it makes a grunting noise.

Now that we’ve got that straightened out, we’re muddying the waters with our hybrid dessert for Caramel Apple Crumble Pie. Is it a pie or a crumble? You decide!

Get Caramel Apple Crumble Pie Recipe

The Difference Between Pies and Tarts (2024)

FAQs

The Difference Between Pies and Tarts? ›

While pies look covered from all sides, tarts are open from the top and you can easily see the filling on top. Another difference lies in the base. While pies have a thin and smooth crust, tarts have a rather thick and crumbly crust which crumbles down when pieces are cut from the tart.

Is a pie dish the same as a tart dish? ›

They do look pretty similar, and while it's true that the difference between a tart and pie isn't well-defined, the two pans are quite different. Tart pans have straight, fluted sides and are shallower. Pie dishes get narrower as they go down, have smooth sides, are deeper, and usually have a rim.

What makes it a tart? ›

A tart is a baked dish consisting of a filling over a pastry base with an open top not covered with pastry. The pastry is usually shortcrust pastry; the filling may be sweet or savoury, though modern tarts are usually fruit-based, sometimes with custard.

Is pumpkin pie a pie or a tart? ›

The pie's filling ranges in color from orange to brown and is baked in a single pie shell, usually without a top crust. The pie is generally flavored with pumpkin pie spice, a blend that includes cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves or allspice.

Is pizza a pie or a tart? ›

PIZZA IS A PIE CAMP

Whether we go by Oxford Languages, as Google immediately does, or Merriam Webster, “pie” is, as one of its very definitions, pizza. Whether pies are sweet or savoury, it's still a pie, so clearly ingredients don't matter (which, coincidentally, is one reason pop tarts = ravioli).

How do tarts differ from pies? ›

The main difference is that tarts only have a bottom crust, and the crust is much thicker than a pie crust. Galettes – This is basically a pie made without using a pie dish, but because that would be too simple galettes can be made with any type of pastry dough.

Is quiche a pie or a tart? ›

Quiche (/ˈkiːʃ/ KEESH) is a French tart consisting of a pastry crust filled with savoury custard and pieces of cheese, meat, seafood or vegetables.

Is Cheesecake a pie or tart? ›

Cheesecake is Technically a Tart

The cheesecake base is composed of a type of pastry shell that can sit at the base of the dessert or surround it on three sides. The top of a cheesecake can be decorated with fresh fruit, whipped cream, pecans, cookies, fruit sauce, or chocolate syrup.

What are the four types of tarts? ›

There are four main types of tarts: fruit tarts, custard tarts, chocolate tarts, and savory tarts.

What is tart slang for? ›

Slang. a prostitute or sexually promiscuous woman.

What is a pie with no base called? ›

Pies that have a pastry lid - but not pastry sides and bottom - are known as 'pot pies' and many people believe they aren't actually real pies at all.

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

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.

What is a tart vs pie vs flan? ›

Often, tarts are thinner than pies. Tart pans are typically fluted around the edges, and can be round, square, rectangular. Flan: A flan can mean one of two things: an inverted rich egg-based baked custard with a caramel syrup, or an open tart (one crust only on the bottom).

What do New Yorkers call pizza? ›

To this day, many New Yorkers still refer to pizza as pie without a second thought. So, the etymology of “pizza pie” is really history lesson on how this iconic Italian food was first introduced to (and interpreted by) hungry Americans over a century ago.

What do Italians call pizza? ›

The Italians use a variety of terms to describe their pizza. Crostata and torta are both used to describe savory and sweet pies, and pizza is a singular word that represents only one dish. There are other names for pizza, but these are the most common. There's nothing wrong with being confused.

What do Americans call pie? ›

While it is less common to refer to a pizza as a pie, it is often used as slang in the United States. However, in Italy, the term 'pizza' has a specific meaning. A pie can be made from various ingredients, or you can make it from scratch. In the United States, a thin-crust pizza is commonly called a pie.

Can I substitute a pie pan for a tart pan? ›

Q: Can you make a tart in a pie pan? A: If you're in a pinch, you can certainly press your tart shell into a pie pan and fill it. The presentation, though, won't be as nice and you will have some difficulting slicing and serving. The better substitute for a tart pan is a springform pan.

Can you bake a pie in a tart dish? ›

A tart pan is my favorite substitute for a pie pan, especially if it has a removable bottom. The tart pan bakes up a pie almost exactly the same as a metal pie pan, but the fluted sides make for a prettier crust.

Can I use pie crust instead of tart crust? ›

Can You Make a Tart with Pie Crust? The short answer is yes. There are a few things to consider: sable has more flavor than pie crust, so if you want the crust to add its own flavor to the dish, you may want to stick with tart dough.

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