Jimmy Carter's Favorite Pie is Rich, Creamy and Pretty Much Perfect

Jimmy Carter served as the 39th president of the United States, from 1977 to 1981. President Carter’s recent passing brought a public outpouring of love and reflection on his remarkable life.

Jimmy Carter dedicated his life to public service and was deeply involved in humanitarian efforts even after his time in the Oval Office. Originally from Georgia, he also took pride in his humble Southern roots and loved the classic Southern foods he grew up with. As a former peanut farmer and “father of the peanut industry” (he lived many lives in the decade he was alive!), peanuts were what Carter lived, breathed and loved to eat. One of his favorite recipes made by his wife and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter was her peanut butter pie. 

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Rosalynn Carter’s original peanut butter pie, published in a Texas newspaper in 1977, was fairly complicated: a peanut butter filling layered in a blind baked crust topped with cooked custard from scratch and meringue. After the holidays, I don’t have the energy for an elaborate bake, but when I found a simplified version of the pie, I knew I had to make it immediately. 

Get the recipe: Jimmy Carter’s Favorite Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients for Jimmy Carter’s Peanut Butter Pie

To make this iconic pie, you’ll need: cream cheese, milk, whipped cream (or heavy cream to make whipped cream), a graham cracker pie shell, peanut butter and powdered sugar. 

Related: Go Nuts! We’re Ranking the 8 Best Natural Peanut Butters

How to Make Jimmy Carter’s Peanut Butter Pie

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the peanut butter and milk, blending until the mixture is creamy. Gently fold in the whipped cream, ensuring it’s well incorporated, and spoon the filling into a prepared graham cracker crust. Don’t worry if it looks like there’s not enough filling—it should fill the crust perfectly.

Refrigerate the pie until it sets completely, which will take several hours. Once chilled, garnish the pie with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. For an extra indulgent touch, add a drizzle of homemade peanut butter magic shell, like I did.

Related: The Vintage Recipe That Was One of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Favorite Desserts

My Honest Thoughts About Jimmy Carter’s Peanut Butter Pie

This pie is…amazing. It’s as if a peanut butter cup and peanut butter mousse had a baby—yep, it’s that good. After a couple of hours chilling in the fridge, it transforms into an airy peanut butter cheesecake with the perfect balance of sweetness, richness and crunch. Jimmy Carter’s pie is very reminiscent of Costco’s famous chocolate peanut butter pie but in a more manageable size, because, let’s be real, five pounds of pie is a commitment. The toughest parts? Waiting for it to chill completely and resisting the urge to devour it all in one sitting.

Related: I Tried Rosa Parks Peanut Butter Pancakes Recipe

Tips for Making Jimmy Carter’s Peanut Butter Pie

1. Use what you have. I used unsweetened creamy peanut butter to balance the sweetness, but JIF or Skippy would work just as well here. For the whipped cream, I went homemade to control the sugar level, though Cool Whip or canned whipped cream would also work. 
2. Whip it good. Make sure to whip everything up for longer than you think you need to. The more light and airy the cream cheese and sugar mixture is, the better texture your pie will have.

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