Ozark Pudding Was President Harry Truman's Dessert Of Choice. But What's In It?

The eating habits of America's presidents are a constant source of fascination, and for good reason. Knowing the favorite breakfasts of these larger-than-life political figures, as well as what America's presidents loved to eat for dessert, makes them feel a bit more relatable and human — and can even provide some interesting culinary inspiration. For example, one of the most unique presidential desserts is President Harry Truman's sweet treat of choice, Ozark pudding.

Despite its name, the 33rd president's favorite dessert isn't really a pudding. In fact, it's often likened to a mix between a pie and a cake, or more specifically, a combination of pecan pie and apple crisp. The custardy dessert consists of a mixture of sugar, egg, flour, and chopped apples and nuts, baked in a buttered pie pan and served warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. As legend has it, Truman's wife, Bess, regularly prepared Ozark pudding for him when he got the craving, and the humble yet tasty treat was even served to high-profile presidential guests such as Winston Churchill.

Ozark pudding likely originated in Harry and Bess Truman's home state of Missouri (it gets its name from the Ozark Mountain region spanning the southern part of the state). The Midwestern dessert gained nationwide acclaim after Bess Truman shared her Ozark pudding recipe in the "Congressional Club Cookbook" in 1948. Although the former first lady's recipe is the most well-known version, Ozark pudding is easy to adapt to the ingredients you have on hand – you can add more flour for a cakier texture, switch up the nuts, or swap brown sugar for white. The simple and forgiving nature of Ozark pudding makes it relatively thrifty and budget-friendly, qualities which President Truman, who was known for his modest taste (and famously asked Americans to forgo eating meat on Tuesdays), surely appreciated.

Interestingly, Ozark pudding is quite similar to another regional American dessert, Huguenot torte (in fact, some consider the two desserts one and the same). According to many origin stories, Huguenot torte was adapted from Ozark pudding after the presidential treat became popular across the country in the 1950s. However, other versions of the story suggest that Huguenot torte came first, and Ozark pudding was inspired by the southern dessert. No matter how you slice it, it's safe to say Truman's favorite dessert goes down easier than his customary breakfast, which came with a side of bourbon.