Fatty acids (FA) are essential constituents of cell membranes, signaling molecules, and bioenergetic substrates. As CD8+ T cells undergo both functional and metabolic changes during activation and differentiation, dynamic changes in FA metabolism also occur. However, the contributions of de novo lipogenesis to acquisition and maintenance of CD8+ T cell function are unclear. Here, we demonstrate the role of FA synthesis in CD8+ T cell immunity. T cell-specific deletion of ACC1 (ACC1ΔT), an enzyme that catalyzes conversion of acetyl CoA to malonyl CoA, a carbon donor for long chain FA synthesis, resulted in impaired peripheral persistence and homeostatic proliferation of CD8+ T cells in naïve mice. Loss of ACC1 did not compromise effector CD8+ T cell differentiation upon listeria infection, but did result in a severe defect in Ag-specific CD8+ T cell accumulation due to increased death of proliferating cells. Furthermore, in vitro mitogenic stimulation demonstrated that defective ACC1ΔT CD8+ T cell blast and survival could be rescued by provision of exogenous FA. These results suggest an essential role for ACC1-mediated de novo lipogenesis as a regulator of CD8+ T cell expansion, and may provide insights for therapeutic targets for interventions in autoimmune diseases, cancer, and chronic infections.