This easy watergate salad recipe combines tangy fruits, mini marshmallows, and crunchy pistachios in one perfect side dish. This refreshing pistachio fruit salad has just the right amount of nutty flavor and pineapple chunks for the perfect summer dish! Plus it only takes minutes to make!
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Easy Pistachio Fluff
When I was in college, I tried strawberry fluff for the same time. I loved the combination of the creamy strawberry base combined with nuts and fruit. It was an Easter favorite and something I’ve made every year since then!
I thought it’d be fun to try making a watergate salad, also known as pistachio fluff, in a similar way with fruit and nuts mixed into a creamy pistachio base.
And it’s delicious. I see why people have been making watergate salads for years! This makes a great dessert, side, or salad if you want to stretch a bit!
Why You’ll Love watergate Salad
- Easy recipe – this fluffy salad is made with just a handful of ingredients in one large mixing bowl. This is a great option if you are like me. This simple dessert is tasty, easy and all done in one serving bowl with a rubber spatula using simple ingredients.
- Customizable – looking for more than just the soft texture of the marshmallows and pistachio pieces? Easily add in coconut flakes or crunchy pecans to make it work for you!
- Simple recipe – this creamy watergate salad is made in four steps! It can be hectic trying to get multiple dishes ready at one time. This green goop takes away the headache of cooking another side dish without compromising taste.
Ingredients in watergate salad
Ingredient notes & Substitutions
- Mini marshmallows – to make this pistachio fluff salad extra fluffy use a ten-ounce bag of mini marshmallows. You can also add in the fruit-flavored marshmallows if you wanted a little more fruity flavor, but the original recipe calls for mini marshmallows!
- Pineapple juice – it can be tricky to drain the juice from the crushed pineapple. Make sure to press as much juice out of the can as you can, using a cheesecloth works great for this! Don’t worry if you get some pineapple chunks mixed in with the instant pistachio pudding mix. I know some people use fresh pineapple but it’s a pain to crush fresh, so I recommend canned for the best results!
- Fruits – you can easily swap out the canned pineapple for fresh-cut pineapple, mandarine oranges, or strawberries. I also sometimes like to add in maraschino cherries (or just put those on the top).
- Cool Whip – this can be substituted for low fat or you can make your own. Whatever you choose, it’s important that it is thawed so it can easily mix with the pudding. I like Cool Whip rather than something like cream cheese because it gives it a nice fluffy texture!
How to make Pistachio Fluff
Making this delicious dish is really simple. You whisk, mix, chill, and serve. It can be done in a matter of minutes too! I’ve written out basic instructions below but make sure to check out the full recipe card at the bottom of this post for detailed instructions!
- Whisk together the juice from the canned pineapple with the dry pudding mix in a large bowl. Whisk until the pudding is creamy with no lumps.
- Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the room temperature Cool Whip into the pistachio mix. Fold the Cool Whip in until it is evenly mixed into the pudding.
- Gently fold the crushed pineapple, mini marshmallows, and chopped pistachios into the pudding mix using a rubber spatula.
- Cover the bowl and store in the refrigerator for at least four hours to allow the mixture to chill and all set together.
2 – Serve the pistachio pudding dessert
When you are ready to eat your pistachio pudding dessert salad, remove it from the fridge and serve chilled! Sometimes I add a marascino cherry on top and sometimes I eat it on its own!
This refreshing salad will be a hit in the warmer months of spring and summer!
How to store pistachio fluff
Store the salad in an airtight container for up to four days. After that, the fruit juices make the dish soggy.
Tips & Tricks
Mix the canned pineapple juice with the pudding to ensure that there are no lumps in the final dish. You can do this by hand with a whisk or with a hand mixer.
Don’t skip the chilling time, this makes sure the flavors blend together and the marshmallows have time to soften. The pistachios will still be crunchy, but you can add them in right before you serve it if you want them to be extra crunchy since a little crunch is the best thing in a creamy salad like this!
Go green for St. Patrick’s Day by making this watergate salad along with these green velvet cupcakes and shepherd’s pie!
Recipe FAQs
Can I make this salad ahead of time?
Yes! In fact, we recommend it sitting for at least 4 hours, so making it the night before works perfect! Plus it will save you time the day of.
Can I use other pudding flavors?
Yes, you can. I would recommend using vanilla pudding if you are wanting to replace the pistachio flavor. you can also replace the pistachio pieces with any other nut or omit it completely.
More Easy Dessert Salads
Love watergate salad? Try one of these delicious salad recipes next!
- Ambrosia salad – this pink fluff salad is a classic for a reason!
- Strawberry fluff salad – the best strawberry fluff recipe, full of amazing flavor!
- Berry cheesecake salad – this creamy and fluffy dessert combines berries and cheesecake in one amazing dish!
- Orange fluff – a creamy fluffy dessert with all sorts of orange flavor!
- Banana split fluff – a delicious creamy dessert that tastes just like a banana split!
Watergate Salad (Pistachio Fluff)
Ingredients
- 2 (20) oz cans crushed pineapple in juice
- 2 (3.4) oz pistachio instant pudding mix
- 8 oz tub Cool Whip
- 3-4 cups mini marshmallows
- ¾ cup chopped pistachios
- Maraschino cherries for topping
Instructions
- Whisk together the juice from the canned pineapple and the pistachio pudding in a large bowl until creamy.2 (20) oz cans crushed pineapple in juice, 2 (3.4) oz pistachio instant pudding mix
- Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the cool whip into the pistachio mix.8 oz tub Cool Whip
- Gently fold in the crushed pineapple, mini marshmallows, and chopped pistachios.2 (20) oz cans crushed pineapple in juice, 3-4 cups mini marshmallows, 3/4 cup chopped pistachios
- Refrigerated for 4-6 hours then serve with a maraschino cherry on top!Maraschino cherries for topping
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