🍒🍍 Watergate Pistachio Salad is a classic side dish or dessert salad that’s light, sweet, fluffy, and creamy! Made with just 6 ingredients, including pineapple, pistachio pudding mix, marshmallows, maraschino cherries, pecans, and whipped topping. It’s a one-bowl, stir-together, 5-minute recipe that’s perfect for casual events, holidays, parties, potlucks, and family dinners. Everyone loves this one!
Why Is It Called ‘Watergate Salad’?
It’s been said that Watergate salad is named as such because it was served in the famous Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C., during the time of the infamous Watergate scandal in the early 1970s.
Another theory is that General Foods developed a recipe in 1975 called “Pistachio Pineapple Delight” to promote pistachio pudding mix and Cool Whip. Either way, if this salad looks vintage to you, that’s because it is! If you’re unfamiliar with the term, you might know this recipe as pistachio Watergate salad, pistachio salad, pistachio fluff salad, pistachio delight, “green stuff,” or even green goop.
Chances are your grandma or mom served it back in the day for casual summer family dinners, for Fourth of July or Memorial Day celebrations, or it may even have made the party spread at a Christmas holiday dinner table or holiday buffet spread. It’s popular served alongside ambrosia salad and strawberry pretzel salad, especially in the Midwest where I’m originally from.
Definitely a classic. I make this year round.
Di
Ingredients You’ll Need
This classic pistachio pudding salad recipe has a simple ingredient list. You only need a handful of easy-to-find ingredients including the following:
- Crushed pineapple with juice
- Instant pistachio pudding mix: Classic Watergate salad is essentially a pistachio ambrosia salad, so yes, you do need to use pudding mix. You are not making actual pudding. You are just stirring the dry pudding mix in with the crushed pineapple and juice
- Mini marshmallows: If you love marshmallows as we do, feel free to bump up the quantity to closer to 2 cups
- Maraschino cherries
- Pecans: My grandma and my mom always use pecans in this retro green salad with marshmallows, so that’s what I do, too. However, you could use chopped walnuts if you prefer. Or maybe even try shelled pistachios to play up the pistachio theme. If for some reason you have a nut allergy or really detest nuts in desserts, then just omit the nuts
- Cool Whip or similar whipped topping: I suggest using regular full-fat Cool Whip or Light, but not Fat-Free. The lighter you go, the more watery and “flat” rather than fluffy the whipped topping becomes, which makes for a less-than-impressive Watergate side salad
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Pistachio Watergate Salad
It really doesn’t get any faster or easier than stirring ingredients together, and that’s exactly how you make nostalgic Watergate salad!
- Stir together the crushed pineapple and juice with the pistachio pudding mix
- Stir in the marshmallows, cherries, and pecans. Be careful not to get more than a few drops of maraschino cherry juice into the salad mixture, because it doesn’t look pretty when mixed with the green pistachio pudding.
- Fold in the Cool Whip and garnish with extra cherries and pecans.
- Chill in the refrigerator, and enjoy!
Storage
Once this Watergate salad recipe is assembled, you need to cover and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour before serving. This vibrant green pistachio marshmallow salad will keep fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. However, it may not stay as fluffy as time passes. So, I recommend serving it right away. Give it a quick stir before serving to redistribute the ingredients.
What to Serve with Pistachio Watergate Salad
Watergate Pistachio Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 20- ounce can crushed pineapple with juice, do not drain
- 2 3.4 ounce packages pistachio instant pudding mix, not cook ‘n serve
- 1 ½ cups miniature marshmallows
- 1 cup maraschino cherries, halved; plus a few more whole cherries for garnishing
- ⅔ cup pecans, lightly chopped (walnuts may be substituted; or omit the nuts if preferred)
- 16 ounces Cool Whip or similar whipped topping, thawed (2 standard sized tubs)
Instructions
- To a large bowl, add the pineapple with juice, the instant pistachio pudding mix, and stir to combine. Note – you are not making pudding here; just add the dry pudding mix and stir it with the pineapple and juice.
- Add the marshmallows, cherries (Tip – don't get too much cherry juice into the bowl because when mixed with the green pudding, the color will become less pretty), pecans, and stir to combine.
- Add the Cool Whip and lightly fold to combine.*
- Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
- Before serving, garnish with a few whole cherries and additional pecans, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
©averiecooks.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
More Fruit Salad Recipes:
Tropical Fruit Salad — This tropical fruit salad features fresh fruit that’s tossed in pineapple juice, coconut and almond extracts, and piña colada mix. Don’t worry, this easy fruit salad is non-alcoholic!
Vanilla Fruit Salad – The easiest fruit salad ever thanks to a secret ingredient! Make it for your next party and watch it disappear!
Waldorf Salad — Classic and timeless, apple Waldorf salad is always a crowd favorite especially when apples are in season! It makes a great holiday side dish that your guests will devour thanks to a sweet and creamy dressing that coats a mixture of apples, grapes, celery, walnuts, and more! A highly flexible recipe so feel free to substitute, get creative, and make it your own.
Amish Pasta Salad — A family-favorite classic pasta salad recipe with al dente pasta, bell peppers, celery, red onions, and hard-boiled eggs tossed in a creamy tangy-sweet dressing! Perfect for picnics, potlucks, backyard parties, and events! Everyone will go back for a second helping of this comforting side salad!
Definitely a classic. I make this year round.
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad your a fan of this classic, year round!
My grandma makes this all of the time at Christmas and I love it. I’ve recently developed a nut allergy and I’m worried about the pistachio pudding. Any substitution suggestions??
I would just use vanilla pudding then. And/or do some research to see if there are any nut-free “pistachio” flavored puddings out there. I would check places like Amazon or Whole Foods type of stores.
My daughter request this every Christmas but I add a cup of coconut
My daughter request this every Christmas but I add a cup of coconut
I am sure it’s great with the coconut! My grandma used to make it that way sometimes, too.
great
Oh my! Seeing this salad again definitely took me back to a church potluck as a child. Thanks for the flashback! I remember how goodit was and the pineapple is sort of a hidden surprise in it. I’ll have to give it a try for my kids.
Yes this is for a sure is a throwback and a church potluck kind of salad!