Watergate salad, or pistachio fluff, is a classic recipe that serves up all of those vintage vibes. It only takes a couple of minutes to put together and has the perfect mix of creamy, crunchy, nutty and fruity.
If you are in the mood for a nostalgic treat, this Watergate salad recipe is just the thing. It was popular in the 1970s and is still a hit today.
There is something about a good fluff salad that is hard to beat. You know I love the fact that they are called salads.
It is like being given permission to eat dessert as a side dish if you want. We Midwesterners have been taking advantage of that loophole for generations.
I grew up with strawberry pretzel salad straddling the line between side and sweet. My son still loves saying he is going back for more salad when we serve something like that at a get together.
I get it. I was the same way!
Watergate salad is part fruit salad and part pudding. All you have to do is stir together some pudding mix, crushed pineapple, mini marshmallows and Cool Whip.
It is perfect for when the weather is hot because you don’t have to heat up the house. Plus it is refreshing because it is served cold and it is fluffy so it feels nice and light when you eat it.
Make it an hour or two ahead of time if you can
You can technically stir everything together and eat it right away, but it is best if you let it chill in the fridge for an hour or two.
That give the marshmallows a chance to soften and the pudding a chance to thicken.
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Easy Substitutions and Additions
If you are looking to up the protein, add a cup of cottage cheese. We love it in orange cottage cheese jello salad and it would add extra creaminess and a little salty balance to this as well.
Try serving it frozen! Just spread a batch or two in a casserole dish and freeze it for several hours like a green pistachio version of frozen fruit salad.
You can easily swap out the pecans for pistachio pieces to give it even more pistachio flavor. Or try other nuts like almonds or walnuts if you prefer.
You can also try using fresh whipped cream in place of the whipped topping. Just remember that whipped cream won’t store quite as well as Cool Whip.
If you like green fluff, but want to skip the pistachios, try making seafoam salad. It is a lime fluff that is also delicious.
Storage
Store Watergate salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
If you need to freeze it for longer storage, try enjoying it while it is still frozen. It will still taste great defrosted, but the texture will be a bit different.
Watergate Salad
Ingredients
- 3.4 oz pistachio instant pudding mix
- 20 oz can crushed pineapple
- 8 oz Cool Whip
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Put crushed pineapple along with the juice in a large mixing bowl.20 oz can crushed pineapple
- Sprinkle the pudding mix over the pineapple, then stir to coat.3.4 oz pistachio instant pudding mix
- Fold in the remaining ingredients.8 oz Cool Whip, ½ cup chopped pecans, 2 cups mini marshmallows
- Chill for at least an hour.
- Serve cold and store the leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
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