Is it a side salad or a dessert salad? It’s either! Watergate Salad breaks all the rules. It’s a crazy delicious concoction of pistachio pudding, Cool Whip, pineapple, and marshmallows. This retro dessert is both fun and tasty.
Set some pistachio-favored dessert salad out at your next Potluck and watch it disappear. It’s also a great salad to include for your Easter Meal.
Most people either grew up with Watergate Salad or they don’t know what in tarnation it is. If you grew up in the south, you probably had a grandmother who made it for every special occasion or church luncheon. Watergate Salad was originally developed by Kraft under the name Pineapple Pistachio Delight in 1975 when they first introduced pistachio pudding.
The pistachio pudding gives it its characteristic mint green color and a good bit of its flavor. It is affectionately known as “Green Stuff” to many people.
If you’ve never had Watergate Salad, be prepared. It has a wild and crazy texture with tons of contrasts. The cool whip makes it a little airy and light, but there are small chunks of pineapple and a crunch from the pecans, giving your teeth a little something to sink into. And of course the marshmallows really stand out with their completely distinct soft but a little chewy texture. Once your senses get over the craziness of it all, you’ll discover that it is really quite delicious.
Watergate Salad is a dessert salad that tends to be appealing any time of year. Its light texture lends itself to the warm weather months, but throw a cherry on top and you have a perfectly festive red and green treat for Christmas. And of course its pastel color is fantastically fitting for Easter.
Try These Other Pistachio Flavored Desserts:
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Watergate Salad
Ingredients
- 2 (8-ounce) cans crushed pineapple in juice,, undrained
- 1 (3.4-ounce) package pistachio instant pudding
- 1 (8-ounce) tub frozen whipped topping,, thawed
- 1 cup miniature marshmallows
- 1/2 cup toasted pecans,, chopped
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, stir together the full contents of the pineapple cans and the pudding mix until smooth.
- Fold in whipped topping and marshmallows. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
- Sprinkle pecans on top before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Originally published April 8, 2014.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Does anyone have the nutritional information or how many weight watchers smart points it has?
I’m sure you need to figure this out yourself being a we for many years
We make this and add coconut and don’t use marshmellos…….i promise it will disappear!!!!
How much coconut do you use? It is heavenly.
Wow! My doctor has been telling me to eat more salad. Now I can tell him that I have been eating lots of salad. LOL
lol!
How fun! This reminds a little bit of Ambrosia. I love the sound of this. xo, Catherine
Wow…i gorgot about this salad! I am from Louisiana and used to eat tgus as a young girl….thanks for the recipe. I just made one and i can hardly wait until it is chilled. Do you think adding mardarin oranges would be good? Thanks again
This was a favorite for Thanksgiving at my grandparent’s home in Alabama, and my mom and I carry on the tradition. Was always called Watergate Salad in our family. I just married a man from Iowa- he’s very confused about this being on our Thanksgiving day menu! He’ll get used to it 🙂
I’m dead set against mkaing anything with cool whip, but for some reason, I don’t mind instant pistachio pudding (a guilty pleasure). Anyway, in a moment of utter weakness, I’ve been known to make this recipe using freshly whipped cream (w/sugar and vanilla).Oh, I have a friend who brings this to church dinners and she insists it is a “salad”, and should be served as such – will move it from the dessert table to the savory food table. So funny.Ho, ho, ho,ButterYum
I love Watergate salad and make this every Easter and Christmas and sometimes on Thanksgiving because it is as easy to make as it is delicious! One of my daughters does not like nuts so I make a bowl with nuts and one without. My mother-in-law makes a version with lime jello and cottage cheese but I personally prefer the pistachio pudding and cool whip!
I totally love desserts like this!!! My family used to make those jello mold desserts with marshmallows and nuts. Yummy…takes me back 🙂
Wow, I’m having some serious flashbacks of being at my grandmother’s diner table! I’m not from the South but I remember my grandmother would make it for special occasions and holidays. It also reminds me of my mother’s old recipe box. I used to skim through it when I was a child and be mesmerized by all the “exotic” delights like Chicken Parmesan or Beef Wellington. Thanks for sharing the recipe and for the trip down memory lane 🙂