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.
I have made this Watergate Salad many times but I add 1/2 cup shredded or flaked coconut to it and it makes it even better. I call it Green Fluff! I make this quite often. I sometimes make it for dessert and serve it with some type of blond cookie like Snickerdoodles or Pound Cake. Yum!
Thank you for this delicious recipe.
Family loves it been last 3 years every Thanksgiving
Love it. So easy to make and not to expensive.
Easy to make and easy on the tongue. Totally delicious.
I had this before and loved it. I didn’t know this was so easy to make.
Thank you!
I remember this dessert from when I was a child and decided to make it for a church potluck. It is very good and my kids really like it too.
I will have to try this recipe!!! So many positive reviews.
I had this before and loved it. I didn’t know this was so easy to make. Making it for Easter Brunch!
Thank you!
Ours is a little different. We use the sugar free pistachio pudding, small curd cottage cheese, sugar free non-dairy topping (cool whip), unsweetened crushed pineapple in pineapple juice and a cip of minature marshmallows. Wish I could figure out the calories!
Live life!
All your sugar free fat free is loaded with chemicals.
Back in the 1980’s I learned of a salad similar to this one. Only it was using Peach Pudding (similar to the Pistachio Pudding), Cottage Cheese, Whipped Cream, Mini Marshmallows, and the canned Fruit Salad (drained I think). It was such a pleasure to eat also. Haven’t made it in years but this Watergate Salad sounds heavenly…must try it soon! Thanks!!
Not being a fan of pecans, I use chopped walnuts. I also us pineapple tidbits instead of crushed. My family loves it. But my favorite add in is sweetened shredded coconut.
My family calls it “the crack salad”. Addictive .