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Watergate Salad is an easy dessert salad recipe made with pistachio pudding, pineapple, marshmallows, and cool whip. It’s a heavenly retro dessert and it’s done in under 5 minutes!
What is Watergate Salad?
In researching this salad recipe I found that it’s called by several different names: Watergate, Green Goddess, Pistachio Pineapple Delight, or Shut The Gate Salad or colloquially as Green Goop, Green Fluff or Green Stuff.
Classic Watergate Salad got it’s start back in the 70s when Kraft Jell-O came out with pistachio pudding mix. Pistachio Fluff is an iconic dessert that is often a side dish on holiday tables.
I’ll be honest: I’d never heard of sweet salads until I started blogging. Fluff wasn’t something we ate growing up. I think it’s more of a mid-western or southern thing because I’d never even seen ambrosia salad or dessert salad until apple salads started showing up in my Pinterest feed. I absolutely love Oreo Fluff too!
I didn’t think I’d like this but I absolutely couldn’t get enough – and neither could my family. The flavor of pistachio is a favorite or mine – the texture is smooth like pudding but with crunchy and soft bites from the pecans and marshmallows.
What ingredients are in Watergate Salad?
- Pistachio pudding mix: be sure to get instant pistachio pudding
- Crushed pineapple: a 20 ounce can
- Cool Whip: an 8-ounce container
- Pecans: you can use your favorite nuts
- Marshmallows: miniature marshmallows are best
How to make Watergate salad Fluff
- Add pineapple and pudding to a very large bowl. Don’t drain the pineapple – the liquid will make the pudding. Note: if you want a thicker salad, drain the pineapple first. This is personal preference.
- Once those are combined, add the whipped topping and stir it together.
- Add the chopped pecans and marshmallows and stir together, then chill. While there aren’t maraschino cherries in the recipe, I love serving them on top as garnish because they’re so pretty, along with some whipped cream.
Tip From Dorothy
Expert Tips
- Make sure to use INSTANT pudding mix.
- If you find sugar-free pudding mix you can also use sugar-free cool whip but remember that the pineapple has sugar in it.
- Use walnuts in place of pecans if you prefer.
- Don’t skip the marshmallows or your fluff will be too wet.
- Add this to a graham cracker pie crust to make Pistachio Pie!
- Variations: Add 1 cup shredded coconut or mix 8 ounces cream cheese into the pudding mixture. If you want to add cottage cheese you can too, but I don’t, it’s not the traditional way of making it.
Pistachio Salad FAQ
Traditionally no, but you can add 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut to the recipe.
No – you do not need to make the pudding recipe. Instead, the pineapple juice makes the creamy pudding.
Watergate Fluff Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 (3.4 ounce) box instant pistachio pudding mix
- 1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice
- 1 (8 ounce) container cool whip
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Instructions
- Add pudding mix and pineapple with the juice to a large bowl. Stir to combine.
- Fold in Cool Whip. Then stir in marshmallows and pecans.
- Chill 30 minutes before serving. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Make sure to use INSTANT pudding mix.
- If you find sugar-free pudding mix you can also use sugar-free cool whip but remember that the pineapple has sugar in it.
- Use walnuts in place of pecans if you prefer.
- Don’t skip the marshmallows or your fluff will be too wet.
Recipe Nutrition
Watergate Salad is an easy dessert salad recipe like ambrosia with pistachio and pudding! This is such an easy no bake and simple recipe for a crowd.
Fluff Salad Recipes
Last Updated on January 26, 2024
Are there pieces of pistachios in the pudding? Can I substitute the pistachio pudding for another kind? I can not have nuts.
You can use any flavor pudding you want! There are no actual pistachios in the mix, but I don’t know if the mix contains any actual nuts or extracts, etc.
The last 2 times that I made this it turned out soupy, not at all like it used to. Times being what they are have the manufacturers cut back on the pineapple and added more juice? I use tibits and it’s always turned out great before!
Can yoh use pineapple tidbits instead of crushed?
Yes
My mom made this years ago and I had forgotten it until this recipe popped up in Facebook. A yummy memory! And so easy.
What’s another pudding flavor that would be good with this (vanilla is kinda boring, IMO). Not a fan of pistachios. Thanks!
I’ve made fluff with banana pudding and also Oreo pudding (you can search those on the site). Or use coconut or cheesecake pudding with the rest of the Watergate salad ingredients.
You say add the puddin mix and pineapple together in a large bowel, do you mix the pudding as instructed on package first or just mix the dry pudding mix with the pineapple?
Just mix the pudding mix with the pineapple – the wetness from the pineapple will help make the pudding.
Such a fun recipe. Great to share at our family get togethers.
I have been making this for years as my go to potluck BBQ dish. Delicious! But now I need to try the pie version.
Can I exchange for real whipping cream instead of Cool Whip?
You can try whipped cream (about 3 cups) but it won’t keep as long and will get watery after a few hours, most likely.
I like making this and it’s so easy and delicious. Take it to office party and other gatherings with friends – this is a hit everyplace I take it.
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