Dorothy Kern
Pistachio Pie is an easy no-bake pie full of Watergate Salad Fluff! It’s got a graham cracker crust and a creamy pudding filling with pineapple, nuts and marshmallows. The perfect summer pie recipe!
Easy No Bake Pistachio Pie
If you remember this pineapple pistachio fluff from the 70s, you’ll recognize this recipe. Except I took it one further and turned it into a pie!
Watergate Salad Pie is a pistachio pudding pie filled with pineapple and marshmallows, all in a graham cracker crust.
What is Pistachio Fluff (aka Watergate salad)?
If you’re not familiar with this iconic recipe, it was debuted by Kraft in the 70s as Pineapple Pistachio Fluff. They invented the recipe to use their new instant pistachio pudding and back then fluff salad was all the rage.
Sometime later a newspaper author coined it Watergate Salad, maybe because it was a mess, just like Watergate.
Basically, this fluff is like ambrosia but without sour cream. Instant pistachio pudding is mixed with crushed pineapple and whipped topping, then you stir in marshmallows and nuts. The flavor is actually really good!
Ingredients in Pistachio Pie
Pudding Mix: The star of this pie is instant pistachio pudding mix. No substitutions!
Pineapple: A can of crushed pineapple is the liquid that helps make the pudding.
Cool Whip: This gives it the fluffy texture. You can use any kind of Cool Whip.
Nuts: I love chopped pecans but you can use any nuts.
Marshmallows: Mini Marshmallows give this lots of fluffy body and texture.
Crust: Then, to make the pie, you simply pour the fluff into a graham cracker pie crust. You can use my homemade recipe or just buy a store bought one (I won’t judge).
How to make Watergate Pistachio Pudding Pie
1. Mix up the fluff: Stir all the ingredients together.
2. Make your pie crust: or buy one!
3. Assemble: Add the fluff to the pie crust and chill to firm up slightly.
This easy no bake pie recipe is perfect for summer and everyone who eats it will have some sort of a memory about Watergate Salad. It’ll remind them of their mom or grandma or Aunt Bess; that’s what I love about these old recipes. The memories are (almost) as good as the food itself!
Tips for making a Watergate salad Pie:
- Mix the pineapple with the pudding mix before adding the rest of the stuff. Don’t do what I did lolol.
- Chill the pie at least 2-4 hours before slicing.
- This keeps in the fridge for a few days so you can make it ahead.
- Want a greener color? Add a few drops of food coloring.
Other Recipes We Love
- Check out the The Complete List of No Bake Pies!
- No Bake Oreo Fluff Pie is Oreo Fluff in an Oreo crust!
- Don’t miss my collection of No Bake Pies!
- Holly’s No Bake Rainbow Pie is like a fluff pie too!
- No Bake Coconut Pie has a Golden Oreo Crust!
- No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream Pie is everyones favorite!
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Watergate Salad Pie
Ingredients
- 1 3.4 ounces 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
- 1 9-inch Graham Cracker Pie Crust (from scratch or store bought)
Instructions
- Add pudding mix, pineapple and juice, and Cool Whip to a large bowl. Stir to combine. Stir in marshmallows and nuts.
- Place filling in prepared pie crust. Chill at least 2 hours before serving. Serve garnished with whipped cream and a cherry.
- Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
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Easy No Bake Pistachio Pie is a graham cracker crust filled with Watergate Fluff Salad! It’s a creamy no bake pie recipe everyone will love!
Last Updated on May 20, 2022
All text and images © DOROTHY KERN for Crazy for Crust. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be accurate.
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Published on: June 3, 2018
I love this pie. The one thing I would mention for me anyway I was originally taught by my mother you put the pineapple and the pudding mix together and you beat it with the mixer and chill is thick and then you stir in your Cool whip or nuts or marshmallows if you like. for me personally I just like the pudding the pineapple and the Cool whip there’s enough nuts in the pudding to satisfy my taste for nuts and although I really like miniature marshmallows I like the pie better without them but I do use the graham cracker crust and it is ambrosia thank you so much for posting this recipe .again.
Looks so good, can’t wait to try it. Thanks!
You, being from California, must have a different version. Here in Texas Watergate Salad has the things you mentioned but also mandarin oranges (which I like to chop into small pieces). I’m sure it’s good either way!