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Pistachio Salad is a creamy fruit salad made with Jello pudding mix, Cool Whip, crushed pineapple and mini marshmallows. An easy recipe and a family favorite dessert salad perfect for holidays and family gatherings.

bowl of pistachio fluff salad with maraschino cherries on top

Easy pistachio salad is super simple to make, and it only consists of 4 ingredients, or 5, if you decide to add nuts. The original recipe for Watergate Salad called for chopped almonds or walnuts. But my kids hate nuts in their food, so I leave them out.

You may know this vintage Jello salad recipe as Pistachio Pineapple Delight, Pistachio Fluff salad, Green Goop or Green Stuff. Bonus points if you know why it’s called Watergate salad!

Like Strawberry Jello Salad and Orange Jello Salad, I got this retro recipe from my grandma’s collection — This easy dessert salad was super popular in the 70’s. As I recall, pistachio fluff fruit salad was usually reserved for holiday dinners, church potluck dinners or parties. I don’t think we ever had it as part of an ordinary dinner.

The first time I made Watergate Salad for my family, my kids almost didn’t try it. But, they loved it, and my youngest daughter insists on making it herself for holidays and St. Patrick’s Day. And sometimes, just because!

pistachio salad with fruit colored marshmallows in glass bowl

Ingredients

You only need a few simple ingredients to make this pistachio salad recipe. They should be easy to find in your grocery store.

  • Jello pudding mix — instant pudding mix, generic is fine
  • Crushed pineapple — a can of crushed pineapple, not pineapple chunks. Don’t drain — you need the pineapple juice, as well
  • Mini Marshmallows — makes this pistachio fluff even fluffier!
  • Cool Whip — make sure it is thawed!

How to Make Pistachio Fruit Salad (Watergate Salad)

First, you combine crushed pineapple and a small box of instant pistachio pudding mix in a large bowl

This looks pretty wild, and you can see that the ingredients gave off kind of a weird glow. 

But remember, this is from the 70’s. So, I suppose that’s normal, right?!

mix pineapples and pistachio pudding in glass mixing bowl with spatula

Then, you mix a small container of whipped topping into the pineapple mixture, using a rubber spatula. And, the weird yellowish-green color disappears!

If you want more of a crunch, go ahead and add some nuts. But, I think I’m going to agree with the kiddos on this recipe and say that it’s fine without the nuts.

stir cool whip in pudding mix

Finally, you fold some mini marshmallows into the pudding mixture. And that’s all, folks — you’re done!

Traditionally, you use regular marshmallows. But, we think the fun-colored fruity marshmallows make this fluffy dessert salad extra fun.

stir marshmallows in pistachio pudding fluff

Fluffy pistachio salad is one of those recipes that instantly takes you back. After one bite, you’ll be thinking, Yes — I remember this!

Recipe Variations

Like most mid-century recipes, every family has their own version of old fashioned pistachio salad. Top it off with maraschino cherries, use sour cream or cottage cheese instead of Cool Whip.

Stir in shredded coconut or add cream cheese instead of marshmallows. Pistachio fruit salad tastes great with mandarin oranges. The possibilities are endless here!

We like to make pistachio pudding salad with pastel marshmallows in the spring!

watergate salad with fruit colored marshmallows on serving spoon

How to Store Pistachio Salad

Store this pistachio delight in the refrigerator. Cover the serving bowl with plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container.

It keeps for about 4 days when covered in the fridge.

You can make pistachio salad up to a day in advance or an hour before serving. It just needs time to set and cool down.

FAQ

Why is it called Watergate salad?

Want to know where Watergate Salad comes from? Truth is, nobody really knows now. Grandma always said it came from a chef at the Watergate Hotel, which became famous after the Watergate scandal. Some say it came from Kraft and got the nickname from a reporter looking to promote the recipe.

5 from 15 votes

Pistachio Salad

By: Dee
Pistachio Salad is a creamy fruit salad made with Jello pudding mix, Cool Whip, crushed pineapple and mini marshmallows. An easy recipe and a family favorite dessert salad perfect for holidays and family gatherings.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 10 servings

Ingredients  

  • 1 3.4-ounce box of instant pistachio pudding mix
  • 1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple not drained
  • 1 8-ounce container whipped topping thawed
  • 1 ½ cups mini marshmallows
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Instructions 

  • Mix the pineapple with the pudding mix in a medium bowl
  • Fold in the whipped topping
  • Stir in the mini marshmallows
  • Refrigerate until ready to serve

Notes

Refrigerate until ready to serve. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Nutrition

Calories: 25kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 8mg, Potassium: 1mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 1mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Like this? Leave a comment below!

I hope you enjoy this old fashioned pistachio fluff salad as much as we do. It’s a great recipe for any holiday meal or family event. If you try this green fluff salad, please leave a star rating and/or comment.

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This post was originally published in 2016 and updated in 2023.

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Recipe Rating




28 Comments

  1. Catalina says:

    My kid loves pistacchio flavor and he will love this salad for sure!5 stars

  2. Robert says:

    I remember this one! Just as I loved it before. The kids found this and made it right away. Simply the best.5 stars

    1. Dee says:

      So glad you liked the pistachio salad, Robert!

  3. Tisha says:

    One of my favorite salads during holidays! Great for any occasion!5 stars

  4. AErin says:

    This Pistachio Salad looks absolutely delicious! Yummy! Definitely a must try!5 stars

  5. Beth says:

    Oh wow! I’m so excited to make this for the weekend! So excited to try this recipe! Everyone is going to love it! Looks great and so delicious!5 stars

  6. Jo says:

    It turns out so great! Everyone in my family loved this dessert!5 stars

  7. Krystle says:

    I haven’t had this in forever. Perfectly light and sweet just like I remember.5 stars

  8. Amanda says:

    I love anything pistachio flavored, I cannot wait to try this!

  9. Jen says:

    This totally reminds me of every family reunion we had when I was growing up. It was a staple and I remember my Mom trying to stop me from eating just the marshmallows, haha! Going to make this for my kids this weekend to have the tradition live on.5 stars

    1. Dee says:

      Yes! That’s exactly why I made this again!

  10. Cathy @ Lemon Tree Dwelling says:

    Looove pistachio! This would be perfect for summer picnics!