Pistachio Fruit Salad AKA Watergate Salad

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I asked a friend recently if he'd ever eaten Watergate Salad. "Never heard of it," he said.

I explained that this easy recipe is a no-bake dessert that's made with instant pistachio pudding and pineapple, and he said, "Oh, that's pistachio fruit salad. I love that stuff."

So I wrote the blog post with both names since everyone seems to know the green fluff salad, but no one can agree on what to call it.

Anyway, it doesn't matter what you call it, this green stuff is an old favorite of everyone I know. It's one of those 1970s and 1980s desserts that all our moms and grandmas made back in the day. It's all about nostalgia.

What is pistachio fruit salad?

Pistachio fruit salad is a fluffy dessert salad that has at least a dozen different names. It's been called:

• Pistachio fruit salad
• Watergate Salad
• Pistachio fluff salad
• Green fluff salad
• Green goop
• Pistachio fluff fruit salad
• Green fluff
• Pistachio delight
• Green stuff
• Creamy fruit salad
• Pistachio pudding salad
• Pistachio pudding fruit salad
• Pistachio pineapple delight

I have no idea what the original recipe was called. Pick one you like and go with it.

Why this is the best pistachio salad recipe

This recipe could not be easier. 2 steps, and that's it! I expanded them a bit below to make it more clear, but the recipe card in my mom's recipe box had two steps - mix the pudding with the pineapple, then fold in everything else and chill.

This recipe uses simple ingredients. Your local grocery store has everything you need to make Watergate Salad.

It's customizable. You can use any style of pineapple - crushed, tidbits, or chunks, and you can use different nuts, plus add whatever toppings you want. It can be served as a side dish or a dessert. It's all up to you!

It's a vintage recipe. This green goop has been around for decades for a reason. It's perfect for a Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter table, a baby shower, a summer picnic, or any occasion in between. It's amazing!

This recipe can be adapted to special diets. If you eat low carb, you can get sugar-free, fat-free pudding and sugar-free Cool Whip to make this dessert have virtually no calories. The only thing with added sugar would be the mini marshmallows.

This recipe is family-friendly. I have two kids at home who would happily stuff themselves on pistachio fruit salad. They love it, and I'm pretty sure yours will too.

This recipe doesn't heat up the house. I love pistachio fluff salad for a quick summer dessert because it's 100% no-bake. You just mix everything together and chill. There's no need to heat up the kitchen.

What is fluff salad?

I love a fluff fruit salad. This is the third one I've shared, after Cranberry Pineapple Fluff Salad and Orange Pineapple Fluff Salad.

Now that I write them out, they all have pineapple in them which I find a little weird. I don't know if pineapple is a requirement or not but I don't think it is.

Basically, a fluff salad is any fruit salad that has fruit in it (canned or fresh) and Cool Whip and usually instant pudding (though not always). Most of the time, they also have mini marshmallows in them, although that's not required.

What you'll need to make Pistachio Fruit Salad

Equipment

There are no special tools required for this recipe. You'll need a medium-sized mixing bowl, a rubber spatula, and a couple of measuring cups. That's it.

Ingredients

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See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information. Note that the nutritional information assumes the full-fat and full-sugar versions of all ingredients.

• Instant pistachio pudding - This is the base of pistachio fruit salad. You need pistachio pudding. I suppose you could substitute it with another flavor of instant pudding, but then it would be ambrosia and not Watergate Salad.
• Mini marshmallows -
• Chopped pecans - If you're nut-free, you could leave these out.
• Cool Whip - Brand is unimportant. Use whatever non-dairy whipped topping you want. It must be thawed before adding to the salad. It cannot be frozen.
• Undrained pineapple - I most often use crushed pineapple, but my photographer and I had a miscommunication, and she used pineapple tidbits in her photos. Either will be fine but I do prefer the crushed myself.

How to make pistachio fluff fruit salad

1. Add the pineapple with its juice and pudding to a large bowl.
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2. Mix until well blended.
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3. Add the mini marshmallows to the pudding mixture.
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4. Add the chopped pecans.
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5. Fold in the Cool Whip.
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6. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
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7. Top with additional whipped cream, chopped pecans, mini marshmallows, and maraschino cherries before serving.
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Cook's tips for the best pistachio fluff salad

DO NOT DRAIN THE PINEAPPLE. Sorry for the yelling, but that's the biggest mistake that people make when creating pistachio fruit salad. You need the juice to make the salad.

It takes a little while for the pudding to dissolve in the pineapple juice, so it's really necessary to let it sit for two hours in the fridge after mixing. If you eat it right away, it will be a little grainy. It's best after a few hours to overnight, but the minimum is two hours.

Make sure you use a non-dairy whipped topping for this recipe. It won't set up properly with homemade whipped cream.

After you add the Cool Whip, the nice green color fades pretty quickly. If you want it to be more green, add a couple drops of green food color and mix that in.

Keep Watergate Salad cold, even when serving.

Pistachio fruit salad variations

There aren't a lot of variations of Watergate Salad. I suppose you could substitute another flavor of instant pudding mix for the instant pistachio pudding mix.

As I said above, you can use sugar-free pudding and sugar-free Cool Whip for a reduced calorie dessert.

You could also add some drained mandarin oranges, sliced bananas, or chopped maraschino cherries with the pineapple in the beginning. Or, you could add some canned fruit cocktail.

You could add some sweetened shredded coconut.

You could use different nuts, such as slivered almonds, or chopped walnuts. Or you could leave the nuts out altogether.

Storing leftovers

Keep pistachio fruit salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. I don't recommend freezing this salad as the texture will change significantly as it thaws.

Try these other delicious fruit recipes:

• Mandarin Orange Fluff Salad
• Fluffy Cranberry Pineapple Fruit Salad
• Cream Cheese Fruit Dip
• Red, White, & Blue Fruit Salad
• Red, White, and Blue Fruit Tart
• Easy No Bake Berry Trifle

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