Easy Watergate Salad Recipe (Fluff Salad) - Crazy for Crust (2024)

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Written ByDorothy Kern

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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!

Easy Watergate Salad Recipe (Fluff Salad) - Crazy for Crust (2)

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.

Easy Watergate Salad Recipe (Fluff Salad) - Crazy for Crust (3)

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

Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!

Easy Watergate Salad Recipe (Fluff Salad) - Crazy for Crust (4)
Easy Watergate Salad Recipe (Fluff Salad) - Crazy for Crust (5)
Easy Watergate Salad Recipe (Fluff Salad) - Crazy for Crust (6)

How to make Watergate salad Fluff

  1. 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.
  2. Once those are combined, add the whipped topping and stir it together.
  3. 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.

You can make it ahead of time

You can make Easy Watergate salad up to 2 days in advance. In fact, it’s better the longer it sits. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap.

Easy Watergate Salad Recipe (Fluff Salad) - Crazy for Crust (7)

Easy Watergate Salad Recipe (Fluff Salad) - Crazy for Crust (8)

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

Do you put coconut in Watergate salad?

Traditionally no, but you can add 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut to the recipe.

Do you add milk to Watergate salad?

No – you do not need to make the pudding recipe. Instead, the pineapple juice makes the creamy pudding.

Easy Watergate Salad Recipe (Fluff Salad) - Crazy for Crust (9)

Watergate Fluff Salad Recipe

5 from 31 votes

Watergate Fluff Salad is an easy dessert salad recipe made with pistachio pudding, pineapple, marshmallows, and cool whip.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Chill Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Yield 12 servings

Serving Size 1 serving

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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

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 83kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Fat: 5g | Sodium: 7mg | Potassium: 33mg | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Author Dorothy Kern

Did you try this recipe? Click the stars to rate the recipe below

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.

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Last Updated on January 26, 2024

Easy Watergate Salad Recipe (Fluff Salad) - Crazy for Crust (14)

Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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27 Comments

  1. Bought pineapple and didn’t realize it was in heavy syrup….is that still ok to use?

    Reply
    1. Most likely – it’ll just be a bit sweeter.

      Reply
    2. Love this since I was a teenager. Make it every chance I can.

      Reply
    3. Help! I can only find Royal brand pistachio pudding in a 1.85 oz box. The box says it makes 4 1/2 cup servings, which is the same as the 3.4 oz of Jello brand. Unsure if I should double the pudding, or just make with the 1.85 oz box Thank you!

      Reply
      1. From what the directions are on the box it seems like it would be the same. I think it’s just a brand difference.

        Reply
      2. Hello I just love Watergate salad! I make it just a little different I add some sweetened shredded coconut and maraschino cherries I also like to use instead of the plain Mini marshmallows I like to use the Lucky Charms little marshmallows but either way is good I thought I would just tell you how I made mine.

        Reply
      3. I grew up on this as a kid. Loved it then and love it now. I married into a ready made family and I love introducing new foods. My daughter saw this salad at a store deli and after tasting it fell in love. I made it for her and she practically ate the whole bowl. Being a Texan in a Mexican family I have brought many recipes of Tex-Mex cooking to this native CO family. I have spoiled them forever and recipes like this simple but great tasting salad helps me keep building my home recipe book. Thank you.

        Reply
      4. Do you add milk to no cook pistachio pudding when making watergate salad

        Reply
        1. Just use the ingredients in the list – the powdered pudding.

          Reply
        2. Delicious 😋❗

          Reply
        3. I always had this salad before the internet was a thing but never knew what it was called. I loved this recipe, very nostalgic for me.

          Reply
          1. I have made this every TG for yrs but mine is different. I use lime jello and add coconut.

            Reply

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Easy Watergate Salad Recipe (Fluff Salad) - Crazy for Crust (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between ambrosia and Watergate? ›

Ambrosia usually contains more types of fruit than Watergate salad, including grapes, oranges, strawberries, and sometimes even cherries and bananas. Ambrosia also often contains coconut. Our ambrosia recipe has, pudding, whipped topping, grapes, marshmallows, mandarin oranges, pineapple bits, and strawberries.

What is Watergate Salad made of? ›

Watergate salad is an American classic. This delightful side dish salad or dessert is made with pistachio-flavored instant pudding mix, canned pineapple, mini marshmallows, nuts, and whipped topping.

What is the history of Watergate Salad? ›

So, allow me: Watergate is a dessert made of pistachio pudding, nuts, whipped cream, pineapple, and above all, marshmallows. It first appeared in 1975– a concoction supposedly invented in the kitchens of General Foods – now Kraft – and has since appeared at picnics, church get-togethers, and other family events.

What is Watergate simplified? ›

The term "Watergate" has since become synonymous with various clandestine and illicit activities conducted by Nixon's aides, including the bugging of political opponents' offices, unauthorized investigations, and the misuse of government agencies for political purposes.

Why is it called Watergate? ›

The name "Watergate" comes from the hotel in Washington, D.C. where the first crime and break in took place, and is often associated with political scandals.

What salad was invented in Chicago? ›

Who created caesar salad? Well, there are some historical quibbles on the subject. According to George Leonard Herter in his book The Bull Cook and Authentic Historical Recipes and Practices, the salad was actually invented in the early 1900s by a Chicago chef, and was named after Julius Caesar.

Why is Watergate Cake called that pistachio pudding? ›

As for where the cake got the name, the Daily Mail article offers a clue. Hatcher suggests it was called Watergate "because of all the nuts that are in it." In later printings of the recipe, people joked the the cake earned the name because it, too, had a cover-up.

Why is it called ambrosia salad in the USA? ›

The earliest known mention of the salad is in the 1867 cookbook Dixie Cookery by Maria Massey Barringer. The name references the food of the Greek gods.

What is ambrosia also known as? ›

Definitions of ambrosia. noun. (classical mythology) the food and drink of the gods; mortals who ate it became immortal. synonyms: nectar. dainty, delicacy, goody, kickshaw, treat.

What is the nickname of the Watergate source? ›

Bob Woodward first describes his source, nicknamed "Deep Throat", in All the President's Men, as a "source in the Executive Branch who had access to information at CRP (the Committee to Re-elect the President, Nixon's 1972 campaign organization), as well as at the White House." In the book, Deep Throat is described as ...

What kind of fruit is an ambrosia? ›

Ambrosia is an attractive medium-sized apple, with a pink-tinged orange/red flush over a yellow background. As such it is very much in tune with the modern preference for "bi-coloured" apples.

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