Watergate Salad (Pistachio Fluff)

Watergate Salad is a creamy, light, and fluffy salad full of marshmallows, crushed pineapple, pistachio instant pudding, and whipped topping. We like to call it Pistachio Fluff at my house! Simple to make with only 4 ingredients and it’s the perfect side dish for any meal or gathering. 

Love pistachio? Be sure and try my Pistachio Pudding Dessert, No Bake Pistachio Cheesecake Pie, or this Easy Pineapple Pistachio Cake. 

Easy Watergate Salad Recipe with Pistachio Pudding

This Watergate Salad is a classic side dish recipe for any gathering, dinner, or BBQ. So simple to prepare with only 4 convenient ingredients and about 5 minutes of prep time! The texture is like a fluff salad which is soft, airy, light, and full of soft texture with marshmallows, crushed pineapple, and the smooth pistachio pudding. 

You can easily add some chopped pistachios or pecans in for a salty crunchy texture which is a nice contrast to the soft and airy texture of the pistachio fluff. 

Some might say it’s a dessert. Some might think it’s perfectly suitable for a side dish. Either way, it’s delicious and sure to be a hit. 

Ingredients Needed

• Crushed Pineapple – No need to drain the juices! We want everything in the can. The crushed pineapple adds sweet and fruity flavor to this pistachio fluff. 
• Instant Pistachio Pudding – I have never tested this recipe using sugar-free instant pudding. Also, make sure you are not using the cook n’ serve pistachio pudding (it won’t work, promise). You just want the regular instant pudding mix in the pistachio flavor. 
• Mini Marshmallows – This is what makes this watergate salad so fluffy and light tasting. 
• Cook Whip – This needs to be completely thawed before using. You can substitute with homemade whipped topping if wanted (see below for directions).

How To Make Pistachio Fluff

Making this fluff recipe only requires two easy steps. Read how easy it is to make and be sure and read to the bottom of this post where there is a detailed recipe card, a printable option, and a pin it button so you can save this recipe for later. 

• Pineapple + Pudding : Dump the can of crushed pineapple (juice and all) into a mixing bowl. Sprinkle the dry pistachio pudding powder over top and stir together until combined well and the color is green. 
• Fluff : Gently fold in the Cool Whip. Then add the mini marshmallows and gently mix just until combined. Don’t mix the Cool Whip and marshmallows in vigorously, but rather gently fold it in. 
• Fridge : Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and allow it to refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to overnight is even better. 

Watergate Salad FAQ’s

• My Salad Doesn’t Seem Fluffy. What Happened?

  • This is probably because you stirred in the Cool Whip rather than lightly fold the Cool Whip into the salad. Use a gentle hand to fold the Cool Whip into the salad with a rubber spatula. 

• Can This Be Made Ahead of Time?

  • I prefer this salad after it has been in the fridge for at least 8 hours. It allows time for the salad to get ‘fluffy’ which happens as the marshmallows soften in the fridge, and the flavors blend together perfectly. 
  • I suggest making this Watergate salad ahead of time so it has plenty of refrigeration time before serving. It needs a minimum of 4 hours in the fridge or overnight is even better. 

• How To Store Leftovers

  • Store any leftover pistachio fluff inside an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to a week. There may be liquid that pools up in the bottom (which is normal and fine) so just give it a good gentle mix before eating leftovers.

• Variation & Substitution Ideas

  • Add Nuts : A very common addition to Watergate Salad is the addition of chopped pistachios, walnuts, or pecans. Any of them are delicious in this fluff salad. I usually always add some chopped pistachios because my family loves them so much. 
  • Garnish : Make this dish pretty for serving by garnishing it with chopped pistachios and some maraschino cherries on top. 
  • Double The Recipe : This easily doubles if serving a larger crowd. Simply double every ingredient!

• Can Watergate Salad be Frozen?

  • I don’t recommend freezing Watergate Salad for serving at another time because it will separate and lose its fluffy texture once frozen and thawed. However, some people like to eat this as a frozen treat. It tastes kind of like a frozen ice cream/slushie type thing and it’s great to cool off in the summer. 
  • If you’re wanting to freeze it, to enjoy a frozen treat, place it inside a freezer-safe container or bag and you can eat it right from the freezer. 

Recipe Tips

Here are a few of my helpful tips so that you can have success recreating this recipe in your own kitchen ♥

• Add Nuts : As long as there are no nut allergies, add some chopped pistachios or pecans into the salad. I love the salty crunchy texture it adds to this light and fluffy salad. Start with about 1/2 cup of chopped nuts and then add more if necessary. 
• Gently Fold In Cool Whip & Marshmallows : Instead of stirring vigorously to mix, use a rubber spatula to gently fold the Cool Whip and marshmallows into the fluff. This will result in a light and fluffy ‘fluff’ salad. 
• Fridge Time : This salad needs at least 4 hours of fridge time before serving it. I prefer it after about 8-12 hours of fridge time so I always make it the night before. As it sits in the fridge, the marshmallows soften which makes it ‘fluffy’ and the flavors just meld together perfectly. 

More Salad & Fluff Recipes You’ll Love

• Cranberry Fluff – Fresh cranberries and marshmallows make this so fluffy and irresistible. 
• Marshmallow Cherry Fluff – Fluffy with marshmallows, cherry pie filling, and cream cheese. 
• Ambrosia Fruit Salad – A classic side dish!
• Lemon Yogurt Fruit Salad – Fresh and fruity with tons of fruit in a lemon yogurt dressing. 
• Citrus Berry Kale Salad – Even kale haters will love this one!
• Fiesta Avocado Salad – A simple lemon and lime juice + olive oil dressing over chunks of tomato, avocado, corn, and black beans. 
• The Best Bean Salad – Who knew a bean salad could taste so good! Canned beans + honey mustard dressing (trust me!) makes this so easy to prepare. 
• Ranch Corn Salad – Corn wrapped in a creamy ranch dressing.