Watergate Salad

Watergate salad is one of my favorite dessert salads! There’s really nothing quite like this pistachio pineapple delight full of mini marshmallows. If you’re looking for a simple side dish or a crazy good dessert, you’re not going to want to miss out on this green fluff.

The best part about this delicious and sweet treat is that it’s served chilled and has tons of flavors. This is the perfect fluffy treat and taste that everyone is going to love. Be sure to check out my Snickers Salad and my Pineapple Cheese Ball for even more crazy good treats.

What is watergate salad?

Classic watergate salad is made with pistachio pudding, whipped cream, crushed pineapple, walnuts, and miniature marshmallows. This pistachio delight has been around for many years, with the rumor mill saying that it was actually a chef at the watergate hotel that created this yummy dish.

Even if the watergate scandal propelled the popularity, I still crave this delicious green goop! It’s one of those recipes that perfectly combine pineapple and pudding and make it a truly yummy fruit salad.

Recipe Ingredients

• Pistachio pudding mix – The pistachio flavor is key for this watergate salad. (although, if you wanted to shake things up, you could use a different type of instant pudding mix)
• Walnuts – Any type of crushed nuts will work for this recipe. I think that pecans would be great as well!
• Crushed pineapple – Be sure to drain out the juice.
• Mini marshmallows – If you don’t have miniature marshmallows, you can cut regular marshmallows to make them tiny.
• Cool whip – You can use any type of whipped topping that you’d like.

Step-by-Step Directions

Step One – Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. Stir well.

Step Two – Make sure that the pudding mixture is dissolved all the way, as this is key for the flavor of this watergate salad. Place the completed recipe in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes.

Variations

• Make a watergate cake. This recipe can easily be changed into other fun recipes.
• Add coconut flakes. If you want another topping suggestion, shredded coconut is always a good idea.
• Change up the nuts. Walnuts or pecans are great, but you could also use peanuts or any other options. Just break them up so that they’re small and not overpowering.
• Add other fruits. Even though a typically watergate salad recipe only has pineapple, you can also mix in cherries or other sweet fruits. Just drain the juice so that it doesn’t turn into a soggy mess.
• Create a fun topping. Everyone knows that toppings are always a good idea! You can add maraschino cherries on top, sprinkle on some mini chocolate chips, add extra crushed pineapple, or even add some sugared crushed nuts.

Recipe FAQs

Want more vintage-style recipes? Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, or Instagram.

More Dessert Recipes

• Peach Jello Pie
• Pina Colada Cupcakes
• Jello in a Pineapple Can
• Fruit Cake Bites
• Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares {Butterscotch Confetti}