Watergate Salad is not a salad at all but rather pistachio pudding mixed with pineapple, coconut, cherries, mini marshmallows, and walnuts. This version is made from scratch without boxed pudding.

Watergate Salad (Pistachio Pineapple Pudding - From Scratch)

Remember two weeks ago when I made Pistachio Pudding from scratch? I took it one step further and turned it into my favorite pudding dessert – Watergate Salad. If you’ve never heard of it, its non-nickname is Pistachio Pineapple Delight and originated back in the 1970s from Kraft Foods. There are several stories as to how it earned its nickname. One story is the recipe was created at the Watergate Hotel. Another story is a reporter named it after the Watergate scandal to draw more attention. Whatever the origin, this pudding has almost a mousse-like texture from the whipped cream and marshmallows folded in. Serve it in cups like I did, and now you have a fancy parfait on the go.

I first tried Watergate Salad at a work potluck. Sitting on the table was a big bowl of bright green pudding. When I asked about it, the guy who made it said it was pistachio pudding mixed with pineapple, coconut, marshmallows, nuts, and maraschino cherries. He must’ve added the coconut and cherries himself because as I looked up the recipe, it only called for pineapple, marshmallows, and nuts.

My intention was to make this without food coloring. However, as you can see in the photo above, the pudding went from its natural pistachio color to brown when I folded in the whipped cream. Since there is a bit of nostalgia tied with the color of this recipe, I added a few drops of green coloring, which makes it perfect for St. Patrick’s Day. You can decide how you want to serve it.

Watergate Salad (Pistachio Pineapple Pudding - From Scratch)

Yield: 2 servings

Watergate Salad is not a salad at all but rather pistachio pudding mixed with pineapple, coconut, cherries, mini marshmallows, and walnuts. This version is made from scratch without boxed pudding.

Ingredients

1 cup already-made pistachio pudding (homemade or boxed)
1 cup cold whipped cream + more for garnish (homemade or store bought whipped topping)
1/2 cup crushed pineapple (juice drained)
1/2 cup mini marshmallows
1/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup chopped maraschino cherries (plus 4 whole cherries for garnish)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Green food coloring (optional if using homemade pudding)

Instructions

In a large bowl, add pudding. Fold in whipped cream, pineapple, marshmallows, coconut, cherries, and walnuts. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring. Spoon into serving dishes or bowls and garnish with some whipped cream and a cherry.

Source: Inspired by Kraft
—-
If you enjoyed this Watergate Salad, you may also like these recipes:

From me:

No Bake Mini Cheesecakes are individual cheesecakes with a graham cracker crust made in a muffin pan. Serve with fresh strawberries and blueberries for a red, white, and blue summertime ...

This Green Onion Salad with cucumber and bell pepper then tossed in a lemon ginger vinaigrette is a healthy and easy vegan side dish. Serve it alongside pasta, salmon, roasted chicken, and ...

Two ingredient no churn Banana Fudge Ice Cream is a vegan banana ice cream made without cream or eggs then swirled with hot fudge sauce. No ice cream maker needed! Bananas are such a mysterious ...

Just because it's hot outside doesn't mean you can't have dessert! This fluffy, easy no bake Strawberry Cheesecake Dip is a strawberry cream cheese dip made with homemade whipped cream instead of Cool ...

What do you do when you're craving chocolate but don't want to turn on the oven? You make this decadent No Bake Chocolate Pie in an Oreo cookie crumb crust. Eight years ago, I woke up a nervous ...

Making 2 ingredient Pineapple Popsicles at home is incredibly easy because all you do is whisk together canned pineapple juice and sugar! They're dairy free and vegan because they're made without ...

Turn a traditional Italian appetizer into a meal with Antipasto Pasta Salad! It's a zesty Italian pasta salad with salami, cheese, tomatoes, peppers, olives, and mushrooms tossed in Italian ...

Fire up the grill (or stovetop) for these Teriyaki Turkey Burgers with pineapple and pickled red onion! Finish it off with a pineapple teriyaki sauce for a sweet and savory note. This is a ...

This Pineapple Teriyaki Sauce is a sweet and salty Asian sauce you can use for chicken, shrimp, burgers, rice, and more! Takes about 30 minutes and keeps in your fridge for up to 2 ...