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.
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
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From me:
Alicia Cooper says
This look soooo yummy! I have never made anything like this but I think it is going to be a must-make! Thanks for the recipe! <3
Carla says
Thanks Alicia!
Anna (Hidden Ponies) says
I’ve never heard of this, but the colour alone is fantastic! The food colouring was worth it this time :)
Carla says
Yes it just wasn’t the same without the green!
Kelli's Kitchen says
I love this! It reminds me of my Aunt Betty. She made this for every family dinner!
Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
Oh, a couple drops of food coloring isn’t gonna hurt anyone :-) And I bet the green ones tasted better!
Carla Cardello says
Oh I know. I was just trying to stay true to from scratch but c’est la vie :)
Tamara H. says
Next time I am going to try from scratch…just made with Cool Whip forgetting to look at the ingredients label to see that it is made from high fructose corn syrup…which helped me figure out why I am been in so much pain ever since Thanksgiving. My arthritis pain spikes like crazy whenever I consume anything with HFCS.
Tabitha says
I made this yesterday and it was so good! I doubled the recipe so I could serve more people. I used 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp of almond extract (bc I love it and think it goes well with pistachio) instead of just vanilla and I also replaced the walnuts with blanched almond slivers (bc of allergies to walnuts). I used homemade whipped cream AND homemade marshmallows. It was delicious! Even better today, I think! Definitely give the recipe a try. It’s wonderful! Thank you!
Carla says
Thank you for the positive feedback! Glad it worked out for you.
Elizabeth Contreras says
When you say boxed pistachio pudding, can it be instant pudding mix?
Carla says
Yes, but you’ll want to make the pudding first before proceeding.