Watergate Salad Recipe {Pistachio Salad} Gonna Want Seconds (2024)

Watergate salad is one of those sweet salad recipes that makes a fantastic dessert salad or a delicious dessert. It’s a perfect dump-and-go salad.

Given its pretty light green color, it’s great served at Easter or Christmas. And because of its refreshing flavor it’s equally wonderful served at Sunday supper, summer potlucks, and barbecues. It seems like it’s been around forever, but it really just made its debut in the 1970s.

This fun and fruity salad is similar to my frog eye salad, strawberry pretzel salad, grape salad, andstrawberry cheesecake salad. They’re cool and delicious side dishes that are fantastic for summer get-togethers, potlucks, and church suppers. Of course, they’re all super popular.♥

Let’s make this!

What I Love About This Recipe

• Sweet and fruity
• Refreshing and simple
• Pretty color
• 6 Ingredients

What Is Watergate Salad?

Watergate salad is a dessert-style salad that’s made with pistachio pudding, pineapple, marshmallows, nuts, and whipped topping. It’s refreshing, light, and fluffy.

No one is sure about where the name came from, but many believe it came from a recipe invented by the sous chef, at the Watergate hotel. It’s been popular since the 1970s.

Watergate Salad Recipe + Ingredient Notes

• Pudding – the recipewon’t workif you make the pudding first. Instead, it is used as an ingredient, pour the powdered pudding mix into the bowl. There’s no milk in the recipe.
• Whipped Topping: A.K.A Cool Whip. I’ve used the Kroger brand whipped topping with equally good results as I’ve had with Cool Whip. Be sure to thaw overnight in the fridge for best results.
• Pineapple – As you know, there are several types of canned pineapple in stores. Pineapple can be canned in its own juice or it can be canned in syrup. Steer clear of the pineapple packed in syrup. Not only will you be filling your dessert with useless sugar, but it’ll also turn out way too sweet. Instead, use the pineapple packed in its own juices.
• Fresh pineapple doesn’t work in this recipe. Pineapple hasenzymes that won’t react well with the whipped topping, and you’ll be left with a soupy mess. Stick with crushed, canned pineapple packed in pineapple juice and you’ll be just fine.
• Nuts – you can technically use any type of nuts that you’d like. But I’ve tried a few, including walnuts, and my family didn’t care for it. The taste of the walnuts was too earthy for the salad. But fresh pecans? Oh, heaven.

Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead

• How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? Your scrumptious salad will stay fresh and yummy in the fridge for 3-4 days when stored properly. Keep it covered with cling wrap for the best results.
• Can You Freeze This? Unfortunately, the pudding and fruit just don’t freeze well.
• Make-Ahead Tips: One of the things I like best about this salad is that it’s so easy to make in a pinch. The key, however, is to make it the night before. Prepare the salad, cover it in plastic wrap, then let it sit overnight in your refrigerator. If you prepare this salad the same day, it will end up tasting like an unprepared pudding. Remember, there’s no milk. So you’re depending on the whipped topping to bring the flavors of the fruit and pudding mix together.
  • Wait until just before serving to add some of your nuts and the cherries. Your nuts will stay crunchy and your cherries won’t change the color of your Watergate salad if you add them right before you serve your guests.
• Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link.

Serving Recommendations

It serves well in a large glass bowl garnished with pecans and cherries. You can also serve it as a retro dessert in some pretty little glasses or pudding cups. The possibilities are endless.

Serve with more of my favorite warm weather sides like KFC coleslaw, classic macaroni salad, authentic Hawaiian macaroni salad, carrot salad, broccoli salad, or 7 layer salad.

How To Make Watergate Salad Recipe

1. Simply mix everything together and chill it in the fridge overnight.
2. Garnish and enjoy it.

***See the full instructions below.

More Fruity Side Dishes

• Pineapple Casserole
• Strawberry Spinach Salad
• Strawberry Salad With Arugula And Blue Cheese
• Mango Black Bean Salad
• Nectarine Salad
• Cranberry Jello Salad

Tried This Recipe?

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