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This Watergate salad is the perfect no-bake dessert salad that Midwest dreams are made of! It is a delicious mix of pistachio pudding, Cool Whip, pineapple, pecans, and marshmallows.
Listen, I’m not a picky lady. When it comes to dessert, I’ll take it in pretty much any form, especially if it is light and fluffy! And you know just what happens to be light and fluffy? This totally delicious Watergate salad.
If you’re new to the world of Watergate salad, let me introduce you to the true Midwest dessert salad. It’s made with just five ingredients and comes together in 10 minutes: pistachio jello, crushed pineapple, miniature marshmallows, pecans, and Cool Whip. That’s it!
Luckily, this delicious salad is present at almost any gathering if you’re from Ohio (or probably anywhere in the Midwest). It’s basically the dessert sidekick to the cherished Ohio Shredded Chicken Sandwich.
If you love pineapple make sure also to try my Pineapple Pretzel Fluff!
Ingredients needed
- Pistachio pudding mix
- Crushed pineapple
- Pecans
- Miniature marshmallows
- Cool Whip
How to make Watergate salad
Listen, you know I love a good fluffy dessert salad, and this one is a classic! If I had to guess, it’s probably the first one I’ve ever had.
- In a large mixing bowl, add pistachio jello pudding powder, crushed pineapple with the juice, pecans, and marshmallows.
- Mix.
- Fold in whipped topping until light and fluffy.
- Before serving, top with some maraschino cherries for color.
My Pro Tips
Watergate Salad Recipe Tips
- Don’t drain the pineapple juice; you need it for the recipe!
- You’re only using the pudding mix powder. DO NOT MAKE THE PUDDING according to box directions.
- Let the salad set up for at least 1 hour so the marshmallows can soften.
- To jazz it up, try using colored marshmallows.
FAQ’s
More easy dessert recipes
Watergate Salad
Ingredients
- 1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple
- 1 (3.4 ounce) box pistachio Jell-O instant pudding mix
- 1 cup miniature marshmallows
- ½ cup chopped pecans, toasted
- 1 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip , thawed
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add pineapple with the juice, pudding mix, miniature marshmallows, and pecans. Stir to combine.
- Fold in Cool Whip until thoroughly combined.
- Let it sit in the refrigerator and chill for at least an hour before serving.
- Before serving, top with a few maraschino cherries.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I am so glad you published this recipe! My grandma used to make this at every holiday and I remember it so fondly. I am thrilled to have the recipe now!