This recipe is super simple and can be changed to suit your tastes.  Just add additional fruit and/or nuts.

Instant Pistachio Salad

(20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained

pistachio pudding mix

(8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

½ (10.5 ounce) package miniature marshmallows

In a large bowl, combine the pineapple and dry pistachio pudding mix. Fold in thawed whipped topping and marshmallows until well mixed. Refrigerate until chilled and serve.


This recipe is fool proof. I made a few changes in order to adapt it to personal taste. First, I used chunk pineapple rather than crushed. I drained the liquid, and reserved it. I also added a can of fruit cocktail (drained), mandarin oranges (drained), walnuts, and coconut. After mixing all of the ingredients, I added small amounts of the reserved pineapple juice until I got the consistency I was looking for. The juice definitely adds to the flavor of the recipe, and I would recommend using it. The end result has a nice tang to it, without being terribly sweet. This is a new favorite in my household.

I made this recipe for a potluck and everyone loved it.  I find that if you do not drain the pineapple, you have a much creamier texture. I also added 1 cup of chopped walnuts.  I would make this recipe again.

This always disappears in no time at potlucks. You don't need to drain the pineapple though, just mix it with the pudding. I also add 8 oz of sour cream to the mixture and 1/4 cup toasted coconut.

Back when I first met my husband, my mother in law made this for Christmas dinner. I'd never had it before I met her and I fell in love with it on the spot. It's one of my favorite "fluffy salads" to date. She taught me to make this using the whole can of crushed pineapple UNDRAINED and to use a full bag of marshmallows. Sometimes I'll vary it up with the colored marshmallows.

Hubby loved it! I did not drain pineapple juice.  Well actually I did at first then decided to add it because I wanted more pineapple "flavor".

I substituted instant cheesecake pudding (Jello brand) for pistachio and it was even better.  I also used a little of the pineapple juice from the can to make it creamier.  Try it!

This recipe was wonderful. I made it the first time for my daughter's college graduation party and everyone loved it. I liked the fact that I could have the recipe make enough for 60 people and then it gave me exactly what I needed for the ingredients. I did add maraschino cherries for decoration on the top.

My grandmother has made this every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas as long as I can remember.  Everyone loves it, and it is always one of the first things to disappear!  It has a sweet, unique flavor that you will crave.  Super easy to make!  I use sugar-free instant pistachio pudding mix instead of regular, and you can't tell the difference.

This is an awesome recipe any time of year.  There has never been leftovers when I make it.  It is easy and delicious.  I always add pecans to mine and refrigerate it overnight.  That seems to allow the mixture to settle in a bit.  Enjoy.

If you like this kind of salad, this is the way to make it.  I still can't get my husband to eat it, but the kids love it.

I doubled this recipe.  I added three (8 ounce) cans of crushed pineapple (I did not drain the juice), two (3 ounce) packages of instant pistachio pudding mixes, and two (8 ounce) containers of frozen Cool Whip. I made a few changes.   I didn't have mini marshmallows on hand, so I added a whole bag of jumbo marshmallows.  I also threw in a 1/2 cup of slivered almonds.  Delicious!

Came out perfect! My entire family loved it.

I'm surprised that this got 5 stars. I think it would be a lot better with mandarin oranges and no marshmallows.

I have been doing this recipe for 30 years.  I would always take it to our office party,  especially Christmas.  I also add pecans and the juice.  I whip the cool whip with 4 oz of cream cheese. Delicious.  No leftovers

This is great-I usually add mandarin oranges, bananas and chopped nuts.

Loved it!  I used the suggestions people wrote in their reviews. Yeah, make sure you DO NOT prepare the pudding--use just the dry powder.  I didn't make this mistake, but the recipe should have been more clear.  I used colored/flavored marshmallows for fun.  Also added mandarin oranges.  Yum!

Light and delicious.  This is a recipe my grandmother has used for years.  I make it now for my own family gatherings and it's always a big hit.

economical, easy, delicious..who could ask for more?

I've been searching for this recipe, thank you so much, its perfect.

I made this for dessert at lunch for my husband and son, I did'nt have pistachio pudding but I did have pumpkin spice instant pudding and I also did add the juice and it was great. I guess that goes to show you can use what you have on hand and it will still turn out great!!

Triple the recipe for my family... they loved it. Added can of drained mandarine oranges , coconut flakes and some maraschino cherries.  Would love to add nuts, but no one else likes them.

WOW! Absolutely a treat! I didn't drain pineapple and added walnuts.  What a great recipe! Many thanks ;0)

I really like this and have been making it for awhile.  Looked for this recipe again because I couldn't remember amounts to use, as it had been awhile since I made my last batch.  I added walnuts to this batch as I remember it needing the crunch.  Had forgotten it was pecans that I love most in this until I took my first bite.  Thanks for posting the recipe.

A keeper! Very similar to a salad my family made years ago, but it was much more complicated and time consuming (required grated cabbage, etc.) This is a great alternative. Tasty, light, and simple. I added mandarin oranges and used chunked pineapple instead of crushed.

My mom made this when I was growing up too.  My grown up variation is using chocolate pudding and chocolate chips instead of pistachio and pineapple.    

My favorite!  Takes care of the sweet tooth without too much quilt. Easy to make. I make just about every week.

Great recipe! I added a handful of chopped nuts and it turned out great. So easy, yet so yummy.

A classmate made this, and it was delicious!! It was her own recipe, but it was the same as this recipe. I loved it!! I didn't get very much, because it was only a sample, but I will definitely make it sometime!!!!!

Very easy and so good.  I used vanilla pudding mix instead, added some maraschino cherries and omitted the mini marshmallows.  I can't wait to actually try it with the pistachio mix.

A co-worker has been bringing this to potlucks for years and I kept asking her for the recipe.  She never got it to me until this AM and then I found it on here!  It's so yummy....and I'll be making it this weekend for Easter...great color for the occasion!

I remember having this yummy salad as a small child at a church function.  I'm so glad that I came across this recipe!  Anything that is this quick to put together and devoured by my two kids is a winner in my book! They have already asked me to make it again. Thanks Margit!

I make this same recipe, however, I like to add fresh fruits like grapes, strawberries and cantaloupe.  My family loves it this way!

Great salad!  Really fast, and always a big hit.  I don't drain the pineapple, and I think that makes it a little creamier.  Thanks for the recipe!

Wonderful I added more marshmallows and it is delicious thanks for the recipe!!!!

I love this recipe, but substitute real whipped cream for the frozen topping.  Others might be interested in the 'Pineapple And Pistachio Pudding' recipe from this site.

This recipe was so easy, and cheap to make. I made it to take too a pot luck. I did add a can of mandarin oranges along with the other ingredients. Happy with recipe, and will make again.

I remember this recipe from my childhood when my mom used to make it.  It brought back a lot of memories and my husband and daughter loved it. This is recipe is so simple and delicious.  I would definitely make this one again.

Sherri


Very good, but sweet.  My husband loves how the pudding coats the crushed pineapple and (after chilling overnight) has the taste and texture of pistachios.  Personally, I prefer vegetable salads, but there are never any leftovers with this.

Really awesome.  I don't usually make this kind of dish, and everyone was surprised but loved it.

This is an easy great tasting salad!  I love it!!!

Couldn't be any simpler! It tastes great and looks good. I just made this for Thanksgiving and the kids gobbled it up.  I used homemade whipped topping and added a little more than 8oz as called for because it was still too thick.  I also used the mini flavored marshmallows for added festive colors and flavor.  It's yummy and so easy!

while nice an instant, this recipe is nothing but processed shugar and pineaple. It tastes completely sinthetic. I will never make this again. Thanks, though.

We have been using this receipe for years and it is always a favorite.  We like to add maraschino cherries.  This looks great for Christmas with the green pudding &amp; the red cherries.  Also we like to freeze it and serve it frozen.

Classic favorite.  Compliments "heavy" meals wonderfully (always a favorite on the salad table at Christmas).

Very easy &amp; good. Left the juice in the pineapple. Might reduce the amount of marshmellows next time and add some mandarin oranges.

Yummy! I made this for a Hawaiian BBQ, it went fast. I added walnuts as one writer suggested. It was a nice touch. I liked the crunch they added with the softness of the marshmellows.Will keep this one file.


Yummy!  I had never made it before but ate it a holidays all the time.  Very easy!

My mom and my grandma always made this "Watergate Salad" As a previous reviewer said, they added the pineapple juice and cottage cheese as well. Thanks for bringing back memories!

This is an excellent recipe.  I have been making this for years.  It is sooo easy and delicious.  I do not drain the pineapple.  It makes it easier to blend the ingredients and creamier to the taste!!  Try ground walnuts on top.

My Mom has been making this recipe for years!  When she went away for the weekend I had a BBQ to attend and couldn't remember the exact measurements that she uses so I came on here.  This tasted pretty much exact like her recipe, however like another user suggested she puts maraschino cherries on top for decoration.  My Mom tends to use this recipe for special occasions like the holidays and not one person can resist.  She usually doubles the recipe just so we have left overs! It's great, try it.  Just make sure you thaw out the cool whip long enough and don't put it in the microwave (even on defrost) it'll turn into soup and take longer for it to set up.

Love this recipe!  It is something my mother used to make and is every bit as good now as it was then.  Plus it is really easy to make and takes less than 5 min. to put together.

Absolutely delicious! I used fat free cool whip and fat free, sugar free pudding mix. I used crushed pineapple in unsweetened pineapple juice, and half a bag of jet puffed brand mini marshmallos. Made this way, the whole thing is 28 Weight Watcher points. Divide into seven servings, and it is 4 points per serving. Wonderful!

This is one of my favorites!  Thanks for posting!!

***Thank you for putting  "dry" in the directions for us novices who needed concise:)

I made this salad using sugar free pudding and fat free whipped topping and it was just as good!

My mom has been making this ever since I can remember but there's a few changes that she does to her recipe and I find it works well.  DON'T drain the pineapple.  Instead, dissolve the pudding powder into the pineapple and juice then add the rest as well as a can of mandarin oranges (drained).  So good!

This recipe is an old one...from when I was a kid.  I was making a mother's day dinner and thought I needed some sort of a fruit salad &amp; came across this.  I'm glad I did.  It reminded me of my Grandma(who is now passed), she use to make this....Good, easy and always a hit!!  This is in my saved recipes &amp; I will use it again!

I remember this salad growing up but never had the recipe and I am so happy to have found it!  I could eat the whole bowl myself!

I've been looking for the recipe to make this childhood favorite for a few years now.  I'm so happy I found it...it was exactly the recipe I was looking for!

I didn't have any marshmellows, so I made the salad without them...it still tasted fantastic!  It took all of 60 seconds to make, and when it was done chilling, my husband and I ate the whole bowl!  Not very good for our hips, but our taste  buds sure are happy!

I bet this would be good if you added fruit cocktail along with the pineapple.  I'll have to try that next time!  Thanks Margit!

Delicious!! Can't wait to make it Christmas day! Well worth 5 stars!


I have been making this recipe for years as a side for Thanksgiving. I do alter it a little by leaving out the marshmellows and by adding cottage cheese instead,and also madarin oranges which makes it healthier and still is yummy!!

This stuff is addicting.  It's the perfect thing to take to a potluck because it is so easy (and fast) to put together but it's delicious.  I also like to add nuts.  I also think that adding coconut to it would be good but I haven't done that yet.  Thanks for posting this recipe!

I never thought this could taste good but oddly enough I find myself craving it ever since I first had it!

This salad brings back a lot of memories of family get-togethers.  I made this today for a picnic and it didn't disappoint.  I followed the recipe exactly, except that I used light whipped topping in place of regular.

I was given this recipe by a friend, but then lost it when I moved about five years ago.  I've been searching for it ever since!!  This is an awesome, easy dessert!  I leave out the marshmallows because we don't like them and sometimes I add chopped walnuts.  Like many other reviewers, I don't bother draining the pineapple.  It's a pain to try to get the juice out without losing the pineapple and we like the creamier texture you get with the juice added.  This is always a hit at BBQs and potlucks.  I'm SO glad I found this recipe again!

Took this to Thanksgiving dinner at 2 houses. It was a hit at both, with us leaving some behind for my mother-in-law! Even my step-mom(who can make everything amazing)said hers doesn't turn out well and wanted to know how to make this! Definately will make again and might even experiment with added fruit, or might just not mess with perfection!

yum yum.  my grandmother made this for me, long ago, and i'd always been looking for the recipe. add mandarin oranges for a little extra oomph and color! :-)  thank you!

My family loves this recipe.  The only thing we changed however was we added pineapple tidbits, drained, and it was really good.  Sometimes at Easter or special occasions my mom uses the colored mini-marshmallows, and it looks cute.

Simple and wonderful!! We make this salad all the time!!

By far the easiest recipe on the planet.  I've made this for several family get togethers and a few just because occasions. Great recipe.

SO easy. Next time I'll add chopped walnuts and that's all it needs. I used both sugar-free pudding and sugar-free whipped topping. And call me crazy, but I found this to be especially delicious when I dipped those square-type pretzels in it. Try it.. I dare you.

This recipe is the first one I came across that drained the pineapple instead of adding the pineapple with the juice.  I used a recipe before that didn't drain the pineapple and the mixture was too soupy.  I liked the consistency of this recipe because the salad was still light and fluffy. It tasted just the way I remember my mom's pistachio salad tasting when I was growing up.  Thank you Margit for a great recipe and a trip down memory lane.

TRY IT THIS WAY ---
Add about 2cups green grapes, and 2 sliced bananas before serving.  I skip the marshmellows... to sweet!

YUMMM!

Great QUICK dish to make and its ALWAYS a hit!!!!  I added one drained can of crushed pineapple and one undrained can of pineapple and it was PERFECT!!!  The family loves this creamier version!!

My favorite salad. I'll eat the whole bowl if somebody doesn't stop me.

I too use pineapple tidbits undrained and pecans and this salad is AWESOME!  Great for the summer!

This is the best version of pistachio salad.  Always a hit.

I should have just went by your recipe because after reading the reviewers and making a few changes it just messed it up! My husband loved pistachio salad, otherwise known as "watergate salad". But not the way I made it! He said, "That was really sweet of you to make this for me but I really just like for it to be fluffy... I think the kind I like just has whipped cream, marshmallows, crushed pineapple and whatever that green stuff us... I think there's something crunchy in it too!" So, if I would have just went by your recipe without addin all the other changes that everyone else made, it would have been a winner! I think that "if" I do make any changes in the future, it will just be to add some crushed pistachio's or walnuts just to make it a little crunchy! I gave you 5 stars just because I know that YOUR recipe would have been good! To anyone else who reads this, don't make any changes to the recipe if you like pistachio or watergate salad! 

I used this recipe except I did not drain the crushed pineapple.  It turned out fine!  I did not add nuts...oh and I used the colored marshmallows.  Super fun BBQ dessert salad. Everyone loved it. OH, before I made it I refrigerated the pineapple and don't forget to put the cool whip in the fridge for 4 hours to thaw before making!

This is the recipe I have searched for a decade... just like the dessert I used to buy at a pricey deli. Kids and husband loved it! Am going to make again and again.

This is a easy delicious taste treat. Yummy!!

Loved it! My son gave it a thumbs up too. This is a great dish for any occasion. This is really sweet though. I used sugar free pudding mix, and extra creamy whipped topping. I think I drained the pineapple too well though, it seemed a little "dry". Next time, I'll leave a little juice in it. So fast and easy to put together. I can't believe I haven't tried this before. This would be a great summer time dessert as it is light, cool, and not heavy. This was awesome just as it is, but I think it has great potential for lots of variations and personalization. Thanks for the recipe Margit!

Wow how fast ande easy!! Everyone loves it. Did I say perfect? Thanks for posting this recipe :)

My mother, now deceased, used to make this for Christmas and thanksgiving, and it was always delicious. The only thing she did differently was she added a chopped apple to the recipe. It adds a little something more to it. Try it, you'll love it!

Really quick and easy.  Loads of compliments! Added shredded coconut.

This has been a favorite "holiday" dish in our family for years. We call it "Watergate Salad." The only thing we do different is added chopped pecans and keep the liquid in the crushed pineapples. Yum Yum Yum

This was a fun dessert to make and eat.  I used some of the reserved juice to mix in with the pineapple and pudding mix.  I also addes some canned oranges.  I used the low fat cool whip.  I really liked this, but it did remind of me of something my Mom might have made in the 70's (in a good way!)

Incredibly fast/easy/cheap and tastes great!! I think it would be a little less sweet to not add the entire container of whipped cream - and you don't need the entire package of marshmallows. I like to add a little bit of shredded coconut to mine.

Wonderful, brought it to a pot-luck...not a speck left !!! Thanks !

You can't go wrong with this salad.  Always a crowd pleaser and super easy to throw together.  

See how to make a simple dessert salad starring pistachio pudding.

instant pistachio salad

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total: 35 minutes

Servings: 12

Author : Allrecipes Member

Ingredients

Instructions

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