Description
Easy Watergate Salad is a classic, sweet, and creamy dessert salad featuring instant pistachio pudding, crushed pineapple, mini marshmallows, chopped pecans, and Cool Whip. This no-cook dish is quick to prepare and perfect for potlucks, family gatherings, or a refreshing treat any time.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 3.4 ounce package instant pistachio pudding mix
- 20 ounce can crushed pineapple, not drained
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
- 8 ounce container Cool Whip, thawed
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients and Pineapple: In a large bowl, combine the instant pistachio pudding mix, the entire 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple with juice, mini marshmallows, and chopped pecans. Stir these ingredients well until they are evenly mixed.
- Fold in Cool Whip: Gently fold in the thawed Cool Whip into the mixture until everything is well combined without deflating too much of the whipped topping to maintain a light, fluffy texture.
- Chill Before Serving: Cover the salad and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld and the salad to firm up. Serve chilled for the best flavor and texture.
Notes
- For a nuttier texture, toast pecans lightly before chopping.
- Use regular-sized marshmallows if mini are unavailable, but reduce quantity to 1.5 cups.
- To make it sugar-free, choose sugar-free pistachio pudding mix and use sugar-free whipped topping.
- Watergate salad can be prepared a day ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator.
- For added texture and flavor, consider garnishing with additional chopped pecans before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 230 kcal
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg
