Watergate Fluff
Gluten Free Living – 2023
Watergate Fluff will rock your world. Really. This amazing vintage recipe is incredibly fluffy, incredibly nutty, incredibly dessert-like and incredibly delicious. NO KIDDING! It includes Pistachio Pudding Mix, marshmallows (I used multi-color miniature marshmallows), crushed pineapple, Cool Whip and it’s topped with maraschino cherries and pineapple slices. It’s outstanding in my opinion.
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Watergate Salad or “Fluff” has been around for a long time. Apparently Pistachio Pudding mix was introduced in 1975. The company came up with a recipe entitled “Pineapple Pistachio Delight” to sell their products. It was tagged with the “Watergate” moniker a year or two later because it had a lot of nuts in it and the country was still dealing with the Watergate scandal. It actually has never been served at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C. (But it sure should be!)
Regardless, this delicious fluffy “salad” is awesome. I added coconut to mine. My husband has always enjoyed these fluffy salads in a multitude of flavors and colors–rather than traditional desserts. So when we had company over for dinner about a month ago, I made this fabulous salad along with Garlic Herb Parmesan Chicken Thighs, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Creamy Sweet Corn, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme Dinner Rolls and our real dessert: Milky Way Chocolate Pie. Oh, we were all in seventh heaven.
You don’t have to add the pineapple slices and maraschino cherries on top if you don’t care to, but they sure amp up the flavors even more. Watergate Fluff is heavenly. It’s perfect for any potluck, or a company or holiday dinner. Everyone will rave over this delightful “salad,” uh, “dessert,” whatever!
Watergate Fluff will rock your world!
This fluffy-type salad is a great side dish for company or holiday dinners.
Watergate Fluff is great for potlucks and Family Reunions, too.
I served Watergate Fluff with Garlic Herb Parmesan Chicken, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Creamy Sweet Corn and Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme Dinner Rolls. It was sooooo good.
Here’s what I did.
I used these ingredients.
Place two boxes Pistachio Pudding Mix and a large can of crushed pineapple (undrained) in a large mixing bowl.
Stir ingredients to combine.
Add Cool Whip, pecans, coconut and multi-colored miniature marshmallows.
Stir ingredients to combine.
Spoon ingredients into a trifle dish or glass bowl. Top with additional Cool Whip, pecans, marshmallows, sliced pineapple and maraschino cherries, if desired.
This side view shows the proportions. You can also spoon the mixture into individual parfait dishes.
I was taking pictures outside and my neighbor saw me and wanted to come look at the fluff. She thought it was beautiful so I sent her home with this small dish to taste test. They brought the dish back a couple of days later saying they loved it!
This is what the Watergate Fluff looks like when you scoop it out of the trifle dish.
I served this delightful salad with Garlic Herb Parmesan Chicken Thighs, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Creamy Sweet Corn. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme Dinner Rolls and Milky Way Chocolate Pie. The Watergate Fluff was greatly enjoyed. I had enough leftover to share with a few of our neighbors. All of them loved it!
Watergate Fluff is heavenly. Everyone will want seconds!
Here’s the recipe.
WATERGATE FLUFF
(Based on the 1975 version promoted by Jell-O, now owned by Kraft/Heinz)
Watergate Fluff
Equipment
- 1 trifle dish or glass serving bowl
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 wooden spoon
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 nut chopper if nuts are not previously chopped
Ingredients
- 6.8 oz. box Pistachio Pudding Mix (two 3.4-ounce boxes)
- 20 oz. can crushed pineapple undrained (I usually get with juice, not syrup)
- 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped (measure after chopping) plus two tablespoons for the top
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 12 oz. container Cool Whip
- 1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows (I used the multi-colored marshmallows)
- 10 maraschino cherries or as desired
- 8 oz. can pineapple rings or fresh pineapple, if desired
Instructions
- Combine the pistachio pudding mix and the can of undrained crushed pineapple in a mixing bowl.
- Stir in 8-ounces of Cool Whip and combine well.
- Add ¾ cup coconut, 1 cup miniature marshmallows and ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Pour ingredients into a trifle dish, parfait dish or glass serving bowl.
- Sprinkle remaining coconut on top, then sprinkle with nuts and finally with remaining marshmallows.
- Cut pineapple rings in half and place around the outer edge of the bowl or trifle dish.
- Place maraschino cherries around the pineapple slices.
- If using parfait glasses: place fluff mixture in glasses, garnish first with remaining cool whip, then sprinkle lightly with coconut, pecans and add a slice of pineapple ring and a maraschino cherry on top for garnish.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Jell-O, circa 1975. Now owned by Kraft/Heinz.
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen
Nutrition
Watergate Fluff is utterly drool-worthy!
Watergate Fluff was unbelievably delicious paired alongside of Garlic Herb Parmesan Chicken Thighs, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Creamy Sweet Corn and Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme Dinner Rolls.
Some of the gals who ran the “test kitchens” back in the day sure created some delightful recipes.
Watergate Fluff is heavenly – no matter what you name it!
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