Food and Recipes Desserts No Bake Pistachio Fluff 5.0 (1) Add your rating & review Light, bright, and oh-so-sweet, this fluffy salad can be eaten as a dessert, a side dish, or even as a snack on its own. By Catherine Jessee Catherine Jessee Prior to joining the Food Studios, Catherine accumulated 3 years of experience cooking in restaurants and earned her M.A. in Southern Studies, where she focused on Appalachian foodways. Catherine is also a writer and passionate about the intersection of culture and food. She served as a Nathalie Dupree Graduate Fellow with the Southern Foodways Alliance 2020–2022. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on May 22, 2023 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Active Time: 10 mins Total Time: 2 hrs 10 mins Servings: 6 Servings Pistachio fluff goes by many other names: Watergate salad, pistachio salad, pineapple pistachio delight, green fluff, or even the decidedly somber moniker, funeral salad. By any name, it’s an airy and nostalgia-triggering delight and an iconic American potluck classic. Served as a sweet side dish on holiday tables across the South (and beyond), this sentimental recipe is super easy to make. All you need are six ingredients and 10 minutes of active prep time. Why the Fluff Salad Deserves a Comeback Pistachio Fluff Ingredients To make pistachio fluff, you’ll need just six readily available ingredients: crushed pineapple in juicepistachio instant pudding and pie fillingfrozen whipped toppingminiature marshmallowsunsalted raw pistachiosmaraschino cherries How To Make Pistachio Fluff Start by stirring the crushed pineapple and pudding and pie filling to combine. Let the mixture stand for five minutes before adding the whipped topping and stirring to combine. Then fold in the marshmallows, cover, and chill. When ready to serve, stir the mixture again to fluff it up. (You can fluff it up with more whipped topping if needed at this stage.) Garnish with more whipped topping, chopped pistachios, and maraschino cherries. What Is a Fluff? Pistachio fluff, which is sometimes called Watergate Salad, is a sweet salad-like dish commonly served as dessert or a side dish at potlucks and holidays. Whipped topping, pistachio-flavored instant pudding mix, canned pineapple, mini marshmallows, and chopped nuts come together to create this light and fluffy American dish that's beloved by home cooks even outside of the South. Who Else's Southern Grandmother Always Made "Pink Stuff" During the Holidays? What Does Pistachio Fluff Taste Like? This dish is sweet, fluffy, and very nut-forward; even the pudding mix contains actual pieces of chopped nuts. Chopped pistachios on top provide a nice crunch and some texture, along with the maraschino cherries and whipped topping. Refrigerating it for (at least) two hours before fluffing and serving ensures the Jell-O sets nicely, and greatly changes the texture from loose and airy to fluffy and thick. Why Is Pistachio Salad Called Watergate Salad? Among the many names for this dish is Watergate salad; it is said that a chef at the famous Watergate Hotel invented the dish and served it at weekend brunch. The recipe dates back to the mid-1970s, when the Jell-O brand first debuted its line of pistachio pudding mix. 61 Easy Brunch Recipes You'll Want To Make Every Weekend How To Serve Pistachio Fluff Pistachio fluff is a sweet and delightful dish served all on its own. But it’s often served during festive holiday meals, where it plays nicely on a plate filled with other sides, too. Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely More Salads and Sides Mama Mae’s Ambrosia Salad Marshmallow Fruit Salad Classic Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows Cheesecake Fruit Salad Loaded Deviled Eggs Cherry Fluff Editorial contributions by Alesandra Dubin. Ingredients 1 (15-oz.) can crushed pineapple in juice, undrained 1 (3.4-oz.) pkg. pistachio instant pudding and pie filling (such as JELL-O) 1 (8-oz.) container frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided 1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows 1/3 cup chopped unsalted raw pistachios Whole red maraschino cherries Directions Combine ingredients: In a large bowl, stir crushed pineapple and pudding and pie filling with a silicone spatula until well combined. Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Let stand 5 minutes. Add 2 1/2 cups whipped topping, and stir gently to combine. Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Fold in marshmallows. Cover, and chill at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours. Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Fluff salad before serving: When ready to serve, remove from refrigerator, and stir to “fluff” mixture. Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Garnish with remaining whipped topping, chopped pistachios, and maraschino cherries. Serve cold. Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Rate it Print Additional reporting by Alesandra Dubin