Food and Recipes Desserts No Bake Pistachio Fluff 5.0 (1) Add your rating & review Light, bright, and oh-so-sweet, pistachio fluff can be eaten as a dessert, a side dish, or even as a snack on its own. By Catherine Jessee Catherine Jessee Catherine Jessee is an Assistant Digital Food Editor at Southern Living. She is a writer, editor, and recipe developer with a passion for Appalachian foodways, culture, and history. Prior to joining the Southern Living, Catherine tested and developed recipes for print and digital publications like EatingWell, Food & Wine, Real Simple, Serious Eats, Southern Living, and more. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on November 25, 2024 Save Rate PRINT Share Close Credit: Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Active Time: 10 mins Total Time: 2 hrs 10 mins Servings: 6 Jump to recipe 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. Learn how to make pistachio fluff. 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. Cranberry Fluff Salad 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. Pistachio Fluff Ingredients To make pistachio fluff, you’ll need just six readily available ingredients: Crushed pineapple in juice: You need the juice of the canned pineapple to get the best flavor, so fresh wouldn't work.Pistachio instant pudding and pie filling: Pistachio pudding is obviously needed for pistachio fluff, but you can actually use any flavor you like.Frozen whipped topping: Provides the creamy, airy texture for the fluff.Miniature marshmallows: Classic and sweet for the just-right texture and flavor.Unsalted raw pistachios: The contrast of the nutty pistachios with the sweet fluff is necessary.Maraschino cherries: For the extra dose of nostalgia. 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. 'Pink Stuff' Is The Nostalgic Recipe Your Southern Gathering Needs 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. 56 Easy Brunch Recipes You'll Want To Make Every Weekend Ways 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. Credit: Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely More Salads and Sides Ambrosia Salad Overnight Fruit Salad Classic Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows Cheesecake Fruit Salad Loaded Deviled Eggs Cherry Fluff Editorial contributions by Alesandra Dubin. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) 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. Credit: 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. Credit: 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. Credit: 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. Credit: Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Garnish with remaining whipped topping, chopped pistachios, and maraschino cherries. Serve cold. Credit: Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Save Rate Print Additional reporting by Alesandra Dubin