Ingredients
Salad
- 1 can crushed pineapple in juice 20 oz / 567 g, undrained
- 1 box regular pistachio instant pudding mix 3.4 oz / 96 g, dry; not cook-and-serve or sugar-free
- 1 cup miniature marshmallows about 50 g
- 1 tub original frozen whipped topping 8 oz / 227 g, thawed in the refrigerator according to the label
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans 55 g, added shortly before serving
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 flexible spatula
- 1 covered refrigerator container
Instructions
Mix and chill
- Put the crushed pineapple and all its juice into a large bowl. Sprinkle in the dry pudding mix and stir thoroughly, scraping the bottom and sides, until evenly green with no dry pockets. Do not add milk or prepare the pudding separately.
- Stir in the miniature marshmallows. Add the thawed whipped topping and fold gently with a flexible spatula until evenly combined, stopping when large white streaks disappear. Do not beat with an electric mixer.
- Cover and refrigerate at 40°F or below for at least 2 hours, until the mixture is softly spoonable and the marshmallows have softened. Thawing the frozen topping before preparation is not included in this timing.
- Gently fold in the chopped pecans shortly before serving. Divide into 8 small dessert portions. Keep cold until serving and refrigerate leftovers promptly.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 dessert portion (1/8 batch)Calories: 234kcalCarbohydrates: 37.6gProtein: 1gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3.6gSodium: 181mgPotassium: 120mgFiber: 1.2gSugar: 28.9gCalcium: 15mgIron: 0.4mg
Video
Notes
Video credit: Collard Valley Cooks’ “1970s Watergate Salad Recipe - Old-Fashioned Recipes - Recipes from the Past” demonstrates this pistachio-pineapple dessert salad. Use it for the mixing technique; follow this card’s quantities, chilling time and instruction to add pecans near serving.
Nutrition is an estimate per one-eighth of the batch. It combines manufacturer labels for one 96 g box of regular Jell-O pistachio pudding mix and 227 g Cool Whip Original topping with USDA SR Legacy composition for 567 g canned pineapple in juice, 50 g marshmallows and 55 g pecans. Product labels were checked October 9, 2026. Label rounding and brand differences affect totals. Fiber is estimated principally from the pineapple and pecans; the topping contributes no meaningful fiber. Optional garnishes are excluded. Unavailable fatty-acid and vitamin fields are not invented.
Allergen note: the cited pudding mix contains almonds and pistachios, the topping contains milk, and this recipe adds pecans. Omitting the pecans does not make the dish nut-free. Keep refrigerated and use within 3 days. Refrigerate within 2 hours of serving, or 1 hour above 90°F. The unopened topping’s storage instructions do not apply to the mixed salad.
