This Old-Fashioned Pistachio Fluff will take you back to the good old days. It’s the perfect nostalgiac recipe to take to holidays and potlucks.
Pistachio Fluff
This recipe takes me back to my childhood when every family function or church potluck had someone’s recipe for Pistachio Fluff Salad.
Pistachio fluff recipes stand the test of time. In the 1980s, the fluffy green dessert salad was always a favorite dessert of mine, and now, in the 2000s, it’s a favorite dessert of my kids.
This recipe has been called Pistachio Dump Salad, Watergate Salad, Pistachio Salad Fluff, and Green Fluff.
It’s the perfect spring and summer recipe. It looks great at the St. Patrick’s Day dinner, or the Easter table, and is a refreshing summer dessert.
To make this recipe even more delicious, try adding my quick and easy recipe for Homemade Whipped Cream
Here is What I Love about this Recipe:
- It’s an old-fashioned recipe
- This is an easy-to-make recipe with very few ingredients
- It’s easy to make ahead of time
If you love easy-to-make desserts, as I do, then you’ll want to try my recipe for Cherry Fluff next. You might also love this recipe for Dreamsicle Jell-O Salad and this amazing Waldorf Salad.
Pistachio Fluff and Watergate salad have similarities. Both have pistachio pudding and are both green.
A fluff salad usually has a fluffy and creamy texture made from ingredients like cream cheese, whipped topping, and fruit in the form of juice, Jell-O, or pudding.
Pistachio Fluff Recipes usually have 4 ingredients – pistachio pudding, whipped topping, crushed pineapple, and mini marshmallows
Make Ahead and Storage:
You can make this fluff salad up to 4 days in advance
Store this salad covered and in the refrigerator for up to 5 days
Optional Add-Ins for Pistachio Salad Fluff
- nuts like pistachios, pecans, or walnuts
- green food coloring
- chopped maraschino cherries
- mandarin oranges – drained
- cream cheese
- cottage cheese
Tips and Tricks:
- make this fluff at least 4 hours in advance, or a day in advance
- some people swear by adding cottage cheese to this recipe. I have never had it with cottage cheese, but I can imagine that is a delicious version
- I like to mix the cool whip and pudding together before adding the pineapple. The marshmallows are always folded in last
- If you don’t want to use Pistachios, then you can substitute the pistachio pudding with another pudding like banana or coconut. It won’t be pistachio fluff, but it will still be delicious
What type of Ingredients do you need for Pistachio Salad?
Ingredients
- Pistachio Pudding – Jell-O makes this, but you might be able to find a generic brand at your local grocery store
- Cool Whip – this is that whipped topping that you find in the freezer section at your grocery store
- Crushed Pineapple – Do not drain this can of pineapple
- Mini Marshmallows – I only used one cup, but you could easily add more. Some people prefer to leave the marshmallows out and substitute cottage cheese
How do you make Pistachio Fluff?
This Fluff Salad is so easy to make and comes together quickly. Although you could technically serve it right away, it’s better after it has chilled in the fridge for a few hours and even better overnight
- In a medium bowl, mix the pudding and cool whip
- Add pineapples and their juices – mix in
- Fold in marshmallows
- Cover and refrigerate
Pistachio Fluff
Equipment
- 1 medium mixing bowl
- 1 mixing spoon
Ingredients
- 3 oz. pistachio pudding
- 8 oz. whipped topping thawed, but still cold
- 20 oz. pineapple tidbits in 100% pineapple juice
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- 4 drops green food coloring optional. My recipe images DO NOT have food coloring added.
Instructions
- in a medium sized bowl, mix the pudding mix and cool whip
- add pineapple with juices and mix in
- fold in mini marshmallows
Notes
Optional Add-Ins
- pistachio nuts
- chopped maraschino cherries
- food coloring – only if you want to turn the fluff from a mint green color to a darker color of green
Optional Substitutions:
- replace pistachio pudding with banana or coconut pudding for an entirely new flavor
- replace mini marshmallows with cottage cheese for a lower-fat fluff
Christmas Version:
- Add in chopped maraschino cherries
