Make this super simple old-fashioned recipe, 5-Minute Pistachio salad for a quick fluffy dessert salad made with simple ingredients filled with a handful of ingredients like different fruits, Cool Whip, and instant pudding.
Sweet salads are always a great choice for family gatherings like holiday dinners or on St. Patrick’s Day.
Though this recipe may look different (often gets called “green goop or green stuff”) this pistachio pineapple delight is always on the holiday tables for the holiday meal because it tastes amazing.
You only need a few things to put this easy pudding salad recipe together with a quick stir and let this fluffy pistachio salad sit in the fridge until you are ready to serve it.
Another great thing about this pistachio fluffy recipe is that is a great make-ahead recipe allowing you to focus on the main meal and pull this classic recipe out when you are ready to serve.
Recipe Ingredient Notes
To make our 5-minute pistachio salad, you need the following ingredients:
- Pineapple: get a can of pineapple tidbits or chunks in the canned fruit aisle at the grocery store
- Instant pudding mix: get a box of instant pistachio pudding mix, feel free to pick your favorite brand for this
- Whipped topping: get a tub of Cool-Whip and thaw it to use and make the creamy base of this green salad
- Bananas: you will need ripe bananas sliced into bite-sized pieces
- Marshmallow: use mini marshmallows to make this salad recipe easy to eat
Equipment Needed
For this recipe, you only need a few simple kitchen tools. We recommend using the following equipment:
How to Make Pistachio Salad
- Drain pineapple, and pour pineapple juice into a large bowl.
- Pour pudding into the juice and mix well.
- Fold the whipped topping into the pudding.
- Add pineapple tidbits, bananas, and marshmallows.
- Stir together gently.
Frequently Asked Questions for Making Pistachio Pudding Salad:
For this particular recipe, yes the pistachio pudding does need to be instant because you are not making the pudding as directed on the package, this recipe will only work with instant pudding.
When you combine the pudding mixture with pineapple juice, not milk it will have a little bit of a different consistency.
We would not suggest using fresh whipped cream as it is not as stable as Cool Whip. However, if you plan to serve it within a few hours of making this pistachio ambrosia salad then it may hold up long enough.
If you do choose to use fresh pineapple, make sure it is super ripe. The great thing about using canned pineapple is that is is a bit softer than fresh pineapple and won’t turn into crushed pineapple when you mix it into the creamy salad.
Storage Instructions
When you are done making this salad recipe, put it in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Just give it a quick stir before you are ready to serve.
Recipe Tips
- Be sure not to drain the juice from the canned pineapple into the sink as you will need the juice later in this green fluff salad.
- The more additions you put into the salad the less creamy the salad will be. Be sure to add either more juice or more whipped topping to avoid drying out this recipe.
- Adding cottage cheese is a great way to add protein to this dessert salad recipe.
- You can customize this recipe with the following additions: mandarin oranges, extra pistachio bits, maraschino cherries, shredded coconut, fresh apples, and other favorite fruit toppings.
Enjoy More Delicious Fruit Salads
Want to add more fruits to your meals? Browse our comprehensive list of salad recipes.
- Ambrosia Salad
- Caramel Apple Jello Salad
- Creamy Grape Salad
- Honey Lime Fresh Fruit Salad
- Mandarin Orange Cookie Dessert Salad
- Mandarin Orange Pretzel Salad
- Mom’s Frog Eye Salad
- Orange Fluff Jello Salad
- Peach Jello Fluff Salad
- Pina Colada Fruit Salad
- Snickers Apple Pudding Salad
- Weight Watchers Jello Pudding Fluff
Pistachio Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 20 ounces pineapple tidbits, (or chunks)
- 1 (3.4 ounce) box instant Pistachio Pudding
- 8 ounces Cool-Whip, (lite works too)
- 2 bananas, sliced
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Drain pineapple, pour pineapple juice into large bowl.
- Pour pudding into the juice and mix well.
- Fold the Cool-Whip into the pudding.
- Add pineapple tidbits, bananas, and marshmallows.
- Stir together gently.
Notes
- Be sure not to drain the juice from the canned pineapple into the sink as you will need the juice later in this green fluff salad.
- The more additions you put into the salad the less creamy the salad will be. Be sure to add either more juice or more whipped topping to avoid drying out this recipe.
- Adding cottage cheese is a great way to add protein to this dessert salad recipe.
- You can customize this recipe with the following additions: mandarin oranges, extra pistachio bits, maraschino cherries, shredded coconut, fresh apples, and other favorite fruit toppings.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.
This is the best, have you ever tossed nuts (not sure which kind)into the mix? My mom used to make it like that and it is soooooooo yummy! Memories……
YUMMMY! I love anything like fluff with marshmallows in it.
In my family, this is called Green Stuff…and it is LEGEN (wait for it) DARY!!!!! I recco that you don’t drain the pineapple – the juices help to dissolve some of the granularity from the pudding mix.
I soooo love this stuff, we use to make it all the time when i was younger. I have great memories attached to this recipe 😀
I recall a version with toasted chopped pecans and halved maraschino cherries! This is too sweet to be a side dish, but to me it’s a wonderful summer dessert!
My kids love this, and it is easy for them to make themselves, just dump everything in a bowl and mix. Sometimes, we add a can of cocktail fruit to it.
Just got this same recipe from a friend but no instructions. Came across your site, with the exact items, and you finished the puzzle (to keep or not keep the pineapple juice!). I never made this before but it was yummy. I added coconut flakes to mine and an extra 8 oz can of pineapple (w/o extra juice). I could def see how cherries or fruit cocktail would be good to. Thanks!
I make this, but I add a can of Mandarin oranges as well and double it cause it always goes WAY to fast….. YUM
we call it Watergate Salad, I put mandarin orange segments in it, and garnish with maraschino cherries to give it a pop of color
Do you just mix the pudding mix with everything or make the pudding before hand then mix?
Just dump the dry pudding mix in- don’t follow the directions on the pudding box. 🙂
My mom adds diced maraschino cherries… YUM!
My mom adds diced maraschino cherries… YUM!
Can it be made a day ahead?
It can be made a day ahead, but the bananas will start to turn brown.
I used to make this every Easter, called it Mary’s secret green surprise, just combined 1 can of crushed pineapple in its own juice with the instant pudding and add a large container of lite cool whip, so easy and delicious
This is Watergate Salad that I have made for 30 years
Can you leave bananas out and still be creamy?
Yes, you can totally leave out the bananas.
Ewwwwww, NO BANANAS!
The very thought of bananas makes my stomach turn. We have made this dish for over 40 years.. DO NOT need the bananas.. oh my.
I followed the instructions, but added chopped pecans. This recipe is absolutely delicious and so very easy to make. But, just about everything the Six Sisters’ Stuff does is excellent every time. Thanks gals for all you do to help us out at home. You’re great!!
My family raves over this salad. Not a lick is left in bowl.
Time honor recipe, works great to double it for larger gathering. I made my own whip cream
Made this the other week and it was so delicious I’m making it for Easter! I added maraschino cherries and skipped the bananas since they get so mushy and slimy after a day if there’s leftover. We slice fresh bananas on top when plating. My mom used to make this when I was a child and it brought back so many great memories!