Can you freeze the watergate salad?
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Watergate salad is fluffy and made by combining whipped topping, crushed pineapple, marshmallows, and pudding mix in a large bowl. Mix until well combined. If the salad isn’t fluffy enough, you can add more marshmallows. Before serving, let chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. You can make a watergate salad 1 hour in advance for it to chill before serving. You can use walnuts instead of pecans in watergate salad.
If you notice, all the ingredients in the Watergate salad can be frozen to store longer. So you can freeze watergate salad. But its recipe is so easy that you don’t need much time to make it and you can make it in the required quantities for how many ever times, hence no freezing required really! In case there’s more left that you couldn’t finish, you can freeze it but the texture will change after thawing.
Watergate salad has whipped cream, crushed pineapple, marshmallows, and more.
- You can freeze heavy whipping cream right from the carton. It doesn’t matter if you plan to whip it up or cook with it. However, it can still be used with a little stirring once it has thawed. You can also freeze heavy cream once it’s been whipped.
- You can also freeze crushed pineapple. It is best to separate the pineapple into smaller portions depending on your plans.
- You can freeze marshmallows, they will soften once thawed. Frozen marshmallows will last 4 months.
So, a change in texture is not quite enjoyable with Watergate salad. As mentioned it’s quick and easy to make, it’s best to make small batches and enjoy!
Watergate Salad Recipe
It’s safe to assume that most people have tried this pistachio-pudding salad recipe at least once. Perhaps you have modified it or changed some of the ingredients.
Some people don’t like coconut. Others prefer fresh fruit over canned. Or maybe fresh whipped cream is better than Cool Whip.
It doesn’t matter what version you use, it won’t take long at all.
Watergate Salad Ingredients
- Instant pistachio pudding (you don’t have to make the pudding; you just need the powder).
- Canned crushed pineapple (drain it thoroughly)
- Cool Whip, Thawed
- Flaked sweetened coconut
- Miniature marshmallows
- Optional: Additional marshmallows and maraschino cherries for garnish.
Watergate Salad can be made with any standard kitchen tools. It is easy to make, store, and transport. A rubber spatula is better than a stainless steel or wooden spoon to mix because it can be easily cleaned.
How to Make Watergate Salad
- Combine the pineapple and the pudding mixture in a large bowl. Mix well.
- Mix Cool Whip with the marshmallows and stir and the coconut and marshmallows. Stir to combine.
- You can decorate the top with marshmallows and cherries if you wish. Allow chilling for at least one hour before serving.
How long does watergate salad stay in the fridge?
This salad will keep for at least 3 days if it is well drained. If the fruit isn’t drained well, it will retain liquid and separate from the whipped topping. This dessert should not be frozen as the whipped topping can break down.
What’s the original Watergate Salad recipe called?
Although there are many versions of this dessert, Kraft’s original recipe contains crushed pineapple, mini marshmallows, pecans, Cool Whip, and pistachio pudding. Some people add flaked coconut to this mixture, while others leave out nuts because they are allergic. Kraft’s version is identical except for the nuts/coconut. Kraft’s version can be made by omitting the coconut and adding 1/2 cup of chopped pecans.
What are the calories and carbs in Watergate Salads?
Below is a printable version of this recipe with a nutrition label. Each serving contains 152 calories and 33 grams of carbohydrates. Each serving is 1/2 cup. This recipe serves 8 people. These nutritional facts are based on the ingredients in our recipe card. We use a non-fat Cool Whip.
How to make Cool Whip at home?
Lynne, my friend, has a recipe to stabilize whipped cream you can replace Cool Whip. To make the whipped cream thicker, she uses cream cheese and confectioner’s sugar.
Watergate Salad Variations
- Lime Jelly Salad, also known as Seafoam Salad or Martian Salad, is often confused with Watergate Salad. This jello dessert doesn’t contain any pistachios, but lime-flavored gelatin with several similar ingredients to Watergate such as Cool Whip and pineapple. It is more like a whipped Jello mousse similar to my Mandarin Orange Muffin which is made using gelatin, orange segments, and whipped topping.
- Pink Watergate Salad. But, it’s Ambrosia Salad with maraschino cherry juice that was not rinsed after being drained. This results in pink color. A pink fluff dessert is also available that contains cherry pie filling, pineapple, and many other ingredients. These are not Watergate Salad.
- You can make a low-fat version of Watergate Salad by using fat-free Cool whip and fat-free pistachio pudding. It is still a sweet dessert so moderation is important.
- You can make a low-sugar version that is diabetic-friendly by making use of sugar-free Cool Whip, sugar-free pudding, and unsweetened flaked Coconut. Make sure to buy canned fruit in liquid, not syrup. Also, check labels for “no added Sugar”. Mini marshmallows that are sugar-free can be found in the healthier section of your grocery store.
It’s fascinating to read the history of Watergate Salad! Many stories tell the story of where Watergate Salad got its name. Kraft Foods developed the recipe in 1975, which was also when General Foods launched their pistachio pudding. General Foods named the recipe Pistachio Pineapple Delight at that time.
Kraft Kitchen claims a Chicago food editor altered the name to generate interest in it appearing in her column. This story was never confirmed or verified.
The Denver Post published a recipe for Watergate Salad in 1976. It was said to have been created by a Watergate Hotel chef and was served at brunch on weekends. This story is a rumor and has not been verified.
In the late nineties syndicated columnists Anne & Nan said that the name was derived from a cake recipe using similar ingredients. Watergate Cake was reportedly created during the Nixon Watergate scandal. It “has a ‘cover up’ icing, and is full of nuts.”
Kraft claims that they changed the name of the recipe to suit consumers who were looking for it by name. They used to call it Watergate Salad.
