Pistachio pudding ambrosia

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Pistachio pudding ambrosia is an amazing side dish or dessert! Pistachio ambrosia with instant pudding and marshmallow is a cross between our easy ambrosia recipe with coconut and Watergate salad with nuts. Served as a fun side during the holidays or a treat after dinner, you’ll love it too.

If you’ve ever made our ambrosia recipe you know what a yummy treat that is. If you love pistachio pudding you’ll love this cross between them both I came up with when I wanted to bring something new to Thanksgiving dinner last year. I called it pistachio pudding ambrosia and it was a hit! (affiliate links present)

Green Ambrosia Salad

We serve things like this as a side dish during the holidays and Easter just wasn’t the same without my aunt’s ambrosia salad! Now that I have a family of my own I make it myself and include it on the menu at Christmas too because it reminds me of my childhood. 😉

My sister in law has the same memories but with pistachio pudding so we always ended up with both on the buffet table which was great but I thought….a mixture of a sort of pistachio pudding ambrosia would be amazing I bet….so I set off to try it. This is what it looked like…….

What is pistachio ambrosia salad made of?

Of course you can get the white mini marshmallows but really, the rainbow ones are just so much prettier. I will say it is sweet! A hefty whopping tablespoon is all you need on the side of your moist turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing just to sweeten things up before you hit the dessert table during the holidays. 😉

Whipped topping
Pistachio pudding mix – by the pudding in your store or you can grab some here
Crushed pineapple in a can
Mini marshmallows
Shredded sweetened coconut
Crushed pistachios
Mandarin oranges – I just used 1/2 can drained

Some also like chopped walnuts inside too. This is how I made it……

How to Make Pistachio Ambrosia

If you are a texture person and don’t like to mix crunchy and smooth together, kinda’ like me, you can definitely skip the nuts entirely. The pudding has enough of that flavor in it where you will still get the sense of it you want. Printable recipe instructions are below but here is a quick rundown;

You want to gently fold together everything in every step, start with the whipped topping and pistachio pudding with a whisk until well blended.
Empty can of crushed pineapple into this mixture and fold in gently until combined.
Fold in mini marshmallows, mandarin oranges, and coconut until combined.
Best when refrigerated for at least an hour but you could make it in the morning and serve it in the evening too easily.
If you think it is a bit too thick for your liking then add back in some of the drained mandarin orange juice to loosen it up.

Sprinkle crushed pistachio nuts on top for garnish, can add a few marshmallows on top too to make pretty + a light sprinkle of coconut.

What can you add to Pistachio Fluff?

There are many substitutions you could make; some like to add chopped walnuts into the mix for added texture. If you aren’t a fan of pineapple you could use other canned fruits that have been crushed instead.

Are ambrosia and watergate salad the same thing?

Ambrosia and Watergate salad are not the same thing, though they are both popular American desserts that often appear at potlucks and holiday gatherings. One may be referred to the other as they look similar however Watergate is green vs. white with a pistachio flavor and no coconut.

What fruit is ambrosia?

There is an apple variety with this name but typically this term refers to a mixture of canned fruits, coconut, marshmallows and sour cream. Sat in the fridge it thickens to a sweet dish normally served during Thanksgiving and Christmas time.

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