My father loves pistachios and has been begging me to buy Jell-O Pistachio Sugar-Free Instant Pudding.  A few shopping trips ago, I spied the pudding at the grocery store and added it to the cart.  Why isn’t this pudding as I remember it?

Description

Inside the cardboard box is a paper envelope containing the dry pudding mix.  There are four 1/2-cup servings in a one-ounce package.  There is zero fat and cholesterol.  Sodium is 310mg with 6g carbohydrates.  Ingredients include Aspartame.  Please reference the Jell-O website for complete ingredients and nutrition information.

For regular pudding, stir in 2 cups of milk.  If using one box for a pudding pie, add 1 3/4 cups milk.  If combining two boxes for a larger pie, add 2 3/4 cup milk.

Our Experiences

It has been awhile since we indulged in Jell-O pistachio pudding.  My dad is a huge fan of the pistachio nut, and me … well … not so much.  I will eat this pudding, though, when it is made.

As a treat this past weekend, I pulled out a graham cracker pie crust and two boxes of this Jell-O pistachio pudding mix.  A pudding pie is quick and easy to make.  My father loves them.  In a medium-size mixing bowl, add the two boxes of Jell-O mix and then stir in 2 3/4 cups milk.  I use 2-percent milk, and the pudding sets well.  (It is not recommended to use less than 2-percent milk, and the manufacturer cautions not to use soy milk or the pudding won’t set.)  Once the milk is added, the pudding is quick to thicken as it is stirred.  Stir for about two minutes, and then pour the pudding into the crust.  The package recommends chilling the pudding for a few hours, but I find that the Jell-O is very quick to set, so if needed the pudding pie can be served earlier than two hours.

It always disturbs me to see green pudding.  I don’t know why, but it’s like thinking of “green eggs and ham”.  Unnatural.  However, if you are celebrating a holiday such as St. Patrick’s Day or have a team with green colors (or a pistachio nut mascot), then this pudding might make a great theme dessert.

My dad finished his piece of pie in record time and then watched me slowly eat mine.  Why did that make me feel guilty?  Then he says, “Does it taste the same to you?”  With my mouth full of pie I politely replied, “mmmmrph, no”.  My father sighed and added, “Where are the small pistachio pieces?  There used to be a lot more.”  He is right.  The Jell-O pistachio pudding we both remember had lots of small pistachio bits sprinkled throughout the pudding.  This pudding is almost totally smooth.  I also noticed that the pistachio taste was not as pronounced as I remember it.

The good news is that this pudding is sugar free.  It has zero fat and zero cholesterol, plus the carbs are reasonable.  Since we are aiming for healthier diets, we don’t feel as guilty eating Jell-O sugar-free puddings.


Purchasing

I bought this pudding at my local grocery store for 89-cents each box.  It is not on the shelves all the time, so I have to keep alert for it.


Summary

Even though this Jell-O Pistachio Sugar-Free Instant Pudding didn’t quite live up to our remembered experiences, it did not stop us from enjoying a second piece of pudding pie the following day.  I don’t like this pudding enough to buy it often, but my father considers it a favorite flavor (despite the lack of pistachio pieces).

Because my father is such a fan, I am rating this as Above Average and recommended.  If it were just me, I would rate it as average.

I hope you found this review useful.

Enjoy the day,
Dawn
http://dlstewart.com

Please read my other reviews:

Jell-O Cheesecake Sugar-Free Pudding

Jell-O Cherry Sugar-Free Dessert

Betty Crocker Triple Chunk Brownie Mix

Pecan Sandies Shortbread Cookies

Kellogg’s Special K Granola Bars with Chocolate Drizzle

Nature Valley Chewy Fruit & Nut Bars

Dove Caramel and Milk Chocolate Promises

Emerald Whole Cashews

Copyright 2012 Dawn L. Stewart

Recommended: Yes