This viral Dubai Pistachio Chocolate Bar recipe is a delicious, indulgent treat that combines rich dark chocolate with a delightful mix of crunchy pistachios, toasted kataifi pastry, tahini, and velvety pistachio cream!
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If you are on social media at all, you no doubt have seen the viral videos of Dubai chocolate-covered strawberries and Dubai chocolate bars. The bars are broken in half to reveal a kataifi and pistachio cream-laden gooey filling.
The recipe went viral on TikTok last year, where the name "Dubai Chocolate Bar" originated. The original version, from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, is called "Can't Get Knafeh Of It" and was created by Sarah Hamouda, the owner of Fix Dessert Chocolatier.
To make this recipe, you'll need a Dubai chocolate bar mold and pistachio cream spread, which I couldn't find locally. I purchased both on Amazon. I then developed my own pistachio cream recipe because I was too impatient to wait a week for it to get here. Can anyone relate?
I expected tempering the chocolate to be the most challenging part, especially since I don't have a lot of experience making candy. Luckily, I found a super-easy microwave chocolate tempering method that you can use too!
So, instead of paying $25-$60 for a single Dubai chocolate bar, spend a fraction of the cost and make 4 large chocolate bars to share with your family and friends!
Jump to:
😍 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Dubai pistachio chocolate bars are delicious and not as hard to prepare as you might think!
- This recipe can be broken down into easy, manageable steps!
- You can surprise your family or friends with their first taste of this viral Dubai pistachio chocolate bar recipe!
🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Chocolate: Choose from milk chocolate, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate. Choose the highest quality chocolate with the least amount of ingredients. I used dark chocolate because I didn't want the bars to be too sweet.
- Kataifi Pastry Dough: Also called shredded phyllo dough, kataifi is not filo pastry; it's thin spun strands of pastry that resemble shredded wheat or vermicelli. It can be found in the freezer aisle with phyllo dough and puff pastry. If you can't find it at your local grocery store, check a Middle Eastern market, a Greek market, or make it from scratch using my kataifi pastry recipe.
- Pistachio Cream: Pistachio cream is sometimes referred to as pistachio butter, but the two are not the same. Pistachio butter is a nut butter made by grinding pistachios until smooth. You want to use pistachio cream, which also includes cream (or milk), sweetener, oil, and occasionally white chocolate. You can purchase pistachio cream on Amazon, or make it from scratch using my pistachio cream recipe!
- Pistachios: Add crushed pistachios for a lovely texture contrast and a salty-sweet flavor. If you prefer a smoother texture, you can leave them out.
- Tahini: Tahini adds a hint of nuttiness and balances out the sweetness of the filling. I also have a tahini paste recipe, should you need it!
- Ghee: I love the flavor of ghee, which is clarified butter. You may substitute with unsalted butter.
- Sea Salt: Sea salt is optional, but if you are using raw, unsalted pistachios, a little salt will enhance the flavor of the filling.
- Optional: I intended to add cardamom to the filling, but forgot to. 🥲 Since it's found in most Middle Eastern desserts, it only makes sense to add it to Dubai chocolate bars. You can also add rosewater to the filling. This floral flavor can be added sparingly to give your bar a Middle Eastern aroma.
- Silicone Mold: You can't make legit Dubai chocolate bars without Dubai chocolate bar molds. They're relatively inexpensive and can be used to make more chocolate bars in the future, so they're nice to have!
🍫 How to Make Dubai Pistachio Chocolate Bars
Step 1: If you can't find kataifi dough, make it from scratch using my recipe, but you only need half a batch (8 ounces). Slice kataifi into 1" sections, then add to a pan with ghee and stir continuously until golden brown (see photos). Add chopped pistachios in the last few minutes, then allow to cool.
Step 2: Meanwhile, chop chocolate wafers so that they melt more easily and add them to a plastic bowl. Microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring each time, until ½ of the chocolate is melted. At that point, stir the chocolate vigorously for a few minutes until completely melted.
Pro Tip: For a detailed video on how to temper chocolate with a microwave, check out this helpful tutorial!
Step 3: Brush the inside of the silicone mold with melted chocolate, paying special attention to the corners and sides, then refrigerate for 15 minutes until set.
Step 4: Once the kataifi is cool, add to a bowl and mix with pistachio cream, tahini, salt (if needed), and 1 teaspoon cardamom, if using. Once the chocolate in the mold has set, distribute one ¼ of the pistachio filling between each section of the mold and flatten with a spatula. Place in the fridge to firm up for 10 minutes, then fill the mold the rest of the way with the chocolate and smooth with a rubber spatula or an offset spatula.
Pro Tip: If the chocolate hardens while working with it, temper it in the microwave the same way you did the first time. It should only need 15-20 seconds to liquefy.
Step 5: Once the chocolate has set, gently dislodge the chocolate bar from the silicone chocolate mold and enjoy!
Pro Tip: If you prefer a greener, squishier filling, add more pistachio cream. Also, keep in mind that some brands of pistachio cream are greener than others.
🍮 More Middle Eastern Desserts
There are so many exotic and delicious Middle Eastern desserts and pastries to try, but where to begin? This Middle Eastern baklawa recipe is a personal favorite! Atayef are made with mini pancakes, stuffed with nuts, fried, and drenched in syrup. Cheese Kunafa is another recipe that uses kataifi pastry, but it's filled with cheese and drizzled with sweet syrup. Finally, if you love shortbread, you have to try these cardamom shortbread cookies (shakar lama).
What readers are saying
These are fantastic! I love the crunchy, flavorful filling. I am a huge dark chocolate fan, so these were perfection in every bite. They are so pretty to look at, too, so shiny with the lovely design.
-Kelly
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
Dubai chocolate bars are prepared with good-quality chocolate that is tempered to create a shiny, snappable exterior. The filling is made with toasted kataifi pastry (often referred to as shredded phyllo dough) mixed with green pistachio cream and a touch of tahini.
Using a good-quality chocolate, for example, Guittard wafers, is the way to go! Choose a chocolate with the least amount of ingredients because the fewer the ingredients, the more the true flavor of the chocolate shines through. Tempering the chocolate will give your chocolate bar a shiny appearance and ensure an audible snap once broken in half.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- Start with premium dark or milk chocolate. The base of your chocolate will impact the final taste, so choose a good-quality chocolate with a cocoa percentage that suits your taste.
- Chopped dates can be added to the filling to add another flavor dimension.
- For an elegant touch, use edible gold or silver leaf to decorate your chocolates. This adds a luxurious and festive flair, typical of Dubai's opulent style.
- Pay a little extra attention to the corners of the mold to keep the corners from cracking as the chocolate bar is being unmolded.
- Make sure the filling is pushed into the corners so that the corners are not hollow, which can also make the chocolate snap off when the chocolate bar is being unmolded.
- After making your chocolates, wrap them in aluminum foil and store them in an airtight container in the fridge to preserve their freshness. Bring them to room temperature before consuming so the filling isn't too hard.
- My filling recipe is not overly wet, which I feel is necessary to give the Dubai chocolate bars some structure. However, if you prefer a squishier center, you can add more pistachio cream.
Enjoy with a cup of Middle Eastern karak chai!
🍮 More Middle Eastern Desserts
If you enjoy this Dubai pistachio chocolate bar recipe, check out these other Middle Eastern desserts!
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📖 Recipe
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We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- If you can't find kataifi dough, make it from scratch using my recipe, but you only need half a batch (8 ounces). Slice kataifi into 1" sections, then add to a pan with ghee and stir continuously until golden brown (see photos). Add chopped pistachios in the last few minutes, then allow to cool.
- Meanwhile, chop the chocolate wafers so that they melt more easily and add them to a plastic bowl. Microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring each time, until ½ of the chocolate is melted. At that point, stir the chocolate vigorously for a few minutes until completely melted.
- Brush the inside of the silicone mold with melted chocolate, paying special attention to the corners and sides, then refrigerate for 15 minutes until set.
- Once the kataifi is cool, add to a bowl and mix with pistachio cream, tahini, salt (if needed), and 1 teaspoon of cardamom, if using. Once the chocolate in the mold has set, distribute one ¼ of the filling between each section of the mold and flatten with a spatula. Place in the fridge to firm up for 10 minutes, then fill the mold the rest of the way with the chocolate and smooth with a rubber spatula or an offset spatula.
- Once the chocolate has set, gently dislodge the chocolate bar from the silicone chocolate mold and enjoy!
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- For a detailed video on how to temper chocolate with a microwave, check out this great tutorial!
- If you prefer a greener, squishier filling, add more pistachio cream. Also keep in mind that some pistachio cream brands are greener than others.
- Start with premium dark or milk chocolate. The base of your chocolate will impact the final taste, so choose a good-quality chocolate with a cocoa percentage that suits your taste.
- If the chocolate hardens while working with it, temper it in the microwave the same way you did the first time. It should only need 15-20 seconds to liquefy.
- Chopped dates can be added to the filling to add another flavor dimension.
- For an elegant touch, use edible gold or silver leaf to decorate your chocolates. This adds a luxurious and festive flair, typical of Dubai's opulent style.
- Pay a little extra attention to the corners of the mold to keep the corners from cracking as the chocolate bar is being unmolded.
- Make sure the filling is pushed into the corners so that the corners are not hollow, which can also make the chocolate snap off when the chocolate bar is being unmolded.
- After making your chocolates, wrap them in aluminum foil and store them in an airtight container in the fridge to preserve their freshness. Bring them to room temperature before consuming so the filling isn't too hard.
- My filling recipe is not overly wet, which I feel is necessary to give the Dubai chocolate bars some structure.
Amira S says
I tried this recipe and the result was disappointing, unfortunately. A few problems: if you make the kataifi recipe from this website and then toast it until it's golden, it'll be far too crunchy, unpleasantly so, like eggshells. It just isn't possible to make strands as small as the store bought version, so you should either get store bought kataifi or to toast it for a shorter time, before it turns golden. I also found that the dark chocolate overpowered the small amount of pistachio--which is frustrating because the pistachio cream is both expensive and kind of the whole point of these bars. Instead, consider using milk chocolate, make sure the layer is thin, and increase the amount of pistachio cream. Finally, melting chocolate in the microwave and then setting it in the fridge isn't really going to temper it, especially when following these steps. If you don't have a thermometer to properly temper it, melt it most of the way in the microwave and then stir in *completely unmelted* chocolate pieces, stirring until they are fully melted. You need the unmelted chocolate to seed the correct crystal structure for the chocolate to actually temper.
Angele says
You’re awesome! My 13 years old daughter was looking for a recipe that is simple with the least amount of ingredients. It was a SUCCESS! I will be sharing your link among my folks. Thank you 🙏🏻
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you, Angele. You're awesome for leaving a review & sharing the link, it's appreciated!
Wendy C says
So, I've been wanting to make these bars for awhile. First. I tried the Starbucks hack for the Dubai drink and it was amazing. Then I found your recipe for kataifi and that was all I needed. I already had the pistachio cream and the chocolate and I used your tahini recipe. I ordered the chocolate bar mold and made these last night. They are delicious!!! I followed the recipe perfectly and I was evrn able to successfully temper the chocolate in the microwave. Can't wait to make these again. Thank you for your guidance and excellent instructions.
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks for coming back and letting me know how it went! You'll be surprised that the kataifi dough will remain crunchy for weeks! I saved some for a friend and I didn't get to see her for weeks. When I finally gave it to her she loved it and said it was super crunchy still...some kind of magic.
Monica says
How many bars does this make using the mold you used? The servings portion of the recipe is blank. Trying to decide how much to buy so everyone in the family gets one. 😊
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Monica, This recipe makes enough for 4 large bars. It says that in the body of the post but not sure why the servings aren't showing up. I will troubleshoot that now, thanks!
Monica says
Whoops! I must have missed it in the body. I really appreciate your reply and will adjust accordingly. Thank you!
Teresa Evers says
This is by far my favorite chocolate bar now. It’s rich dark chocolate flavor with a crunchy inside, and pistachio cream is heavenly !! I think Hilda did an incredible job creating this recipe.
Hilda Sterner says
So happy to hear that! It's the first chocolate bar I've ever made, maybe I'll come up with some other flavors!
Kelly Methey says
These are fantastic! I love the crunchy, flavorful filling. I am a huge dark chocolate fan so these were perfection in every bite. They are so pretty to look at too, so shiny with the lovely design. You have another hit Hilda.
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you, Kelly! It's all about tempering the chocolate to get that nice shine and that intimidated me at first but doing it in the microwave was a breeze!
Kathy Fisher says
Delicious. Perfect. I've never seen a more beautiful chocolate bar. It deserves the name Dubai. I loved the wonderful kataifi with pistachio cream mixture. And, the "crunch" effect was perfect - just the right amount of crunch. I can't imagine anything better. Great video too. Thanks.
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you so much for your review!!!
Laura says
Absolutely delicious! I love the dark chocolate and crisp yet creamy center!! My new favorite treat!
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you so much, Laura! So glad you enjoyed the Dubai chocolate bar! 😘
Hilda Sterner says
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!