Pistachio and chocolate desserts have been around for a while and generally agreed to be a good pairing.
But the addition of knafeh (or kadayif) to this mix has taken the world by storm and the viral Dubai chocolate trend does not seem to be slowing down.
I first heard of this “Dubai chocolate” from my very hip, very trendy (and young) assistant in September 2024. I was made aware that the original Dubai chocolate launched in 2022 so I was late to the party.
To abate my FOMO, I tried several variations of this pistachio cream mixed with crunchy kadayif within a chocolate bar. I have always liked texture in my food and the addition of crispy kadayif to the creamy pistachio as well as the soft crunch from the chocolate shell definitely makes for a multi-sensory gastronomic experience.
Of the chocolate bars I procured from Whisked Creations, House of Chocolate, and Daldang, my favourite actually goes to Daldang. Daldang was the only one of the three listed that used dark chocolate for the shell.
I do not usually like dark chocolate, but because the pistachio cream and the kadayif is quite sweet, I think the flavours pair better with their 70% dark chocolate.
Over the years since this Dubai chocolate has burst on the scenes, creative culinary artists have derived inspirations and added their own twists on it. A few memorable mentions:
Dubai Chocolate Inspired Slice (House of Chocolate)
This is a take on the traditional caramel slice, but instead of the caramel layer, it is replaced with the pistachio cream and kadayif layer.
The dark chocolate shortbread compliments the pistachio cream-kayadif layer well and is topped with the traditional milk chocolate layer. The colour difference between the layers also makes this visually appealing.
Dubai Chocolate Inspired Cookie (Frasers and House of Chocolate)
Frasers and House of Chocolate both have very different takes on the Dubai chocolate cookie.
House of Chocolate’s stays “truer” to the bar, wrapping the pistachio cream and knafeh in a buttery cookie dough with milk chocolate chunks. It is both crispy at the cookie edges and creamy and crunchy in its centre.
In theory I should love this combination, but in real life, I found this a bit too sweet.
Fraser’s on the other hand, has a “cookie tart” version with a dark chocolate cookie-tart base, filled with pistachio cream and topped with a dark chocolate layer, drizzled with chopped pistachios.
This I enjoyed more – again perhaps the dark chocolate flavours in my opinion complimenting the sweet pistachio cream better. However, this does not have knafeh in it. But Frasers does not advertise this as Dubai chocolate treat. Instead it is called a “Pistachio Chocolate cookie”.
I have not had the chance to try Moustache’s Dubai chocolate cookie cup which I heard was amazing but they also do not seem to be making it anymore
Dubai Chocolate Inspired Drinks (Batched and Bear Gelato)
As the weather chills this winter, we Aucklanders have been favoured with two new drink options to keep us warm.
Batched has recently released a pistachio chocolate martini (currently served at Hi-SO rooftop bar). The nuttiness of the roasted pistachio blended with the sweetness of the dark chocolate masks the fact that it is almost 14% in alcohol content. It makes a lovely dessert paired with a slice of Dubai chocolate.
Bear Gelato has also launched its own take, although it is more of a pistachio hot chocolate option from their affogato range rather than a “Dubai chocolate drink”. 50% and 70% chocolate buttons are melted in creamy milk and poured into a cup rimmed with pistachio cream and crunchy pistachio pieces.
This is served with a crispy biscotti, also dipped in pistachio cream and covered with chopped pistachios. This is a decadent after dinner treat to warm the soul if one thinks it might be too cold for ice cream.
Dubai Chocolate Inspired Cake (Memo Cakery)
This Pistachio Knafeh Chocolate Cake by Memo Cakery is by far one of the most extravagant takes of the Dubai viral chocolate.
The cake includes a creamy layer of mascarpone cream followed by an airy cocoa sponge cake and of course the crunchy pistachio kadayif filling. This is encased in a crispy peanut dark chocolate shell.
This cake is well executed and very luxurious and of the lot, my favourite spinoff of the Dubai viral chocolate.
I am sure there are many more spinoffs of this viral chocolate. Happy to hear what others have tried and to see what else is coming. Three years on and the trend is still trending – seems like the world just can’t get “knafeh” of it!
As a self-proclaimed foodie, Sophia Ling chases Auckland’s tastiest eats and is ever willing to travel for good food. By day, she is a dentist who runs her own practice, Ranfurly Dental Care. Sophia is a big advocate of dental education to help patients maintain oral health, but will never say no to a sweet dessert or three.
