Dubai Chocolate Trend: Why It’s Going Viral

The Dubai chocolate trend is all everyone is talking about. It is layered with pistachio cream, crisp kataifi, and silky milk chocolate, and has become the dessert everyone is talking about. What started as a limited-edition sweet in the UAE is now a global menu disruptor, showing up in cafes, supermarkets, and TikTok feeds from New York to Manchester.

How Dubai chocolate became a global sensation

Since late 2023, Dubai chocolate has exploded from a local treat to a worldwide viral dessert. According to Tastewise, social conversations around Dubai chocolate exploded by 1,259% year-over-year. From TikTok bites to influencer taste tests, the format is irresistible: a rich milk chocolate shell cracks open to reveal gooey pistachio cream and crunchy kataifi, tapping into cravings for indulgent, trendy, and highly photogenic sweets.

The original bar was created by Fix Dessert Chocolatier, founded by Sarah Hamouda, a visionary dessert chocolatier in the United Arab Emirates. What began as a specialty item at her boutique soon became a cultural export.

This is more than hype. In the UAE alone, over 1.2 million chocolate bars were sold in Q1 2025, according to Gulf News. Now, it’s not just an Emirati export, it’s a full-blown global chocolate trend, showing up in everything from croissants in LA to sundae tubs in the UK.

Key flavors and ingredients behind the craze

At the center of this craze is a powerful flavor combination. Tastewise shows pistachio drives 39% of all Dubai chocolate social mentions. On menus, pistachio cream, chocolate pistachio, and kataifi have rapidly climbed into trending status, often paired with milk chocolate or hazelnut.

The texture contrast is essential: smooth cream + crunchy filling + glossy chocolate = visual and sensory payoff. That’s why the Dubai chocolate bar has become a fix dessert for pregnancy cravings, TikTok bakes, and cafe launches.

Want to recreate the trend? Try this Tastewise AI recipe for pistachio chocolate delight, a creamy, crunchy fusion built to satisfy the moment and go viral.

Where to find Dubai chocolate: brands and retailers

From Manchester cafés to Korean snack shops, Dubai chocolate is now available around the world, proof that viral desserts no longer stay local.

• Fix Dessert Chocolatier, the originator, remains the most sought-after name. Their original Dubai chocolate bar is made in small batches and usually sells out in hours.
• Lindt recently released a Dubai chocolate bar featuring crispy almond brittle and pistachio notes, available across major U.S. stores.
• In the UK, dessert bars like Cha Cha Chai offer mini Dubai kunafeh chocolate bars, while retailers like Cake Box Bristol are selling chocolate pistachio cheesecakes topped with kataifi.
• On menus globally, 25% of restaurants offering knafeh now also serve a Dubai chocolate dessert.

Even supermarket chains like Aldi and Trader Joe’s are working on their own interpretations. It’s not just a dessert, it’s a product category. 

What makes Dubai chocolate different from other luxury chocolates?

It’s not about being the richest or most refined, it’s about being craveable, shareable, and instantly recognizable. Traditional chocolatiers focus on origin and terroir. Dubai chocolate focuses on indulgence and visual drama.

This shift isn’t random, it’s consumer-led. According to Tastewise, today’s buyers associate Dubai chocolate with being:

• Trendy (25%)
• Tasty (19%)
• Indulgent (18%)
• Attractive (8%)

It’s no surprise that Dubai chocolate bars show up more on social than menus. This is dessert designed for TikTok and Instagram, not for aging in cellars.

Consumer insights: who’s buying Dubai chocolate?

The consumer base is broad, but the sweet spot lies in millennials and Gen Z. Tastewise tracks 15,264 social mentions and 8,749 unique posters engaging with the trend. That’s massive organic traction.

Social correlations also show that chocolate pistachio, knafeh, and kataifi trend closely together. These items have long been staples of Middle Eastern dessert culture, but now they’re being reinterpreted and rebranded for global snackers.

And it’s not just about sweet tooths. People turn to Dubai chocolate for emotional needs, comfort, nostalgia, even celebration. Think pregnancy cravings, gifting, and self-care.

How food brands can tap into the Dubai chocolate trend with Tastewise

Brands can build snackable content strategies to advertise new products across social media, pairing behind-the-scenes shots with influencer reactions. As more shoppers look to shop these bars outside Dubai, versions have already sold out at major retailers.

Here’s where it gets tactical. If you’re a food brand or retailer, don’t just repost the viral bars, build products that tap the needs behind the trend.

Use Tastewise to:

• Spot early correlations (e.g. pistachio cream + chocolate bar)
• Monitor competitor menus and sold-out trends
• Track life cycle stages, chocolate pistachio and milk chocolate are trending; dark chocolate and white chocolate are declining
• Understand moments of consumption (e.g. when people search get knafeh, they also tag fix dessert chocolatier)

Tastewise helps you go from reactive to strategic, while your competitors are watching viral clips, you’re already building the next hit dessert. 

Want the full list of rising trends? Take a look at our Q2 Food & Beverage Trends Report to stay ahead of the game.

Emerging chocolate trends to watch next

Dubai chocolate bars are now ranked among the top new desserts in the world, showing up in menus as far as the United States and Singapore. As the category matures, expect future versions to cater to health trends like reduced sugar and plant-based fillings.

Google search data shows that people looking to get knafeh increasingly engage with posts about Dubai chocolate, indicating crossover appeal between Middle Eastern dessert culture and global eastern dessert trends.

Dubai chocolate is just the beginning. Other chocolate trends taking off:

• Chocolate strawberry – 990% YoY growth
• Cheesecake and pancake fusions with chocolate
• Savory-sweet pairings (e.g. caramel + sea salt, matcha chocolate)
  Ingredient plays: Nutella, hazelnut, pistachio milk
• Dessert crossovers: Dubai chocolate croissants, gelato pops, traybakes

And yes, people are already creating new versions, from Dubai chocolate domes to mini pretzel bars.