What Is Dubai Chocolate?—Its Origins, Ingredients, and Where to Find It in Bulgaria

If you're on TikTok, you've probably already seen it. Someone breaks open a chocolate bar, revealing a bright green filling inside; you hear a crunchy sound, and the comments section is immediately flooded with the question: „What is this, and where can I get it?“ Dubai chocolate has taken social media by storm, created lines outside pastry shops across Europe, and prompted people to pay 15 euros for a single bar—just to find out if the hype is justified. In most cases, it is.

Below, you'll find everything—where it comes from, exactly what's in it, how it's made, and why it tastes the way it does.

Where does Dubai chocolate come from?

The story begins with a pregnancy and a craving for something sweet. Sara Hamuda lives in Dubai and, in 2021, was expecting her second child. She was eating a Middle Eastern dessert—kunafa, a crispy pastry with pistachios—and wondered: what if she covered it all in chocolate? The result was the recipe that would later take the whole world by storm.

Her company, Fix Dessert Chocolatier, started out with six orders a day. When an influencer posted a video of the product on TikTok, things spiraled out of control—in just a matter of hours, orders were coming in at a rate of 100 per minute. The company is small and can produce a maximum of 500 units per day. The shortage makes the chocolate even more sought-after, and the price rises accordingly.

By the end of 2024, every major chocolate brand in Europe had released its own version. Lind launched a limited edition that sold out the same day. In Bulgaria, dozens of interpretations appear—ranging from mass-produced to handmade. The difference between them is significant.

What's inside—the ingredients that make it what it is

Dubai chocolate is a unique combination. It's not just chocolate with nuts. The three main ingredients are:

• Pistachio – Ground into a paste, it gives the filling its green color and nutty, slightly sweet flavor. The quality of the pistachios determines the flavor of the filling more than anything else.
• Kadaif – a thin dough resembling Middle Eastern noodles, baked until crispy. It’s what creates that satisfying crunch when you break it and that unique mouthfeel. Without kadaif, you’re just getting chocolate with pistachio cream—delicious, but different.
• Tahani – a paste made from ground sesame seeds, which adds depth and a slightly bitter note to balance the sweetness of the chocolate.

The chocolate coating can be milk, dark, or white—each version gives the final flavor a different character. Sara Hamuda's original recipe calls for dark chocolate, but over time, the milk chocolate version has become the most common.

There’s also a nuance that few people mention: the kadayif should be crispy the moment you take a bite, which means the chocolate has to be fresh. The longer it sits, the more the moisture from the filling softens the dough. That’s why freshness isn’t just a marketing gimmick—it’s a technical factor.

Recipe for Dubai Chocolate at Home

If you want to make it yourself, the recipe isn't complicated. You'll need about 40 minutes and no more than 6 ingredients.

Ingredients (for about 4 squares):

• 400 g high-quality dark or milk chocolate
• 150 g pistachio cream (or raw pistachios, ground into a paste)
• 100 g kadaif (raw or frozen; available at Middle Eastern grocery stores)
• 2 tablespoons of tahini
• 1 tbsp. oil (for frying the kadayif)
• A pinch of salt

Directions:

Fry the kadayif in oil over medium heat until it turns golden brown and crispy. Let it cool completely—if you mix it with the filling while it’s still warm, it will become sticky. Mix the pistachio cream, tahini, and cooled kadayif. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, pour a thin layer into chocolate molds, freeze for 5 minutes, add the filling, and pour the remaining chocolate over the top. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

The result will be good. Whether it turns out exactly as it should depends mainly on the quality of the pistachios and how crispy the kadayif is. You can tell right away when the chocolate is cheap.

Why does it taste so unexpected?

Dubai chocolate works because of the contrast. The smooth chocolate and the crispy kadaif are texturally opposite. The sweet pistachios and the slightly bitter tahini balance each other out. The brain receives more than one sensation at once and responds differently than it would to a regular chocolate bar.

That’s exactly why „first bite“ videos get so many reactions—the sound of the bite and the surprise of the green filling make the moment photogenic. But the viral buzz would quickly fade if the taste didn’t live up to expectations. It does.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is kadayif? Kadaif is a thin, shredded pastry typical of Middle Eastern confectionery. It is used in desserts such as künefe and baklava. In the Dubai-style chocolate version, it is baked until crispy and mixed with pistachio cream as a filling.

What is Dubai chocolate made of? The main ingredients are chocolate (dark or milk), pistachio cream, kadayif, and tahini. The original recipe is by Sara Hamuda from Dubai and dates back to 2021.

How much does Dubai chocolate cost in Bulgaria? It depends on the manufacturer and the ingredients. At Epic Cheat, the bars cost €18.81, while the Dubai Chocolate Crunch Jar costs €12.99. The mass-produced versions sold in stores are cheaper, but you can really tell the difference in the quality of the chocolate and its freshness.

Where can I buy Dubai chocolate in Sofia and throughout Bulgaria? Epic Cheat delivers throughout Bulgaria. Orders are placed online at epiccheat.net—the chocolate is made the day before shipment. Free shipping on orders over 150 BGN.

Is there sugar-free chocolate from Dubai? Yes. Epic Cheat offers sugar-free versions – both as a classic block and as a Crunch Jar.

Can Dubai chocolate be eaten by people with diabetes or those on a low-carb diet? The sugar-free versions are suitable for people who are limiting their sugar intake. If you have a specific medical condition, consult a doctor, as the ingredients (pistachios, tahini) contain carbohydrates and fats.