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Luscious pistachio kunafa filling wrapped inside a shell of high-quality milk or dark chocolate. Every bite is crispy, nutty, creamy, and chocolaty — truly a little taste of luxury at home.
Okay, confession time: I’ve actually never been to Dubai. (Maybe one day!)
But these chocolate cups? They definitely transported me somewhere luxurious — and it all started with a random Costco find (not sponsored!). Yup, I picked up a box of these fancy-looking pistachio kunafa chocolate bars at Costco, and needless to say we really enjoy them.
Of course, with the foodie in me, I immediately thought, “I bet I can make this at home.”
Then I started seeing them everywhere on social media, and that was it. I had to try making my own version from scratch.
The Sweet Origin of Dubai Chocolate
According to Wikipedia, the now-famous Dubai Chocolate, also known as the Pistachio Kunafa Chocolate Bar, was born in 2021 in Dubai, crafted by British-Egyptian pastry chef Sarah Hamouda. Inspired by her pregnancy cravings and nostalgic memories of her mother’s kunafa, she founded Fix Dessert Chocolatier and created a unique treat: a thick milk chocolate shell filled with a luscious blend of pistachio cream, crispy kataifi (shredded phyllo pastry), and tahini.
The Dubai Chocolate’s unique combination of traditional Middle Eastern flavors and modern presentation resonated with audiences worldwide, inspiring numerous imitations and adaptations. Its success underscores the power of social media in transforming local specialties into global sensations.
What Does It Taste Like? Let’s Talk Texture
If you’re wondering what makes these Dubai Chocolate Cups so magical, it all comes down to the texture. Every bite gives you a little drama in the best way possible:
1. Thick chocolate shell: The outer layer is firm and snappy — that satisfying crack when you bite in is what chocolate dreams are made of. I use good-quality couverture chocolate, and trust me, it makes a difference.
2. Creamy pistachio-tahini center: The filling is smooth, nutty, and buttery, thanks to the pistachio butter and tahini. It melts in your mouth without being overly sweet — think pistachio fudge but more elegant.
3. Crispy kataifi crunch: And just when you think it’s all soft and creamy, the crispy bits of golden stir-fried kataifi pop in with this light, delicate crunch. It’s like the flaky cousin of a toasted cereal — subtle but totally necessary.
Together, it’s a combo of creamy, crunchy, nutty, and chocolatey, like a Middle Eastern Ferrero Rocher met a pistachio truffle and had a very delicious baby IMHO,
Instead or Dubai Chocolate bars, I made Dubai Chocolate cups
I don’t own a silicone chocolate mold and don’t plan to get one, but I do have silicone muffin cups and that’s what I use to make this Dubai chocolate cups. You definitely need a silicone mold so you can easily unmold the chocolate later.
Homemade Dubai Chocolate Bar/Cups (Pistachio Kunafa Chocolate Bar/Cups)
Ingredients
Sweet Pistachio Butter:
- 300 g pistachio paste homemade or store-bought
- 50 g milk powder
- 30 g icing sugar
- 30 g neutral oil more if needed
Kunafa Filling
- Sweet pistachio butter you prepared from above
- 200 g kataifi (shredded filo pastry). I use homemade kataifi
- 25 g butter for stir-frying
- 4 Tbsp tahini
Chocolate Coating
- 300 g milk or dark couverture chocolate I used 60% dark, finely chopped
Chocolate Drizzle (Optional but super cute)
- White chocolate
- Gel food coloring optional — but make sure it’s oil-based, not water-based!
Instructions
- If you follow my recipe for homemade pistachio paste, you need to triple the recipe and you'll have a bit leftover of pistachio paste (no one will be made about it!)
- Add the pistachio paste, milk powder, icing sugar, and oil and blend again until smooth and creamy. Add a little more oil if it's looking too thick. The consistency should be spreadable (not too thick or too runny)
Kunafa Filling:
- Chop the kataifi into smaller pieces.
- Melt the butter and stir-fry the kataifi until golden and crispy.
- Stir the crispy kataifi into the pistachio butter along with the tahini. Set aside. (Try not to eat it all with a spoon. I believe in you.)
Chocolate Shells:
- Melt your white chocolate and tint it with a little gel food coloring if you want. Make sure you use gel food coloring and not the water-based food coloring because the chocolate may seize and turn clumpy
- Drizzle a little bit into the bottom of each silicone muffin mold. Pop the molds into the fridge for 2–3 minutes to set. I actually forgot to do this step (LOL). So I drizzled the white chocolate after I unmolded the Dubai chocolate
- While that’s chilling, melt your dark or milk chocolate gently over a bain-marie (fancy word for a bowl over simmering water). Melt until some of the chocolate are still intact, remove from the heat and continue to stir until all the chocolate has melted smoothly
- Spoon about 2 tablespoons (or more) of melted chocolate into each mold. Use the back of a spoon to spread the chocolate up the sides and across the bottom.
- Tip: Make sure the shell is about 1/4 inch thick — too thin and you’ll have sad, cracked cups later when you try to unmold it
- Chill again until hardened (about 5–7 minutes).
Fill 'Em Up:
- Once the shells are set, fill each one with the kunafa mixture, but leave about 1/4 inch of space at the top.
- Cover the filling completely with more melted chocolate. Smooth it out nicely with the back of a spoon or a small spatula, making sure it reaches the edge too to fully enclosed the top
- Pop them back into the fridge for 15–20 minutes until completely set.
Enjoy:
- Once they’re firm, carefully pop the chocolate cups out of the molds.
- Try not to eat half the batch standing in your kitchen (no judgment if you do though).
How to store:
- They can be stored in the fridge in an air-tight container for 4-5 days. They freeze well for up to a month! Just thaw overnight in the fridge or for an hour at room temperature before eating.
*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*
Pro Tips (Because I Learned the Hard Way)
1. Couverture chocolate > chocolate chips: Chips have weird additives that mess with the melting. Please use chocolate bar and chop them finely before melting
2. Thickness matters: Thin shells = broken cups. Sad times. Don’t skimp on that chocolate.
3. Patience is key: Let each chocolate layer set properly before moving on, or you’ll have a gooey mess.
4. Support your molds: Set your silicone muffin molds inside a muffin tin for extra stability.
5. Only use gel food coloring: Water-based coloring will cause your white chocolate to seize into a sad, grainy blob. Not cute.
Fun Variations
1. Add a little cardamom or cinnamon to the kunafa filling for extra Middle Eastern flavor.
2. Swap in some hazelnuts or almonds with the pistachios.
3. Sprinkle crushed pistachios or edible gold flakes on the bottom of the before chilling to make them look even fancier.
These Dubai Chocolate Cups are seriously next-level. Crispy, nutty, creamy, and wrapped in a thick layer of rich chocolate — what’s not to love? They’re perfect for gifting, impressing guests, or treating yourself because you survived a Tuesday. Making them from scratch is totally doable — and honestly? They taste even better homemade. Plus, you get to tell people you made your own pistachio kunafa chocolate cups like the absolute boss you are.
2 comments
Thanks for sharing this recipe! First time trying filled chocolates and the instructions were easy to follow. Removing the pistachio skins took a lot of time but definitely made the best pistachio paste.
I would love some tips to getting the paste softer and creamier. I may have just needed to blend it even more to get the natural oil to release; it was very smooth and worked as a filling but it was firm. Adding neutral oil helps but it softens the pistachio flavor the more I add, so looking for alternatives.
It comes down to preference but I would also cut the kataifi dough to half and add a little salt to the pistachio paste, hoping to end up with stronger pistachio flavor.
Lastly, I was using very small chocolate molds. What worked best for me here was filling the molds with melted chocolate, putting them in the freezer for 2.5 minutes, and then inverting the molds back over the chocolate pot and holding them there for a couple minutes to drip. The shell of the mold freezes first, so the rest slowly dripped back into the pot. Back to the freezer for another 2 minutes, then fill with paste and top up with chocolate. It was messy but saved a lot of time and effort painting each cup.
Thank you for sharing your experience and tips Sean! You know, I’m not sure what else to do to “intensify” the pistachio flavor. I looked at the ones they sell at the store and most of them add oil, sugar, some even cocoa butter or tahini paste to get that creamy consistency.