The Story of Dubai Chocolate & Our Inspired Creations

From viral beginnings to our handmade cookie and brownie — here’s how Dubai chocolate captured hearts and how we reimagined it at The Dessert Diaries.

History of Dubai Chocolate

The product that became known worldwide as “Dubai Chocolate” was conceived in Dubai in the early 2020s. The earliest widely reported origin story traces back to a British–Egyptian entrepreneur who wanted to blend the comforting flavors of Middle Eastern sweets with modern chocolate craftsmanship. That idea led to a chocolate bar inspired by knafeh—combining pistachio cream, tahini-like notes and bits of shredded, crunchy pastry (kataifi) inside a chocolate shell.

What Makes It Special

The original bar paired a smooth milk-chocolate exterior with a textured, nutty filling. The contrast of crunch + cream + chocolate created a multi-layered mouthfeel that felt both familiar and novel. Its colorful layers and striking design made it an instant hit on social media.

Rise to Fame

Though it launched locally in Dubai around 2021–2022, global fame came later — when a tasting video went viral on TikTok and millions of viewers discovered it at once. The combination of novelty, strong visuals, and craveable textures sent demand soaring worldwide, inspiring countless variations and copycats.

Why “Dubai Chocolate”?

Although the original product had a playful name referencing knafeh, the world soon began calling the category “Dubai Chocolate” — a shorthand that captured both its place of origin and the city’s reputation for bold, luxury-forward food trends. Today, the phrase is used generically to describe chocolate treats layered with pistachio cream and kataifi pastry.