This Easy Dubai Chocolate is rich, nutty, and irresistibly crunchy. The sesame tahini and pistachio cream filling goes perfectly with the delicious milk chocolate.

Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
I love this Easy Dubai Chocolate with its yummy mix of chocolate and nuts. Pistachios are less common in chocolate bars than almonds or peanuts, so this treat is extra special. These are great for serving as a dessert or cutting into mini-bars for a potluck offering.
- TASTE: The nutty filling in this dessert is made with butter, sesame tahini, and pistachio cream. It’s surrounded by sweet, rich milk chocolate for a taste you won’t forget.
- TEXTURE: With tiny shreds of phyllo dough in the filling, this Dubai Chocolate has a little crunch. It’s a nice counterpoint to the velvetiness of the rest of the filling and chocolate.
- TIME: This recipe takes about an hour and a half, but most of that time is letting the chocolate set.
- EASE: This is so easy to make. You can melt the chocolate in the microwave and even make some of it ahead of time.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Pistachio cream– This creamy paste is nutty and slightly sweet.
- Tahini– This is a sesame seed paste that adds nutty, slightly bitter flavor.
- Kataifi– You can use this or shredded phyllo dough. Toasted kataifi adds a crunchy texture to the insides of these Dubai chocolate bars.
- Butter- Use unsalted for this recipe.
- Milk chocolate- About 4 chocolate bars melted.
- Salt- Fine sea salt helps to balance out the sweetness in these pistachio chocolate bars.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Substitute the kataifi- Use phyllo dough in place of this if you can’t find it in stores.
- Use different chocolate- You can also make this with white chocolate, dark chocolate, or semi-sweet chocolate.
- Substitute the nuts- Instead of pistachio cream, you can use creamy peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter. Even Nutella can work.
- Swirl the chocolate- Make a milk chocolate and white chocolate swirl for the top layer of the chocolate bars for a prettier appearance.
How to Make Dubai Chocolate
- Melt the chocolate. Finely chop half of the milk chocolate with a knife or a food processor and transfer to a glass bowl. Then melt it in the microwave or over a double boiler.
- Let the chocolate set. Evenly pour the melted chocolate into a 9 x 9 silicone baking mold. Place the chocolate mold onto a flat surface like a baking sheet or cutting board to make a smooth transition to the fridge or freezer without warping the silicone mold with your hands. Let it set until hard.
Pro Tip: To get a smooth even finish, give the chocolate-filled silicone mold a good shake, wiggle, and tap and the melted chocolate will self-level perfectly!
- Make the filling. Melt the butter in a large pan with the Kataifi over medium heat until golden brown and crispy. Remove from the heat and stir in the pistachio cream, salt, and tahini.
- Top the chocolate with filling. Evenly spread the pistachio filling over the set chocolate with an offset spatula to smooth everything out perfectly. Then place it in the fridge or freezer for about 15 minutes.
- Add the chocolate top. Then melt the other half of the chocolate and pour it over the pistachio filling. Set in the fridge or freezer until firm.
- Remove the chocolate and cut into bars. Carefully remove the chocolate from the silicone mold and place it onto a cutting board. When ready, cut it into bars or mini-bars to serve.
Recipe Tips
- Chop the chocolate small- The finer you chop the chocolate, the faster it will melt.
- Use a food processor– Chopping the chocolate with a food processor will speed up the process.
- Smooth out the bottom- Use an offset cake spatula to smooth out the bottom and get off any excess chocolate for a clean look.
- Be careful when cutting the bars- Let it come to room temperature for about 1 hour before slicing or else it will crack unevenly.
FAQs
Dubai chocolate is made with milk chocolate for the outside and a filling of sesame seed tahini, pistachio cream, kataifi (which is shredded phyllo dough for some crunch), butter, and salt. They combine to make a rich, sweet dessert that has a creamy center.
Yes, you can use phyllo dough in place of the kataifi in Dubai chocolate. This acts as a crunchy element to counter the creamy filling made of pistachio cream and tahini paste.
Serving Suggestions
This Easy Dubai Chocolate is sweet, rich, and perfectly balanced with nutty flavor. You can enjoy it with coffee, after a meal, and with other desserts for a delicious treat.
- Main dishes: Enjoy them after a delicious meal of Pork Crown Roast, Panko Crusted Salmon, Lemon Chicken Piccata, or Cast Iron Ribeye Steak.
- Cakes: Serve these chocolates with a slice of Tiramisu Cake (VIDEO), Coffee Chocolate Mousse, No Bake Mini Cheesecakes (VIDEO), or Chocolate Lava Cake (Video).
- Cookies: Enjoy them with Chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies, Chewy Nutella Cookies, or Chocolate Meringue Cookies.
- Beverages: Pair with a hot tea or coffee, or try them with a Pumpkin Spice Latte, Caramel Frappuccino (Starbucks Copycat), Iced Caramel Macchiato, or Hot Chocolate.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: You can prepare the bottom mold of chocolate ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to fill it.
Storing: Store any leftover Dubai Chocolate Bars in the refrigerator in an airtight container. They will last for up to a week.
Freeze: You can freeze these in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
More Yummy Chocolate Desserts!
Full Recipe Instructions
Easy Dubai Chocolate
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups pistachio cream 2x 7.5 oz jars
- 2 Tbsp tahini
- 4 cups Kataifi about 260g
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 16 oz milk chocolate 4 bars divided
- 9×9 inch silicone mold
Instructions
- Finely chop half of the milk chocolate with a knife or a food processor and transfer to a glass bowl. Note: the finer you chop the chocolate, the faster it will melt.
- Then melt it in the microwave or over a double boiler.
- Evenly pour the melted chocolate into a 9 x 9 silicone baking mold. Let it set in the fridge or freezer until hard.
- Place the silicone mold onto a flat surface like a baking sheet or cutting board to make a smooth transition to the fridge/freezer without warping the silicone mold with your hands. Tip: to get a smooth even finish, give the chocolate-filled silicone mold a good shake, wiggle, and tap and the melted chocolate will self-level perfectly!
- Melt the butter in a large pan with the Kataifi over medium heat until golden and crispy (about 5-8 minutes). Remove from heat and mix in the pistachio cream, salt and tahini.
- Evenly spread the pistachio filling over the set chocolate. I love to use an offset cake spatula to smooth everything out perfectly. Then place it in the fridge or freezer for about 15 minutes.
- Then melt the other half of the chocolate and pour it over the pistachio filling. Set in the fridge or freezer until firm.
- Carefully remove the chocolate from the silicone mold and place onto a cutting board. PRO TIP! Let it come to room temperature for about 1 hour before slicing or else it will crack unevenly. Note: this recipe can serve 16 large bars or 64 mini bars for parties or potlucks.
Notes
- Chop the chocolate small- The finer you chop the chocolate, the faster it will melt.
- Use a food processor– Chopping the chocolate with a food processor will speed up the process.
- Smooth out the bottom- Use an offset cake spatula to smooth out the bottom and get off any excess chocolate for a clean look.
- Be careful when cutting the bars- Let it come to room temperature for about 1 hour before slicing or else it will crack unevenly.
Nutrition
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