This Pistachio Chocolate Bar, aka Dubai Chocolate Bar, is sweet, rich, and full of nutty filling. The tahini and pistachio inside perfectly complement the milk chocolate in this easy recipe.
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Recipe Details
I just love this viral Dubai chocolate bar. Being a bit of a chocoholic, I can’t get enough of the unique flavors in this pistachio filled bar. You are going to love making this treat and it’s really easy. Plus, these are great to wrap up and give away as gifts for holidays and celebrations.
- TASTE: Sweet chocolate surrounds nutty filling that tastes like sesame seeds and pistachios. The melted butter and pastry dough add a buttery rich flavor.
- TEXTURE: The chocolate is smooth and creamy. And the pistachio filling is creamy with tiny shreds of phyllo dough for a little crunch.
- TIME: It takes 2 hours and 20 minutes to make.
- EASE: This is a really easy recipe that just requires a little time for letting the chocolate set.
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 to add 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- a pinch or 2 of sea salt will help balance out the sweetness.
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 Pistachio Chocolate Bar
- Prep the chocolate. Melt half of your milk chocolate in a double boiler or microwave-safe bowl. Tip:
- Add it to the mold. Once the chocolate is melted, pour it into your chocolate bar molds and let the excess drip off into a bowl.
- Allow them to harden. Now place that chocolate filled mold in the fridge to harden.
Pro Tip: If you want to achieve a hard clean snap when the chocolate sets, temper your chocolate by not letting it go past 90 degrees Fº.
- Make the filling. Chop up the shredded phyllo dough and place it in a pan with the melted butter over medium heat. Stir until the shredded phyllo is golden and crispy.
- Add the tahini an pistachio. Place the crispy phyllo shreds into a large bowl and mix it with the tahini and pistachio cream.
- Add the filling to the chocolate. Once the chocolate firmed up, remove it from the fridge and spread a layer of the pistachio filling on top. Leave a little border empty on the edges.
- Pour the rest of the melted chocolate on top. Give it a good shake to smooth it out with an offset spatula. Then scrape off the extra with a bench scraper and let it set in the fridge for about an hour or until fully set and hard.
Recipe Tips
- Check the temp with a thermometer- If you’re tempering the chocolate, then make sure to check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer.
- Remelt the chocolate- You can re-melt the chocolate drippings from the top layer for the bottom layer.
- Leave a border around the filling- Leave a little border empty on the edges so that the filling won’t ooze out later.
- Smooth out the bottom- Use a spatula and scraper to smooth out the bottom and get off any excess chocolate for a clean look.
- Use a food processor– chopping the chocolate with a food processor will speed up the process.
FAQs
What flavor pairs well with pistachio?
Pistachio is delicious with chocolate of any variety, as well as with citrus, dried fruits like apricots and dates, or spices like cardamom and clove.
What is Dubai chocolate made of?
Made famous on Tik Tok, the Dubai chocolate bar is made of milk chocolate surrounding knafeh, also called kunafa, which is a creamy pistachio filling that is made with shreds of kataifi that add crunchy texture.
Serving Suggestions
This Pistachio Chocolate Bar 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 these after a delicious meal of Pork Crown Roast, Panko Crusted Salmon, Lemon Chicken Piccata, or Cast Iron Ribeye Steak.
- Cakes: Serve these chocolate dates with a slice of Tiramisu Cake (VIDEO), Coffee Chocolate Mousse, No Bake Mini Cheesecakes (VIDEO), or Chocolate Lava Cake (Video).
- Cookies: Enjoy them alongside some Chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies, Chewy Nutella Cookies, or Chocolate Meringue Cookies.
- Beverages: Pair these stuffed dates 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 Pistachio 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 Treats!
Full Recipe Instructions
Pistachio Chocolate Bar (Dubai Chocolate)
This Pistachio Chocolate Bar, aka Dubai Chocolate Bar, is deliciously sweet with a creamy, rich, nutty filling. It's the perfect sweet treat!
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Servings: 12 bars
Calories: 781kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Pistachio cream
- 1 Tbsp Tahini
- 1 1/2 cup kataifi shredded phyllo dough (packed in cup)
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 16 oz milk chocolate melted (about 4 chocolate bars)
- pinch salt to balance out the sweetness
Instructions
- Melt half of your milk chocolate in a double boiler or microwave-safe bowl. Tip: If you want to achieve a hard clean snap when the chocolate sets, temper your chocolate by not letting it go past 90 degrees Fº. Check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer.
- Once the chocolate is melted, pour it into your chocolate bar molds and let the excess drip off into a bowl. (you can re-melt the chocolate drippings for the top layer).
- Now place that chocolate filled mold in the fridge to harden.
- In the meantime, make the filling. Chop up the shredded phyllo dough and place it in a pan with the melted butter over medium heat. Stir until the shredded phyllo is golden and crispy. Note: if you use kataifi that is already shredded, there is no need to chop it.
- Place the crispy phyllo shreds into a large bowl and mix it with the tahini and pistachio cream.
- Once the chocolate firmed up, remove it from the fridge and spread a layer of the pistachio filling on top. Leave a little border empty on the edges so that it won’t ooze out later.
- Now melt the remaining half of your milk chocolate and pour it on top. Give it a good shake to smooth it out with an offset spatula. Then scrape off the extra with a bench scraper and let it set in the fridge for about an hour or until fully set and hard.
Notes
- Check the temp with a thermometer- If you’re tempering the chocolate, then make sure to check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer.
- Remelt the chocolate- You can re-melt the chocolate drippings from the top layer for the bottom layer.
- Leave a border around the filling- Leave a little border empty on the edges so that the filling won’t ooze out later.
- Smooth out the bottom- Use a spatula and scraper to smooth out the bottom and get off any excess chocolate for a clean look.
- Use a food processor– chopping the chocolate with a food processor will speed up the process.
Nutrition
Calories: 781kcal | Carbohydrates: 83g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 138mg | Potassium: 388mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 177IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 3mg
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Hi, I’m Dina, so glad you stopped by! I believe life is too short for bad coffee and boring meals. With my easy to follow step-by-step recipes, you’ll be surprised at how quickly a wholesome and delicious meal can come together. I hope you find something you enjoy!
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michelle munroe says
awesomenessss
Dina says
Glad to hear you found this recipe awesome Michelle! Thank you for your feedback. 🙂
Debbie says
At the end,mine is not as green. Mote like brown.
Toasted the kataifi till golden brown.
It is still delicious.
Made marshmallows. I will add pistachios pieces to the top to see the green more.
Dina says
Hi Debbie 🙂 Glad to hear you found this Dubia chocolate delicious! I love the plan to add the pistachio pieces on top. The color can be more or less green due to the brand of pistachio cream. I had some of my chocolate bars not be as green as well. I just tried a few different brands and went with the one that tasted the best and had good color. I hope that helps. If you do it with a different cream let me know how it goes. 🙂
Savitha S says
Hi Thank you for sharing the recipe so we can try at home. Can you share the quantity of Kataifi in grams or ounce? It is difficult to measure it in cup because of the texture.
Dina says
That is a very good question. I realized I used the fresh type and other use the dried kind. So the weight may differ. Honestly, to be safe jsut really press and pack the cup with the kataifi. Its better to have extra than not enough. Next time I make this I will try to weigh it out and update the recipe. Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention!
Geraldine Schafran says
Made this for Valentines Day! Beautiful and delicious! And it certainly did not cost $30 per bar!!!! Thank you so much.
Dina says
You are very welcome Geraldine! Thank you for giving my Dubia chocolate car recipe a try. I am always happy to hear when people enjoy my recipes. It’s always a win when the recipe saves you money as well! Thank you for your awesome feedback and support of my food blog. I hope you find more recipes to try from my website! 🙂