| ⏱ Prep Time 20 min + chill | 🔥 Cook Time 15 minutes | 🍫 Yield 6–8 bars | 📊 Difficulty Easy |
In 2024, a small chocolate shop in Dubai changed dessert history. FIX Dessert Chocolatier’s “Can’t Get Knafeh of It” bar — a milk chocolate shell packed with pistachio cream and buttery toasted kataifi — went so viral on TikTok that it briefly triggered a pistachio shortage across the United States and was named one of the UAE’s top Google searches of 2025. Videos of people snapping the bar open to reveal the crinkled green filling racked up hundreds of millions of views worldwide.
The bar is exclusively available in Dubai, delivered fresh daily. For everyone outside the UAE — and for those inside who want to understand exactly what makes it work — this guide provides the complete homemade version, with the technical detail that most copycat recipes skip: tempering the chocolate correctly, toasting the kataifi to the right colour, building a pistachio cream that actually holds its shape, and assembling bars that snap cleanly rather than crumble.
Every element is explained from first principles. By the time you finish this Dubai Chocolate Bar Recipe, you will know not just what to do but why each step matters.
The Bar, Its Origin, and Why It Went Viral
Sarah Hamouda, a British-Egyptian entrepreneur living in Dubai, founded FIX Dessert Chocolatier in 2021. The “Can’t Get Knafeh of It“ bar was among her first creations, named as a pun on the beloved Middle Eastern dessert knafeh — a pastry of shredded kataifi dough soaked in sweet syrup, usually filled with cheese or cream. The bar borrows kataifi’s central element — the crispy, buttery shredded pastry — and reimagines it inside chocolate.
What made it spread was the sensory combination: the audible snap of properly tempered chocolate, the flash of deep green pistachio cream, the crunch of the kataifi. It was, in food internet terms, perfectly watchable. When food influencer Maria Vehera posted her tasting video, it passed 120 million views and the term ‘Dubai chocolate’ permanently entered the global food vocabulary.
Understanding this helps you build the right version at home. The bar’s success rests on three things working simultaneously: tempered chocolate that snaps rather than bends, kataifi that is genuinely crispy (not soft or oily), and pistachio cream that is dense enough to hold its shape when the bar is cut. Compromise any one of these and the result is a pleasant but ordinary confection. Nail all three and you understand exactly why it caused global pandemonium.
| 🇺🇪 Dubai Connection FIX Dessert Chocolatier is based in Dubai, UAE. The original bar is only available in the Emirates, delivered via Deliveroo and other UAE apps. The global popularity of the ‘Dubai chocolate bar’ name has made it one of the UAE’s most recognisable food exports — alongside luqaimat and karak chai. |
Ingredients and Dubai Chocolate Bar Recipe
Three categories of ingredients, each with non-negotiable quality requirements. The chocolate accounts for 60% of the bar by weight — it cannot be chips or compound chocolate. The kataifi must be fresh or properly thawed frozen. The pistachio cream should be the best you can find or afford.
| Ingredient | Quantity | Notes & Why It Matters |
| THE CHOCOLATE SHELL | ||
| Good-quality milk chocolate | 400 g | Min. 35% cocoa solids; Callebaut, Valrhona, or Lindt work well |
| Good-quality dark chocolate (optional) | 100 g | For a slightly bitter shell; mix 80% milk / 20% dark |
| White chocolate + green food colour | 50 g + drop | For the signature green pistachio swirl decoration |
| THE PISTACHIO KNAFEH FILLING | ||
| Kataifi pastry (shredded phyllo) | 150 g (about 2 cups chopped) | Fresh or frozen-thawed; cut strands to 2–3 cm |
| Unsalted butter | 3 tbsp (45 g) | For toasting the kataifi; do not substitute oil |
| Pistachio cream / pistachio butter | 200 g | Creamy variety; Filos, Sicilian brands, or quality Middle Eastern |
| Tahini (sesame paste) | 1– 2 tbsp | Adds depth and prevents the filling being too sweet; skip if sensitive |
| Fine sea salt | Pinch | Balances the sweetness; do not omit |
| OPTIONAL HOMEMADE PISTACHIO CREAM (if unavailable) | ||
| Raw unsalted pistachios | 200 g | Blanched and peeled gives the green colour |
| White chocolate (melted) | 100 g | Binds and sweetens the pistachio paste |
| Neutral oil (sunflower) | 2–3 tbsp | Added gradually while blending to reach consistency |
| Icing sugar | 2 tbsp | Adjust to taste |
| 🌰 On Pistachio Cream Quality pistachio cream is the single variable with the biggest impact on your bar’s flavour. Italian Sicilian pistachio creams (readily available at specialty delis and online) are the closest to what FIX uses. Middle Eastern brands from UAE supermarkets are also excellent. Avoid products where the first ingredient is sugar or vegetable oil rather than pistachios — they will taste artificial and lack the deep nuttiness the bar needs. |
Method: Step-by-Step
Allow roughly 2 hours total including chilling time. Read through all steps before beginning — the tempering process in particular requires focused attention and should not be interrupted once started.
| 1 | Make the Homemade Pistachio Cream (if needed) If using store-bought pistachio cream, skip to Step 2. To make your own: blanch pistachios in boiling water for 60 seconds, then rub off the skins. Pat completely dry. Process in a food processor for 8–10 minutes, scraping down regularly, until a smooth paste forms. Add melted white chocolate, icing sugar, and oil gradually while the processor runs until the texture resembles thick peanut butter. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before using. |
| 2 | Toast the Kataifi Cut or tear the kataifi strands into 2–3 cm pieces — shorter strands fill the mould more evenly and create a cleaner bite. Melt butter in a wide non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Add the kataifi and cook, stirring constantly, for 8–12 minutes until deep golden brown and audibly crunchy. The colour should reach amber, not pale gold — under-toasted kataifi turns soft inside the bar. Transfer immediately to a bowl to stop cooking. Cool completely before combining with the pistachio cream. |
| 3 | Make the Filling In a large bowl, combine the cooled toasted kataifi with the pistachio cream, tahini, and a pinch of salt. Stir until every strand is evenly coated. The mixture should hold together when pressed but still show the individual kataifi strands. If it feels too wet or loose, the kataifi was not toasted long enough — return it to the pan briefly. Refrigerate the filling for 20 minutes to firm up slightly before assembly. |
| 4 | Temper the Milk Chocolate (Critical Step) Proper tempering is what gives the bar its signature snap and glossy finish. Chop the milk chocolate finely. Melt two-thirds (270 g) in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, stirring constantly, until it reaches 45°C (113°F). Remove from heat. Add the remaining chopped chocolate gradually, stirring vigorously until fully melted and the temperature drops to 27°C (81°F). Return briefly to the bain-marie, stirring, until it rises to 31°C (88°F). This is your working temperature. A tempered chocolate bar will set firm within 5 minutes at room temperature. |
| 5 | Prepare the Moulds For the green swirl: melt the white chocolate, stir in a drop of green gel food colouring, and pour in a thin, irregular zigzag across the bottom of each silicone bar mould. Freeze for 3 minutes until set. Next, pour enough tempered milk chocolate to coat the bottom and sides of each mould cavity (about 2–3 mm thick). Tilt and rotate the mould to coat evenly, then invert to pour off excess. Run your finger or a palette knife along the top edge to neaten. Refrigerate for 5 minutes until set solid. |
| 6 | Fill and Seal Remove the moulds from the fridge. Pack the pistachio-kataifi filling firmly into each cavity, pressing gently to eliminate air pockets. Fill to about 5 mm from the top edge — you need room for the chocolate base layer that seals the bar. Pour the remaining tempered chocolate over the filling, smoothing with a palette knife to create a flat base. Tap the mould firmly on the counter 3–4 times to settle any bubbles. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes, or until completely set solid. |
| 7 | Unmould and Serve Flex the silicone mould gently to release each bar. The bar should pop out cleanly with a glossy finish. If using a rigid mould, tap it firmly on a counter padded with a tea towel. Bars are best served at room temperature — remove from the fridge 10 minutes before eating for the correct texture. To cut for serving, use a sharp knife warmed briefly under hot water and dried. The bar should snap cleanly. |
Technique: The Three Details That Separate a Good Bar from a Great One
1. Chocolate Tempering — Why It Cannot Be Skipped
Untempered chocolate sets with a dull, streaky finish and a soft, waxy texture. It does not snap — it bends. The snap of the original Dubai chocolate bar is not incidental; it is central to the sensory experience the bar delivers. Tempering aligns the cocoa butter crystals into a stable β5 (beta-5) form, which produces hardness, gloss, and that clean fracture. The three-stage temperature process (melt to 45°C, seed-cool to 27°C, warm to 31°C) is standard professional practice and is achievable at home with a simple digital thermometer.
Gusto Etna Dubai Style Pistachio Chocolate Bar Filling – Crunchy Kataifi & Pistachio Cream Spread (1kg, Made in Italy)
2. Kataifi Toasting — The Colour Tells You Everything
Pale golden kataifi absorbs moisture from the pistachio cream within hours and loses all crunch. Deep amber kataifi — the colour of hazelnuts — retains its crispness for significantly longer. Take the pan to that colour, not before. The butter should smell nutty by the time you stop, not raw. Patience here is directly proportional to shelf life.
3. Assembly Temperature — Cold Filling, Tempered Chocolate
Warm filling melts the chocolate shell as you pour the seal layer, causing visible streaks and structural weakness. Always refrigerate the filling for at least 20 minutes before filling the mould. Conversely, a cold mould will cause the tempered chocolate to set too fast before it can spread evenly. Work with moulds at room temperature but filling at refrigerator-cold.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely Cause | The Fix |
| Chocolate dull & soft, won’t snap | Not properly tempered | Re-melt and temper from scratch; check temperatures precisely. |
| White streaks on chocolate | Fat bloom from over-cooling | Work at 31°C; don’t chill too fast |
| Filling too wet, slides out | Kataifi under-toasted / cream too soft | Toast kataifi to deep amber; chill filling before assembling |
| Bar cracks when unmoulded | Shell too thin or demoulded too soon | Coat in two layers; chill minimum 45 min |
| Green swirl not visible | White choc layer poured too thick | Use less; a thin zigzag is enough |
| Bar tastes bland | Low-quality pistachio cream or no tahini | Upgrade cream; tahini adds the savoury depth that defines the bar |
| Filling falls apart when cut | Not enough pistachio cream as binder | Increase cream; filling should clump when squeezed |
Variations Worth Making
Dark Chocolate Version
Replace all milk chocolate with 55–60% dark couverture. The bitterness sharpens the pistachio and makes the bar feel less cloying. Temper at slightly lower working temperature (29–30°C for dark vs 31°C for milk).
Dubai Chocolate Strawberries
A derivative that requires no moulds: dip large fresh strawberries in tempered milk chocolate, then immediately roll in the pistachio-kataifi mixture. Set on parchment. The kataifi sticks to the still-wet chocolate and creates a crunchy exterior. Excellent for Eid gifting.
White Chocolate Pistachio Bar
Use tempered white chocolate (working temperature 27°C) and tint it pale green with food colouring. The filling remains identical. Less dramatic visually but lighter on the palate.
No-Mould Bark Version
Pour tempered chocolate onto parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread the kataifi-pistachio filling across the chocolate while still liquid. Top with a second layer of chocolate, refrigerate until set, then break into irregular pieces. Faster, more casual, equally delicious.
Storage and Shelf Life
- Room temperature: Up to 3 days in an airtight container kept away from heat. The kataifi stays crispy longest at room temperature.
- Refrigerator: Up to 2 weeks. Remove 10 minutes before eating to allow the chocolate to soften to eating temperature.
- Freezer: Up to 3 months, tightly wrapped in cling film. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Texture is slightly less snappy but flavour remains intact.
- Gifting: Wrap in gold or brown foil and place in a small box. At room temperature these travel well for 24–48 hours in cool conditions.
The original can’t be shipped internationally. But once you’ve made this version correctly — with properly tempered chocolate and genuinely crispy kataifi — you’ll understand that the bar’s global appeal was never really about exclusivity. It was about a combination of textures and flavours that nobody had thought to put inside a chocolate bar before. That combination is entirely replicable at home, and arguably more satisfying for having made it yourself.
بالهناء والشفاء — Bil hanaʾ wal shifāʾ
