With this easy recipe for Dubai Chocolate Cups, you can now make the viral sweet sensation with simple kitchen ingredients you probably already have on hand. And no fancy chocolate mold needed!
Easy Homemade Dubai Chocolate
When my kids came home begging for Dubai chocolate after seeing it all over TikTok, I had two options: spend $20 on a few tiny bites… or DIY it. And let’s be honest—I’m not about to drop that kind of cash on something I can make in my own kitchen with pantry staples. Challenge accepted.
I’ve always loved making homemade treats (looking at you, Reese’s Eggs and Peanut Butter Crunch Bars), so this was right up my alley. Traditional Dubai chocolate uses toasted kataifi pastry, but crushed corn flakes make the perfect crunchy stand-in. Best part? No fancy molds or equipment required—just a muffin tin and a little bit of magic.
Love pistachios? Try this Pistachio Smoothie, too.
Jump to:
What is Dubai Chocolate?
If you’ve spent any time on social media lately, you’ve probably seen the viral sensation that is Dubai chocolate - and yes, it’s every bit as dreamy as it sounds.
Originally created by Fix Dessert Chocolatier in Dubai, this decadent treat features a rich chocolate shell filled with creamy pistachio spread and crispy kataifi pastry (think golden, shredded filo dough). It’s sweet, nutty, crunchy, and totally over-the-top - in all the best ways.
Even Trader Joe’s jumped on the trend with their own version, and it flew off the shelves (I have not seen it at my TJ's yet). Basically, it’s the kind of chocolate bar that breaks the internet and lives up to the hype.
Ingredients
- Pistachio cream - pistachio paste or pistachio butter can also be used. I used a Sicilian pistachio cream from a jar which I bought on Amazon. Some grocery stores carry pistachio cream these days!
- Corn flakes - plain, crushed to a “coarse meal”.
- Chocolate chips - semi-sweet, dark, or milk chocolate work. I use a combination of both milk and semi-sweet chocolate.
- Coconut oil - use refined coconut oil so it doesn’t have the extra coconut flavor.
- Chopped pistachios - as garnish for the top.
See recipe card for quantities.
Step-by-step Instructions
- Step 1: Melt chocolate chips with coconut oil in the microwave or using a double boiler on the stove.
- Step 2: Divide the melted chocolate between the 6 muffin cups. Use a silicone brush to spread the chocolate on the bottom and sides of each to about ½ height of the muffin cups. Freeze.
- Step 3: Make the filling by combining pistachio cream with crushed corn meal. Divide between chocolate shells and press lightly to even out the surface.
- Step 4: Top with remaining melted chocolate and decorate with chopped pistachios. Place in the fridge to set for at least 30 minutes.
See recipe card below for more detailed instructions.
Storage and Freezing Tips
Store in a plastic bag or airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days.
You can also freeze Dubal Chocolate Cups for up to 3 months in a freezer safe bag.
More Tips & Tricks
- I used a Sicilian pistachio cream from a jar. You can use pistachio paste or pistachio butter (made with pistachios only) but then you will likely need to add some sweetener, like honey or agave.
- Dubai chocolate is usually made with milk chocolate, but you can use semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips. I used a mix of semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips.
- If you want to make your Dubai chocolate cups extra fancy, sprinkle them with edible gold glitter.
- I recommend silicone muffin cups for easy removal but regular paper cupcake liners will also work.
Recipe FAQs
Pistachio cream and pistachio paste are similar but not the same:
Pistachio cream (also called pistachio spread) is sweetened and often mixed with ingredients like sugar, milk powder, or white chocolate. It's smooth, more spreadable, and has a milder, dessert-like flavor.
Pistachio paste (or pistachio butter) is made from 100% pure ground pistachios, sometimes lightly roasted. It’s thick, oily, and has a very intense, earthy pistachio flavor.
I found that the easiest place to get pistachio cream is Amazon or other online stores. You may also be able to find it at specialty food stores. I used this Sicilian Pistachio Cream from Amazon in this recipe.
You can! Try this homemade pistachio cream recipe from Feel Good Foodie.
Homemade chocolate melts quickly, so it’s best to store these in the fridge or freezer.
More guilt-free chocolate treats
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe
Dubai Chocolate Cups
Equipment
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup pistachio cream or pistachio butter, see Note 1
- 1 cup corn flakes
- ⅔ cup chocolate chips semi-sweet or milk, see Note 2
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- chopped pistachios as garnish
Instructions
- Place 6 silicone (or paper) muffin cups in a muffin tin. I used a 6-muffin tin but you can use a 12-muffin tin, too.
- Place ½ cup of chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl together with ⅔ of a teaspoon of coconut oil. Melt by microwaving in 15-30 second increments and stirring until completely melted and pourable.
- Divide the melted chocolate between the 6 muffin cups. Using a silicone brush spread the chocolate on the bottom and sides of each to about ½ height of the muffin cups. Place the muffin tin in the freezer to set.
- Make the filling: place corn flakes in a zip lock bag, close it and crush the corn flakes with a rolling pin until they resemble coarse meal. Transfer to a medium bowl.
- Add pistachio cream and mix with a spoon or rubber spatula until incorporated. The mixture will be thick and sticky. Set aside.
- Take the muffin tin out of the freezer and divide the filling between the 6 cups. Press and flatten gently to fill each cup.
- Melt the remaining chocolate chips and coconut oil until pourable.
- Pour a little bit of chocolate over each of the 6 cups and spread with silicone brush to cover completely.
- Garnish with chopped pistachios, if you want.
- Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, then gently remove from the silicone cups and enjoy!
Notes
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Meet the Author
Hi, I'm Agnieszka. I'm a mom of three and recipe developer, writer and photographer behind Wholly Tasteful. I love creating comforting, delicious, family-friendly recipes that you can feel good about.
Bogusia says
Delicious crumble. Will definitely make it again.