Untangling "Dubai" Chocolate Origins.
Florida Retailers Offer "Dubai-Style" Chocolates, Though Most Don't Originate in the UAE City.
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That viral "Dubai chocolate" bar you spotted at a Florida mall almost certainly was not made in Dubai. The treat — a thick chocolate shell filled with pistachio cream and crunchy knafeh (shredded pastry) — exploded worldwide after a TikTok video racked up over 127 million views, Florida Today reported. Now shops from South Florida to global retail giants are selling their own versions, no passport required.
The original bar, called "Can't Get Knafeh of It," was created in 2021 by Fix Dessert Chocolatier in Dubai. But the company only makes 500 bars a day, sold locally through a delivery app. That gap between sky-high demand and tiny supply gave the rest of the world an opening, Palm Beach Post noted.
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British-Egyptian entrepreneur Sarah Hamouda founded Fix Dessert Chocolatier in Dubai with her husband in 2021. She wanted a snack that mixed the crunch of Middle Eastern knafeh with premium chocolate. "To be honest, not at any point did I think this was going to become global," Hamouda later said. The bar stayed mostly local until late 2023, Naples News reported.
In December 2023, Ukrainian food influencer Maria Vehera posted an ASMR-style TikTok of herself eating the bar in her car. The video's satisfying crack and ooze of green pistachio cream made it perfect for social media. The clip eventually topped 127 million views. Within months, chocolatiers on every continent were making copycat bars, according to Herald Tribune.
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Chocolate on Tap was the first company to sell Dubai-style bars in Florida, News-Press reported. The South Florida business now runs three locations — including kiosks at Aventura Mall and Dadeland Mall — with a fourth store planned, likely in Boca Raton or Sawgrass Mills. Owner Dana Benimetzky said, "We have so many returning customers and we love knowing we make their days just a little sweeter."
Florida customers often prefer the local version over imported bars. Fresh, locally made chocolate tastes better than bars shipped across an ocean, fans say. Prices at Florida shops typically run $25 to $45 per bar — well above the roughly $18 to $20 price in Dubai itself, according to Ocala.com.
Big Retailers Jump In as Pistachio Supplies Run Low
Major chains including Lindt, Trader Joe's, Costco, and Ghirardelli have all launched Dubai-style products, Tallahassee.com reported. Dubai Duty Free alone logged $22 million in chocolate sales in just the first quarter of 2025. Industrial factories in Turkey have retooled to churn out 1.5 million pieces of the style per day to meet demand.
The boom has strained pistachio supplies. Global demand sent U.S. pistachio stocks down 20% between 2024 and 2025. Drought in Iran and Turkey, two of the biggest pistachio producers, made things worse. In 2025, Canada's food safety agency recalled some Dubai-style pistachio products after a Salmonella outbreak tied to contaminated nut supplies, according to PNJ.
"Dubai Chocolate" Is a Style, Not a Protected Origin
Unlike "Champagne" or "Parmesan," the name "Dubai chocolate" is not legally protected. That means any maker can use the label as long as they don't directly claim their product was made in Dubai. A German court drew the line in January 2025, ruling that Aldi had to stop selling a bar labeled "Dubai Handmade Chocolate" if it was actually made in Turkey, St. Augustine Record reported.
For now, the craze shows no sign of fading. Search volume for "pistachio chocolate filling" jumped 137% in 2025. Critics call it a food fad built for smartphone screens. Supporters say the Mediterranean flavor combination — pistachio, tahini, and rich chocolate — represents a lasting shift in American dessert tastes, according to TCPalm.
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