Chocolatiers are an inventive bunch, always coming up with new flavors and feats of culinary engineering to delight consumers. When it comes to flavor innovation, one big trend has been the explosion of luxury Dubai chocolate bars on the international scene.
Leading the way was Fix Dessert Chocolatier, a Dubai-based business founded by Sarah Hamouda in 2021 with the goal of evoking joy through exquisite chocolate. Its original chocolate bar went viral in 2024 as TikTok foodie influencers and celebrities posted tasting videos.
How has this trend evolved in recent months, and what flavors, features, processes, and philosophies currently shape the Middle Eastern confectionery movement?
Where It Started
A viral chocolate sensation started with a single bar from Fix Dessert Chocolatier: the Can’t Get Knafeh of It. The bar features high-quality ingredients, with milk chocolate encasing a filling of pistachio cream and knafeh, a traditional Middle Eastern dessert made from kataifi (shredded phyllo dough), attar (infused simple syrup), and cheese.
Other offerings from Fix Dessert Chocolatier include Butter Safe than Salty, Cereously Chewy, Dark Dubai Pistachio, and Dark Lotus Dubai Pistachio. Originally, the bars were only available for local delivery, but with growing global interest and inevitable dupes, Fix Dessert Chocolatier recently launched online ordering through its website.
That’s no guarantee that consumers can get a fix, though: Quantities may be limited. Additionally, these luxury chocolate bars go for just over $18 each, and the shop has a minimum order.
New Flavor Trends
The overnight success of Dubai chocolate has led to a slew of companies jumping on the bandwagon with their own products. Local retailers like Chocoart and Chocovana have created their takes on the knafeh pistachio bar, and global chocolate brand Lindt offers a version for international consumers.
Others are innovating with added flavor profiles. Kadayifzade, a Turkish sweet shop located in Dubai, created a strawberry version in white, milk, and dark chocolate. Chocolatier Al Nassma offers one made with camel milk.
Stateside, the Texas custom dessert company Caked by Chef offers a range of flavors in its Dubai Chocolate Bar range. In addition to Pistachio Kunafa, the range includes flavors with a more familiar appeal to American consumers, such as Strawberry Cheesecake, Biscoff Cheesecake, Cookies and Cream Featuring Nutella, and S’mores.
Related: The Flavors of the Season: Holiday Desserts and Trends
Exceptional Presentation
Creating incredible food requires intense attention to flavor, but the overall experience starts with the visual presentation. People eat with their eyes first — a biological process related to foraging for nutritious and diverse food options. Attractive dishes engage the mind, stimulate consumption, and enhance the pleasure of eating.
The original handmade bars from Fix Dessert Chocolatier set the tone with vibrant and multicolored splatter-paint designs that have been copied and riffed on.
Some bars feature stamped designs or contrasting chocolate drizzle. Others flaunt the luxury of gold, like the Dodo Chocolates Golden Kunafa Bar, a Lebanese creation drizzled with rose water syrup and decorated with edible gold leaf.
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Sustainable Production
As chocolatiers ramp up production to meet demand, concerns over ethical and sustainable production may arise.
Top pistachio producers like California and Turkey are increasing output to meet the uptick in demand, particularly in China, India, and the Middle East. New chocolatiers entering the market may have to commit to fair trade practices in order to appease a global consumer market long-term.
The Future of Dubai Chocolate
Trends come and go quickly in the fast-paced social media landscape. It’s difficult to predict how the luxury value proposition (and price point) of Dubai chocolate might hit in a year, when it’s no longer a novelty. Still, it’s not too late for brands to get in on the trend or push the narrative forward with their own iterations.
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