Dubai Chocolate & Viral Desserts — The Real Recipes
Dubai chocolate has been the most-searched dessert in the world for two years running: a thick chocolate bar filled with butter-toasted kunafa and pistachio cream that crunches when you snap it. Our version explains what actually makes it work — toasting the kunafa until golden, and chilling the mould between layers.
Alongside it, the internet's other great desserts: phyllo crinkle cake, glassy microwave tanghulu, and soufflé pancakes that wobble on the plate.
The recipes
The Viral Dubai Pistachio Kunafa Chocolate
The original, step by step, with the secret to the crunch. · 95 minCrinkle Cake (Muakacha)
Crinkled phyllo soaked in syrup — a Middle Eastern sweet, reimagined. · 60 minTanghulu (Microwave Method)
Fruit in a glassy sugar shell in 15 minutes, no thermometer. · 15 minJapanese Soufflé Pancakes
Tall, airy pancakes — the secret is the meringue. · 25 minThe 'Crookie' (Croissant Cookie)
Croissant and cookie in one bite. · 20 minDalgona Coffee (Whipped Coffee)
Whipped coffee in 10 minutes — dessert and drink in one. · 10 min
Chef's notes
How to keep Dubai chocolate crunchy
Toast the kunafa in butter over medium heat until fully golden, and let it cool before mixing it with the pistachio cream. Warm kunafa soaks up the cream and loses its crunch.
Desserts for a crowd
Crinkle cake and the crookie can be made a day ahead. Tanghulu and soufflé pancakes must be served straight away, so leave them for last.
Questions
What's inside Dubai chocolate?
Milk or dark chocolate, kunafa (kataifi) pastry toasted in butter, pistachio cream, and a little tahini to balance the sweetness.
Can I make tanghulu without a thermometer?
Yes — the microwave method needs no thermometer: the sugar is ready when a drop sets hard instantly in cold water.
How long does Dubai chocolate keep?
Up to a week in the fridge in an airtight box, but the crunch is at its best in the first two days.
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