In one of the most defining viral trends of the last one year and 2025, the Dubai chocolate made up of Pista Kunafa chocolate has not only taken over the senses of chocolatiers but also the taste buds of chocolate lovers. While it is known to have become viral on TikTok in 2024, it didn`t take long for the trend to sweep India, and without a doubt Mumbai, as pastry chefs tried their hand at incorporating the flavours into their sweet treats more than three years after it was first made.
Every year, World Chocolate Day is observed on July 7 to celebrate the creation that finds its origins in cocoa beans from the Theobroma Cocoa tree. Over the years chocolate has evolved into everything beyond the regular bar that has ruled the lives of most Indians growing up. Today, the term `artisanal` has become commonplace and chocolate lovers love boasting about it and rightly so, along with the fact that they are single-origin, among other aspects of the vocabulary that has taken over the lives of Indians enjoying premium chocolate. Taking off from these very flavours over the last few years, these carefully crafted flavours have not only seen sweet but also savoury inclusions tantalise our taste buds. The latest entrant is Dubai chocolate, which was invented by Egyptian-British entrepreneur Sarah Hamouda, who is widely known to be the brains behind the Dubai chocolate, the inspiration for which she reportedly got while getting pregnancy cravings in 2021. With childhood memories of her mother making the Middle Eastern dessert kunafa, the founder of FIX Dessert Chocolatier, made the chocolate bar in 2021. It has had quite a journey since then and has finally reached India.
Uniqueness of Dubai chocolate
Being one among quite a few at the centre of it, Mahek Sugandh, founder and head chocolatier of Cacao Springs & The Binge, says there`s more to the trend than meets the eye. She shares, “The Pista Kunafa Chocolate from Dubai is truly unique because of the whole sensory experience it offers. It’s not just about the rich, creamy pistachio chocolate, though that’s absolutely indulgent, it’s the drama and luxury surrounding it.” The glossy finish and elegant packaging, says Sugandh, make it feel like a gift, not just a treat. The fusion of flavours which is the nuttiness of pistachio paired with the crunchy, syrupy kunafa brings a distinctly Middle Eastern flair that you don’t find in everyday chocolates.
Thinking of it as just a niche product, the chocolatier has herself been surprised by its rising popularity. While it started with gifting and influencer reels, she adds, “Suddenly it’s everywhere, in hot chocolates, stuffed inside croissants, blended into gelato. It’s definitely had a moment and honestly, I think it’s still rising.”
Trying her hands at using it in her sweet treats, Sugandh has used it in truffles and even a mousse, where she says its richness really stands out. “I’ve found that it works best when balanced with other flavours,” she adds.
It didn’t take long for award-winning Indian artisanal chocolate makers Paul & Mike from Kerala to jump on the Dubai chocolate trend as they introduced it in December 2024, one that they made consciously after seeing its global reception. Vikas Temani, founder and CEO of the chocolate company, says, “When we saw that even old-school brands like Lindt started to make this, we understood that there is a serious demand for this chocolate and no brand was providing high-quality Dubai chocolate at that point in time in India.” However, he attributes its growing popularity to the deep green colour of the filling which is very Instagram-worthy, and the high proportion of filling.
Having sold tens of thousands till now, Temani says the demand is very high, but the fragility of the bar means that the supply is limited. “This means that the sales numbers cannot keep growing exponentially month on month, but this scarcity is precisely why there is so much craze for this.”
The very nature of the bar is also why their version of the Dubai chocolate cannot be shipped abroad.
Defining the future of chocolate trends
Even as people enjoy the traditional version of chocolate in India, Temani believes indulgent chocolates apart from healthy low-sugar chocolates are going to define the future of chocolates, the Dubai chocolate will influence how chocolate makers think about the recipes. “They will look at making their chocolates visually striking,” he adds.
Staying on top of emerging trends, Pradeep Sabale, executive pastry chef at Fairmont Mumbai, which opened earlier this year, has been creating it for their Sunday brunch and VIP room amenities. “Every Sunday at The Merchants restaurant, we create a chocolate bar with 10–12 types of handcrafted chocolates, and the viral Dubai chocolate is always part of it. As a pastry chef, I enjoy exploring new trends and drawing inspiration from social media. Recently, for a cooking show, I created a Kunafa Ice Cream Sandwich using kunafa pastry, inspired by the Dubai chocolate trend. The world of chocolate and pastry keeps evolving and that’s what makes it so exciting.”
Clearly being influenced by the viral chocolate trend, and the possibilities it presents to create something new, Sabale says the Dubai chocolate is unique to him for more than one reason. “Dubai Chocolate stands out for its perfect balance of sweetness, richness from pistachio paste, and the crisp crunch of kataifi pastry. The kataifi adds a signature mouthfeel and plays a key role in making this creation unique and texturally exciting.” It is the very reason the city-based chef believes that one bite of chocolates with multi-layered textures—crunchy, gooey, gelée, creamy—paired with bold flavours and cultural heritage, will continue to gain global appeal, an extended version of Temani’s prediction of indulgent flavours.
Chef Kashif Khan, who is the demi chef de partie at St Regis Mumbai in Lower Parel, like Sabale and Temani believes there are many other aspects of chocolate-making that will trend this year including ethically sourced cacao, fair trade practices, and eco-friendly packaging, along with the growing focus on reducing waste and supporting transparent supply chains, but one that will define flavours is definitely the Dubai chocolate trend, even though it has existed for quite some time now. He shares, “Dubai Chocolate has the potential to redefine future chocolate trends by inspiring more adventurous and layered flavour combinations. Its fusion of cultural elements and textures sets a new standard for innovation in desserts. While it joins a rich tradition of unique chocolates, its distinct profile makes it more than just another trend—it could shape what’s next in the chocolate world.”
Being one to offer variations of the creation in Mumbai, the city chef has been serving it at Sunday brunches over the last few months. It’s incredibly versatile, allowing me to highlight its rich textures and flavours in different forms—from pastries to plated dessert,” he adds, highlighting how guests love the unique twist it gives to classic chocolate desserts.
At JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar in Andheri, Mohit Bhowar, executive sous chef at the city-based five-star property, has also been experimenting with chocolate. He shares, “We’ve embraced this delicious trend by incorporating the trio of milk chocolate, pistachio and kunafa into some of our signature in-house confections and featured desserts at the hotel’s buffet. It’s a combination that just works—rich and creamy milk chocolate pairs effortlessly with the nuttiness of pistachio and the crisp, syrupy texture of kunafa.” Excited by the versatility of the fusion, he adds, “Whether layered into a tart, folded into a mousse or presented as a bar, the flavours complement each other beautifully, allowing chefs to be creative and guests to enjoy a familiar yet elevated experience.”
While the buzz around Dubai chocolate is still high, chef Sushil Multani, who is the culinary director at Food Square, is more realistic and didn`t want to jump on the trend because he felt it was overdone. However, he is more excited about how it could be reimagined in ways beyond the chocolate bar, like his fellow chefs have in the city.
At the same time, Multani reminds us that one is able to produce the chocolate variation only because of a combination that comes together because of the produce and if anything has put pistachios in the spotlight. “Especially the pistachios, which come from the Middle East, and the knafeh, which is so rooted in the region. That’s what makes it even more special. Chocolate makes anything stand out and it does that well in this case.”