Rich Dubai chocolate drop cookies topped with creamy pistachio frosting mixed with crispy, toasted kadayif for an easy twist on the viral Dubai chocolate dessert.
Dubai chocolate has been a viral trend for over a year now. It’s seen in all the groceries, and many restaurants have made their own versions of viral Dubai chocolate desserts.
Traditionally, Dubai chocolate is a bar of chocolate filled with pistachio cream, tahini (ground toasted sesame seeds), and kadayif (crispy shredded pastry).
I did not add tahini to the pistachio frosting, however, because I wanted to focus more on the sweeter pistachio-forward flavor.
Ingredients
- Butter
- Shortening
- Light Brown Sugar
- White Granulated Sugar
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Large Egg
- Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Squares
- All-Purpose Flour
- Cornstarch
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Frozen Phyllo Dough
- Unsalted Raw Pistachios
- Canola Oil
- Milk
- Powdered Sugar
How to Make Dubai Chocolate Drop Cookies
Chocolate Drop Cookies
- Cream together butter, shortening, brown sugar, and white sugar. Add egg and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cornstarch. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined.
- Using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop mounds of dough onto a baking sheet. Place them in the refrigerator and let them chill for 1 hour. This helps them keep their mound shape when they bake. While they chill, make the kataifi and frosting below.
- After an hour, bake the cookies at 400°F for 11-13 minutes. Let cool.
Kadayıf (Kataifi)
- If you’re using store-bought shredded toasted kadayıf, skip to making the frosting.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Roll the phyllo sheets, like a cigar, cut into thin strips (~⅛ inch), and gently pull apart into wispy threads.
- Toss with melted butter, sugar, and a pinch of salt.
- Spread on the baking sheet and bake 9-13 minutes, stirring halfway, until golden and crisp. Then remove from the oven and let cool fully.
Pistachio Buttercream Frosting
- Remove pistachios from their shells. Add water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add pistachios and boil for 30-60 seconds. Remove from the water and let cool. Once cool, remove any of the brown skin from the pistachios. Parboiling the pistachios gives them a brighter green color, helps soften them for smoother blending, and also helps remove the brown skin, so it’s best not to skip this step.
- Add pistachios to a food processor and blend until very fine. Add canola oil and blend into a paste. Add milk and butter, and pulse until blended smooth.
- Add the pistachio mixture to an electric mixer with a whisk attachment. Gradually add powdered sugar. Add a pinch of salt and ¾ cup kataifi.
- Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop or a spoon to add a dollop of frosting on top of each cookie. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios.
FAQ
Dubai chocolate has been trending for some time now. It is a thick chocolate bar filled with pistachio cream, tahini (ground toasted sesame seeds), and toasted kataifi (similar to toasted phyllo). The actual chocolate is usually milk chocolate.
It became viral on TikTok, and soon everyone began making their own versions of Dubai chocolate desserts.
Both pistachio paste and kadayif can be purchased in-store or online. Pistachio paste or cream can sometimes be found near Nutella at the grocery store. Target, World Market, Costco, and sometimes Trader Joe’s also carry it. Kataifi can be found at Middle Eastern markets. Sometimes, you’ll also find it at larger grocery chains.
Or you can make it from scratch! I have included directions to make them both from scratch in my recipe below.
Yes, frozen phyllo dough is what many home cooks use because it’s very easy to find at local grocery stores. I included directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post for how to make it out of phyllo dough. It gives a similar taste and texture to kadayif.
Storage
Store the cookies in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. For the best texture, especially the crunch in the frosting, it’s best to eat them in the first 2 days.
To freeze them, par-freeze the cookies in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Then, transfer them to an airtight freezer-safe container. Layer them with parchment paper to prevent sticking. The crispy pieces in the frosting will likely be soft after thawing.
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Dubai Chocolate Drop Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
Chocolate Drop Cookies
- ⅓ cup Butter room temperature
- ⅓ cup Shortening
- ½ cup Light Brown Sugar packed
- ¼ cup White Granulated Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 Large Egg
- 3 ounces Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Squares
- 1 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Kadayıf (Kataifi) If using store-bought Kadayıf, you will need ¾ cup.
- 2 sheets Frozen Phyllo Dough thawed
- 2 tablespoon Butter room temperature
- 1 tablespoon Sugar
Pistachio Buttercream Frosting
- ¼ cup Unsalted Raw Pistachios approximately 64 pistachios, or 1.3 ounces shelled pistachios
- ½ teaspoon Canola Oil
- 1 tablespoons Milk
- ½ cup Butter room temperature
- 1 ½ cups + 2 tablespoons Powdered Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla or Almond Extract
- Pinch of Salt
- Chopped Pistachios for topping
Instructions
Chocolate Drop Cookies
- Cream together butter, shortening, brown sugar, and white sugar. Add egg and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cornstarch. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined.
- Using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop mounds of dough onto a baking sheet. Place them in the refrigerator and let them chill for 1 hour. This helps them keep their mound shape when they bake. While they chill, make the kataifi and frosting below.
- After an hour, bake the cookies at 400°F for 11-13 minutes. Let cool.
Kadayıf (Kataifi)
- If you're using store-bought shredded toasted kadayıf, skip to making the frosting.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Roll the phyllo sheets, like a cigar, cut into thin strips (~⅛ inch), and gently pull apart into wispy threads.
- Toss with melted butter, sugar, and a pinch of salt.
- Spread on the baking sheet and bake 9-13 minutes, stirring halfway, until golden and crisp. Then remove from the oven and let cool fully.
Pistachio Buttercream Frosting
- Remove pistachios from their shells. Add water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add pistachios and boil for 30-60 seconds. Remove from the water and let cool. Once cool, remove any of the brown skin from the pistachios. Parboiling the pistachios gives them a brighter green color, helps soften them for smoother blending, and also helps remove the brown skin, so it's best not to skip this step.
- Add pistachios to a food processor and blend until very fine. Add canola oil and blend into a paste. Add milk and butter, and pulse until blended smooth.
- Add the pistachio mixture to an electric mixer with a whisk attachment. Gradually add powdered sugar. Add a pinch of salt and ¾ cup kataifi.
- Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop or a spoon to add a dollop of frosting on top of each cookie. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios.
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