I Tried the $20 Dubai Chocolate Bar — And I Totally Get the Hype

I’ve found that food trends and the idea of a “viral food” can be a bit hard to swallow; something hordes of people rush to try simply because so many others are, only to have it disappear as quickly as it arrived. (Looking at you, whipped coffee.) Often, it’s swiftly replaced by the next big thing (and then the cycle repeats). 

Coined the “Dubai Chocolate Bar” by TikTok users, this milk chocolate marvel is packed with pistachios and knafeh (or kunafa), a crispy shredded phyllo pastry. The bars are about $20 each (I know!) and come in a plastic container. I, too, was taken aback by the price, but it is a pretty hefty-sized chocolate bar (comparable to three Hershey’s chocolate bars stacked on top of each other). 

The chocolate is sweet and smooth, but the real star is that pistachio-knafeh filling that is crispy, nutty, and decadent. It’s so creamy yet crunchy, and after taking my first bite I totally understood how it went viral in the first place. Ola, our assistant culinary producer, was there with me the first time I tried it, and I watched her eyes widen with amazement. After a few speechless moments she said, “This is a really, really good chocolate bar.” 

I saved a piece to give to Mara, our director of groceries and shopping, the next day to get her reaction, and to no surprise she reported back how delicious it was; she compared its chocolaty texture to velvet. 

I like to buy a bar every few months and eat one square a day for about a week-and-a-half (it comes with 10). Although the bar is best enjoyed on its own — it’s so decadent that you don’t really need anything extra — I often pour a glass of oat milk to enjoy with a square because it’s so rich, and it’s a sweet little ritual. 

Although the ones from the Nuts Factory are my favorite, I’ve found bars from a few other places (like the one from Magno) that are just as good. 

Find it in stores: Dubai Knafeh Pistachio Chocolate Bar, $20.00 for 1 bar at The Nuts Factory

Have you tried the viral Dubai Knafeh Pistachio Chocolate Bar? Tell us about it in the comments below.