My Dubai Chocolate: Easy, Healthy, Nutritious

Gluten-free | Lectin-free | No added sugar | Dairy-free | Vegan

Feb 15, 2025

∙ Paid

This has been on my list for a long time. A jar of the best-quality pure pistachio butter has been sitting in my fridge next to a jar of tahini, patiently waiting for this moment.

Unless you’ve completely avoided social media, you’ve probably heard of the famous Dubai chocolate—silky chocolate enveloping a creamy pistachio, tahini, and toasted kataifi filling. Full disclosure: I’ve never tasted the original or even a version that follows the traditional recipe. My mom brought one home, but it wasn’t tempting for me. Even my parents, who enjoy the occasional sweet treat, found it overwhelmingly sugary. I’m pretty sure it would have sent me into a sugar coma.

The Original Dubai Chocolate Ingredients

Kataifi – A delicate shredded phyllo pastry (traditionally made with all-purpose wheat flour, cornstarch, and sugar).
Pistachio cream – A blend of pistachio butter, sugar, and possibly milk.
Tahini – Pure sesame paste.
Olive oil & butter
Milk chocolate

While pistachios, tahini, extra virgin olive oil, and chocolate are all wonderful ingredients, the addition of sugar and kataifi makes this dessert extremely rich, carb-heavy, and not exactly blood sugar-friendly. Plus, it’s out of reach for those with gluten, lectin, or dairy sensitivities.

Naturally, I wanted to create my own version of Dubai chocolate—one that aligns with my way of eating. You may not know this about me, but Dubai was my home for seven years (from 2008 to 2015). I spent some of the most beautiful years of my life there; it’s where I met my Danish husband and got married. So of course, this dessert had to be on my list of creations.

Even though I’ve never had the original, I’m very familiar with Middle Eastern flavors, so I had a strong sense of how it should taste. The biggest challenge? Finding a substitute for the texture and taste of kataifi.

So, without further ado, here it is—my version of ‘My Dubai’ Chocolate. ❤️ It’s not as creamy, sweet, or green as the original but it is an honest, healthy treat.

PS: #MyDubai is the official hashtag of every Dubai resident, hence the name 😊