If you have been anywhere near social media in the past year, you have almost certainly seen it — a thick slab of chocolate snapped in half to reveal a golden, stretchy, pistachio-filled kunafa centre, strings of shredded pastry pulling apart in slow motion while a satisfying crunch echoes through the video. The Dubai Chocolate Bar, as it became known worldwide, took the internet completely by storm, and for good reason. It is extraordinary. The combination of crisp milk chocolate, creamy pistachio cream, and buttery toasted kunafa is unlike anything else in the dessert world. The even better news? You can make it at home, and it is far simpler than it looks.
What Is Kunafa Chocolate?
Kunafa chocolate — also widely called the Dubai Chocolate Bar — was popularised by Dubai-based chocolatier Fix Dessert Chocolatier, whose signature bar went viral after food creators began filming the iconic break-and-pull reveal. The filling is inspired by kunafa, the classic Middle Eastern dessert made from thin shredded wheat pastry (kataifi) soaked in syrup, combined here with pistachio cream and tahini to create a rich, nutty, texturally complex filling encased in a chocolate shell.
The magic is in the contrast: snappy chocolate on the outside, soft and creamy pistachio in the middle, and the chewy-crispy bite of toasted kataifi running through it all.
Ingredients You Will Need
For the chocolate shell, use good-quality milk chocolate — at least 200g for a standard bar mould. Dark chocolate or white chocolate work equally well depending on your preference, but milk chocolate is the classic choice for this recipe.
For the filling, you will need 100g of kataifi pastry (also called shredded phyllo dough, available at Middle Eastern grocery stores or online), 3–4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, 200g of pistachio cream or pistachio butter, and 2 tablespoons of tahini. A pinch of salt rounds everything out perfectly.
You will also need a silicone chocolate bar mould — the larger and deeper, the better for that dramatic break reveal. If you do not have one, a small loaf tin lined with parchment paper works well as a substitute.
Step 1 — Toast the Kataifi Pastry
This step is the soul of the entire recipe and should not be rushed. Take your kataifi pastry and use your fingers to separate and loosen the strands — they tend to clump together in the packet. Melt butter in a wide pan over medium heat, add the kataifi, and toast it gently, stirring constantly, for 8–10 minutes until it turns a deep golden brown and smells nutty and fragrant.
Do not walk away from the pan. Kataifi goes from golden to burnt very quickly. Once it is done, transfer it immediately to a plate and let it cool completely. It should be crisp and golden, almost like toasted vermicelli but lighter and more delicate.
Step 2 — Make the Pistachio Filling
In a bowl, combine your pistachio cream, tahini, and a pinch of salt. Stir until smooth and well combined. The tahini adds a subtle bitterness that cuts through the sweetness of the pistachio cream beautifully — do not skip it.
Once your toasted kataifi has cooled, fold it into the pistachio mixture. You want a generous amount of kataifi — the ratio should feel almost equal parts pastry and cream — so that every bite has crunch. Mix gently so the strands stay as intact as possible rather than breaking down into crumbs.
Step 3 — Temper and Mould the Chocolate
Melt your chocolate slowly over a double boiler or in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each. For the best snap and shine, temper your chocolate properly — heat it to 45°C, cool it to 27°C on a marble surface or by adding unmelted chocolate, then bring it back to 31°C before using. If tempering feels too technical, simply melted chocolate still produces a delicious result.
Pour a layer of melted chocolate into your mould, tilting to coat the sides evenly. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes until set. This forms the outer shell of your bar.
Step 4 — Fill and Seal
Spoon your pistachio-kataifi filling generously into the set chocolate shell, pressing it down lightly to remove air pockets. Leave about 3–4mm of space at the top. Pour the remaining melted chocolate over the filling to seal the bar completely, spreading it flat with a spatula.
Tap the mould gently on the counter to remove bubbles, then refrigerate for at least 30–45 minutes until fully set.
Step 5 — Unmould and Serve
Once set, carefully unmould your chocolate bar. If you used a silicone mould, it should pop out cleanly. For the full social media experience, hold your bar at both ends and snap it firmly in the centre — the chocolate should crack cleanly while the pistachio-kataifi filling stretches and pulls apart in those impossibly satisfying strings.
Serve at room temperature for the best texture. Store in the fridge and consume within a week, though it is unlikely to last that long.
Tips for the Best Results
Use the best pistachio cream you can find — the quality of the pistachio flavour is the heart of this bar, so a premium product makes a noticeable difference. Toast the kataifi darker than you think necessary; a deep golden colour means more flavour and better crunch that holds up inside the chocolate. And be patient with the setting time — cutting corners here leads to a filling that oozes rather than stretches.
The Verdict
The viral kunafa chocolate bar is one of those recipes that delivers on every bit of its hype. It is indulgent, technically satisfying to make, and genuinely unlike any other chocolate bar you can buy off a shelf. Once you make it at home, you will understand exactly why the world fell head over heels for it — one slow-motion snap at a time.
