Dubai Chocolate Strawberries (Viral Recipe)
Glossy chocolate, juicy strawberries, and crisp katifi pastry loaded with sweet, creamy, nutty pistachio cream: It’s time to dig into these sensational Dubai chocolate strawberries, spoon first. If you haven’t tried this viral treat yet, now is your sign — it only takes fifteen minutes (or less)!
You’ve probably seen Dubai chocolate making waves all over social media. The combination of rich dark chocolate and pistachio cream-coated kataifi pastry has captured the zeitgeist — even major supermarkets can be seen debuting Dubai chocolate-flavoured treats.
Then there’s the beloved (but very expensive) chocolate strawberry cups from Borough Market in London. Combine both of these crazes, and you get these delectable Dubai chocolate strawberries.
Yes, they do taste as divine as they look.
There are layers of juicy, sweet, and tangy British strawberries, shredded pastry cooked in butter until crunchy, then coated in nutty, creamy pistachio cream, and to finish it all off, drizzles of gloriously dark and bitter chocolate.
This is the definition of indulgence. Sweet. Fruity. Intense. Pleasantly bitter with a hint of spice. All I can say is “wow.”
Better yet, Dubai chocolate strawberry cups are really easy to make at home. You don’t need any special cooking equipment (no chocolate moulds!), and it’s far more affordable than buying into the trend at stores or markets.
🍫What is Dubai Chocolate?
Dubai chocolate is a modern invention. It’s a classic chocolate bar with a twist; between two layers of creamy Belgian chocolate is a thick layer of crisp kataifi pastry (shredded filo) mixed with nutty pistachio cream.
Kataifi pastry is a traditional ingredient utilised across the Eastern Mediterranean and Gulf areas. Perhaps the most common dessert using kataifi pastry is kunafeh.
As the name suggests, though, Dubai chocolate was invented in Dubai — specifically, by British-Egyptian businesswoman Sarah Hamouda, who owns Fix Dessert Chocolatier in the megacity. Thanks for the delicious food, Sarah!
Dubai chocolate has been floating around since 2021, but really blew up in popularity after TikTok influencers made videos featuring the unique chocolate bars.
🤯Why Dubai Chocolate Strawberries are Ridiculously Good
🍓Ingredients (With Variations and Substitutions)
While Dubai chocolate strawberries need very few ingredients (just five!), two of those are quite specialist. Here’s a breakdown:
- Kataifi pastry: Also called kadayif pastry. While it looks like vermicelli, it’s very finely shredded filo. You can find kataifi pastry in any large store that stores Middle Eastern ingredients, or buy it on Amazon. You can buy kataifi pastry fresh or frozen, either of which is fine for this recipe.
- Strawberries: It’s best to use in-season strawberries. I’m biased, but British strawberries have the best flavour!
- Dark chocolate: You need the bitter complexity to break up the sweetness of pistachio cream.
- Butter: You’ll need this for toasting the kataifi pastry, making it gloriously crispy. I don’t recommend oil (it simply doesn’t provide the best flavour), but ghee (clarified butter) is a great alternative.
- Pistachio cream: Packed with the nutty flavour of pistachios, this unctuous spread is sweetened with sugar and loosened with oils. It’s a specialist ingredient, so best bought at Italian grocery stores or online retailers like Amazon, although Lidl occasionally stores jars, as does M&S.
Note: Pistachio cream is not the same as pistachio butter (which only contains pistachios).
Optional toppings include crushed pistachios, edible rose petals, and more drizzles of extra pistachio cream.
Variations You’ll Want to Try
Although this Dubai chocolate strawberry cup is already the epitome of extravagance, you can level it up even further with a few effortless modifications:
- Exaggerate the nutty flavour of toasted kataifi pastry and pistachio cream by swapping dark chocolate for Nutella (or an equivalent spread).
However, it’s crucial to be cognizant of the fact that the dish can become overwhelmingly cloying due to added sugar in chocolate spreads. To prevent this, I suggest mixing pistachio cream with tahini, which mellows out the honeyed effects. - Even if you don’t swap chocolate for Nutella, you can still add tahini to the pistachio cream. It creates an interesting play of flavours, providing robust savoury notes with an undertone of bitterness.
- Add more visual appeal to this dish, which is already a showstopper, by drizzling over white or ruby chocolate. This is sure to make mouths water and satiate sweet-toothed diners.
- You can also swap strawberries for other fruits like raspberries.
- Make vegan Dubai chocolate strawberries by substituting butter for a plant-based alternative (I recommend Miyoko’s vegan cultured butter) and buying dairy-free dark chocolate (now widely available at most stores).
🧑🍳How to Make Dubai Chocolate Strawberries (Step-by-Step Photos)
Making Dubai chocolate strawberry cups is significantly less complicated than making Dubai chocolate itself. It’s also much less of a fuss than individually coating strawberries in the kataifi mixture, then coating each fruit in chocolate.
In fact, making Dubai chocolate strawberries takes less than 15 minutes.
One: If your kataifi pastry comes in a tightly woven block, gently pull the strands apart, then break/cut into small pieces.
Two: Heat butter in a non-stick frying pan over low heat. Add the kataifi pastry and cook, stirring regularly, until golden.
Three: Add the pistachio cream to a large bowl. Then add the buttery golden kataifi pastry to the same bowl.
Four: Mix the pistachio cream and kataifi pastry together until well combined.
Five: Break or cut the chocolate into small pieces. Add to a double boiler (heat-proof bowl over a large saucepan with boiling water) or microwave to melt.
Six: Gently stir the chocolate to ensure it has been evenly melted.
Seven: Layer strawberries, melted dark chocolate, then pistachio-laced kataifi pastry. Repeat the layer until you fill your cups.
🧑🏫Expert Tips for Stress-Free Dubai Chocolate Strawberries
Cook the kataifi pastry on low heat. While this recipe is relatively quick, it’s vital that you have patience on this step. Since the kataifi pastry is so finely shredded that it can easily burn, it’s imperative that you neither rush the steps nor leave the pan unattended.
To keep the layers clean and/or add a supremely elegant touch to the dessert, you can choose to pipe the melted chocolate over the strawberries. Using a piping bag makes the process fiddlier, but it does allow you more control.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
🥤Dubai Chocolate Strawberry Cup Storage Suggestions
Since fresh fruits are the focus point of this dessert, it’s best eaten fresh.
Furthermore, I advise against storing the Dubai chocolate strawberry cups in the fridge. The melted chocolate will harden, making it tricky to enjoy.
To prevent this, you’ll need to make a ganache (by adding heated double cream [heavy cream, to my U.S. readers] to the chocolate, then stirring until thick and glossy).
🍦Serving Ideas
I’ve served my Dubai chocolate strawberries in basic drinking glasses. They’re ideal as you can properly layer all the components, show off with the presentation, and have loads of fun digging in with a spoon!
Transform it into a grab-and-go dessert by using a reusable lidded cup.
Add a scoop (or two!) of ice cream or whipped cream on top of the dessert to make Dubai chocolate strawberry cups special for festivals like Eid, Diwali, birthdays, or celebration platters.
Strawberry ripple ice cream, basic vanilla, or salted caramel would elevate the dish to new levels of luxury.
Top with edible gold leaf for a truly jaw-dropping effect. It is Dubai-themed, after all!
Pair with a strong espresso or Arabic coffee.
If you tried this Dubai chocolate strawberries recipe — or any other recipe on my website — please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know your thoughts in the ✍️ comments at the bottom of the page. Thanks for being a part of my community!
Dubai Chocolate Strawberries
Ingredients
- 80 g kataifi pastry
- 20 g butter
- 4 tablespoons pistachio cream
- 200 g dark chocolate
- 400 g strawberries
Instructions
- Take 80 g kataifi pastry. If your kataifi pastry comes in a tightly woven block, gently pull the strands apart, then break/cut into small pieces.
- Heat 20 g butter in a non-stick frying pan over low heat. Add the kataifi pastry and toast, stirring regularly, until golden. Don't rush this step; it can take around 10 minutes to evenly cook.
- Add 4 tablespoons pistachio cream and cooked kataifi pastry to a large bowl. Use a spoon to mix the two together until the pistachio cream thoroughly coats the pastry.
- Break 200 g dark chocolate into smaller pieces and add to a heat-proof bowl. Melt the chocolate using a double boiler (put the heat-proof bowl on top of a smaller saucepan with boiling water) or a microwave. Once melted, stir.
- Depending on the size of your strawberries, cut them in half (smaller strawberries can be kept whole). You need 400 g strawberries.
- Layer the Dubai chocolate strawberry cups by arranging strawberries, then melted chocolate, then pistachio kataifi. Repeat the layering until the cups are full.
Notes
Equipment
