Where this trend actually came from
Dubai chocolate is one of the rare viral food trends our desk could trace to an actual named person running an actual small business, rather than a vague internet rumor. It came out of Fix Dessert Chocolatier, a Dubai-based chocolate company that started as a side hustle before a single TikTok video turned it into a global phenomenon overnight.
The name attached to this trend
We independently confirmed this one: Fix Dessert Chocolatier was founded by Sarah Hamouda, a British-Egyptian entrepreneur, who launched the company in 2021 as a side hustle. By her own account, the idea began during pregnancy — she described craving something "creamy, crunchy, and familiar but still a little unexpected" and not being able to find it anywhere. That craving became the bar now known online as "Dubai chocolate," built around knafeh (also spelled kunafa or kanafeh), a classic Middle Eastern dessert that traditionally combines pistachio, tahini, and shredded kadaif pastry. One nuance worth flagging: while the company itself launched in 2021, some of our sources place the creation of the specific "Can't Get Knafeh Of It" bar in 2022 — so if you see the bar's debut dated to either year, both have some basis, depending on whether it's referring to the company or the specific product. A viral TikTok video of the bar later drove roughly 30,000 orders in a single hour.
What the claim actually is
Two separate claims travel together under the "Dubai chocolate" name. The first is the origin story itself — that it was invented by one specific person in Dubai and went viral almost by accident. The second, much shakier claim comes from the wave of copycat recipes that followed: that you can whip up your own version at home in about five minutes.
What we found
The origin story holds up under our check — it's a real product from a real, named founder and a real company, not an anonymous internet legend. The "5-minute" framing on so many copycat videos is where things get overstated. A genuine homemade version is absolutely achievable in a home kitchen, but it involves real technique: toasting kadaif pastry evenly without burning it, properly tempering chocolate so it sets with a clean snap instead of going dull and streaky, and balancing the pistachio filling so it's neither too oily nor too stiff. None of that is hard exactly, but none of it happens in five minutes either, especially the chocolate tempering step, which rewards patience more than speed.
The Verdict
Mixed, leaning true on the part that matters most. The origin story is genuinely true — Sarah Hamouda really did create it, and the company really did launch in 2021. Where the trend overclaims is in the "5-minute copycat" framing; a real homemade version takes real technique and more than a few minutes.
How to make it — an honest home version
- Chop kadaif (kataifi) pastry into small pieces and toast it in melted butter over medium-low heat, stirring often, until evenly golden. This step needs your attention — it goes from golden to burnt quickly.
- Let the toasted pastry cool slightly, then fold it together with pistachio cream and a spoonful of tahini until evenly coated.
- Melt or temper your chocolate of choice (milk or dark) so it sets with a clean, glossy finish rather than staying soft.
- Spread a thin layer of chocolate into a bar mold and let it firm up slightly.
- Fill the mold with the pistachio-kadaif mixture, pressing it in an even layer.
- Top with a final layer of chocolate, smooth it out, and refrigerate until fully set before unmolding.
What you'll need
- Kadaif (kataifi) shredded pastryThe shredded phyllo pastry that gives the filling its signature crunchSee on Amazon
- Pistachio cream spreadThe base of the filling, alongside the tahiniSee on Amazon
- TahiniAdds the traditional knafeh flavor balance to the pistachio fillingSee on Amazon
- Silicone chocolate bar moldFor shaping and unmolding clean, even barsSee on Amazon
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Sources
- CNN Travel, "Meet the woman behind Dubai's viral super-chunky chocolate bar"
- Entrepreneur (MENA), "FIX Your Cravings: Inside the World of FIX Chocolate's Sarah Hamouda"
- Falstaff, "An interview with Sarah Hamouda, creator of Dubai chocolate"
- Francesca Tabor, "Dubai Chocolate Founder: 'We Had 30,000 Orders in 1 Hour!' — Sarah Hamouda"