Dubai Chocolate Bar Cookies
These Dubai Chocolate Bar Cookies are our way of bringing the viral treat straight to your kitchen. Inspired by the iconic Dubai chocolate bars, crispy, creamy, and widely delicious, we knew we had to turn them into a cookie for anyone who couldn’t get their hands on the real thing but still wanted in on the flavor fun. With rich chocolate cookie dough and that signature pistachio filled center, this cookie version delivers all the hype worthy flavors in an easy, bake at home form!
Decorate Your Way
One of the best things about these Dubai chocolate bar cookies is that there’s no wrong way to assemble them. You can tuck the pistachio filling right into the center for a surprise bite, or layer it on top like we did here for a more dramatic, bakery style look. Drizzle on extra chocolate, keep it clean and simple, or go all out with toppings, crushed pistachios, flakey sea salt, or even a little extra kataifi crunch. These are also perfect for Easter, as the kataifi filling makes the perfect nest look to add your chocolate eggs!
Confession: I’m not even a big pistachio fan, and I was still obsessed with these. That’s how good they are. The chocolate cookie plus a creamy and crunch filling combo just works, and if you love pistachio even a little, you’ll be hooked. But if you’re less of a pistachio person than me, this recipe is super easy to customize. Swap in your favorite nut butter or spread instead, think Biscoff, peanut butter, cashew butter (surprisingly incredible), or whatever you have on hand, and you’ll still end up with a rich, delicious cookie that tastes better than it looks!
Why I Measure in Grams (and You Might Want To, Too)
If you’ve ever made the same recipe twice and gotten two totally different results, the measuring method is often the reason.
Professional bakeries almost always measure by weight, not volume. Measuring cups leave room for inconsistency—especially with ingredients that pack differently depending on how you scoop or pour them. A scale removes all of that guesswork.
One of the biggest offenders is sugar. Different sugars (and even the same sugar measured by different people) can vary wildly in volume, but 100 grams is always 100 grams. Measuring by weight gives you repeatable, bakery-consistent results and cuts down on extra dishes at the same time.
A food scale is one of the best (and most affordable) investments you can make for your kitchen if you love baking and want your recipes to turn out exactly the same every time.
Ingredients To Prepare
Before baking, take a few minutes to gather the ingredients below and to ensure that they are soft, chewy, with the perfect Dubai chocolate flavor!
Once you have all of the ingredients ready to go, you’re officially set up for Dubai Chocolate Cookie success. I always recommend measuring everything out ahead of time so the process is smoother, and you can focus on making the best cookies possible!
Dubai Chocolate Bar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp molasses
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 cups kataifi
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp Tahini
- 1/2 cup spreadable pistachio cream
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Method
- Add a medium saucepan to the stovetop over medium-low heat. Melt the butter, then add the kataifi. Stir continuously for 8–10 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from heat and let cool for 10–15 minutes.
- Once cooled, mix the toasted kataifi with tahini and pistachio cream until fully combined. Scoop 1 tablespoon portions onto a parchment-lined plate or tray and chill in the freezer until firm.
- Preheat oven to 350°F convection. Beat the room-temperature butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar using a whisk or paddle attachment until light and off-white, about 1–2 minutes.
- Add the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract, mixing until combined.
- Fold in the cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and baking soda until just combined.
- Bake one test cookie to check spread and flavor.
- Scoop ⅓ cup of cookie dough and flatten it in your palm. Place a chilled pistachio filling ball in the center, then fold the dough around it and roll into a ball. Roll each cookie dough ball in granulated sugar.
- Place cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined baking tray and bake for 12–13 minutes.
- While cookies are hot, use a round bowl, cup, or cookie cutter to gently swirl around each cookie to create clean, circular edges. Let cookies rest on the tray for 10 minutes before transferring.
- Enjoy warm or store cookies in a chilled environment for up to 8 days.
Nutrition
Notes
Private Notes
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