10 spots to try viral Dubai chocolate on Long Island
It’s hard to tell whether a viral trend will stick or fade with time — but right now, Dubai chocolate is taking Long Island by storm. Created in 2021 by Dubai chocolatier Fix Dessert, the rich and crunchy treat went global in 2023 after TikTok videos spiked awareness, and it seems like it’s sticking around.
Owner Lisa Hodes at Sweeties Candy Cottage in Huntington crafts handmade Dubai Pistachio Kunafa chocolate treats. Credit: Newsday/Erica Marcus
On Long Island, there’s no shortage of restaurateurs and pastry chefs getting creative with the trend that blends milk chocolate, pistachio cream, knafeh (also known as kunafa) or kataifi (the phyllo dough used to make the Middle Eastern dessert) and even tahini in chocolate bars, sundaes, ice cream and cheesecakes. Here are some standout versions to try:
NY Caffeine
797 Hempstead Tpke., Franklin Square
Owner Michael Zervoudis started offering a range of Dubai chocolate treats in March, selling as many as 700 croissants and other Dubai products in a week. "We can’t keep up," he said, despite bringing on a baking assistant ... and then a second assistant.
The shop has a Dubai brownies, cupcakes and croissants (all $7.80), plus Dubai cookies ($6.50), crepes ($12.95), and the original Dubai chocolate bar ($10). Drinks include a Dubai chocolate frappé ($9.95 for large) and a milkshake ($8.50).
More info: 516-444-5966
Coco Confections & Coffee
365 Glen Cove Ave., Sea Cliff
Owner Terrence Kenniff started making Dubai chocolate products last fall after a neighbor sent him a TikTok video. He has sold thousands of bars, wholesaling across the country in states including Washington, Florida, Tennessee and Ohio.
Kenniff makes his own pistachio butter, grinding California pistachios adding tahini with toasted kataifi and uses a high-end Belgian chocolate for his treats. "I know a lot of places go out and buy premade pistachio cream, but I didn’t like that idea," he said. "I like to keep my ingredients simple; I think you get the best taste out of it."
Don’t expect to get that huge chunk of filling pouring out of the chocolate as seen on social media. "I like to keep the ratio [of filling and chocolate] a little bit more even, so you get a good amount of chocolate with the filling as well and I think it makes for a better experience overall," he said.
Dubai chocolate bars come in milk or dark chocolate ($9.35), or the truffle size Dubai chocolate bites ($3.79) as well as a Dubai chocolate latte ($8 for a large). Kenniff has fun with holiday riffs on the trend by making 4-ounce Dubai chocolate bunnies ($15.95) stuffed with pistachio and knafeh and Dubai chocolate snowmen for Christmas.
More info: 516-277-2657, coco-li.com
The Barn
2081 Merrick Rd., Merrick
A drinkable version of the viral trend is sold here as matcha latte ($8.05 for a large). The Barn in Merrick, which was a Dairy Barn, was purchased and opened two years ago by Anthony Abatemarco and his parents, Christine and Robert Abatemarco.
"We know that people love something that not only tastes good but looks good and so that’s really our main priority," Anthony Abatemarco said. "We also knew that we needed to do something different to separate us from the Dairy Barns of the past and make it clear that this was a new concept."
The Dubai chocolate latte is one of their top sellers, helping to double the shop's sales of specialty drinks like s’mores, sugar cookie and powdered doughnut-flavored lattes.
More info: 516-517-2154
The Dubai Pistachio Chocolate at Qahwah House. Credit: Danielle Daly
Qahwah House
541 Old Country Rd., Westbury
While Qahwah House showcases Yemeni culture, the shop also jumped on the Dubai chocolate trend, offering an elegant pistachio chocolate sphere with powdered gold. The creamy and crunchy chocolate has a brownie layer on the bottom and a thin coat of chocolate around the knafeh stuffing, with chocolate and pistachio mixed together ($8).
"We’re a Yemeni coffee shop and Dubai is not too far [from Yemen]," store manager Aymen Alsaidi said. "We’re very similar cultures and very similar people."
More info: 516-214-6143, qahwahhouse.com
Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices
850 Main St., Farmingdale, 531 Franklin Ave., Franklin Square and 242 Merrick Rd., Oceanside
The Dubai Chocolate Sundae at Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices in Farmingdale. Credit: Danielle Daly
Co-owner Gilda Bilardello debuted the Dubai Chocolate Sundae ($12) in March, made with vanilla or chocolate soft serve, hot fudge, homemade kataifi mix (chopped pistachios, roasted kataifi and chocolate bits) as well as pistachio cream and fresh whipped cream. Guests can also substitute any of Ralph's 12 ice cream flavors or many Italian ice flavors. Farmingdale store manager Dana Poppe said they can sell up to 40 Dubai sundaes in a day.
The shop also has a 20-ounce Dubai chocolate shake ($12) that's a hard shell of chocolate fudge around the inside the cup, made with pistachio ice cream, homemade Dubai chocolate mix including kataifi and pistachios, salted caramel and whipped cream. The shake also includes a mouthwatering chocolate shell drizzle on top.
More info: 516-249-2925, ralphsices.com
Sweeties Candy Cottage
142 E. Main St., Huntington
Owner Lisa Hodes offers a Dubai Pistachio Angel Hair Cotton Candy chocolate bar made with milk, dark or white chocolate packed with pistachio cream, kunafa and Turkish cotton candy ($22.50). Other options include a classic Dubai chocolate bar ($12) and an 8-ounce jar of Dubai chocolate made for dipping ($15). Hodes routinely offers holiday-themed versions of the trend as well. "I was thinking that it was a fad already, twice," Hodes said, but interest in the viral trend endures.
More info: 631-423-7625, sweetiescandycottage.com
Brunch Sayville
32 Foster Ave., Sayville
While Brunch Sayville owner Michelle Panciarello considers herself to be "terrible with trends," she’s keeping up with this one by stocking a fluffy and crunchy Dubai Chocolate croissant ($8) that's become one of the top three bestsellers at the shop. "It is an interesting combination of flavor and texture between the tahini and the pistachio crème," she said.
More info: 631-319-1556, brunchsayville.com
The Dirty Cheesecake, Made By Lili's
102 W. Main St., Smithtown (631-780-5320), and 1160 Deer Park Ave., North Babylon (631-392-1500)
The Dubai Chocolate Cheesecake on a stick at The Dirty Cheesecake in Smithtown. Credit: Danielle Daly
Co-owner Tarek Hassanin, of The Dirty Cheesecake in Smithtown, traveled to Dubai a few weeks ago and soon started offering the popular treat on Long Island. Now he's selling about 200 slices of Dubai cheesecake ($14.99) a day. Up next: Dubai chocolate-covered strawberries with added cheesecake ($19.99), and milkshake($12.99).
More info: thedirtycheesecake.com
Magic Fountain
9825 Main Rd., Mattituck
The longtime homemade ice cream shop on the North Fork makes its own Dubai chocolate ice cream flavor ($11.50 for a pint). Owner Choudry Ali uses dark chocolate with pistachio flavoring and lets it sit in the fridge for a day. Then comes more ground pistachio nuts and phyllo dough, which is hand mixed once the chocolate ice cream is ready. "It just took off, people liked it." Ali said. "Now that everybody knows that we have it, I can’t make enough of it."
More info: 631-298-4908, magicfountainlongisland.com
The Frisky Oyster
27 Front St., Greenport
Dubai chocolate pistachio cake at The Frisky Oyster in Greenport. Credit: Noah Fecks
The Front Street restaurant added a Dubai chocolate pistachio cake on its dessert menu that has become one of its top three sellers, according to owner Robby Beaver. The dairy free slice is baked from black onyx cocoa powder, apple cider vinegar, banana and coconut milk. "It’s a good representation of what we try to do on our dessert menu anyway and it just seemed like the right time to jump on the bandwagon and say hey, we can do something cool with that too," Beaver said.
More info: 631-477-4265, thefriskyoyster.com
Melissa Azofeifa is a restaurants reporter with Newsday's FeedMe team. Having grown up on Long Island, she loves talking about food and its impact on culture. A graduate of Stony Brook University, she joined Newsday in the fall of 2024.
