Just when you thought the Dubai chocolate trend was over, it revives itself in the form of a chewy cookie.
Social media has recently been flooded with creators making these Dubai chocolate-inspired treats, and bakeries nationwide are already selling them. These no-bake cookies generally feature a crispy kataifi and pistachio spread interior and are coated with a chewy chocolatey marshmallow exterior, creating that signature Dubai chocolate crunch paired with stretchy marshmallow.
Who started the Dubai chewy cookie trend?
South Korean pastry chef Kim Na-ra created the Dubai chewy cookie, or dujjonkus, back in April 2025 at Mond Cookie. The creation launched the dessert craze in South Korea, which peaked in popularity over the winter. While the trend has died down in South Korea, it has picked up momentum in the United States.
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Where can I buy the Dubai chewy cookie?
Many U.S.-based bakeries have recently hopped on the trend. Ugly Donuts and Corn Dogs, which has a presence in New York, New Jersey and Texas, ships its Dubai chewy cookies nationwide. But bakeries in other markets, too, may be offering the dessert. For example, San Francisco Bay Area-based Kake Bake Studio offers a version of the trending treat, as does Bake in Las Vegas.
How can I make the Dubai chewy cookie myself?
I followed a recipe from i am a food blog, but similar recipes can easily be found on TikTok and Instagram.
Generally, these recipes instruct you to cook the chopped kataifi in melted butter until golden, then mix with pistachio cream, tahini and salt before scooping it into small spheres and freezing to harden. While the kataifi-pistachio mixture freezes, melt together butter, marshmallows, cocoa powder and milk powder over the stove. Pour the marshmallow mixture onto an oiled surface and use oiled gloves to shape it into discs. Wrap each marshmallow disk around a kataifi-pistachio sphere and roll the ball in cocoa powder.
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I went to a local Middle Eastern market to source the kataifi (in the freezer section), pistachio cream and milk powder. While there, I picked up a pack of marshmallows, which made my total grocery bill for four items $33. (And now I have no clue what to do with an entire container of milk powder.) I omitted the tahini because it felt like a waste to buy an entire jar of tahini just to use 1 tablespoon.
The recipe itself is relatively straightforward up until the point where you have to deal with melted marshmallows. The marshmallow mixture becomes extremely sticky, and handling it with oiled hands did not work for me, as it just clung to my fingers and would not shape into a ball. Once I switched to gloves, I was able to form the cookie.
What’s next for Dubai chocolate?
The Dubai chewy cookie trend has inspired a variety of other dessert creations, including Dubai sushi. The dessert is shaped like nigiri, with the rice being the pistachio-kataifi mixture and the sashimi being made from marshmallow. In California, you can find this dessert at Mama Chai’s in Fullerton, where it’s served with chocolate and pistachio sauce for dipping. It’s also been spotted in Japan.
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Another rendition of the Dubai chewy cookie is the Dubai chewy pizza, featuring a crispy pizza crust topped with kataifi-pistachio mixture, a layer of chocolate marshmallow and a sprinkling of cocoa powder.
Other creations include the Dubai chocolate coffee cup and the Dubai chocolate burger.
