Dubai Chocolate Coffee Recipe (Pistachio Mocha with Crispy Kataifi)

"Dubai chocolate" became a viral sensation in 2024: a thick milk chocolate bar filled with pistachio cream and crunchy toasted kataifi (shredded phyllo pastry), originally from the Dubai dessert shop Fix Dessert Chocolatier. Cafés quickly turned the flavor into drinks. This recipe gets you the same combination at home — chocolate, nutty pistachio, and a crisp, buttery topping — in an iced or hot latte.

Recipe at a Glance

Essential Ingredients for Dubai Chocolate Coffee

• Pistachio cream (pistachio spread). The key ingredient. Look for one where pistachios are the first ingredient, sold in jars at Middle Eastern and Italian grocers or online. Pure pistachio butter works too but is less sweet — add a little sugar or syrup.
• Chocolate sauce. Store-bought mocha sauce, or make your own (below). Milk chocolate matches the original bar; dark chocolate makes it less sweet.
• Kataifi. Shredded phyllo dough, found in the freezer section of Middle Eastern and Greek grocers. Toasted in butter, it gives the signature crunch. If you can't find it, crushed toasted phyllo or a few crushed wafer cookies are the next best thing.
• Strong coffee. Espresso is best. No machine? A moka pot or AeroPress works well — see how to make espresso without a machine.
• Milk. Whole milk is richest. Oat milk pairs especially well with pistachio.

Step-by-Step Dubai Chocolate Coffee Recipe

1. Toast the kataifi (5 minutes)

1. Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a small skillet over medium heat.
2. Add a small handful (about 15 g) of kataifi, pulled apart and roughly chopped.
3. Stir constantly for 3–5 minutes until evenly golden and crisp. It goes from golden to burnt quickly, so don't walk away.
4. Transfer to a plate and let cool; it crisps further as it cools. Optionally stir in 1 tsp of pistachio cream for clusters.

2. Quick chocolate sauce (optional, makes about 4 drinks)

Whisk 3 tbsp cocoa powder, 3 tbsp sugar, and 4 tbsp hot water in a small pan over low heat until smooth and glossy. Stir in a pinch of salt. Keeps in the fridge for a week.

3. Build the drink

Iced version:

1. Drizzle 1 tbsp chocolate sauce and 1 tbsp pistachio cream around the inside of a tall glass.
2. Fill the glass with ice and pour in 180 ml of cold milk.
3. Pull or brew two shots of espresso and pour them over the top.
4. Stir, then top with cold foam or whipped cream, the toasted kataifi, and chopped pistachios.

Hot version:

1. Stir the pistachio cream and chocolate sauce into the hot espresso in your mug until dissolved.
2. Steam or froth 180 ml of milk to about 60°C (140°F) — no steam wand? See our guide to frothing milk without a machine.
3. Pour the milk over the espresso and top with kataifi and pistachios just before serving so the topping stays crisp.

Pro Tips for Perfect Dubai Chocolate Coffee

• Mix the pistachio cream into hot espresso first. Thick spreads don't dissolve in cold milk; in the iced version, stir well or blend the spread with the espresso before pouring.
• Taste before sweetening further. Pistachio creams vary a lot in sweetness.
• Add the topping at the last moment. Kataifi softens within a few minutes in liquid or foam.
• Use a medium or dark roast — chocolatey coffees (Brazil, Guatemala) suit this drink better than bright, fruity ones. See our espresso beans guide.

Variations and Customizations

• Pistachio cold foam: froth 60 ml of cold milk or cream with 1 tsp pistachio cream and 1 tsp sugar for a green-tinted foam.
• Blended: blend espresso, milk, pistachio cream, chocolate sauce, and a cup of ice until smooth.
• Less sweet: use dark chocolate sauce and unsweetened pistachio butter with a small amount of honey.
• Dairy-free: oat milk plus a dairy-free chocolate sauce; check that your pistachio cream contains no milk powder (many do).

Storing and Make-Ahead Tips

• Toasted kataifi keeps in an airtight container for 3–4 days; re-crisp in a dry pan for a minute if needed.
• Chocolate sauce keeps a week in the fridge.
• Make the drink fresh — espresso and foam don't hold well.

Nutrition Note

This is a dessert drink. Pistachio cream and chocolate sauce add substantial sugar and calories, and pistachio cream is a tree-nut product — important for anyone with allergies. For a lighter everyday version, halve the spreads and skip the whipped cream.