Following the popularity of the UAE-made original, a host of Dubai Chocolate-style bars have flooded the market. But which tastes best? Getty Images
Following the popularity of the UAE-made original, a host of Dubai Chocolate-style bars have flooded the market. But which tastes best? Getty Images
Following the popularity of the UAE-made original, a host of Dubai Chocolate-style bars have flooded the market. But which tastes best? Getty Images
Following the popularity of the UAE-made original, a host of Dubai Chocolate-style bars have flooded the market. But which tastes best? Getty Images

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Food

Dubai chocolate ranked: Are knock-offs as good as the original?

Fix Dessert Chocolatier's Can't Get Knafeh Of It bar went viral last year thanks to its unique filling mixture

Evelyn Lau
Evelyn Lau

April 22, 2025

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  • Arabic

Dubai chocolate was one of the biggest trends of the last year. Created by Sarah Hamouda of Fix Dessert Chocolatier, the popular treat consists of a chocolate bar filled with pistachio and kunafa, giving it a unique crunchy green texture inside.

Since the sweet treat has gone viral, it has inspired many copycats, with variations appearing around the world. This includes the UAE – where they can be found in grocery stores, petrol stations and even the local baqala – ranging in different sizes and coming in at different price points.

So, to help clear the confusion, a team of The National's foodies have tested five Dubai-style chocolate bars (including the original) and given them our honest ratings in a blind taste test.

5. Milk Chocolate Pistachio Kunafa Bar, Zokolat

Score: 1/10

Price: Dh30

Unfortunately, this bar (which we found at a local Adnoc petrol station, but it can also be purchased online) lacks any real semblance to the original Dubai chocolate except in name. In our opinion, the size is too small, there seems to be barely any kunafa inside the bar and even the chocolate has a bit of an artificial taste. For the pricing, it should come with way more, but at only 60 grams, it’s a bit disappointing.

4. Can't Get Knafeh of It, Fix Dessert Chocolatier

Score: 4/10

Price: Dh69

The original, called Can't Get Knafeh of It, may have drawn some mixed feelings, but it truly depends on your taste buds. Compared to the other bars we tried, Fix’s chocolate had a slightly lingering aftertaste of tahini, which some people might enjoy, but we weren’t big fans of. This will be a personal preference, though. The bar is available for order on Deliveroo in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

3. Dubai Chocolate, Fex

Score: 6/10

Price: Dh28

Although the name is awfully close to the original, Fex surprised with its version of Dubai chocolate. It is a well-balanced mix of chocolate and kunafa, although we disagreed about whether it had enough mix of pistachio (which again, will come down to personal preference). However, for the price point, it is a good deal for what you get in return. The chocolate bar can be found on Instashop.

2. The Pistachio DXB Kunafa, ChocoGlam

Score: 8.5/10

Price: Dh59

This bar from ChocoGlam lives up to the hype of what “Dubai chocolate” should taste like, but is noticeably on the sweeter end (which some will enjoy, while others may not). Also found at Adnoc petrol stations as well as online, ChocoGlam’s version of Dubai chocolate would satisfy most people looking to get their fix of the sweet treat. All of the ingredients are well portioned and everything tastes fresh.

1. The Big Daddy, Noon

Noon's Grand Daddy pistachio kunafa bar is made in collaboration with Vocca. Photo: Noon
Noon's Grand Daddy pistachio kunafa bar is made in collaboration with Vocca. Photo: Noon

Score: 9/10

Price: Dh40

It was a tough call, but Noon’s version of Dubai chocolate came out on top. Called the Grand Daddy, it packs a punch with every bite thanks to its bold mix of all the signature ingredients. We found the kunafa to be crunchy, the chocolate satisfyingly hitting the sweet spot (without going overboard) and the pistachio flavour standing out right away, tying everything together in one bite. Most importantly, it was the one we all agreed on deserving high marks. Made in collaboration with Dubai chocolate company Vocca, Noon has a range of Big Daddy sweets, which includes Baby Daddy, Big Daddy and Grand Daddy bars.

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Date started: 2014

Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand

Number of employees: 125

Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners

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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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