UAE: 5 must-try affordable alternatives to the viral pistachio kunafa chocolate

If you're on TikTok or Instagram and scrolling is your default pastime, chances are you’ve come across the viral Dubai chocolate by now. The pistachio kunafa chocolate has taken the Internet by storm, whether it’s people in Detroit trying to get their hands on a dupe or content creators in England coming up with DIY recipes to recreate the dessert at home.

The original brand that came up with the concept and blessed the world with this pistachio goodness is UAE's homegrown dessert brand called FIX Dessert Chocolatier founded by Sarah Hamouda.

With the ongoing fame that the chocolate has garnered, it’s no surprise that eateries around the UAE—and the world—have followed suit in recreating the viral Kunafa chocolate. Since the OG FIX chocolate is only available on Deliveroo, with ordering slots opening for a very limited time at 5pm every day, managing to place an order for this chocolate is quite a task.

The process of placing an order begins well before 5 pm, starting with setting an alarm to ensure you’re ready to place your order the moment the clock strikes five, as many people are waiting in the queue. Then, you open the Deliveroo link in the FIX Instagram bio, which redirects you to the food delivery app.

If you’re quick enough, you’ll be able to add the chocolate to your cart before it sells out—and beware, it sells out quickly. After managing to place an order and pay for it, the order can take up to an hour to get confirmed, depending on whether the place can actually fulfill the order.

Once that’s done, you eagerly await the Deliveroo rider to drop the chocolate at your doorstep—a moment that feels more like receiving a gold brick than an edible chocolate bar.

While FIX is the birthplace of the chocolate that now boasts several variations, it remains a must-try—even at the price point of around Dh68 (excluding delivery fees). Thick, crunchy, and generously filled with kunafa, it feels more like indulging in the Arabic dessert wrapped in chocolate rather than just eating a chocolate bar. As the label suggests, it’s truly an experience wrapped in rose gold foil.

If you miss the 5pm slot or prefer not to spend nearly Dh80 on a chocolate bar, there are plenty of alternatives across the UAE offering similar versions of the pistachio kunafa chocolate. And the good news is, many of these options taste almost identical to the FIX bar.

Noon x Vocca

Noon’s 15-minute delivery now offers The Big Daddy Chocolate in three flavours, including the viral pistachio kunafa. Though it sells out quickly, it's more readily available than the FIX bar and arrives in just 15 minutes. Say goodbye to long waits and enjoy your chocolate in no time. Vocca offers a premium chocolate coating to the pistachio kunafa, with a much thinner layer than the FIX version. Priced at Dh22.95, it’s more of an everyday treat than a dessert indulgence.

Lava Cake

This bakery in Jumeirah 3 offers its own version of the viral pistachio kunafa chocolate, priced at Dh35 for in-person pickup. The taste is remarkably close to the FIX bar, with a generous pistachio kunafa filling, but it's thinner, making it perfect for frequent enjoyment. It’s lighter than the FIX bar, equally delicious, and comes at half the price.

Chococart.ae

• Scam alert: Dubai's viral chocolate being sold on fake website, social media