Dubai chocolate trend spreads
The ‘Dubai chocolate’ craze has moved into drinks and no‑bake desserts—Baskin‑Robbins rolled a limited Dubai Chocolate Shake and cafes are sharing pistachio-and‑kataifi chocolate cups recipes ( ). At the same time manufacturers face supply and demand pressure: Barry Callebaut cut its operating profit forecast and warned of cocoa-market overcapacity and supply disruptions, a move that sent its shares tumbling ( ).
Dubai chocolate has moved from a viral candy bar into a wider dessert category, with Baskin-Robbins selling a limited-time shake and home cooks turning the pistachio-kataifi mix into no-bake cups. (stories.inspirebrands.com) Baskin-Robbins said on April 1 that its Dubai chocolate-inspired lineup would run through April and May 2026 and include a shake, sundae, scoop and a new “Cake in a Box.” The shake blends Pistachio Chocolate Bar Ice Cream with pistachio sauce, fudge drizzle and kadayif, another spelling of kataifi. (stories.inspirebrands.com) Recipe sites are pushing the same flavor profile into simpler formats that do not require baking. One widely shared version uses a chocolate shell filled with toasted kataifi, pistachio cream and tahini, then chills the cups until set. (theboatshedcafe.com) The formula is recognizable because “Dubai chocolate” now names a specific texture as much as a flavor: chocolate outside, creamy pistachio center, and crisp shredded pastry for crunch. Encyclopaedia Britannica says the bar was first produced by FIX Dessert Chocolatier in Dubai in 2022 and broke out on TikTok in late 2023. (britannica.com) That spread is reaching big chains just as the industrial chocolate business is under pressure. Barry Callebaut, the world’s largest chocolate maker, cut its 2025-26 operating profit outlook on April 16 and said earnings before interest and tax would fall by a mid-teens percentage. (cnbc.com) The company blamed falling cocoa prices, industry overcapacity, volume declines and supply disruption linked to the Iran war. CNBC reported the stock fell as much as 17% on the warning, while Reuters reported shares were down about 12% in early trading. (cnbc.com, msn.com) Cocoa prices themselves have swung sharply in the opposite direction from last year’s spike. CNBC, citing Trading Economics data, said cocoa was down 41.6% since the start of 2026 and 57.6% over 12 months as of April 16, even after a rebound in the previous week. (cnbc.com) So the consumer side of the market is expanding sideways, not just upward: the original bar has become shakes, sundaes and chilled cups while manufacturers navigate a cocoa market moving faster than retail menus do. For now, the crunch of pistachio and kataifi is still spreading even as the commodity underneath it stays volatile. (stories.inspirebrands.com, theboatshedcafe.com, cnbc.com)
