If you’re anything like me and have spent more than five minutes on social media (it’s my job!), you’ve probably seen some version of a viral Dubai chocolate bar. Dubai chocolate really took off in 2024, but we still can’t get enough of it! Glossy chocolate shell, tasty pistachio centre, sweet, nutty and creamy all at once.

Personally, I’ve always loved pistachio – proper pistachio gelato has to be up there among the top foods in the world – so discovering that a pistachio chocolate bar with added shredded coconut existed was truly incredible for me!

But they’re also usually:

very sweet
made with a long list of ingredients
heavy on refined sugar
not really something you’d want to eat too often!

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We bought the M&S Pistachio Creme last year and it was SO good – but unfortunately not UPF free, and it’s prettyyyy high in sugar. While we try to eat UPF free as much as we can, we haven’t cut it out 100% so I sometimes like to enjoy this with medjool dates. I also had a version of Dubai chocolate strawberries recently which gave me the idea to mix it up with something slightly more healthy.

Then I spotted some pistachio butter on Ocado and then wondered why I hadn’t realised that was even a thing before! I mean, everyone’s heard of peanut butter and almond butter, but it just never occurred to me that pistachio butter would even exist! I tried medjool dates dipped in this and it was great (sadly, no match for the sugar-laden pistachio creme!) and it hit me:

Surely we could make our own Dubai pistachio chocolate bars using this pistachio butter!

This Dubai chocolate bar recipe pulls together around 8 plant points, or potentially more depending on your seed and nut mixes. They’re a sweet treat that doesn’t feel like a compromise!

We like to make these as little Dubai chocolate snack “bites” rather than bars as the moulds we use a little silicon muffin trays, but it could work with any shape of mould. I recommend using silicon moulds so that they pop out easily and to give the chocolate layer a lovely glossy shine.

My Dubai chocolate bites are inspired by the flavours and vibe of the viral chocolate bar, but made with:

nuts
dates
pistachio butter
coconut
dark chocolate
and simple cupboard ingredients

They’re no bake, easy to make in batches, freezer-friendly, and genuinely so satisfying. The kind of thing you grab when you want “something sweet” but don’t want to feel like you’ve had something too sickly sweet afterwards.

They also look very impressive for a low effort snack too! We make them in batches once every 2 weeks (sometimes swapping in peanut butter too – more on that later!).

Why you’ll LOVE these healthy Dubai chocolate snacks

They satisfy a sweet tooth without relying on refined sugar
They’re made with real, whole ingredients
They have a rich dark chocolate flavour
They feel indulgent, but they’re still a genuinely healthier version of most chocolate snacks
They’re naturally gluten-free and easy to make dairy-free
They’re great for kids, lunchboxes, afternoon snacks, or after dinner
You can keep a stash in the freezer and pull one out whenever you need a treat

Honestly, these have become one of those “back-pocket recipes” in our house. They disappear faster than I expect every single time I make them – especially now the kids have them on their easy-to-grab snack shelf!

Here’s what you’ll need:

Dark chocolate – we try to look for a UPF free one with no soy lecithins
Coconut oil – for the chocolate topping and nutty base
Pistachio butter – it’s expensive but so worth it for the small amount you use
Desiccated (or shredded) coconut – for that authentic crunchy texture
Mixed nuts – we like to use cashews, walnuts and almonds
Mixed seeds – full mix coming soon but my main recommendations are chia seeds and pumpkin seeds for this

Equipment Tips (what we use)

We make these in silicon mini muffin trays, and I honestly think this makes all the difference!

Easy to pop out

Neat, even portions

A super shiny finish with a glossy top

You could use a small loaf pan or a tray lined with parchment paper instead and cut it into squares, but the silicone moulds just make everything feel a bit more polished. Or for the ultimate viral Dubai chocolate bar, you could use a chocolate bar mold!

How to make healthy Dubai chocolate snacks

Melt the chocolate. Melt dark chocolate and coconut oil, spoon into moulds, and freeze for 5–10 minutes until just set.
Add pistachio layer. Mix pistachio butter with coconut, spoon a thin layer over the chocolate, and return to the freezer.
Blend the base. Blitz nuts, dates, seeds and coconut oil until sticky, press on top, and freeze until firm.
Finish and store. Pop out, sprinkle with salt if you like, and store in the fridge or freezer.

You build these in layers, freezing briefly between each one. It sounds fiddly, but it’s actually very simple once you get going – and each layer takes very little time to set in the freezer!

1. Make the chocolate topping

Break the dark chocolate into a bowl and add the coconut oil.

Melt either:

over a pan of hot water (bain marie), or
in the microwave in short 30-second intervals, stirring between each

Spoon a thin layer of melted chocolate into the bottom of each silicone mould. You don’t need loads here, just enough to coat the base.

(If you have excess chocolate leftover, you can use the remaining chocolate to make an easy chocolate bark! We’ll put together a recipe for this soon!)

Pop the tray into the freezer for around 5-10 minutes. It needs to be set enough that it won’t move around when you add the pistachio paste, but not so hard that the layers won’t stick together easily.

This becomes the top of your snack when you turn them out later!

2. Add the pistachio paste

In a small bowl, mix the pistachio butter and desiccated coconut. You can use toasted coconut too for a nuttier flavour.

This mixture is rich, so you only need a small amount per snack. A thin layer is perfect and keeps the balance right between chocolate, nut and pistachio.

Spoon a little onto each one, gently flatten it out with the back of a spoon, and return to the freezer while you mix up the nuts and dates.

3. Make the nut & date layer

Add the mixed nuts, dates, seed mix and coconut oil to a food processor.

Blend until you get a sticky mixture that holds together when pressed between your fingers. You don’t want it completely smooth, a bit of texture makes these much nicer to eat.

Spoon some of this pistachio mixture on top of the set chocolate layer and press it down gently with the back of a spoon so it’s flat across the top – this will be your base, remember!

Return the tray to the freezer.

4. Turn out and enjoy

Once they’re set, pop them out of the moulds and admire that glossy chocolate top! You can sprinkle a little bit of flaked sea salt on the top too if you like that punch (personally, I do!).

Store them in the fridge or freezer and grab one whenever you fancy something sweet.

We prefer them straight from the freezer – the texture is firmer, the chocolate has a satisfying snap, and they feel extra yummy. The coconut oil in the chocolate makes sure that they’re not too difficult to bite through (we’ve made that mistake before!)

A quick note on the seed mix

If you’re wondering whether 1 tablespoon is enough, the answer is yes – it’s perfect here.

You’re adding seeds for:

extra plants
subtle texture
nutritional variety

Too much and the mixture can become dry or overly gritty. One tablespoon keeps the balance spot on.

Tips for the best results

Don’t rush the freezing stages. Each layer needs to be firm enough before you add the next, otherwise everything blends together!

Use good quality dark chocolate. It makes a huge difference to flavour and helps to keep these as a healthy snack.

Taste your nut layer before shaping. If your dates are less sweet, you might want to add one extra date.

Don’t overfill the moulds. These are meant to be little snacks, not giant bars. You can have a couple of them then!

Let them sit for a minute before eating if they’ve just come out of the freezer – the flavour comes through better once they soften ever so slightly.

FAQs

You can, but the texture will be chunkier. Finely chop the nuts and dates by hand, mix well, and press firmly into the moulds. They won’t be quite as cohesive, but they’ll still taste great.

They can be. Just make sure you use dairy-free dark chocolate or vegan chocolate.

You could experiment with seed butter instead of pistachio butter, and use seeds in the base instead, but I’ll be honest, they will taste quite different and I can’t promise they will work! If nut-free is important for you, it’s worth testing a small batch.

They keep well in an airtight container:

around a week in the fridge
several weeks in the freezer

We keep ours in the fridge once they’re set and take them out as needed.

You can absolutely use homemade pistachio butter for these Dubai style chocolate bites! We’ll put together a homemade pistachio butter recipe and a homemade pistachio cream recipe soon!

Variations and easy swaps

Swap pistachio butter for almond butter or cashew butter
You can use whole or ground pistachios in the pistachio layer if you can’t get pistachio butter
Add a pinch of flaked sea salt to the chocolate layer (it brings out the sweetness!)
I think they’d also be great with a hint of tahini in the nut mixture
Add cacao nibs to the nut layer for extra crunch (and another plant point!)
Add a spoon of oats to the base if you want a more energy-ball-style texture
You could use milk chocolate instead of dark for a more indulgent treat, but remember this will be higher in sugar
You could also use store-bought pistachio cream, but remember again that this will mean they’re a lot higher in sugar

What to serve with these healthy chocolate snacks

The beauty of these little snacks is that they can be eaten any time or place! I actually have some sat on my desk in my office right now while I write this post!

These are perfect on their own, but they’re also lovely:

alongside coffee
as part of a little snack board
chopped up and stirred into yoghurt
served with berries for a simple dessert
tucked into lunchboxes as a healthier treat

They’re one of those things that feel versatile enough to grab at any time throughout the day for a sweet healthy treat or energy boost. Any time I’m feeling snackish and want a chocolatey hit, I grab one of these.

I love recipes like this because they sit right in the middle of real life. They’re not “perfect health food” and they’re not ultra-processed dessert either. They’re just good, honest, homemade snacks that feel nourishing and enjoyable. And the kids love them too!

If you’ve been curious about the viral Dubai chocolate bar but want something more practical for everyday life, these healthy Dubai chocolate snacks are a really good place to start.

And if you make them and tweak them (different nuts, extra coconut, more chocolate, less chocolate, anything!), we’d really love to hear how they turn out!