Costco is jumping on the Dubai chocolate bandwagon this spring, as the beloved bulk retailer unveiled a new ice cream inspired by the Middle Eastern favorite.
Food blogger Markie Devo announced this week that Dubai Chocolate Ice Cream is coming to Costco’s frozen section. The “hand-dipped frozen dessert” — filled with pistachio ice cream and topped with a crispy layer of milk chocolate — is inspired by an Instagram-worthy chocolate bar that’s been going viral over the past few months.
It’s easy to see why this dessert has taken the world by storm: It’s a thick chocolate bar base filled with pistachio cream and khatafi (toasted puff pastry crumbs) that add a crunchy texture to the smooth filling. The dessert’s popularity is thanks to Fix Dessert Chocolatier, a local Dubai-based chocolate producer run by husband-and-wife team Sarah Hamouda and Yezen Alani. The trend was sparked by content creator Maria Vehera’s now-viral video of the chocolate bar titled “Can’t Get Knafeh of It.”
Costco’s version is reportedly on its way to shelves. Afters Ice Cream, the Southern California brand that created the ice cream exclusively for Costco, debuted the flavor at the Coachella music festival earlier this month. (We’re guessing they’ll be priced slightly higher than the bulk retailer’s boxed ice cream, though.) The brand, which launched in 2014, already offers flavors like Ube and Saigon in pints.
Judging by photos of the warehouse store, a box of 10 bars retails for $18 — a steep price to try a new treat, as some Reddit users commented. Still, that hasn’t stopped food bloggers from snapping up the dessert during their Costco trips.
It’s not just imagination, brands and restaurants are pushing pistachio flavors hard this season. Shake Shack is rolling out a crumbly chocolate pistachio Dubai Shake at select coastal locations, while Dunkin’ is bringing back its popular Pistachio Swirl flavor this spring.
While the original Dubai Chocolate Bar (available only in Dubai via Deliveroo and a few importers in the U.S.) is set to go viral in late 2023, the product development team needs more time to finalize its brand’s strategy for creating blockbuster products. Regardless, this crunchy and delicious chocolate bar could be a case study for brands in creating blockbuster recipes.
This spring, the rich nutty aroma of Dubai Chocolate is everywhere. At some point, you’ll no longer ask yourself “if you want to try it”, but “when”.
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