Nutty Fruity Dubai Chocolate Review
Author’s Note: Not a paid review. I have no affiliation with Nutty Fruity or Costco.
Thoughts from the last person on earth.
I am probably the last person on earth to finally try Dubai Chocolate. But, in my defense, I had a pretty big backlog of stuff to eat. And a shriveled wallet that just needed a break, man! Food shenanigans get expensive, you know.
First, a disclaimer: I am generally not a fan of milk chocolate. I almost didn’t buy these Nutty Fruity Dubai Chocolates, because they only come in milk chocolate. But, I was insatiably curious, so I bit the chocolate bullet.
What even is Dubai Chocolate?
If you’re wondering what exactly “Dubai Chocolate” is, it’s a pistachio & sesame paste mixed with crunchy kadayif (a traditional Middle Eastern noodle-like filo pastry) and coated in milk chocolate. This confection hasn’t been around very long, originating in Dubai in 2021. Last year (2024) was the year it reached a fever pitch online, however. And now, in 2025, Dubai Chocolate is seemingly everywhere — from ice cream bars, to cakes, to even chocolate covered strawberries (which I think is weird, but nobody asked me, did they?).
While authentically imported from the Middle East, this Nutty Fruity version is produced in Turkey, rather than Dubai or the UAE.
What does it taste like?
Anyway. My newbie take on this confection is that the flavors are robust and unique. There’s the nutty pistachio flavor, and the sharper notes of sesame, with a lush overtone of vanilla and cocoa butter from the chocolate. It’s not like any candy I’ve ever tasted before.
The pistachio paste is much drier than I expected. Not as creamy or silky. It doesn’t ooze out of the bar at all. It’s mixed tightly into the kadayif bits, creating a firm center. It’s firmer than a Reese’s cup.
Being a crunch-lover, I adored the aggressive crackle of the kadayif. It has a sort of candied-sweet toasted taste, but pretzel-like crispness. The fragments are noodle-like and denser than I expected, but I relished it.
(For another fancy nut-butter treat, check out my review of The Fresh Market’s Peanut Butter Cups.)
Milk chocolate coating
The actual milk chocolate coating is THICK. And, unless it’s refrigerated, it’s somewhat soft and melty, which I didn’t like. Too flexible. Slightly sticky in my warm Florida house. And much too sugary. But, fantastic cocoa butter aroma, and very “milky.” I definitely would have preferred dark chocolate, of course. And, I would have preferred a smaller chocolate-to-filling ratio.
How big are the bars?
I was surprised how large the individually wrapped candies are. I expected them to be bite-sized nuggets, but they’re like small candy bars. They’re heavy and thick, so each one is extremely filling. I could only eat half at a time. But, that’s partially due to how sweet they are.
I also found it weird that the wrappers aren’t labeled. They’re just blank gold foil. If you’re noshing the whole bag, alone, by yourself, who cares? But, if you’re like me, and you like to slip treats to your coworkers, well… you’ll have to explain what these mystery packets are. The blank wrappers just looks a bit cheap. And, errr, like a questionable “gray market” product. I guess?
(For another nutty Middle Eastern sweet treat, check out my review of this giant Baklava tray from Costco.)
Ingredients in Nutty Fruity Dubai Chocolate Bars
Here is my best attempt at typing out the ingredients, from the label:
- Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Whole Milk Powder, Whey Powder, Cocoa Mass, Skimmed Milk Powder, Lecithin [Soy, Sunflower], Natural Vanilla Flavor)
- Pistachio Kadayif Filling (Roasted Pistachios, Sugar, Sunflower Oil, Wheat Flour, Salt, Lecithin [Soy, Sunflower], Sesame Seeds)
These treats are made in Turkey.
Nutrition Facts
A serving is 1 chocolate bar and contains 150 calories. You get 9 grams of fat (4 grams saturated fat) and 2 grams of protein. There are 15 total grams carbohydrates, of which 13 grams are sugars (all of them are “added sugars”). You also get less than 1 gram fiber. There’s 4% your daily value each of iron and calcium.
Price and Servings
The 16 ounce bag cost $15 at my local Costco. Since there are 15 servings per bag, each bar costs $1. Per ounce, these treats are 94 cents.
Shelf Life
The “best by” date on my bag allowed just over 1 year to consume. I stored mine in the refrigerator, to prolong the lifespan as much as possible.
Dramatic Conclusion
I enjoyed the novel flavor and texture of these Dubai Chocolate Bars. But, the thick milk chocolate coating makes them overly sweet, and steals some of the magic from the pistachio filling. I would prefer branded packaging for the individual wrappers.
On my extremely precise “Awesome-o-Meter,” these score a “Maybe.”
The End.
More Reviews You Might Like (or Hate)
Check out these other crunchy-chocolate reviews I’ve written. Or don’t. Do, or do not. There is no try.
