Is rich, luscious Dubai chocolate here to stay?

"Salted caramel isn't going away. Neither is the hot honey trend. Ditto for Dubai chocolate. At least that's our unofficial prediction. We're basing that on the number of candy makers, bakers and national brands dabbling in crunchy pistachio and chocolate these days. And on the number of folks who are already pistachio lovers. And on the mainstream marketing efforts. We've seen the bars sold recently at a farm stand, a gas station counter and a big-box store checkout line."

"Dubai chocolate has a rich reputation, one that was earned legitimately. It all started a few years ago when British-Egyptian entrepreneur Sarah Hamouda introduced the dessert bar at her Fix Dessert Chocolatier in the Emirates, according to The Guardian. The confection went viral and really took off when lip-smacking TikTok influencers like Maria Vehera recorded themselves eating the sweet, gooey bars."

"The phone calls starting coming in sometime last year, Do you make Dubai chocolate? customer after customer would ask. Candy industry veterans Ajay and Falguni Patel, who make chocolate, brittle, fudge and more at their downtown San Jose shop, figured they had better look into what they were missing. They watched the TikTok video, researched recipes and got to work."

"The couple made their first Dubai chocolate bars in August 2025, and sales of the rich, authentic confections exploded. Today, Dubai chocolate in its many forms filled bars, truffles, sundaes, cheesecake and hearts for Valentine's Day makes up about half of their business. On many days they sell 30 to 40 of the $20 bars and truffle quartets for gifts, dinner party favors, corporate events or just for decadent"

Salted caramel, hot honey and Dubai-style chocolate are strong ongoing trends, with crunchy pistachio and chocolate appearing across candy makers, bakers and national brands. Dubai chocolate originated when Sarah Hamouda introduced the dessert bar at Fix Dessert Chocolatier in the Emirates, and viral TikTok videos propelled its popularity. San Jose Candy Kitchen began making Dubai chocolate in August 2025 after customer demand, TikTok research and testing. The Patels now sell filled bars, truffles, sundaes, cheesecake and seasonal hearts, with Dubai chocolate accounting for about half of sales. Many days see 30 to 40 $20 bars and truffle quartets sold.

Read at www.mercurynews.com