What Is the Dubai Chewy Cookie? Meet the Trending Treat

The now-famous Dubai chocolate bar may have gone viral over two years ago, but the nutty, crunchy, sweet trend has far from disappeared. From grocery store shelves to inspired recipes like Dubai Chocolate Tiramisu, this flavor combo is still everywhere. And the internet has conjured an exciting new way to enjoy it.

The original Dubai chocolate bar, made by Fix Dessert Chocolatier in Dubai, became popular for its signature flavor pairing — chocolate and pistachio — and its contrasting textures, with gooey pistachio cream and crispy kataifi wrapped inside a chocolate shell. Now, a new trend emerging on TikTok is adding one more texture to the mix by incorporating a chewy component.

After starting as a trend in Korea, the Dubai chewy cookie has made its way onto social media feeds around the world over the past two months. With a soft, stretchy exterior that’s satisfying to pull apart, a single glimpse of the dessert will make you want to try it. Luckily, dozens of creators have shared how to make it at home.

What is the Dubai chewy cookie?

Falling somewhere between a cookie, a chocolate truffle, and a piece of candy, this sweet treat was originally developed by South Korean pastry chef Kim Na-ra of Mond Cookie in Gimpo-si. The dessert became a widespread sensation in South Korea during the last few months of 2025, and as it cropped up in other bakeries and cities, consumers across the country waited in long lines just to try it. 

Even Starbucks in South Korea launched a “Dubai chewy roll” this January to join the trend, limiting the number of treats each customer could purchase to prevent it from selling out.

The Dubai chewy cookie is spherical, often served in a fluted paper cup, and dusted with cocoa powder. Its interior is filled with toasted kataifi, pistachio cream, a touch of tahini, and white chocolate; the latter isn’t included in the original Dubai chocolate trend but gives this treat’s filling a little more structure. 

Based on its appearance and the signature stretch the cookie’s exterior makes when you break it open, it would be easy to assume the Dubai chewy cookie is encased in a thin layer of mochi. However, this dessert actually relies on a simple yet genius marshmallow coating to hold everything together and deliver on its namesake texture.

How to make the Dubai chewy cookie

While Dubai chewy cookies haven’t made their way to many American cafes yet, quite a few creators have started sharing how to recreate them at home. If you’ve made other renditions of the Dubai chocolate trend, making the filling for the chewy cookie will feel familiar. Kataifi — thinly shredded phyllo dough — is mixed with melted butter and then toasted in the oven or on the stovetop until golden brown.

The toasted kataifi is then mixed with pistachio cream, a little tahini, and melted white chocolate. The white chocolate is important here: Because the outside of the Dubai chewy cookie is soft, you need a filling that holds its shape, and the chocolate will solidify as it cools.

Content creators typically use an ice cream scoop to place mounds of the pistachio mixture onto a parchment paper-lined sheet pan — you could use circular silicone molds instead if you have them — then freeze until the balls of filling are firm and chilled, but not frozen.

The marshmallow coating that encases the “cookies” may seem slightly intimidating to make, but it just requires trusting the process. Marshmallows and a little bit of butter are heated in a pan until the pillowy confections are halfway melted. As Jessica Wang (@jesswangpastry) points out in her demo, it’s easy to overcook the marshmallows, so turn off the heat once they reach the halfway point.

After turning off the heat, stir in the cocoa powder and milk powder into the marshmallows until the remaining marshmallows have melted and the mixture has become uniform. (Wang adds a small amount of a corn syrup and water solution at this stage, noting that it helps keep the marshmallow mixture soft, but most creators skip this step.) Transfer the hot, melted marshmallow mixture to a sheet of parchment paper and let it cool until it’s safe to touch.

This is where things will get a little sticky, literally. Once the marshmallow “dough” has cooled enough that it’s easy to manipulate, you’ll pinch off pieces of dough — the amount you need for each cookie will vary depending on how big your balls of filling are — and wrap them around the cooled kataifi filling. This process is much easier if you wear disposable gloves to help prevent sticking.

Once you’ve wrapped a piece of filling in the marshmallow dough, roll the ball between your hands until it forms a smooth sphere. There’s only one step left from there: Roll the cookie in cocoa powder, which gives it a beautiful matte finish and makes it easier to eat without sticking to your hands. Now the only thing left to do is bite into this chewy, crunchy, and nutty confection.