This Dubai Chocolate Pastry recipe, inspired by the viral Dubai chocolate bar, is going to blow you away! Flakey puff pastry tarts loaded with rich and fudgy Nutella, crunchy pistachio cream and topped with fresh strawberries.
If you are a fan of the viral Dubai chocolate, try our Dubai chocolate strawberries recipe!
DUBAI CHOCOLATE PASTRY RECIPE
The Dubai chocolate bar has taken the internet by storm, due to the combination of rich chocolate and a crunchy and creamy pistachio filling. This chocolate pastry recipe is a spin off of viral pistachio chocolate! Golden puff pastry tarts topped with fudgy Nutella spread, crunchy pistachio cream, and strawberries. Make these delicious puff pastry tarts for dessert no matter the occasion.
WHAT YOU NEED-
- Puff Pastry– You can use either store-bought or homemade puff pastry dough for this recipe! I personally love using Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets. Just make sure they’re fully thawed before you bake the tarts.
- Nutella– For the chocolate layer this recipe calls for chocolate hazelnut spread. For the best results you want to use Nutella, but you can also use any off-brand hazelnut spread.
- Kataifi– A classic ingredient in Middle Eastern desserts, kataifi is shredded pastry dough. You can either buy shredded dough or buy it whole and chop it yourself. It’s available at some grocery stores, but I usually order the Alkis brand from Amazon—it comes in a large bag and is already chopped for convenience.
- Butter– When crisping the kataifi, use unsalted butter or salted butter.
- Pistachio Cream– For the pistachio mixture you can use either creamy or crunchy pistachio cream or butter, they are essentially the same. I found mine on Amazon, though some specialty stores may carry it.
- Strawberries – Topping the pastries with strawberry slices is totally optional but so worth it! Strawberries go so well with the pistachio-Nutella combo!
HOW TO MAKE PUFF PASTRY DESSERT TARTS
Have this simple pastry dessert ready in under 30 minutes and it is such a beautiful and delicious Dubai chocolate dessert!
- Bake Pastries– Remove the pastries from the freezer and thaw. (Don’t thaw it entirely, it should still be a little cold and easy to unfold.)
- Preheat the oven and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll the dough out slightly into about a 9×11 inch rectangle. Evenly cut the dough into 6 even rectangles. (For smaller pastries, cut into 9 triangles.) Repeat with both sheets, making 12 pastries.
- With a knife, gently score into the dough, creating a border about 1/4 inch from the edges. (Do NOT cut through the pastry.)
- Add the pastries to the lined baking sheet and bake until golden. Remove from the oven and cool.
- Once the pastries are cooled, using a knife, go over the scored border again, not cutting all the way through. Then, use a spoon to gently press down the center of the pastry.
- Pistachio Cream Mixture– In a large skillet, melt the butter on medium heat. Once melted, add the chopped kataifi and cook until lightly golden, mixing occasionally. (Be careful not to burn it.)
- Once the kataifi is light golden brown, remove from the heat and add the pistachio cream and mix to combine.
- Assemble Dubai Chocolate Pastries– Add Nutella to a piping bag or ziploc bag and cut a small hole in one corner for piping.
- Carefully pipe the Nutella into the pastries, covering the bottom.
- Then add about 2-3 Tbsp of pistachio cream. Repeat this until all the pastries are filled with Nutella and pistachio cream.
- Top the pastries with 2-3 thin slices of strawberries, additional Nutella drizzle and crushed pistachios. (If you’re drizzling Nutella, make sure the hole in your bag is cut very small for a thin, even drizzle.)
- Dust with powdered sugar and serve.
| MAKE AHEAD TIP– If you are making these pastries ahead of time, do not put the strawberries on top until right before serving. |
QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE:
This recipe uses 2 pastry sheets, giving you 12 pastries! You can cut the recipe in half to only make 6 pastries.
For the best results, use the puff pastry right away when flaky and crunchy. But you can make them up to a day ahead of time. Once cooled, cover to avoid them from drying out. They will keep at room temp. I like to bake them the night before.
Yes! You can totally leave out the crunchy kataifi and add the pistachio cream into a piping bag and pipe it like the Nutella.
You don’t have too, but if you want a skinnier more golden pastry then for sure brush them with egg wash before baking. Whisk an egg and use a pastry brush, brush the border of the triangles then bake.
Yes! These are great to make ahead of time! I noticed that the strawberries tend to get soggy so don’t add them until right before serving. You can assemble them 1-2 days ahead of time.
You can top with either strawberries, raspberries, or a mixture of both. You can also leave out the fruit completely and top with crushed pistachios and powdered sugar.
Add the assembled chocolate pastries onto a plate or serving tray and cover tightly to avoid them from drying out. Store at room temp for 2-3 days or in the fridge for 3-4 days!
Yes! If you want smaller squares, just cut the pastry sheet into 9 squares instead of 6 rectangles. You can also shape these into hearts or circles, using cookie cutters.
OTHER DESSERT RECIPES-
Dubai Chocolate Pastry Recipe
Ingredients
- 17.3 oz puff pastry sheets 1 package, 2 sheets
- 1 1/2 cups Nutella hazelnut spread
- 6-8 strawberries sliced
Crunchy Pistachio Cream-
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 2/3 cup crushed kataifi
- 1 1/2 cups pistachio cream
Instructions
Baking Pastries-
- Remove the puff pastry from the freeze and allow it to thaw. Do not thaw it fully, it should still be cold but pliable enough to unfold with the pastry sheet cracking.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line two large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Lightly flour your workspace and roll out the puff pastry sheet into a rectangle, about 9×11 inches in size.
- Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the sheet into 6 even sized rectangles, or 9 smaller squares. Repeat with the second sheet, getting a total of 12 pastries.
- With a knife, gently score a border about ¼ inch in from the edges of each rectangle. Do not cut all the way through—this border will help create a raised edge during baking.
- Add the pastries to the prepared baking sheets, spacing apart.
- Bake at 400°F for 10-12 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow the pastries to cool.
- Once the pastries are fully cooled, gently run a knife along the scored border again, be sure not to cut all the way through.
- Then, using the back of a spoon, gently press down the center of each pastry to create a shallow well for the filling.
Pistachio Cream-
- In a large skillet, melt the butter on medium heat. Once melted, add the chopped kataifi pastry and toast it until lightly golden, stirring frequently.
- Once the kataifi is golden, remove from the heat and add the pistachio cream and mix until well combined. Set aside.
Assemble Dubai Chocolate Pastries-
- Add the Nutella to a piping bag or plastic bag and snip a small hole in one corner. Pipe a layer of Nutella into the bottom of each pastry, covering the base.
- Spoon about 2–3 tablespoons of the kataifi pistachio cream mixture on top of the Nutella in each pastry. Press it in gently so it sits neatly inside the center.
- Top each pastry with 2–3 thin slices of fresh strawberries. If desired, drizzle additional Nutella over the top using a bag with a very small cut corner for a fine drizzle.
- Sprinkle with crushed pistachios for added crunch.
- Dust each pastry lightly with powdered sugar before serving.
- Serve immediately or store in the fridge until ready to enjoy. If you are making these pastries ahead of time, don’t add the strawberries until ready to enjoy.
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