Dubai chocolate, also known as “Can’t Get Knafeh of it,” is a chocolate bar that went viral in December 2023 for its amazing taste, texture, and composition. This delicacy that is the talk of the time is made with a thin layer of chocolate, and filled with a mixture of pistachio cream, tahini, and shredded phyllo dough (kadayif).
Claire Turrell, freelance writer for the Smithsonian Magazine, describes the details of the boom of this popular dessert. It originated in the United Arab Emirates as a spin off of Knafeh, an Arabic cheesecake made with roasted shredded phyllo dough (kadayif) to create the crunchy texture. The delicious combination of crunchy and creamy became an internet sensation overnight after one social media post.
The chocolate bar was popularized on the social media app, TikTok, by a food influencer named Maria Vehera, who claims she tries “the best foods in UAE,” according to her profile’s biography. As of May 2025, Vehera has 2.8 million followers on TikTok and her main content is of her eating visually pleasing desserts in a car. Her surroundings are silent but the sounds of her opening packaging, biting, and chewing are emphasized throughout the videos, making food ASMR.
On December 18, 2023, Maria Vehera posted a video of herself trying chocolate bars from a brand based in Dubai called FIX Dubai Chocolatier. The three chocolate bars she ate were called “Can’t Get Knafeh of it,” which is the dubai chocolate bar, “Mind Your Own Busicoff,” and “Crazy Over Caramel.” The dubai chocolate bar caught viewers’ attention because of the satisfying crunch. One commenter wrote how, “The crunch is heavenly,” and another, “The crunch from the pistachio one is insane. Omg.” The video posted became viral overnight and as of May 2025 has 126 million views and 6.9 million likes, making it Vehera’s most popular video.
FIX Dubai Chocolatier is owned by Sarah Hamouda, a British Egyptian entrepreneur who launched her company in September 2022, to settle a pregnancy craving. “I was looking for something unique and fulfilling that I couldn’t find in typical desserts. I wanted to create chocolate bars that combined different textures and flavors, leading to the concept of “extra-filled” bars that offer a satisfying and rich experience,” Hamouda said in an interview with Falstaff, an international magazine company that covers worldwide gourmets like food, wine, and travel. Other than the Knafeh Chocolate bar, FIX also has other unique chocolate bar flavors such as Butter To Be Safe Than Salty, Pick Up A Pretzel, Cereously Chewsy, Baklawa II The Future, and many more.
One common question that is asked is, “Why are FIX chocolate bars so hard to find?” Well, FIX is exclusively made in Dubai and does not ship overseas. Also, FIX does not have an official website, physical store, social media selling, or authorized resellers. The chocolate bar is only available for purchase through a British multinational online food deliverer called Deliveroo. Additionally, the ingredients, especially pistachios, experienced and still are experiencing a shortage due to the high global demand, making it even harder to find.
Due to the exclusivity of this particular brand of Dubai chocolate, curious viewers started making and finding recipes that were inspirations or recreations of the actual chocolate bar. Those recipes and recreations turned into people finding many different ways of using Dubai chocolate. Some include Dubai chocolate covered strawberry cups, chocolate covered dates filled with pistachio, chocolate baklava with chocolate and pistachio inside the layers and much more.
“Dubai chocolate bars are one of my favorite desserts. They have a perfect balance of crunchiness and creaminess. The flavor is sweet but not overpowering which makes it enjoyable every time I have it,” sophomore Zaruhi Harutyunyan said. Some restaurants also started slowly adapting to these desserts and adding them to their menus to attract customers who want to try or enjoy eating the chocolate bar.
Although buying ingredients may be expensive, the process of making it at home is satisfying and the result is worth it. Those ingredients could also be used to try other viral innovations such as the strawberry cups and chocolate covered dates.
