Dubai Chocolate Cookies – Pistachio & Kadayif Filled
Dubai Chocolate recently took social media by storm, and now you can find variations of the viral Dubai chocolate bar everywhere, including coffee shops and even Costco! The famous Dubai chocolate bar is milk chocolate filled with a mixture of pistachio cream and kadayif (thin shreds of filo dough), and this cookie version features the same filling inside a bakery style brownie cookie.
If you’re a fan of pistachios and chocolate, you will love these Dubai chocolate bar cookies. The creamy pistachio butter brings a nice nutty flavor, and the Kadayif adds crunch and a buttery richness. These cookies taste like an indulgent treat and some of the ingredients are unique so they are a great, unexpected gift or addition to any party or gathering!
Ingredients to Make Dubai Chocolate Cookies
- Kadayif or Kataifi
- Pistachio Cream or Pistachio Butter
- KAMUT® White Flour or other All-Purpose White Flour
- Cocoa Powder
- Fine Salt
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Unsalted Butter
- Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Large Eggs
- Vanilla
- Milk Chocolate Chips
Tools to Make Dubai Chocolate Cookies
- Small or Medium Frying Pan
- Spatula
- Parchment Paper
- Baking Sheets
- Small Mixing Bowl
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Medium Mixing Bowl
- Whisk or Dough Hook
- Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer and Large Mixing Bowl
- Whisk or Dough Hook
- Small, 1 tablespoon Cookie Scoop
- Large, 2-ounce Cookie Scoop
All About Ingredients for Dubai Chocolate Cookies
Kadayif
If kadayif is unfamiliar, it is easy to find on Amazon or at Middle Eastern grocery stores. It is also called kataifi and is made from shredded sheets of phyllo dough, and is essential for this recipe.
Pistachio Cream or Butter
Aside from kadayif, pistachio butter or cream is what makes this a Dubai chocolate cookie. Pistachio butter and pistachio cream both work well in this recipe. I would avoid pistachio paste since it may be too thick to easily mix with the kadayif and wouldn’t make as creamy of a filling.
KAMUT® White Flour
For this and most of my cookie recipes, I use KAMUT® White Flour. It is my absolute favorite, and you can learn more about it here. That being said, if one of my recipes calls for KAMUT® Brand Wheat, I always include measurements for regular all-purpose flour so we can all bake together!
Cocoa Powder
There are a few types of cocoa powder (including natural and Dutch process), and these different types require different leavening agents. Because this recipe calls for both baking powder and baking soda, feel free to use your favorite cocoa powder. My favorite cocoa powder is a mix of natural and Dutch process. In case you’re wondering (and this is not sponsored by them in any way), Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder is my go-to.
Butter
I often use cold butter in my cookie recipes, but I only recommend using cold butter if you are using a high-power bowl-lift stand mixer. I put a lot of wear and tear on my tilt-head mixer with my cold butter habit, and it just doesn’t really work with a hand mixer, so I also write my cookie recipes with the option to use room temperature softened butter.
Milk Chocolate Chips
I’ve included milk chocolate chips in this recipe to honor the flavors in a Dubai chocolate bar and to add to the crunch.
How to Make Dubai Chocolate Cookies
Start by toasting the kadayif. Melt one tablespoon of butter in a pan over low-medium heat, then add the kadayif. Stir and toast the kadayif until it is golden brown and starts to smell like a rich brown butter. Remove from the pan to cool completely. Cooling the toasted kadayif is very important to maintain the crunch in the filling.
Prepare three baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Combine cooled, toasted kadayif and pistachio butter and, using a small cookie scoop, place 16 scoops (½ to ⅔ full) of filling on one baking tray. Place in the freezer while you make the cookie dough.
Stir together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder using a whisk or dough hook and set dry ingredients aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer, cream together butter and both sugars. When this mixture is completely smooth, add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until just combined. Scrape down the side of the bowl as needed. Add vanilla and mix until just combined.
Add dry ingredients into the wet and mix until just combined then, using a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula, stir in the milk chocolate chips. Grab the two remaining prepared baking sheets and, using a large 2-oz cookie scoop, place 8 cookies on each cookie sheet, evenly spaced.
Flatten each cookie dough ball into a disc that is approximately 4 inches across. No need to make perfect circles or measure anything here.
If you used softened butter, chill the flattened cookie dough on the trays in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Remove filling from the freezer and place one piece of filling in the center of each dough disc, then wrap the dough around the filling and place the cookie dough back on the baking tray with the seam side down.
Chill baking sheets in the fridge while you preheat the oven to 350.
Bake cookies for 18 minutes, rotating and swapping the trays halfway through baking time.
Dubai Chocolate Cookies – Pistachio & Kadayif Filled
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 TBSP Unsalted Butter
- 1/2 cup Kadayif or Kataifi
- 1/2 cup Pistachio Cream or Pistachio Butter
Cookie Dough
- 2 cups KAMUT® White Flour or other All-Purpose White Flour
- 1/3 cup Cocoa Powder
- 1/2 tsp Fine Salt
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 12 TBSP Unsalted Butter
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 3/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs
- 2 tsp Vanilla
- 1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Start by toasting the kadayif. Melt one tablespoon of butter in a pan over low-medium heat, then add the kadayif. Stir and toast until golden brown. Remove from the pan to cool completely.
- Prepare three baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Mix toasted kadayif and pistachio butter and, using a small cookie scoop, place 16 scoops (½ to ⅔ full) of filling on one baking tray with space between each scoop. Place in the freezer while you make the cookie dough.
- Stir together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder using a whisk or dough hook and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer, cream together butter and both sugars. When this mixture is completely smooth, add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until just combined. Scrape down the side of the bowl as needed. Add vanilla and mix until just combined.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Using a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula, stir in the milk chocolate chips. Grab the two remaining prepared baking sheets and, using a large 2-oz cookie scoop, place 8 cookies on each cookie sheet, evenly spaced.
- Flatten each cookie dough ball into a disc that is approximately 4 inches across. No need to make perfect circles or measure.
- If you used softened butter, chill the flattened cookie dough on the trays in the fridge for 30 minutes. *(see note)
- Remove filling from the freezer and place one piece of filling in the center of each dough disc, then wrap the dough around the filling and place the cookie dough back on the baking tray with the seam side down.
- Chill baking sheets in the fridge while you preheat the oven to 350.
- When the oven reaches, 350, remove the trays from the refrigerator and bake cookies for 18 minutes, rotating and swapping the trays halfway through baking time.
