21-04-2025
Pistachio spread sales spike across UAE amid sustained ‘Dubai Chocolate' craze
Pistachio-based products have seen a dramatic rise in demand across the United Arab Emirates, driven by the viral 'Dubai Chocolate' social media trend, major retailers told Arabian Business.
The phenomenon has transformed the nut butter market, with quick-commerce platform noon Minutes selling thousands of units within hours of launching pistachio products.
'We only launched our pistachio spread two months ago — and it took off instantly,' Saro Djerrahian, GM Commercial at noon Minutes, told Arabian Business. 'Within days, it became one of the most popular products across the platform.'
has also reported significant growth in pistachio-related items, with demand peaking in the fourth quarter of 2024 and maintaining strong momentum into early 2025.
'Following the Dubai chocolate trend last year, we witnessed a significant upward trend in customer interest across pistachio-related products on said Rejo Thomas George, GCC Director of Consumables at
The 'Dubai Chocolate' trend, which first gained traction in late 2023, was pioneered by Dubai-based entrepreneur Sarah Hamouda with her brand FIX. What began as a pregnancy craving for kunafa and pistachio flavours evolved into what many now call the 'Hermes of Desserts.'
In an exclusive interview with Arabian Business last October, Hamouda revealed that her chocolate bars fusing Middle Eastern flavours with unique textures went viral after a TikTok influencer featured them in a video that garnered nearly 100 million views.
@mariavehera257 @fixdessertchocolatier WOW, JUST WOW!!! Can't explain how good these are! When a chocolate, a dessert and a piece of art meet this is what you get! 🍫 "Can't Get Knafeh of it," "Mind Your Own Busicoff," and "Crazy Over Caramel." Order on Instagram Chatfood or Deliveroo and let me know what's your FIX? Instagram : fixdessertchocolatier #asmr #foodsounds #dubai #dubaidessert ♬ оригинальный звук – mariavehera257
'I wanted the FIX experience to be different,' Hamouda told Arabian Business at the time. 'I wanted people, from that first bite, to relive moments of their past.'
The trend has since sparked numerous offshoots, with social media users creating Dubai Chocolate-inspired recipes including cookies, brownies, drinks, coffees and ice creams featuring the signature kunafa-pistachio combination that made the original viral sensation so popular.
noon Minutes responded to growing consumer interest by developing products under its house brand 'The Big Daddy.'
'As the trend gained traction, we were among the first to launch it under noon Minutes' own brand — The Big Daddy — which has since expanded into ice cream, spreads, cakes, and even doughnuts,' Djerrahian said.
The retailer has also partnered with several established food brands, including Krispy Kreme, Sugargram and Brod, to create collaborative products.
has expanded its selection in response to the trend. 'Our assortment of pistachio-related products has expanded to include a wide selection of pistachio products, from spreads to nuts, chocolate, biscuits, and other confectionery items,' George said.
Restaurants across the UAE and beyond have added Dubai Chocolate-inspired desserts to their menus, further cementing the trend's influence on the regional culinary landscape.
The phenomenon comes despite unprecedented challenges in the global cocoa market, where prices surpassed $12,500 per metric ton in December 2024, representing a nearly 200 per cent increase since March 2023, according to a recent eToro report.
'While the UAE chocolate sector continues to thrive, manufacturers are under significant pressure to adapt pricing and product strategies in response to rising commodity costs and market fluctuations,' Josh Gilbert, Market Analyst at eToro, said in the report.
The UAE chocolate market, valued at $736 million in 2024, has maintained its growth trajectory despite these challenges, with the Dubai chocolate trend emerging as a market highlight that has inspired product innovation across multiple categories.
Sales data indicates pistachio spread is rapidly gaining market share against established competitors.
'Pistachio spread is quickly becoming a category disruptor — it's now one of our fastest-growing spreads and is already challenging long-time leaders like chocolate and hazelnut,' according to Djerrahian.
Consumer behaviour suggests the product has transcended typical usage patterns. 'The spread has gone beyond breakfast — we've seen customers using it in everything from baking to gifting,' he added.
To maintain momentum, noon Minutes has introduced seasonal variations for Ramadan, Halloween, Christmas and Diwali. Their newest product, called 'The Hairy Daddy,' features candy floss filling.
The Dubai chocolate phenomenon has gained such momentum that it has led to purchase limits at high-end grocery chains abroad and queues at UAE retailers, the eToro report noted.
In response to rising cocoa costs, chocolate brands in the UAE are focusing on premiumisation, flavour innovation, and smaller product formats—a strategy known as 'shrinkflation' where products decrease in size while prices remain stable or increase.
Though social media food trends typically have short lifecycles, the pistachio spread boom shows signs of sustainable growth after maintaining its position over the past year.
'The sustained growth from 2024 into 2025 suggests this is more than just a temporary trend – it's becoming an established consumer preference in the UAE,' George said.
