Heard of the viral Dubai chocolate? The thick chocolate that is broken to reveal a creamy and crunchy pistachio kunafa filling. Well, this recipe tastes all of the delicious elements of that viral chocolate, but in cookie form. Vegan Chocolate Pistachio Cookies – a buttery cookie loaded with chopped pistachios, with a pistachio cream and kunafa filling, in a dark chocolate shell with even more pistachios on top. Easy to make, Vegan, No-Egg, No-Dairy and delicious!
Vegan Chocolate Pistachio Cookies
If your social media feed looks anything like mine, then you have probably seen (and drooled over) the viral Dubai chocolate bar. You know the one, the thick chocolate bar stuffed with the crisp green filling which makes the most satisfying crunch. I have taken the iconic flavours and stuffed them inside a buttery bakery-style pistachio cookie. We’re talking buttery texture, crunchy filling, creamy pistachio cream and chunky pistachio nuts. Each cookie is coated in a 1 ingredient, decedent dark chocolate shell topped with crushed pistachio nuts. When they are cut, you get the most satisfying cross-section!
Looking for more Pistachio recipes? Check out my:
- Vegan Pistachio Mousse Cake
- Mini Vegan Pistachio & Rose Cheesecakes
- Viral Vegan Pistachio Cream Cookies
- Vegan Pistachio Cream Brownies
- Easy Vegan Pistachio Crispy Cups
What is the viral Dubai Chocolate bar?
I wish i could say i went to Dubai to enjoy a chocolate bar, but thats not the case here – haha! This chocolate bar is a luxurious chocolate that, in the last year or so has taken social media by absolute storm. Not only on social media, but now companies, bakeries for example have all started to create their own Dubai chocolate alternatives and variations. This viral chocolate originated in Dubai. It’s essentially a thick chocolate bar with a rich pistachio cream filling, and crispy kataifi (Kunafa) pastry which gives the most irresistible crunch! Known for its vibrant green center and crunch, the Dubai Chocolate Bar offers a unique twist on traditional chocolate and has become a must-try delicacy for dessert lovers around the world. One of my friends went to Dubai last year, and she actually bought me back a vegan (dark chocolate) version and ever since trying it, i got on the hype! Pistachios are great, but when paired with a crunchy pastey and pistachio cream….. it’s simple heaven!
Why you’ll love these vegan chocolate pistachio cookies
- Ultimate texture: Chewy cookie, crunchy filling, creamy pistachio cream!!
- 100% vegan: This recipe doesn’t use any animal derived ingredient. I use dairy-free chocolate, dairy-free butter, and plant based milk for example.
- A total show stopper: Whether baking for a special occasion, party, gathering or simply because you’re craving ( i don’t blame you), these cookies will be a hit!
- Easy: Cookie batter made in one bowl, baked in less than 20 minutes and ready to enjoy in less than an hour! They are great fun to make!
- Bake time: The cookie batter can be made in less than 5 minutes, bake time only 10 minutes foe the ultimate ‘crisp on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside’ cookie of dreams!
- Flavours: The ultimate pistachio and chocolate cookie. The flavours pair perfectly together, resulting in a bakery-style worthy treat!
Layers of a pistachio stuffed cookie
These cookies can be ready to make in less than 5 minutes, baked in only 10 minutes and ready to enjoy in under half hour! They’re absolutely delicious, and irresistible to any Dubai chocolate lover! Find the full recipe in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Cookie
The base of this recipe is my go-to easy and super simple vanilla cookie dough made with dairy-free butter making them super buttery and ‘melt in the mouth’. Flaxseed is added to act as a egg replacer, while cornstarch helps the cookies not to spread too much when baking in the oven. They are LOADED with chopped pistachio nuts.
- Pistachio kunafa filling
In the middle of the cookies is a hidden crisp pistachio filling. It consists of pistachio cream and kunafa pastry which is a truly delicious center and adds such a satisfying crunch!
- Chocolate coating
The cookies have a dark chocolate shell keeping the cookie inside soft and buttery. The shell is dairy-free dark chocolate which gets melted spooned on-top of the cookies (base and top). Before setting, more chopped pistachios are sprinkled on the wet chocolate so they stick.
If you make, and love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below. Thank you & happy baking! Make sure to tag me in your photos on Instagram , TikTok and Facebook! Pin this recipe for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, above or below this post, or on any of the photos. Happy baking all!
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Vegan Dubai Chocolate Pistachio Cookies
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8–10 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
The BEST Dubai Chocolate Bar inspired cookies – pistachio loaded vanilla cookies, with a pistachio cream and kunafa filling, coated in dark chocolate and more pistachios. Vegan, No-Egg, No-Dairy!
Ingredients
Ingredients for the cookies
- 20ml of room temperature water
- 2 teaspoons of ground flaxseed
- 120g of dairy-free butter
- 150g of caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste)
- 240g of plain / all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon of cornstarch / cornflour
- 100g of chopped pistachio nuts
Ingredients for the pistachio filling
- 150g of vegan pistachio cream
- 100g of kunafa pastry
Ingredients for the chocolate coating
- 250g of dairy-free dark chocolate
- Pistachio nuts (chopped)
Instructions
Method (pistachio filling)
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, add in the pistachio cream and the kunafa pastry, mix together until its thick and creamy.
Method (cookies)
- Preheat your oven to 180°C fan and line a baking tray with grease proof paper. As this recipe makes appropriately 2 trays worth of cookies, you can bake a tray at a time.
- In a small bowl, combine the water and flax, mix to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes to thicken, this creates your flax egg.
- In a medium sized bowl with a handheld whisk or stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the dairy-free butter, sugar and vanilla for a few minutes until pale and creamy. Add in the flax egg, mix to combine.
- Sieve in the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cornstarch. Mix to combine into a thick cookie dough.
- Fold in the roughly chopped pistachio nuts.
- Scoop the cookie dough into 40g balls using spoons or an ice-cream scoop, you can weight the dough on a set of kitchen scales.
- Make a dent in the cookie dough ball, add in some of the crispy pistachio filling mixture, then shape the dough over to cover. Make sure it’s completely covered to prevent it oozing out when baking (refer to video for example).
- Place the cookies on the lined tray (leave the dough in balls, don’t press them down), leaving room in between as they will spread slightly when baking.
- Bake in the middle of the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
- Once baked, remove the trays from the oven, use a round cookie cutter to help shape the cookies. Use a circle cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookie to scoot the cookies into a circle.
- Allow the cookies to cool fully on the baking tray / cooling rack. They’ll be soft when first out the oven but will crisp up.
Method (chocolate shell)
- Add the dark chocolate either in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments until melted completely or on the hob using a bain-marie method (a saucepan filled 3/4 with water with a heatproof bowl on top. Melt the chocolate.
- Allow the chocolate to cool slightly so it’s slightly thicker in texture, this makes it so much easier for coating the cookies.
- Line a baking tray with grease proof paper. Spoon some of the melted dark chocolate on the tray and spread out into a circle, slightly larger than the cookie. Place a cookie on top (this will make the bases of the cookies have a chocolate base). Repeat this for all the cookies.
- Use a spoon to drizzle chocolate over the cookies and spread it over the entire cookie, over the top and edges until the entire cookie is coated.
- While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle over some roughly chopped pistachio nuts.
- Place into the fridge until set (approximately 10-20 minutes).
- Once set, serve and enjoy!
Notes
Store these cookies in an airtight / sealed container in the fridge. Allow to come to room temperature for 5 minutes to allow the butter to soften! Best enjoyed within 2-4 days of making.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
- Category: cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Dubai
