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Dubai Chocolate Brownies (Better Than Crumbl!)

picture of zoha
Modified: · Published: by · This post may contain affiliate links · 3 Comments

These Dubai Chocolate Brownies are about to become your new favorite rendition of brownies! They feature a rich and fudgy brownie base topped with a layer of crunchy and creamy pistachio knafeh, and are finished with a glossy chocolate ganache and feathered pistachio cream drizzle. The salty, nutty pistachio flavor pairs beautifully with the rich, dark chocolate, and the milk chocolate ganache ties everything together perfectly. With perfectly even layers, these brownies are an explosion of flavor and textures, and guaranteed to be loved by anyone who tries them.

Nine Dubai chocolate brownies, feature a glossy ganache glaze with a green pistachio drizzle. Arranged neatly on a white surface, each bar reveals distinct pistachio and brownie layers beneath the rich chocolate topping.

If you are one of the people who went crazy for the Crumbl Dubai Chocolate Brownies, just wait until you try these. This is Crumbl's best selling flavor of all time, which tells us the Dubai chocolate craze is here to stay. After seeing all the hype on social media, I lined up to grab the coveted brownie too. And while it was good, I found several issues. The brownie was more raw than fudgy, and the pistachio layer wasn't thick or salty enough. So of course, I had to make my own version, and I am proud to say these are SO MUCH BETTER.

I also have many delicious Crumbl style cookie recipes, such as Molten Lava Chocolate Cookies with a gooey fudge filling and S'more cookies with giant toasted marshmallows on top!

A close-up of three stacked dubai chocolate brownies with a dense, dark chocolate brownie base, a thick pistachio knafeh layer, and a glossy chocolate topping. The bars have a rich, textured appearance.

3 components of these brownies

These brownies are made of 3 layers:

  1. A rich and fudgy brownie base. It is my definition of perfect: very chocolatey, not too sweet, fudgy and gooey with a shiny, crackly crust on top
  2. Crunchy pistachio knafeh layer. The brownies are topped with a thick layer of pistachio cream, toasted kataifi, tahini and salt mixed together. It is nutty, creamy, crunchy, and perfectly sweet and salty. More notes on the ingredients below!
  3. Milk chocolate ganache. The brownies are finished with a layer of decadent ganache that sets perfectly while remaining glossy. Optionally, you can use pistachio cream to make a beautiful feathered design on the ganache. And if you don't have a sweet tooth, you can always use semi-sweet or dark chocolate
Nine dubai chocolate brownies topped with a rich ganache are arranged closely on a white plate. The chocolate topping is decorated with a green pistachio feathered pattern, creating a marbled effect on each pastry.

Recommended ingredients

This recipe contains a few ingredients that aren't pantry staples; so here are my notes and recommendations:

  • Pisti Pistachio Cream from Amazon (also available at Costco if you get lucky) has the best texture, flavor and color. Keep in mind pistachio cream is NOT the same thing as pistachio butter! Butter is just ground pistachios, whereas pistachio cream has milk and sugar in it, too
  • Alkis Kataifi (shredded phyllo pastry). I get it from Amazon and love it because it is made especially for Dubai Chocolate, and remains crispy even days later! Make sure to toast it thoroughly with melted butter until it is a dark golden color - that's what will give you the crunch
  • Tahini - this adds more nuttiness to the pistachio knafeh layer and can be found at most grocery stores. However, you can absolutely skip it if you don't have it already and are not in the mood to spend extra money

And, as with all chocolate recipes, make sure to use good quality chocolate! I recommend Lindt Excellence Dark Chocolate for the brownies, and Lindt milk chocolate for the ganache. Avoid chocolate chips!

If you end up with leftover ingredients, I highly recommend trying my No Bake Dubai Chocolate Cheesecake with a chocolate crust and pistachio filling!

Getting the perfect layers and slices

If you're a perfectionist like me, here are my tips on getting perfect layers and slices:

  • Chill the brownies for at least 30 minutes in the fridge. This allows them to firm up before you spread anything on top
  • Warm up the pistachio knafeh mixture so it's softer, and spread it on the chilled brownies. Use an offset spatula or cake scraper to make the layer even
A square baking pan lined with parchment paper holds a layer of baked chocolate brownie, topped with an uneven spread of pistachio knafeh mixture, on a wooden surface.
A square baking pan lined with parchment paper contains an even layer of pistachio knafeh on top of brownies on a wooden surface.
  • Chill the brownies for another 10 minutes to set the pistachio layer
  • Warm up the ganache until it's runny, then pour on top. Swirl the pan in all directions to let the ganache spread on its own instead of using a spatula, so it is perfectly smooth and doesn't mix with any of the pistachio knafeh
A baking tray lined with parchment paper contains a shredded, pistachio knafeh layer with ganache being poured over about half of it, sitting on a wooden surface.
A square baking pan lined with parchment paper holds dubai chocolate brownies with a smooth layer of glossy ganache, resting on a wooden surface.
  • For the feathered look, warm up pistachio cream until runny and transfer to a piping bag. Make sure the ganache is still warm and soft, and pipe on thin strips of the pistachio cream
  • Then take a toothpick and run it through the strips perpendicularly, alternating directions, to create a feathered look. Make sure not to dig the toothpick too deep so it doesn't mess with the pistachio layer
A square baking pan filled with brownies topped with a glossy ganache topping and evenly spaced thin green lines, set on a wooden surface.
A rectangular tray of dessert with a glossy chocolate topping, decorated with a yellow wavy line pattern. The tray rests on a wooden surface.
  • Now let the brownies set at room temperature for ~30 minutes, or in the fridge for 15 minutes, until the ganache firms up
  • Carefully remove from the pan. Run a sharp knife under hot water to warm it up, wipe it on a paper towel, and start slicing the brownies. Clean the knife between every cut, and reheat under hot water as needed
Two stacked dubai chocolate brownies with a thick chocolate brownie base, a green pistachio knafeh layer in the middle, and a glossy ganache topping, displayed on a light-colored surface.
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Nine square dubai chocolate brownies with glossy chocolate ganache, each topped with a green wavy line pattern. The pastries have visible layers including a light green and a dark brown layer.

Better Than Crumbl Dubai Chocolate Brownies Recipe

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5 from 1 review

  • Author: Zoha
  • Total Time: 90 minutes with cooling
  • Yield: 9 large brownies
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Description

Decadent and fudgy brownies topped with a creamy, crunchy and nutty pistachio knafeh layer and finished with a milk chocolate ganache

Ingredients

Brownies

  • 200g dark chocolate (7 oz), between 65-75% cocoa
  • 7 tbsp unsalted butter (100g)
  • ¼ cup Dutch processed cocoa powder (25g)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar (50g)
  • 1 tsp instant coffee + 1 tsp hot water
  • ¾ cup all purpose flour (98g)
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt

Pistachio Knafeh:

  • 5 cups shredded kataifi (200g)
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted  (85g)
  • ½ tsp to ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ⅓ cup pistachio cream (370g) + more for decoration
  • 3 tbsp tahini (optional; replace with more pistachio cream if not using)

Ganache:

  • ½ cup heavy cream (120g)
  • 150g chopped milk or semi sweet chocolate

Instructions

Brownies:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 335F (conventional / no fan / bottom heating only)
  2. Brush a 9x9" pan with softened butter, then add 2 sheets of parchment paper placed perpendicularly so parchment is covering the base and sides of the pan. The sides of the parchment papers should reach the top of the pan as we will use them to lift the brownies out of the pan at the end. Add another very thin layer of butter or nonstick oil spray on top
  3. Add the butter and chocolate to a microwave safe bowl, and heat in 20s increments until melted and combined
  4. While the butter and chocolate mixture is still hot, sift in the cocoa powder and whisk to combine
  5. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar and light brown sugar for 4-5 minutes on high speed until light in color, ribbony, and almost tripled in volume
  6. Add the chocolate, butter and cocoa mixture to the egg and sugar mixture. Also add in the coffee mixed with water. Whisk on low speed until everything is combined
  7. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt, and gently fold with a rubber spatula until just combined; do not overmix. The batter should be thick
  8. Spread the batter in the prepared pan evenly
  9. Place in the oven and bake for 23-25 minutes. The brownies will feel set on the edges but very soft to touch in the middle; don't worry as they will set as they cool down. 
  10. Remove from the oven and let cool at room temperature for 10 minutes, then transfer to the fridge and chill for 30 minutes so the brownies are set

Pistachio Knafeh:

  1. Mix the shredded kataifi with melted butter, and cook in a nonstick pan for ~10 minutes on medium-low heat until the kataifi becomes golden brown and very crispy. Break clumps along the way and make sure it doesn't burn
  2. Mix in the pistachio cream, tahini and salt. Taste and adjust as needed
  3. Once the brownies have chilled, add the pistachio knafeh mixture on top and spread gently using an offset spatula. The pistachio mixture should still be warm and spreadable - if it feels firm, reheat gently on low heat until it softens before spreading on the brownies
  4. Place the brownie pan back in the fridge for 10-20 minutes until the pistachio layer also feels set

Ganache:

  1. Add the cream and chopped chocolate to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 20 second increments, gently stirring between each, until the chocolate has fully melted and a smooth ganache forms
  2. While the ganache is still warm and runny, but the pistachio layer has chilled in the fridge, pour the ganache on top of the pistachio layer. Lift the pan and swirl it in all directions to spread the ganache evenly (don't use a spatula as that can lift some of the kataifi into the ganache)

Decoration:

  1. Decorate while the ganache layer is still warm (right after spreading it). Melt 2 tablespoon of pistachio cream in the microwave in 15 second increments, and transfer to a piping bag. Make a very small hole at the tip, then pipe the cream onto the ganache in thin lines, all going in one direction
  2. Use a toothpick or skewer, and run it in lines perpendicular to the direction you piped the pistachio cream, alternating direction between each line. Don't dig the toothpick too deep, just the tip is needed to do this. This will create a feathered look (see pictures in blog post above)
  3. Place the brownies back in the fridge for 15 minutes or until the ganache has set
  4. Using the sides of parchment paper, carefully lift the brownies out of the pan and place on a cutting board. Run a sharp knife under hot water until it becomes warm, then start slicing the brownies. Clean between each cut, and run under hot water again if the knife becomes cold. This will help achieve clean slices
  5. Serve and enjoy! These brownies can be eaten at room temperature or chilled, depending on how you like them (I like them at room temp)

Notes

  • Baking brownies: With brownies, it's always better to slightly underbake than overbake. They are soft when taken out of the oven, but firm up when they cool down and the butter and chocolate in them set. If you do a toothpick test to check for doneness, it should come out with sticky batter (but not wet or runny)
  • Storage & make ahead: You can make these brownies ahead of time and keep them inside the pan in the fridge, covered with cling wrap, for up to 5 days. Remove from the pan and slice when you're ready to serve. You can eat them cold, but I like them at room temperature so the pistachio layer is a bit softer. To bring to room temperature, leave them out for ~30 minutes after slicing
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Desserts
  • Cuisine: American

Did you make this recipe?

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  1. Fatima Mukadam says

    asalaam walaikum

    i love ur Recipe the way u explain perfect and easy 🥰

    Reply

    • Zoha says

      Thank youuuu

      Reply

  2. Maisha says

    I’ve made this but the brownie wasn’t as Fudgy as I expected. Maybe because there was more flour-baking powder and less butter or eggs. Don’t know. Baked it for 23mins but it wasn’t gooey. This is the first time I tried your recipe and highly disappointed.

    Reply