Move over Hot Honey and Salty Caramel. Dubai Chocolate is the “IT” flavor for the year.

 

(A view from Burj Khalifa in Dubai.)

Dubai chocolate is a confection consisting of a chocolate bar filled with a blend of knafeh and pistachios. Pistachios most of us know, but knafeh may be new to those outside of Arab counties. Knafeh is a traditional Arab dessert consisting of pastry dough layered with semi-soft salty cheese that is soaked in a sweet-tasting syrup.
The Dubai chocolate bar was first created by Fix Dessert Chocolatier in Dubai and branded as Can’t Get Knafeh of It. The product was popularized on social media in 2024. Now it’s showing up as a flavor in other foods, with dairy poised to be a leader. 

 

Here are some key reasons and interesting facts: 

Unprecedented cocoa prices (due to supply)—and pending tariffs (due to insanity)—are making chocolate a challenging food ingredient. When it can be avoided, limited or even simulated, that’s a win for a company’s bottom line. Dubai chocolate can do that.  

Pistachios are a very political nut! They are native to the Middle East and Asia. Until the 1970s, the United States imported most of its pistachios from Iran, the still-global leader in pistachio production. While pistachio trees have long been grown in California, mass domestic production only started to take off after a ban on Iranian pistachios was enforced in 1979 due to the Iran hostage crisis. Now the U.S. grows its own pistachios. In fact, it’s the second largest producer of pistachios in the world. No tariffs here. (Such foresight!) 

Americans more than half-a-century old probably remember shelled pistachios as being red. Imported pistachios were dyed red—with, you guessed, now-outlawed artificial color—to hide imperfections, as the pistachios from abroad often appeared splotchy due to local harvesting methods.

Pistachios add texture, flavor and color (inherent green) to foods. Innovating with texture is hot right now.

You know what else is hot right now? It’s protein. Fifty pistachios (about 1-ounce) contain 6 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber and 13 grams of healthful fats. They are packed with vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Expect them to soon be called a superfood. 

Pistachios are known as the “happy nut” in China because they appear to be smiling. They are a symbol of health and happiness. We can all use a little joy these days. 

Pistachio pudding has roots in Middle Eastern cuisine. Packaged pistachio pudding became popular in the mid-1900s. It’s a great dessert flavor and goes very well with dairy. 

Pistachio also pairs very well with other flavors, welcoming the opportunity for innovative mashups. Chocolate is the obvious. Berries and citrus help balance the nuttiness. Honey and caramel provide sweetness and depth, while a sprinkle of sea salt amplifies flavor.

 

National frozen dessert brand 16 Handles is rolling out Dubai Chocolate Frozen Yogurt this coming week. The new flavor provides permission to indulge. It is a creamy pistachio-rich base with crushed milk chocolate bites and a hint of cocoa. By turning the original chocolate bar inside out, each spoonful bursts with artisan green filling as the chocolate pieces melt in the mouth.

The launch comes on the heels of several other international-inspired flavor launches in 2025, including the world’s first Kulfi frozen yogurt in January. The ingredients included all-natural mango, pistachio, saffron, cardamom and rosewater. In March, 16 Handles debuted Mango Lassi, a new flavor based off the popular Indian yogurt-based tangy drink. 

Dairy Holland is introducing Amanti Cheese with real Figs. The company says it’s the perfect blend of sweet and savory, as the natural sweetness of sun-ripened figs complements the rich, creamy cheese.

I was fortunate to attend GulfFood in 2024 and had the opportunity to visit numerous grocery stores in Dubai. There’s a lot of opportunity to explore the flavors of this region, as they complement dairy very well. 

With fluid milk making a comeback, and yogurt sales skyrocketing, how about thinking beyond chocolate, strawberry and vanilla? Dubai chocolate may be the new salty caramel. Try it out in milk, creamer, yogurt and more. 

Lifeway Foods has a new Pistachio Rose Vanilla single-serve drinkable yogurt. It’s delish! You know what other popular Dubai-centric flavors taste great in dairy? It’s dates, cardamon and saffron.
I look forward to tasting your flavor innovation.
 

Highlights from IDFA’s Ice Cream & Cultured Innovation Conference

 

It was so amazing to kick off IDFA’s Ice Cream & Cultured Innovation Conference this week in Fort Lauderdale. With more than 260 industry professionals in attendance, and an information-packed agenda, this year’s conference was a huge success. Hopefully everyone made it home safe after many travel disruptions. My “direct” flight home to Chicago took more than 12 hours and included a stop in Milwaukee to refuel. 

In case you missed it, retail dairy volume sales were up in every category in 2024, according to Circana. 

What’s driving this growth? It’s innovation. And the conference was packed with innovation ideas, everything from boosting the fiber content of yogurt to positioning ice cream as a mood enhancer. 

Package is key, too. Pints are a powerful package size in the world of ice cream. By definition, pints hold 16 fluid ounces of product; however, for economics, some “pint” packs contain a little less.

Regardless of how much is inside, pints cost more--often a lot more—on a per-ounce-base than larger-sized ice cream containers. In fact, numerous artisan, hand-crafted brands command more than $10 per pint at retail. Such smaller-sized containers, though more expensive, invite consumers to try something new. There’s less product, and thus less risk of waste in case you don’t like it.

Here are 10 key take-aways from the conference. These are in reference to ice cream and cultured dairy.

1. SUGAR: Decrease, eliminate and go LACTOSE FREE.

2. Promote PROTEIN content.

3. Talk up CLEAN LABEL, MINIMAL PROCESSING and NUTRIENT DENSITY.

4. Speak to WOMEN’S HEALTH and WELLNESS.

5. Focus on GUT and IMMUNE HEALTH benefits.

6. NEWSTALGIA: Nostalgic with a timely twist.

7. SWICY: Turn up the heat with some sweet.

8. PLAY WITH TEXTURE: Crunch, crisp, chew, ooze, wiggle, and more.

9. Satisfy CHOCOLATE cravings with bits and pieces.

10. Make them go “WOWZA” with a mashup. Provide FLAVOR ADVENTURE.

And when doing this, make sure you know your target consumer and you give them what they want. According to recent consumer survey of more than 2,000 U.S. consumers conducted by Menu Matters at the end of 2024, consumers want something new. 

The survey showed that one in five consumers say there are too many versions of the same product on the store shelf. Fifty-five percent said that ‘new’ food experiences should feature new or unique ingredients or flavors. The consumer need here is for new sensory experiences. 

They want new ways to value. 

• 73%: Knowing where ingredients come from increases the value of a product
• 57%: Prioritize price as value, but 43% do not. Value is not always about price
• 55%: Prioritize quality
• 34%: Healthy
• 30%: Convenience 
• 30%: Uniqueness 

They want to escape the chaos of the world we live in. 

• 70%: Use foods and beverages as a form of escape.
• 33%: Ice cream can be selfcare 
• 37%: Look for new ways to live boldly. They always or regularly look for foods, flavors and ingredients from a place they’ve visited once they’re back home. The 10 busiest travel days in TSA history took place in 2024.

New is not Chocolate, Strawberry and Vanilla. If you are introducing a new product line, get a little more creative. Dubai Chocolate is the perfect example. Aldi in the U.K. is making it available in ice cream form. 

Inspired by the Dubai Chocolate Bar, which has gained hundreds of millions of views on TikTok and nearly 6.5 million Google searches in the past month, the ice cream blends rich chocolate with nutty pistachio in a crunchy, wafer-like texture.

There was a Dubai Chocolate ice cream innovation in the annual Innovative Ice Cream Flavors and Products competition held at the conference, and it was a winner! There were so many amazing concepts, and attendees got to taste them all, everything from classic flavors, such as brownie, coffee and mint, coupled with a newstaligic twist, to global flavors such as Yemeni Spiced Mocha and Thai Mango Sticky Rice, and spicy options like Blazing Mango Vanilla and Sweet Heat Peach.

“Every year, we are amazed by the creativity and quality of the flavors and products submitted to this contest. It’s inspiring to see the industry constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible for frozen treats,” said Roberta Wagner, IDFA senior vice president of regulatory and scientific affairs. “This year, we were especially excited by the diverse range of ice cream flavors and novelties. The competition truly highlighted the potential for flavor innovation, with entries ranging from timeless classics like vanilla and cherry to bold new combinations that were sweet, salty and even spicy! We look forward to seeing this industry continue to innovate and thrive.”

The competitions attracted 47 entries, allowing attendees to get a taste of the latest flavor innovations and providing a platform for entrants to feature their most exciting new products.

This year’s awardees of the Innovative Flavor and Product contests are:

Most Innovative Ice Cream Flavor (currently offered for sale in the market)

1st Place: Lavender Lemon Butter Cookie | Kent Precision Foods Group

2nd Place: Tipsy Peach | Hershey Ice Cream

3rd Place: Paloma Paradise | Baskin-Robins

Most Innovative Ice Cream Novelty (currently offered for sale in the market)

1st Place: Brownie Batter Cookie Dough | Hudsonville Ice Cream

2nd Place: Brownie Batter Ice Cream Sandwich | Hershey Ice Cream

3rd Place: Rainbow Sherbert Bar | Baskin-Robbins

Most Innovative Prototype Ice Cream Flavor (not yet in the market)

1st Place: Dubai Bar Bliss | IRCA Group

2nd Place: Lemonstachio Chocolate Chunk Cannoli | Publix Super Markets

3rd Place: Trolli Sour Blast | Baskin-Robins

Congrats!