Dubai Chocolate Tart Recipe
I saw that it was trendy, but I didn't try this new dessert until the winter of 2026 when we were traveling in Thailand. A bakery in Chiang Mai had a pastry called the Dubai chocolate croissant, a pastry cup made of croissant dough, filled with crunchy pistachio filling and topped with a smooth chocolate ganache.
Craving it ever since we got back to the US, here's my best approximation of the dessert (ahem, breakfast pastry) that set me on this most recent kick.
Full disclosure: Normally to satisfy this craving, I've made the filling and pushed it into a greased baking pan, topped it with ganache, and eaten it from the pan with a fork. But that isn't a ✨pretty✨ enough option to serve to guests so here's a presentable version of a Dubai chocolate tart, definitely a dessert and never, ever eaten for breakfast.
Tart Crust (adapted from Pretty. Simple. Sweet.)
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Sprinkle of salt
1 stick of butter, softened
1 egg
1/3 c chocolate chips
Mix together the flour, sugar, and salt, then pressed the butter through with a fork until the chunks are no larger than a pea. Add the egg and stir together just until mixed and not more. Press into buttered dishes, whatever sizes you're using. Cover and let rest in the fridge for at least an hour. Bake on 375 F for 20-40 minutes, until golden brown.
Once the tart crust is done, remove it and turn off the oven. Sprinkle a handful of chocolate chips over the top and return to the oven for 1 minute. The chocolate should melt but not burn. Remove from the oven again, and spread the chocolate evenly across the tart shell.
Dubai Filling
1/2 package or 8 oz kataifi dough
1 T butter
1/2 jar pistachio paste, about 3.5 oz from a 7 oz jar
2 tablespoons of tahini
Salt to taste
While your tart crust is baking, make the filling. Chop the kataifi into small pieces, about the size of sprinkles. Heat the butter in a pan on the stovetop. Add the dough and stir regularly until it is all a nice toasty brown.
Remove from the heat and add the pistachio paste and the tahini. Stir together and add more tahini, pistachio, or salt to taste. Once the filling tastes irresistibly good (you should be worried that you might eat all of it before you have time to share it with others), set this aside to cool.
After the filling cools, press it into the tart shells while the chocolate is still warm. This will help hold the filling in place.
Ganache Topping
1/3 c chocolate chips
3 tablespoons of milk
In a microwave safe bowl, heat the chocolate chips and milk together in 15 second increments, stirring regularly until the milk and chocolate come together smoothly.
After the tart shells and filling are mostly cool, pour the ganache over the top of the tart and spread evenly across the top.
Refrigerate for 4 hours or up to 3 days before serving. Enjoy!
















