Here’s how you can make the viral Dubai chocolate matcha latte better than Starbucks! This version is made with real pistachios, no artificial flavors, and high-quality matcha which makes it taste so good.

Plus, once you have all the ingredients on hand, you can make this fantastic matcha latte easily and quickly.

Here’s how to make the Dubai chocolate matcha latte at home!

What is in the Dubai Chocolate Bar?

According to Fix Dessert Chocolatier, their “Can’t Get Knafeh Of It” chocolate has a milk chocolate shell with a pretty drizzled pattern, pistachio cream, tahini, and crispy knafeh.

It’s a thick bar, filled with the pistachio cream crispy knafeh filling and when you break it open, the filling oozes out.

What Does Dubai Chocolate Taste Like?

Now, I personally haven’t tried the real deal, but I’ve had variations of it! The chocolate bar is creamy, nutty, sweet, a little savory, and then the chocolate adds the perfect bitterness to balance out those flavors.

The pistachios have an amazing roasted flavor that goes so well with the sweet, and the kataifi pastry is so crunchy and aromatic.

You have almost half of the flavors on the flavor wheel: sweet, savory, bitter, and even different textures: crunchy and creamy.

It’s so addicting because of the explosion of flavors and textures, I can see why it went viral.

Why is it so Famous?

If you’re not on social media, you’re probably confused why the chocolate and pistachio combination is everywhere.

The Story: A Dubai food influencer tried it in her car and it blew up on TikTok; that video has over 100 million views! The crunch, satisfaction, and her eating habits made viewers (like myself) intrigued.

Undeniably, that video made the chocolate shop, Fix Dessert, an overnight sensation, started by Sarah Hamouda in 2021 after her pregnancy cravings! The shop is only in Dubai, so naturally, their supply could not keep up with demand, even with international shipping.

So, small shops around the world started making and selling the Dubai chocolate bar in their own shops, and the flavor spread beyond traditional chocolate. Now, you’ll find Dubai chocolate ice cream, cakes, milkshakes, lattes, and even matcha worldwide.

What is the Dubai Chocolate Matcha Latte?

Now, of course, people get creative and try to make versions of things with this flavor—that’s how secret menus are created!

I’m not sure who ordered it first, but someone had the amazing idea of adding chocolate cold foam and pistachio sauce to matcha and holy, did it work.

You get the smooth chocolate cold foam, then the creamy and nutty pistachio matcha latte. What’s not to love? Chocolate and nuts are already a winning combo, so this was an easy sensation.

Now, it’s an unofficial secret menu drink.

What Does the Dubai Chocolate Matcha Latte Taste Like?

The Dubai chocolate matcha latte tastes predominantly of sweet pistachio, followed by the aftertaste of chocolate and the earthiness of matcha. Together, it’s creamy, nutty, subtly chocolatey, and earthy.

There are so many yummy flavors that all work well together and combine into a creamy drink. The pistachio and chocolate don’t overwhelm the matcha, and you can taste all the flavors individually.

The nuttiness works really well with the slight bitterness of the chocolate and matcha, and honestly makes it taste less bitter! I think it’s because the roasted aroma kind of distracts your tongue, haha.

Instead of buying it out, you can make it at home! My recipe is slightly different than the Starbucks one (at the end of this blog).

What’s in the Dubai Chocolate Matcha Latte?

My Better than Starbucks version includes chocolate cold foam like Starbucks, but uses whisked matcha and a homemade pistachio milk.

I made it this way because I don’t have pistachio cream and it’s just an easy way to infuse that pistachio flavor without the extra hassle. You can also use pistachio syrup or sauce if you have it!

I make a homemade chocolate syrup for my chocolate cold foam, which gives it a delicious cocoa flavor that’s a little more flavorful than regular storebought chocolate syrup.

How to Whisk Matcha

Infamously, Starbucks does not whisk their matcha and instead blend it in a blender, which makes it clumpy and grainy. Many specialty coffee shops also do not whisk their matcha, so many large cafes are taking the shortcut of not whisking their matcha. But the consequence of that is you get clumpy matcha, and no one likes drinking clumpy bitter pockets of tea.

I also always think Starbucks matcha tastes more like a dessert treat than drinking matcha, and we want a nice matcha flavor in our drink! So, whisking a good quality matcha makes a huge difference.

Typically, you whisk matcha using a bamboo whisk and in a matcha bowl. Add your matcha and water to your bowl, then using a bamboo whisk, vigorously whisk in a zigzag motion until you get a nice foam (see my matcha whisking tutorial if you need it).

No whisk? No problem! You can also whisk matcha powder without a whisk using better methods than just a blender.

How to Make a Dubai Chocolate Matcha Latte

Here’s what you’ll need to make a delicious Dubai chocolate matcha latte at home:

• 1 tsp chocolate syrup
• 2 tsp pistachio syrup OR ¼ cup pistachios
• 1 tsp sugar or agave or maple syrup
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup ice
• 1½ tsp matcha powder
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ cup heavy cream

Dubai Chocolate Matcha Latte Recipe

1. Deshell Pistachios. If your pistachios are unshelled, remove them from the shell. Rinse them in water if they’re salted. The water also helps remove the pistachio skin if you want a smoother milk.
2. Make Pistachio Milk. Add pistachios, sweetener, and milk to a blender cup, then blend until smooth. Make sure to leave extra room at the top if you’re using a bullet blender.
3. Make Chocolate Cold Foam. Add chocolate syrup and heavy cream to a small cup, then whip until light and fluffy. To make it like Starbucks, add a splash of milk. Make sure that the mixture is still pourable after whipping and not stiff.
4. Whisk Matcha. Sift matcha into a matcha bowl, then add water. Using a bamboo whisk, vigorously whisk your matcha in a zigzag motion until a foam forms on the surface. See my matcha whisking tutorial here.
5. Assemble Drink. Add ice, pistachio milk, and whisked matcha to a glass, then top with your chocolate cold foam.
6. Mix and Enjoy!

Starbucks Copycat Dubai Chocolate Matcha Latte Recipe

Someone shared the exact measurements that Starbucks’ baristas use for this secret menu item on Reddit. So, here’s how to make it at home using the same proportions:

You’ll need:

• 1-2 tsp chocolate malt powder
• 1/3 cup sweet cream cold foam
• 1-2 tsp pistachio sauce
• 1 cup milk
• 1.5 tsp matcha powder
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup ice
• 1 tsp simple syrup (add more if you want it sweeter)

You can follow the same instructions as my better than Starbucks version, just add the pistachio sauce to the glass or blend it with the milk.

Tips:

Here are some tips for making a great Dubai chocolate matcha latte at home:

• Use Pistachio Spread: Many cafes and shops use pistachio cream to make their Dubai chocolate matcha lattes. It’s much faster than blending pistachios and tastes delicious, with a hint of white chocolate flavor. The downside is that a jar of pistachio cream is super expensive.
• Substitute with Chocolate Milk: You can also use chocolate milk as the base for your latte for a more chocolate forward taste. Storebought or even homemade works nicely. Brownie points if you can find chocolate pistachio milk!