• Dubai chocolate bars, inspired by the Middle Eastern dessert knafeh, have taken social media by storm.
• Originally hard to find in the U.S., the pistachio cream-filled chocolate bars are now available in various Milwaukee cafes and shops.
• Hy-Vee, the Midwestern supermarket chain, has also started selling the viral chocolate bars in select Wisconsin locations.

Milwaukeeans can now get their hands on TikTok-famous Dubai chocolate bars. 

The viral pistachio cream-filled chocolate bars first gained popularity on social media in late 2023. Initially, they were hard to find in the U.S., but now they’re available at multiple cafés, chocolate shops and dessert restaurants in the Milwaukee area. Recently, a supermarket chain with stores in Wisconsin began carrying the chocolate bars, too.

Some Milwaukee businesses have even created shakes, croissants and more based on the chocolate.

Here’s what to know about Dubai chocolate bars and treats inspired by them, and where to find both in Milwaukee:

What is Dubai chocolate, and how did it become popular?

Dubai chocolate bars are inspired by knafeh, a Middle Eastern dessert made with kataifi spun pastry dough, sweet attar syrup and layers of pistachio and cream. The inside of the chocolate bar features a mixture of crispy knafeh bits and pistachio cream. The treat’s exterior shows off a vibrant, yellow and green hand-splatter-painted design.  

The Dubai chocolate bar trend is believed to have started in 2023 when a content creator in the United Arab Emirates posted a 1.5-minute clip of herself opening a chocolate bar, breaking it in half and dipping it in pistachio cream before sampling it. The video, by TikTok user @mariavehera257, featured a bar from Dubai-based Fix Dessert Chocolatier. The video has more than 120.5 million views and over 6.7 million likes. 

Initially, the chocolate bars were rare in the U.S. because they’re made in the United Arab Emirates. 

Where can you get Dubai chocolate in Milwaukee?

While it would be difficult to compile a complete list of where you can find Dubai chocolate bars in Milwaukee, this Reddit post and an Instagram Reel from @milwaukee_eatandplay provide some clues.

According to those social media posts, here’s where you might be able to find the treat or items inspired by its flavors:

• La Gelati: 5663 S. 27th St., Milwaukee
• Gordo’s Bubble Waffle: 1633 W. Wells St., Milwaukee, and 2301 S. Howell Ave., Milwaukee
• Haraz Coffee House: 2900 N. Oakland Ave., Milwaukee
• Melt N Dip: 7820 W. Layton Ave., Greenfield
• Qamaria: 4818 S. 76th St., Greenfield
• Paradise Roastery: 814 W. Layton Ave., Milwaukee
• Indulgence Chocolatiers: 211 S. 2nd. St., Milwaukee; 320 High St., Brookfield; and 4525 N. Oakland Ave., Shorewood
• Batter & Mac: 1100 E. Oklahoma Ave., Milwaukee, and N89W16750 Appleton Ave., Menomonee Falls

Where else can you get Dubai chocolate in Wisconsin? Hy-Vee

Hy-Vee, the Iowa-based supermarket chain with stores in Wisconsin, is selling Dubai chocolate bars at select stores.

In Wisconsin, they’re available at two Madison stores, at 3801 E. Washington Ave. and 675 S. Whitney Way, and its store in the Madison suburb of Fitchburg, at 2920 Fitchrona Road, a Hy-Vee spokesperson said in an email.

Hy-Vee has locations in eight Midwestern states. Its Wisconsin stores are in Ashwaubenon, Eau Claire, Fitchburg, Janesville, La Crosse, Madison, Oregon and Ripon. 

USA TODAY NETWORK-New England reporter Seth Jacobson contributed to this report.