a trio stack of dubai-style rice krispy treats sits on a piece of brown parchment paper. there is a small scattering of shelled pistachios around the stack, and a striped dish cloth in the background. — These Dubai-Style Chocolate Rice Krispy Treats combine the viral sensation of Dubai Chocolate with an American classic Rice Krispy Treat into a chocolaty, chewy dessert you’ll love!

These Dubai-Style Chocolate Rice Krispy Treats combine the quintessential marshmallow treat with the newest craze: Dubai chocolate!

So admittedly in my sabbatical, I missed quite a few food trends here on the internet.

Mochi donuts, boba everything, matcha’s continued reign, croissantifying things. But I happened to show up just as Dubai chocolate was taking the world by storm. I may not have been baking, but I was paying attention! And I was also eating. For research, obviously.

If you’re new to Planet Earth or just haven’t been in the food scene, the newest, hottest girl on the block is Dubai Chocolate. What is it? It’s a thick chocolate candy bar essentially filled with ground pistachio paste, tahini, and toasted shredded filo pastry called kataifi. It’s known for being not overly sweet, both chewy and crunchy (thanks to the kataifi and pistachios) and of course, the signature green color.

Now I’m not a huge candy person, and I’m not known to pick up a candy bar and go to town. But I had to try one – again, for research purposes. I love the mild pistachio flavor and the different textures. I can see why it went viral! So I had to Dubai-ify something most Americans know and love, and that’s where these Dubai-Style Chocolate Rice Krispy Treats came into be.

Dubai-Style Chocolate Rice Krispy Treats

So we all know about rice krispy treats, right? Butter, marshmallows, and crispy rice cereal. Easy! How do we Dubai chocolate-ify them? With pistachio paste! You can easily find this in stores like World Market, which is known for carrying an abundance of cool foreign products (and has a plethora of Dubai chocolate things already).

This is the exact paste I used. While it was just pistachio paste (without the tahini and kataifi) you can sometimes find the paste prepared with the tahini and kataifi. Either one will work! My store was just sold out, and I figured that the crispy rice cereal would mimic the crispiness of the shredded filo pastry anyway.

How to Make Dubai-Style Chocolate Rice Krispy Treats

The process is incredibly similar to regular RKT’s except you’ll stir in the pistachio paste while you make the butter and marshmallow mixture. This will turn the melted marshmallows a green color, but it will mellow out once you add the rice cereal. After the mixture has set in the pan, you’ll melt some semi-sweet chocolate chips until smooth and pour it over the top of the rice krispy treats for that chocolate element. Lastly, to really drive home some crunch and the quintessential pistachio flavor, we’ll top it with some chopped roasted pistachios.

And that’s it! The easiest Dubai-style Chocolate Rice Krispy Treats. I hope you love them!

a stack of two dubai-style rice krispy treats sit on brown wrinkled parchment paper. a scattering of shelled pistachios are also on the paper in front of the stack. — These Dubai-Style Chocolate Rice Krispy Treats combine the viral sensation of Dubai Chocolate with an American classic Rice Krispy Treat into a chocolaty, chewy dessert you’ll love!

a trio stack of dubai rice krispy treats sits on a piece of brown parchment. a small scattering of shelled pistachios are around the stack.

Print Recipe

Dubai-Style Chocolate Rice Krispy Treats

These Dubai-Style Chocolate Rice Krispy Treats combine similar elements of the viral Dubai chocolate into a classic American favorite: the Rice Krispy Treat!

Prep Time1 10

Cook Time5

Total Time1 15

Course: Bars, Dessert

Cuisine: American, Middle Eastern

Servings: servings

Ingredients

3 Tbsp unsalted butter, cubed
10 oz (1 bag) miniature marshmallows
7 oz (1 jar) pistachio cream/pistachio butter
6 cups crisp rice cereal
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup roasted, unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped

Instructions

Lightly grease a 13x9" baking dish with cooking spray, or line with parchment. Set aside.
Add the butter to a large saucepan and melt over medium-low heat. Once melted, add in the marshmallows and pistachio cream/paste and stir occasionally until fully melted. Fold in the crisp rice cereal and stir until the cereal is fully coated.
Pour the coated cereal into the prepared pan and gently spread it into an even layer. Don't pack it down too much; this creates tough treats. Let cool and set for about a half hour.
Once the treats have set, prepare your topping. In a microwave-safe bowl, add your chocolate chips and the heavy cream. Microwave on HIGH power for 30 seconds. Stop and stir, then microwave again for about 15 seconds, stopping and stirring every 15 seconds until the mixture is glossy and smooth. Pour the ganache evenly over the rice krispy treats and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle with the chopped pistachios.
Allow the chocolate layer to set, about 30 minutes, before serving. You can speed this up by placing it in the fridge if desired. Store krispy treats covered at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Notes

Pistachio cream/paste is often found in the ethnic section at the supermarket, or at specialty stores like World Market. Sometimes you can find it with the tahini and kataifi included (in which case you are welcome to purchase that version); however, my store was out of it so I purchased the regular pistachio paste. Pistachio nut butter is also an option. This would likely be found near the peanut butters.