Over the summer, sweets lovers across TikTok went absolutely “nutty” for a crispy, pistachio-filled chocolate dubbed the “Dubai chocolate bar.” The viral treat has been replicated all over the internet, but the duo behind the Baton Rouge-based Chocolate Bijoux thinks they may have nailed the recipe.
The Middle Eastern candy bar originally made by the Dubai-based Fix Dessert Chocolatier is called the “Can’t Get Knafeh of It.” It’s named after the dessert knafeh, which has similar ingredients. It caught the eyes of many with its green—and sometimes gooey center combined with an ASMR-worthy crunch. The bars cost about $20, and Fix Dessert Chocolatier doesn’t ship to the US, causing many to look for dupes to get a taste.
Once the sought-after dessert started popping up on Maram Khalaf’s social media feeds, she knew she and her mother, Aliaa, had to try to offer it locally through their sweet company, Chocolate Bijoux.
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“It was actually really cool because we’re actually Middle Eastern, and it’s a Middle Eastern trend with chocolate,” Maram says. “(At first,) I didn’t know how big (of a trend) it was. I just thought because I’m Middle Eastern, I always get kind of Middle Eastern-themed (content through the algorithm). And then I had a lot of my American friends sending me this trend. … I was like, ‘We need to start doing these.’”
After Chocolate Bijoux launched its Pistachio Bars, new and returning customers took notice. What Maram thought would be a short-lived, buzzy flavor turned into one of the brand’s best-sellers, with eager shoppers buying up the product online, at pop-ups and shops that carry the locally made candy. She estimates Chocolate Bijoux has made and sold over 1,000 bars since the summer, and it doesn’t seem like Baton Rouge is tired of the flavor just yet.
“A lot of our items are seasonal,” Maram says. “Definitely, this season has been extended. Since May up until now, it’s just been going nonstop. I don’t think I’ve ever made as many of one flavor of anything as much.”
The chocolate is filled with a pistachio paste mixed with crispy pieces of toasted kataifi pastry, made from strands of phyllo dough. Maram and Aliaa source quality ingredients like pistachios imported from Turkey. The mother-daughter team perfected and tested their recipe by roasting and grinding the raw pistachios in their kitchen and spending hours over the stove toasting the pastry.
“To be honest, I don’t like the already-made (pistachio butter),” Aliaa says. “I don’t (taste) the pistachio in it. I feel like it has an artificial flavor in it. If I don’t like it, I’m not going to sell it. Everyone tells me, ‘It’s a lot of work. You ground the pistachios. You do the dough. You do everything.’ … I don’t want to sell fake stuff.”
Other tools were harder to get their hands on, like the molds to give the bars their signature blocky shape. Chocolate Bijoux offers the unique filling in bars of varying shapes and sizes and has even put it inside its famous bon bon gems, for those who just want to get a taste.
“We just put a little Bijoux twist to it,” Maram says.
Maram and Aliaa describe the taste of the bar as rich and nutty but not too overpowering. The toasted dough results in a satisfying crunch that doesn’t get soggy when combined with the pistachio butter. The sweetness of the chocolate is balanced by the unique filling.
Though the bars have become a popular item for Chocolate Bijoux, Maram says selling them hasn’t yielded too much profit because of the high cost of ingredients. But she and Aliaa have acquired quite a few new customers throughout the process. As a teaching assistant, Maram has had professors ask about getting their hands on the bars. Aliaa has even been contacted by local international grocery stores inquiring if they can give out her number to customers hunting for the treat.
“The trend has supported us so much because it’s helping put our name out there,” Maram says. “I think people who didn’t even care for chocolate now want to try it.”
This isn’t the first time Chocolate Bijoux has offered pistachio inside its candies. In fact, the duo has used the nut in plenty of its offerings, like its Pistachio Mallow filling and its berry and nut chocolate assortments. But Maram says none of its pistachio-filled candies have gotten as popular as its take on the Dubai chocolate bar.
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Maram and Aliaa are still letting this customer-favorite flavor have its moment. They say they will continue to add drops of the bar as long as the demand is there. As for other seasonal flavors, they don’t want to reveal too much yet, but they tease that new flavors are in the works for the holidays, including some possible takes on cinnamon, cranberry and even peppermint flavors.
“I also like to sit down with my mom and try to merge both countries together,” Maram says about flavor brainstorming. “She grew up in the Middle East, and I grew up here, so we like to merge those sometimes.”
Chocolate Bijoux’s Pistachio Bars are offered online in limited drops. Maram and Aliaa make a set amount and put them online. Customers can order them from the site and pick them up at Mulberry Market. Once they sell out, Aliaa begins the long process of making more. Maram shares that they also drop some of this special flavor at Local Supply for in-person shopping. Follow the dessert business on social media to find out when the next drop will be.