After conquering TikTok and Instagram, Dubai chocolate has become the new confectionery obsession of 2025. A phenomenon that has become popular on social media despite the anything but popular price: in many cases we are talking about tens of euros for a single bar. Yet, this has not stopped the rise of “Dubai Chocolate”, which from an exclusive niche product has become a truly global trend.
Riding the wave were not only high-end pastry brands, but also industrial brands and large-scale retail trade: even Lidl launched its low-cost version, making the flavor (and imagery) of Middle Eastern luxury accessible to all.
And, as was to be expected, even at Christmas we don’t miss the opportunity to follow such a profitable trend. Therefore, the “Dubai Style” panettone could not be missing which – we can bet – will be among the most photographed and shared desserts of Christmas 2025.
Dubai chocolate panettone
Dubai chocolate has officially entered the world of Christmas sweets and several Italian brands have launched their panettone by combining chocolate with pistachio, kadayif pastry and other ingredients that evoke the Middle East.
We took a look around the supermarkets and have already found two:
What does “Dubai Style” panettone contain?
The Maina Il Golosone Dubai Style Chocolate panettone is a very rich and decidedly delicious version, filled with pistachio cream (15.5%), dark and milk chocolate, chopped pistachios and a touch of kadayif pastry which recalls typical Arab desserts such as baklava.
Here is the list of ingredients for this panettone:
These are the ingredients of Vergani – Panettone Dubai Style. For the dough:
These are the ingredients of the pistachio cream (30%):
Looking at the list of ingredients, it is immediately clear that these are very elaborate products. In both cases the list is long and includes various additives, emulsifiers and refined sugars. Between glucose syrup, modified corn starch, potassium sorbate, fructose and flavourings, we find ourselves faced with industrial desserts rich in sugars and unhealthy fats.
But beyond the ingredients, a product like this reminds us how much social media can dictate fashions… even at Christmas.
