Dubai Chocolate Cheesecake with Kataifi and Pistachio
Dubai chocolate cheesecake takes the filling of the viral Dubai chocolate bar, toasted kataifi pastry mixed with pistachio cream, and bakes it as a layer inside a classic cheesecake. A graham crust, a creamy filling and a thin semisweet chocolate shell finish it. Plan on about 7 hours in total, most of it cooling and chilling, for 12 slices at about 640 calories each.
Quick answer
Press a graham crust into a 9-inch springform pan and bake 8 minutes at 325°F. Toast 4 oz chopped kataifi in butter and mix it with 1/2 cup pistachio cream and chopped pistachios. Layer half the cream cheese filling, the kataifi mixture and the rest of the filling, bake 50 to 55 minutes, cool 1 hour in the turned-off oven, and chill at least 4 hours. Top with melted semisweet chocolate and chill 15 minutes more.
Dubai Chocolate Cheesecake
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Dubai Chocolate Cheesecake Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Cheesecake filling
- 24 oz (three 8-oz blocks) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 tsp vanilla bean powder (optional)
Kataifi pistachio layer
- 4 oz kataifi (shredded phyllo dough), chopped into short pieces
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup pistachio cream (sweet pistachio spread)
- 1/4 cup shelled pistachios, chopped
Chocolate top
- 8 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
How to Make Dubai Chocolate Cheesecake
- Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Mix the graham crumbs with the melted butter, press firmly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and bake for 8 minutes. Set aside.
- While the crust bakes, melt 2 tbsp butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped kataifi and toast, stirring often, until deep golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, then stir in the pistachio cream and chopped pistachios.
- Beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium-low until completely smooth. Add the eggs one at a time on low speed, then mix in the sour cream and vanilla bean powder (if using) just until combined.
- Pour half the filling over the crust. Spoon small mounds of the kataifi mixture evenly over it, leaving a 1/2-inch border, then gently pour the rest of the filling on top to cover it.
- Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the edges are set and the center 2 to 3 inches still jiggle slightly. Turn off the oven, prop the door open and leave the cheesecake inside for 1 hour.
- Run a thin knife around the edge, then refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Melt the chocolate with the oil in 20-second microwave bursts, stirring between each, until smooth. Pour it over the chilled Dubai chocolate cheesecake, spread to the edges and chill for 15 minutes before slicing with a hot, dry knife.
Nutrition Facts
Per slice (1 of 12) (estimated)
- Calories: 640
- Total fat: 44 g
- Saturated fat: 23 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg
- Sodium: 330 mg
- Carbohydrates: 56 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Sugar: 40 g
- Protein: 9 g
Estimated from USDA FoodData Central: SR Legacy graham crackers (FDC 174957, 84 g per cup crushed), cream cheese, sour cream, eggs, sugar, unsalted butter, pistachios and semisweet chocolate, plus USDA Branded Foods values for kataifi shredded dough (FDC 2503945) and cream of pistachio spread (FDC 453986, about 148 g per 1/2 cup). Optional vanilla bean powder is not included.
What Makes a Dubai Chocolate Cheesecake
The Dubai chocolate bar is milk or dark chocolate filled with crisp toasted kataifi (also spelled kunafa or knafeh, the shredded pastry used in the Middle Eastern dessert) and pistachio cream. A Dubai chocolate cheesecake puts that crunchy green filling in the middle of a baked cheesecake and copies the chocolate shell with a layer of melted chocolate on top.
Kataifi is sold frozen in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean shops and some large supermarkets. Thaw it in the fridge, then chop it into roughly 1/2-inch pieces before toasting so it spreads in an even layer.
How to Keep the Dubai Chocolate Cheesecake Layer Crunchy
Toasting is the key step. Pale kataifi turns soft once it sits in a moist filling, while deeply golden strands keep some crunch even after a night in the fridge. Toast it in butter until it smells nutty and looks like dark honey, and let it cool before mixing it with the pistachio cream so the cream doesn’t turn oily.
Keep the mounds small and leave a border. If the kataifi touches the pan edge, the top layer of filling can’t seal over it and that edge may crack.
Dubai Chocolate Cheesecake Timeline
| Step | Time |
|---|---|
| Crust bake (toast kataifi meanwhile) | 8 min |
| Mix filling and layer | About 20 min |
| Bake | 50–55 min |
| Cool in the turned-off oven | 1 hr |
| Chill | At least 4 hr (or overnight) |
| Melt chocolate, pour and set | About 25 min |
Tips for a Smooth Dubai Chocolate Cheesecake
- Soften the cream cheese fully. Cold blocks leave lumps that never beat out. Leave them out for about 1 hour.
- Beat on low after adding eggs. Whipping air into the batter makes the top puff and crack.
- Use the jiggle test. The center should wobble like set custard, not ripple like liquid.
- Cool slowly. The hour in the turned-off oven reduces cracks; the chocolate top covers small ones anyway.
- Slice with a hot knife. Dip it in hot water and wipe it dry between cuts for clean layers.
Pistachio Cream Substitutes
Sweet pistachio cream (a spreadable pistachio and sugar paste) gives the most Dubai-bar flavor. If you can’t find it, blend 3/4 cup shelled pistachios with 3 tbsp powdered sugar and 2 to 3 tbsp neutral oil until spreadable. Unsweetened pistachio paste also works; add 2 tbsp powdered sugar to it.
How to Store Dubai Chocolate Cheesecake
Cheesecake is a perishable dairy-and-egg dessert, so keep it covered in the fridge and don’t leave it out more than 2 hours. The FoodSafety.gov cold storage chart has no cheesecake row; its closest item, baked custard-style pies such as pumpkin, is listed at 3 to 4 days in the fridge and 1 to 2 months in the freezer, so use those times (see the FoodSafety.gov storage chart). Wrap slices well before freezing and thaw them overnight in the fridge. The kataifi softens a little after thawing.
For another cheesecake, see these mini pumpkin cheesecakes; for a lighter dessert table, add a strawberry chantilly cake.
Dubai Chocolate Cheesecake FAQ
What can I use instead of kataifi?
Finely crushed, toasted phyllo sheets or crushed plain cornflakes toasted in butter give a similar crunch, though not the same thin strands.
Can I make Dubai chocolate cheesecake a day ahead?
Yes. Bake and chill it overnight, then add the chocolate top a few hours before serving.
Why did my cheesecake crack?
Usually from overbeating, overbaking or a fast temperature change. Cool it in the turned-off oven and pull it while the center still jiggles.
Can I use milk chocolate for the top?
Yes, but it sets softer and tastes sweeter. Semisweet balances the sweet pistachio layer.
How many calories are in a slice of Dubai chocolate cheesecake?
About 640 calories per slice when cut into 12, based on USDA FoodData Central values.
Sources
Featured photo: Unsplash
