I tend to follow food trends more than other trends. I don’t need a fashion trend. Give me my favorite pieces that have been in my closet for a decade and will hopefully remain there forever. No thank you to home design trends. Classic with a twist is my vibe no matter what is in style. Don’t even get my started on social media trends – I cannot name a single one that has interested me.
But food trends sure. I’ll try any flavor of potato chip. Let’s put caviar on everything! And I’m totally ordering the weirdest flavor of ice cream in the counter.
I guess the thing about food is that is it low risk to try things. Many are reasonably priced and only a serving or two. If I don’t like it, that’s okay. At least I can say I tried it. Sometimes I am pleasantly surprised to find I love something funky or unique.
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Admittedly, I can’t try the trendy Dubai chocolate bars because well, chocolate and I are not friends given my allergy. That doesn’t mean I haven’t been incredibly intrigued by these flavor and texture bombs. So intrigued in fact that I made a version of them in cookie bar form.
Now I cannot tell you personally how close they are to the real thing, but my friend tried both the real thing (as well as other riffs on it) and my version. She loved mine, in particular that it wasn’t quite as sweet as the original.
I can tell you I love these! The cookie bars alone totally blew me away. I will make them again and again with and without the topping. They are basically the perfect blondie, and that is a feat in and of itself. Then there’s the pistachio topping. It packs major crunch and the most intense pistachio flavor. And pistachio is a flavor that’s tough to allow to shine. The ganache on top is basically just gilding the lily, but it does bring home the candy bar vibe.
This is one trend I hope is here to stay, as well as a trend I hope you will try.
Dubai Pistachio Cookie Bars
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 servings 1x
Description
A paleo twist on the viral Dubai chocolate bars with a gooey blondie base, crunchy pistachio filling, and smooth ganache on top.
Ingredients
Cookie bars
5 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
4 tablespoons olive oil
2/3 cup coconut sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla bean powder
2 teaspoons espresso powder
1 ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons paleo flour blend (2 cups almond flour, 1 ¼ cups tapioca starch, ¾ cup coconut flour) or all-purpose flour
½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup carob or dark chocolate chips
¼ cup salted and shelled pistachios
Filling
1 cup pistachio butter
2 cups unsweetened toasted coconut chips, finely chopped
1 cup salted shelled pistachios, finely chopped
Ganache
¼ cup carob or cocoa powder
2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 ½ cups carob or dark chocolate chips
2 teaspoons espresso powder
2 teaspoons vanilla bean powder
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons coconut butter
Instructions
Make the cookie bars. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/ 325 degrees F convection. Line with parchment, leaving overhang for easy removal.
In a large bowl, stir together coconut oil, olive oil, sugar, syrup, vanilla, and espresso until well combined. Beat in the egg. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and baking soda until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and pistachios until combined. Spread into the prepared pan and bake about 25 minutes, until golden brown but not firm to the touch. Cool completely in pan.
Make the filling. In a large bowl, stir together the pistachio butter, pistachios, and coconut. Spread over the bars, making the layer as even as possible.
Make the ganache. In a medium microwave safe bowl, heat the milk, chips, carob powder, espresso powder, and maple syrup in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until fully melted. Stir in the vanilla and coconut butter until emulsified. Pour over the filling, smoothing into an even layer. Allow to set completely before slicing and serving. Bars may be stored in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Well Made by Kiley
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
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