For the past two years, Dubai chocolate has taken hold of the internet. Fast forward to 2026, Dubai chocolate is still a trend that is yet to die down, as countless consumers are still after this luxury chocolate and raving about its unique taste.
Recently, this chocolate has not only been seen as a candy bar, but also as a flavor option available at multiple chains, namely Crumbl Cookies and Starbucks. During the week of January 26 through the 31st, Crumbl’s main feature cookie of the week is the Dubai chocolate cookie, which is described by Crumbl as a chocolate cookie with pistachio filling. Additionally, on January 6,, Starbucks released the new winter menu which includes a Dubai chocolate matcha and an iced Dubai chocolate mocha. Starbucks has also released their next menu items for Valentine’s Day, which contain Dubai chocolate “bites” and a chocolate pistachio loaf.
Dubai chocolate rose to fame in December of 2023 on TikTok, quickly going viral. However, unlike most trends, this one has yet to fade out and businesses are viewing this long-lasting trend as a way to draw in more customers. Using an item that has been trending is definitely a strong marketing strategy and may even be a key to draw in more customers. Even students who go to Starbucks often are drawn in by this new product. “I found it funny,” said Starbucks fan Giselle DeRisi while explaining why she went to Starbucks for the Dubai chocolate matcha.
Since this is not a product that just Starbucks has picked up on, it is clearly an intentional strategy to draw in Dubai chocolate enthusiasts or even just make customers curious and decide to purchase it. The curiosity component is especially important to these businesses, as many companies are not just selling Dubai chocolate, but variations of it in drink or baked good form. “They’re using something popular and they’re transforming it into different things,” said Sania Madane, a senior on the IB business track. By being so creative with an already popular product, these companies are getting more interest from the public, which is beneficial for their businesses.
Despite this highly sought-after strategy appealing to many customers, these companies do have to be careful. The trend of this specialty chocolate has been around for over two years, which is longer than most viral items. That is the risk of adding these items so late in the game, it could always come to an end. Madane, while agreeing this is currently an effective business strategy, said “but only for a limited amount of time, because Dubai chocolate’s already getting really, really old.” It may be popular and bringing in business now, but there is always a risk of this chapter coming to a close while these items are still on the menu.
Despite this, it seems like a risk that beloved businesses are willing to take. A lot of social media attention has gone to Crumbl and Starbucks recently, so as of now this creative take on the famous Dubai chocolate is bringing in nothing but success.
