Why pistachio is the hottest flavour trend for 2025

Dubai and luxury go hand-in-hand. The city’s residents are renowned for showing off their lavish lifestyles, be that dinner at six-star hotels, eye-wateringly expensive personalised sports car number plates, or sprees at designer fashion stores.

Overshadowing all of these last year, though, was the Dubai Chocolate Bar. Originally created by Fix Dessert Chocolatier founder Sarah Hamouda in 2021, branded as Can’t Get Knafeh Of It, the unique, exotic treat took flight on social media last year as influencers weighed in, whipping up their own takes on the bar.

What is the Dubai Chocolate Bar?

To craft the Dubai Chocolate Bar, ground pistachios or pistachio paste are blended with tahini paste and chopped kadaifi pastry – a thin, crisp, vermicelli-like variety with roots in Turkish cuisine.

The filling is layered within sweet milk chocolate. 

There’s no part of the culinary landscape in the Western world that hasn’t been influenced by this trend. Cafes (from independents to giants like Starbucks) are introducing more pistachio bakes, pistachio lattes and pistachio hot chocolates, speciality brands are incorporating the jewel-coloured nut into their cakes, biscuits and chocolates, and restaurants are featuring pistachio more prevalently on their menus, within both savoury dishes and desserts.

“There’s a real shift towards brands isolating single ingredients and turning them into their whole USP,” says Good Food Studio founder Helena Tapia, who says pistachio is a prime example, adding that she’s seeing it really taking off especially on London’s bakery scene. “Gail’s, Pophams and other artisanal spots are rolling out pistachio croissants, financiers, and tiramisus, leaning into that premium ‘affordable luxury’ appeal. Even M&S and Waitrose are responding, launching their own pistachio-based products. This shows how this trend is being embraced at every level, from high-end bakeries, to supermarket shelves.”

The pistachio flavour trend

If you’re a producer or retailer who hasn’t cottoned on to pistachio yet, you could be missing a trick say those who’ve already made an investment, such as Rita Farhi chocolates, which recently launched Dubai-style chocolate bars and truffles. “We had been watching the viral rise of Dubai Chocolate, along with the growing obsession with pistachios, featured in everything from croissants to gelato, and knew this was the perfect moment to create our own luxurious take on the trend,” says CEO Michael Farhi.

“The response has been incredible, with Harrods, Liberty, Fenwick and many independent partners embracing the launch. The pistachio craze is here to stay for a while, and we’re thrilled to be one of the first brands in the UK to bring Dubai Chocolate to the market in such an indulgent way.”

Laura Vogan, founder of decadent marshmallow brand, S’more‘a’licious, says when she began noticing all things pistachio ‘taking off’ in early summer 2024 she felt compelled to act. “We started making pistachio marshmallow fluff, which has been very popular – we’ve received some amazing feedback. I also started to sell a marshmallow slab with a pistachio filling and chocolate top. Again, these sold out!”

Another confectioner, Bala Croman of The Chocolate Cellar in Wirral, says she saw the Dubai Chocolate Bar everywhere and, like other chocolate makers, found herself inundated with demand for a similar product from her customers.

And the pistachio trend has also filtered into the frozen food world, with greater interest from consumers, says Catherine McNeil, director of operations at the Ice Cream Alliance. “It’s become a well-established and much-loved flavour in the ice cream and frozen dessert industry, ranking as the fourth most popular ice cream flavour in the UK. Its rich, nutty taste and premium appeal have made it a favourite among consumers seeking something indulgent yet sophisticated,” she says.

“As demand continues to rise, more ice cream brands and dessert manufacturers are incorporating pistachio into their ranges to meet consumer preferences.”

How the Dubai Chocolate Bar trend has inspired innovation

The ripple effect of the Dubai Chocolate Bar has reached far and wide – beyond its original format.

Laura says pistachio is “having a real moment” right now. So much so, that the entrepreneur has invested in additional equipment, enabling her to create and launch a pistachio fluff filled chocolate bar, as well as her own Dubai Chocolate Bar. “I’ve shared these on social media and we’re getting a lot of interest. Excitement is building,” she says. “I believe the pistachio craze will be around most of this year. People can’t seem to get enough of it at the moment!”

Bala felt her business couldn’t get left behind, due to customer demand, so she got to work creating her own version too. “After several attempts, we feel we’ve mastered making our own paste and created the bars. They are quite time-consuming to make, but the feedback is great.” The Chocolate Cellar’s customers, she adds, associate pistachio nuts with delight and luxury. “The type of French ‘ooh la la’ you might find in a little Parisian bakery.”

Today, any pistachio-based products sell out first at markets, even overtaking salted caramel, which had previously been the top seller. Bala finds this surprising because they’d trialled pistachio bars five years ago, but stopped making them due to slow sales. “This year though, anything with ‘pistachio’ in the name is really popular. We now make the Dubai bars, spiced pistachio cakes, macarons and spiced chocolate and pistachio bars.”

Little Dessert Shop, which has outlets across the UK, officially launched its Dubai Drip collection at the end of January, amassing huge interest, says head of marketing, Josh Allen. “As a brand that thrives on delivering trending and innovative dessert experiences, we saw an opportunity to bring this sought-after treat to dessert lovers nationwide.”

The response, he adds, has “been nothing short of phenomenal”. “This collection has quickly become our most successful promotional launch to date, surpassing all expectations, and setting new records across our stores. Not only has this launch contributed to multiple record-breaking sales weeks for the brand but it has also amplified our social media presence in an incredible way.”

Why should retailers be stocking more pistachio products?

Helena says pistachio is on an upward perpetual cycle. “We’ve seen this before with other food trends, though not all stick around for the long term. Charcoal had a similar peak of interest, but fizzled out just as fast. However pistachio feels like it has staying power, tapping into the indulgence trend, while remaining visually and culturally relevant.”

Catherine adds that retailers really should be taking note, as the pistachio trend reflects evolving consumer preference for premium and internationally inspired flavours. “With pistachio ranking amongst the UK’s top ice cream flavours, there is clear and growing demand. The influence of luxury confections, such as Dubai Chocolate, has further solidified pistachio’s status as a must-have flavour. “Additionally, its success in award-winning products, like Frank’s Ice Cream’s Pistachio Crunch, demonstrates its appeal across both artisanal and mainstream markets.”

By stocking pistachio-flavoured products, Catherine adds, “Retailers can capitalise on this lucrative trend, attracting discerning customers, and boosting sales.”

Josh thinks it’s a no-brainer. Little Dessert Shop, alone, has amassed more than 1.5 million social video views for its new Dubai Chocolate Bar inspired range, seen a huge boom in user generated content on socials, and sales soar by 32% on launch week.

Like any viral trend, he does anticipate the initial hype to eventually slow. “However, what’s exciting is the lasting impact it’s likely to have on consumer tastes and preferences. Rather than seeing this as just a passing phase, we view it as the beginning of a new wave of innovation. The popularity of pistachio has opened the door for us to experiment with even more premium, international ingredients, allowing us to expand our menu with fresh, trendsetting creations.”