Dubai Chocolate Energy Bites

Dubai chocolate-covered desserts, adorned with kataifi and chopped pistachios.

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Dubai Chocolate Energy Bites are a healthier twist on the viral Dubai Chocolate Bars. This version features a filling made with chia seeds and chopped pistachios without the heavy cream in the melted chocolate.

Prep Time20

Freeze Time30

Total Time50

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Middle-Eastern Inspired

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Servings: energy bites

Author: Nisha Kapur

Equipment

Mixing Bowls

Ingredients

For Sauteing Kaitaifi

2 tbsp ghee
1 cup kaitaifi reserve 1 tbsp sauteed kaitaifi for garnish

For Pistachio Filling (Kanafeh)

1/3 cup pistachio cream
2 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp chopped pistachios
1/16 tsp cardamom powder
pinch of salt

For Melted Chocolate

1 cup dark chocolate I used Guittard
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

For Garnish

1 tbsp sauteed kaitaifi
1 tbsp pistachios chopped

Instructions

Lightly Toast Kaitaifi. Heat a stainless steel pan on medium heat and add ghee. Once melted, add kataifi (shredded phyllo dough). Saute kaitaifi for a total of 7-8 minutes. Once the kataifi is golden in color, turn off the stove. Don't overcook the kataifi; otherwise, it will burn. Reserve one tablespoon of kataifi for later to use as garnish.
Make Pistachio Filling (Kanafeh) & Freeze. Add the sauteed kataifi to a large mixing bowl, along with pistachio butter (pistachio cream), chia seeds, chopped pistachios, ground cardamom, and salt. Mix well until all the contents are well combined. Use a mini ice cream scoop to form even-shaped balls. Place the pistachio-shaped balls on a plate. Freeze the balls for 30 minutes.
Melt Chocolate. Wait 25 minutes and then melt your chocolate using a double boiler method. Start by heating 1 inch of water in a pot over medium heat with a lid. Once the water is boiling, add the dark chocolate and vanilla extract to the mixing bowl. It will take about 5 minutes for the chocolate to melt.
Coat Dubai Chocolate Energy Bites. Remove the pistachio-shaped balls from the freezer. Add one ball at a time. Using a small spatula, coat the entire ball with chocolate. Place the chocolate-coated ball onto the parchment paper to avoid sticking. Garnish with reserved sauteed kaitaifi and chopped pistachios. Refrigerate the energy bites for at least half an hour, and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Kaitafi: You can purchase the kataifi on Amazon. Here is the brand I recommend buying on Amazon. Saute the kataifi in ghee until golden in color.
Pistachio Butter (Pistachio Cream): Pistachio butter can be purchased on Amazon. It's creamy and already sweetened, so you don't need to add additional sugar to this recipe.
Freeze Balls: Make sure to freeze the pistachio balls for 1/2 hour, or they will fall apart when added to melted chocolate.
Vegan option: Use coconut oil instead of ghee. Also, use a nondairy pistachio butter that doesn't contain milk solids. Lastly, some dark chocolate may contain dairy, so use one that doesn't. I love Guittard.

Nutrition