As the whole world raves about the viral Dubai chocolate – a pistachio-filled thick chocolate bar, Marks and Spencer has concoted their own version. With lots of different dupes of the Dubai chocolate bar around, M&S decided to take it up a level with their own version and named it the “Big Daddy 2.0”.
With Dubai chocolate being the number one trending hashtag for food and drink in the UK on TikTok, and pistachio having a moment online, with an 80% search increase, it’s no surprise M&S have made their own bar. The original Big Daddy from M&S was a peanut-filled chocolate bar, but now the 2.0 is a revamped version, stuffed with pistachio creme and pistachio pieces.
The original Dubai Chocolate Bar is actually called Can’t Get Knafeh Of It. This was created by Fix Dessert Chocolatier based in Dubai, UAE. Popularised on TikTok, this sweet treat is a blend of milk chocolate filled with a pistachio cream and crispy kataifi (a shredded phyllo pastry) filling. It is said to be inspired by the Middle Eastern dessert knafeh, a traditional Arab dessert.
The trend has led to a huge demand as recreations take shape outside of the UAE. Some have been spotted on shop shelves, including an option from Lindt, and choices in B&M, Home Bargains, Lidl, Aldi and Morrisons. People have even tried making their own homemade versions with the core ingredients.
I am a huge pistachio lover, so I just knew I needed to get my hands on M&S brand new bar as soon as possible. With M&S’s thick, signature creamy milk chocolate and gooey sweet and salty caramel, it was already a delight. But add a light and crunchy, subtly sweet biscuit crumb and the ultimate chunky, nutty pistachio layer – made with real roasted pistachios, pistachio crème and white chocolate – what’s not to love?
As soon as I opened the box – yes it comes in a box instead of a wrapper – I was amazed at how big it truly was. It’s called the Big Daddy for a reason. It was thick and extremely dense, and for £8.50 a bar, it’s exactly what you’d expect.
I broke the bar in half and immediately, the caramel oozed out alongside some crumbles of pistachio, and I knew I was in for a real treat. Not knowing what to expect, the nutty taste of the pistachio was the first hit, along with the caramel and milk chocolate.
It almost had a nougat taste to it, but I think that was from the chunks of pistachio as well as a touch of saltiness, which really complimented the sweet.
The big chunks of pistachio gave the chocolate a nice texture as it wasn’t all smooth. I was very surprised the pistachio wasn’t over powering, and it’s incredibly moreish, however you definitely can’t eat a lot of it as it can get quite sickly quickly.
My only gripe is that it’s £8.50 a bar, which is pretty pricey for a chocolate bar and I don’t think it’s something you can just buy on a whim.
It’s also very dense and very sweet which could be off putting to some, but for me and my real sweet tooth it was absolutely perfect, and I can tell I am going to be buying a fair few more of these soon as I simply can’t stop eating it.
Do you have a story to share? Email niamh.kirk@reachplc.com
Get email updates with the day’s biggest stories
