This Dubai Chewy Cookie is Korea’s most viral dessert right now and once you try one you’ll completely understand why. It has a soft, glossy chocolate exterior that stretches and pulls like mochi, a rich pistachio and kataifi filling that’s nutty and just sweet enough, and the whole thing comes together without any baking at all. You can keep it classic or tuck a whole strawberry inside for a fruity surprise in the center.

Why You’ll Love It

• Viral Korean dessert you can make at home in under an hour
• Stretchy, fudgy, mochi-like texture without any mochi or rice flour
• Rich pistachio kataifi filling with a satisfying crunch
• No baking required — everything happens on the stovetop
• Customizable with a hidden strawberry center
• Perfect for gifting, special occasions, or just treating yourself

Dubai Chewy Cookie: Korea’s Most Viral Dessert Right Now

I’ve been obsessed with Korean dessert trends for a long time and this one genuinely lives up to the hype. The exterior looks like mochi but it’s actually made from marshmallow melted low and slow with butter, cocoa, and milk powder — when it cools it sets into this glossy, elastic shell that has the most satisfying stretch when you bite into it. Inside is a filling of toasted kataifi tossed with pistachio cream, which gives you that nutty crunch against the soft chewy exterior. My favorite version has a whole strawberry hidden in the center so every bite has a fresh fruity surprise tucked inside all that richness.

Dubai Chewy Cookie Ingredients

The Filling

• 150g kataifi, finely chopped
• 20g unsalted butter
• 250g pistachio cream
• Strawberries, optional, whole and completely dried

The Exterior

• 200g marshmallow
• 30g butter
• 15g cocoa powder
• 20g milk powder
• Extra cocoa powder for dusting

The Filling

The kataifi is what gives this cookie its signature crunch inside. It needs to be toasted in butter until evenly golden before mixing with the pistachio cream — don’t rush this step or pull it too early, you want it properly golden and fragrant so the texture holds up against the soft exterior. Once mixed with the pistachio cream the filling gets firmed up in the freezer for 15 minutes before you portion and roll it into balls. If you’re doing the strawberry version make sure the strawberries are completely dry before wrapping the filling around them — any moisture will cause the filling to slip or separate when you bite into it.

The Exterior

This is where most people go wrong and it comes down to one thing: heat. The marshmallow needs to melt on the lowest heat setting your stove has. If you rush it with higher heat the exterior will turn stiff and grainy instead of soft and elastic. Melt until about 90% done, turn off the heat completely, then add the sifted cocoa and milk powder and mix until smooth — the residual heat finishes the melting. Let it cool completely on parchment before you try to work with it. If it firms up too much while you’re assembling, a few seconds back over the lowest heat will bring the pliability back.

How To Make Dubai Chewy Cookies

1. Finely chop the kataifi strands. Melt 20g butter in a pan over medium heat, add the kataifi, and toast stirring constantly until evenly golden brown.
2. Transfer to a bowl and mix with pistachio cream until fully combined.
3. Place the mixture in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up.
4. Divide into 10 equal portions and roll into balls. For the strawberry version, wrap each ball around a whole completely dry strawberry.
5. Place on a tray and refrigerate while you make the exterior.
6. Sift the cocoa powder and milk powder together and set aside.
7. In a nonstick skillet over the lowest heat setting, melt the 30g butter. Add the marshmallows and gently stir until about 90% melted.
8. Turn off the heat immediately and add the sifted cocoa and milk powder. Mix until smooth and fully combined.
9. Transfer to parchment paper or a nonstick mat and let cool completely.
10. Lightly oil your hands. Divide the cooled marshmallow mixture into 10 equal pieces. Flatten one piece, place a filling ball in the center, and wrap to fully seal. Roll gently into a smooth ball.
11. Dust generously with cocoa powder and serve.

Storage

Plain Dubai Chewy Cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days if you prefer them gooey and soft, or refrigerated if you like a firmer more set texture. Strawberry-filled cookies must be refrigerated due to the fresh fruit and are best eaten within a day or two. Either way they’re best on the day they’re made when the exterior is at its most elastic and the filling is at its freshest.