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Brownie mix isn’t just a convenient boxed dessert, but a blank canvas for all types of creative upgrades. We’ve thought of 16 ways to improve store-bought brownie mix, many of which are swaps or simple additions like chocolate chips or flaky sea salt. However, if you’re willing to embark on a more elaborate journey, a Dubai chocolate-inspired brownie is worth the effort!
The defining characteristic of Dubai chocolate is the blend of pistachio cream tahini, and toasted kataifi, a shredded phyllo dough with the most irresistible crunch factor. We provide a scratch-made recipe for Dubai chocolate, but this upgrade is a lot easier thanks to the use of brownie mix. You can make your favorite boxed brownie mix according to the instructions, using the time it takes to bake and cool the brownie to prepare the layers of pistachio cream and melted milk chocolate.
Slowly toast the kataifi in a buttered pan on medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes before adding pistachio cream and a heaping tablespoon of tahini, stirring to combine. Melt milk or dark chocolate chips with a bit of cream and corn syrup in the microwave. Once the brownie has been cooled and removed from the baking pan, you can spread the pistachio mixture over the brownie, topping it off with a pour of melted chocolate. It’ll take another half hour to an hour for the chocolate to set before you can dig in.
More ideas for Dubai-inspired brownies
Brownie mix cuts out a lot of the prep work to get you the gooey, fudgy chocolate foundation for the pistachio-kataifi filling and final layer of chocolate ganache. However, you can make the Dubai chocolate-inspired brownie even easier by using store-bought Sicania sweet pistachio cream. The Dubai chocolate craze has also made toasted kataifi a more accessible commodity, saving you yet another timely cooking step for your Dubai-inspired brownies. For that matter, ready-made Dubai chocolate pistachio filling with kataifi is available for purchase on Amazon.
If you can’t find kataifi or simply want a cheaper alternative, you can swap it with Rice Krispies to get that same satisfying crunch factor at a fraction of the cost. Corn Flakes are another crispy cereal option for a kataifi swap. Both Rice Krispies and Corn Flakes are gluten-free ingredients that you could use to top this King Arthur gluten-free ultimate fudge brownie mix, which we crowned No. 1 in a ranking of the best boxed brownie mixes. Another coincidentally gluten-free alternative to kataifi is toasted shredded coconut. It’s rich, nutty, and chewy, enhancing the flavor of the pistachios and tahini. You could likewise use coconut oil to melt the dark or milk chocolate for even more coconut flavor. Top the chocolate layer with chopped toasted pistachios for color and crunch.
