Business

Costco adds new exclusive dessert tied to Dubai Chocolate trend

By Daniel Kline TheStreet

Updated May 9, 2026 4:27 PM

When a flavor become a trend, retailers and restaurants tend to jump on it, and consumers usually embrace that.

Starbucks, for example, introduced its signature Pumpkin Spice Latte in 2003 and it quickly built into a hit.

That beverage became a seasonal staple, not just at the coffee giant, but also at every other coffee chain. In addition, "pumpkin spice," became a fall flavor embraced by not just restaurants and cafes, but also for product makers selling into grocery and convenience stores.

Now, Dubai Chocolate has become a growing trend.

"The bars were first invented in 2021 by Sarah Hamouda, a British-Egyptian living in Dubai. When she was pregnant with her second child, her cravings inspired her to come up with a chocolate bar containing a sweet, gooey filling of pistachio cream and tahini with the crunch of knafeh, a traditional Middle Eastern dessert made from shredded filo, soft cheese and syrup," according to The Guardian.

Dubai Chocolate has made its way to cafes, supermarkets, and now, a new variation has hit the freezer aisle at Costco.

Costco jumps on the Dubai Chocolate trend

While Costco has carried a variety of Dubai-Style chocolate products in the past, its latest offering is an exclusive from Häagen-Dazs.

"The new Dubai Style Chocolate Ice Cream Bars are made with creamy, nutty pistachio ice cream encased in indulgent milk chocolate and toasted kataifi pieces, which give Häagen-Dazs' ice cream bars that signature Dubai chocolate crunch," according to All Recipes.

The new Häagen-Dazs Dubai Style Chocolate Ice Cream Bars will be sold only in a pack containing 20 mini bars.

Only some of the country will have access to the warehouse club's newest trendy snack.

Costco's new Häagen-Dazs Dubai Style Chocolate Ice Cream Bars won't be sold at Costcos in the Texas and Southeast regions, according to the brand.

"The treats are expected to cost between $15.49 and $15.99, depending on the market," USA Today reported.

TheStreet's retail advisor and RTMNexus CEO Dominick Miserandino sees this partnership as a smart part of Costco's broader plan.

"The Costco strategy is to give the people what they want, and that could be a $1.50 hot dog, making the people happy. In this case, Dubai plus Haagen-Dazs is a combination that will attract enough attention to increase those store visits they're looking for, and they'll make the money elsewhere," he shared with TheStreet.

Costco is late to the Dubai Chocolate trend

Alon Chen, chief executive of food trend analytics firm Tastewise, said the company's system flagged "Dubai chocolate" as a trend as early as January 2024, according to its 2025's Dubai Chocolate Trend: Why It's Going Viral report.

His company's technology monitors menus from restaurants in the United Kingdom, the U.S. and nine other countries.

"Tastewise also keeps an eye on blogs about what people are cooking at home (which recipes are published, and which ones are popular), and social media. By the time a product reaches the shelves of a supermarket, the trend will already be 12 to 18 months old," he said.

Costco may not be first to most trends, but it does make an effort to keep its merchandise fresh and exciting for customers.

"Members are very focused on quality and value and newness and exciting new items are very important. But when you deliver on those things, we're seeing members are willing to and have the capacity to spend," CFO Gary Millerchip said during the chain's second-quarter earnings call.

Costco's approach has clearly worked as sales continue to grow, according to its April sales report:

Net sales for the month came in at $23.92 billion, an increase of 13% from $21.18 billion last year.
April had one additional shopping day versus last year due to the calendar shift of Easter. This positively impacted both total and comparable sales by approximately 1.5% to 2%.
Reported comparable sales for the month were as follows: U.S. 11.7%, Canada 11.5%, other international, 11.5%, and total company, 11.6%.
Comparable sales for the month, excluding the impacts from changes in gasoline prices and foreign exchange were as follows: U.S. 8%, Canada 7.6%, other international, 6.5%, and total company, 7.8%.
Total Company comparable sales for the month, excluding all gas sales and the impact of foreign exchange was approximately 7.4%.
Comp traffic or frequency for the month was up 4.2% worldwide and 3.8% in the U.S.

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This story was originally published May 9, 2026 at 4:17 PM.