New Van Leeuwen Dubai Chocolate Isn’t What Fans Expected

Dubai chocolate is going absolutely nowhere, apparently. As we plough further and further into 2026, products that have that inimitable combination of pistachio and chocolate are coming thick and fast: Lindt is just one of the latest companies to bring Dubai-style flavors to the world with its Lindor Pistachio Truffles (which are available at Costco), and others are hastily trying to get their own versions out there, too.

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That includes Van Leeuwen, which has just brought out a Dubai Style Chocolate Cone French Ice Cream. Sounds good, right? Well, it hasn’t quite stuck the landing, for one key reason. Here’s why.

Van Leeuwen Dubai Style Chocolate Cone French Ice Cream: Heavy On The “Style”

Van Leeuwen’s new flavor, which is now available at Kroger and its associated stores (thank you @candyhunting for that intel!), does sound pretty good. Each tub contains a sweet cream ice cream base, which is mixed through with a pistachio cream swirl and chocolate-covered cone pieces. We assume that those cone pieces are meant to emulate the crunch that you’d get from the kataifi or kadayif that gives Dubai chocolate its crispy interior, and which makes it so damn moreish.

But this absence of kataifi is, unfortunately, a big problem. Customers who have tried Van Leeuwen’s Dubai Style ice cream have pointed out that this is the key element that actually distinguishes a pistachio-flavored product as something that’s in the Dubai-style lineage. “I’m missing what makes Dubai chocolate unique though. It’s missing the kataifi. There’s NONE. I guess the waffle cone is supposed to be the crunch, but it’s definitely not the same as a tub of Dubai filling,” said one particularly astute commenter on Reddit after a taste test. “The pistachio swirl needs to be straight up Dubai filling for this to be a Dubai style dessert.” Another person on a different thread stated, “I’ve eaten a lot of Dubai chocolate and I’m not impressed with this.”

So…Is It Actually Dubai Style?

To be honest, we don’t think it is – and that’s okay! Calling anything that has a combination of pistachio and chocolate in it “Dubai-style” has become standard in the last few years, but it’s perfectly fine for something to just be pistachio-flavored. Opting to name a product “Dubai-style” when it doesn’t have the key elements also just confuses as to what it actually is. Yes, it’s good for marketing, but can we just call a spade a spade? This is a pistachio-infused chocolate with some waffle cones mixed through it.

That said, Van Leeuwen’s new ice cream is by no means bad – its flavor definitely hits, and it’d be a nice option for dessert – it’s just not quite what it says on the tin. Maybe it’s time for a rebrand on this one.