About This Copycat Shake Shack Dubai Chocolate Milkshake Recipe
This Dubai Chocolate milkshake recipe is a copycat recipe of the limited edition Shake Shack Dubai chocolate shake! The milkshake is based on the popular Dubai chocolate bar made with crunchy, buttery shredded phyllo dough strands (also known as kataifi) and pistachio cream.
Looking for more homemade Dubai chocolate recipes? Check out this Dubai Chocolate Pistachio Tart and these Dubai Chocolate Millionaire Shortbread Bars!
Just like Shake Shack, my copycat recipe instructs you to line the milkshake cup with a crackable chocolate magic shell. This cup is then filled with a pistachio cream milkshake, topped with salty honey kataifi and pistachios. You then enjoy by squeezing the cup to break the magic shell into shards and mix it into the drink!
Why I Developed This Copycat Shake Shack Recipe
Shake Shack first launched their Dubai chocolate milkshake in their Middle Eastern locations. Last month, they announced a limited run of the flavor in just three cities in the United States. Unfortunately, my hometown of Portland was NOT on the list! I was heartbroken.
Because I’m obsessed with all things Dubai chocolate, I decided to recreate it at home. Between studying the milkshake recipes in the Shake Shack cookbook and watching their test kitchen videos on how to make it (like this one), I figured out how to make this copycat Copycat Shake Shack Dubai chocolate milkshake recipe!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Now that I’ve convinced you to make this Shake Shack Dubai chocolate milkshake recipe, let’s talk about key ingredients, where to find them, and any potential substitutions:
Ingredient Recommendations, Sources, and Substitutions
- Dark Chocolate. Don’t use chocolate chips for this recipe! Chocolate chips contain stabilizers and more milk solids to prevent them from melting. Use a baking bar or one of my recommended chocolate brands instead—learn more in The Best Chocolate For Baking Chocolate Chip Cookies.
- Canola Oil. Adding a little bit of oil to the chocolate will make it easy to line the cup. You can use any neutral-tasting oil you have on hand (e.g. canola, grapeseed, vegetable). You can also go traditional magic shell style and use coconut oil, which will help harden the chocolate in the freezer and give your shake more contrasting textures. Just use refined coconut oil (instead of virgin coconut oil) so that your Dubai chocolate shake doesn’t get overpowered with coconut flavor.
- Kataifi. Kataifi is the shredded phyllo dough is a key ingredient in Dubai chocolate and gives the bars their signature crunch. Typically, you can buy it dried or frozen at a Middle Eastern supermarket or online. I used Alkis dried kataifi from Amazon.
- Vanilla Ice Cream. Shake Shack uses a homemade vanilla custard base to make their milkshakes. I was too lazy to make ice cream from scratch, so I went the store-bought route. Look for a vanilla ice cream with eggs or egg yolks listed in its ingredients (eggs are a key indicator that the ice cream base is made from custard). I recommend either Ben & Jerry’s Vanilla Ice Cream or Van Leeuwen Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Both contain egg yolks!
- Pistachio Cream. I found a huge jar of Pisti Pistachio Cream at my local Costco. But you can also find smaller (but more expensive, ugh) jars online on Amazon. From their selection, I can also recommend the following brands: Il Colle Del Gusto Pistacchiosa and Vincente Sicilian Cream of Pistachio Nut Spread.
- Pistachios. Save yourself time by buying shelled pistachios. I recommend buying the raw variety for this recipe. You can easily buy a variety of brands online.
Alkis Kataifi (Shredded Phyllo Dough)
What is Pistachio Cream?
Pistachio cream is similar to Nutella, but without the chocolate and made with pistachios instead of hazelnuts! However, don’t confuse it with nut butter. While nut butter tends to be made exclusively from nuts, pistachio cream contains other ingredients like sugar, milk powder, and olive oil. These ingredients give the cream an extra smooth and velvety texture.
Pisti Pistachio Cream
I used pistachio cream in this Dubai chocolate shake recipe because I had some leftover from previous baking projects like this Dubai Chocolate Pistachio Tart and these Dubai Chocolate Millionaire Shortbread Bars.
That being said, I’m pretty sure that Shake Shack actually uses pistachio butter instead of pistachio cream. If that’s what you prefer, go for it! However, I recommend adding some more honey to the drink since pistachio butter isn’t as sweet as pistachio cream.
How To Make The Dubai Chocolate Shake (With Photos!)
Making The Chocolate Magic Shell Milkshake Cup
Lining the milkshake cup with magic shell is the funnest part of the recipe! Although you can use a pastry brush to paint the insides of the cup with chocolate, I found that doing so left the chocolate streaky and unappetizing.
So instead, I poured melted chocolate into the cup. I then tilted it upside down and side to side repeatedly, allowing the chocolate to slide down the sides of the cup and coat it. According to this video, this is also how Shake Shack coats their cups:
I then stored the cups upside down to let any excess chocolate drip. Again, it’s also how Shake Shack stores their milkshake cups!
For this recipe, it’s important to use a flexible cup (one likely made out of plastic) that’s easy to squeeze. If you use one made from a hard/stiff material like glass or ceramic, you won’t get the chocolate shards that are key to the Shake Shack Dubai chocolate shake!
I used a 16-ounce clear plastic cup that I recycled from my local coffee shop. In a pinch, you can buy a bulk pack from Amazon. This 100-pack of plastic cups without lids looks promising and is affordable.
However, I’d personally go for this slightly more expensive 100-pack of plastic cups that comes with lids. That way, I can take other homemade drinks (like this Iced Pistachio Latte or this Iced Strawberry Matcha Latte) to go and feel like I’ve splurged on a fancy coffee somewhere.
16 oz Clear Plastic Cups With Strawless Sip Lids
Crisping the Kataifi
Use this gallery as a guide to help you achieve the right colors and textures when making the salted honey kataifi for the Dubai chocolate shake!
Last But Not The Least: Assembling the Shake
Once both the milkshake cup and salted honey kataifi is prepped, the milkshake comes together pretty easily. Just blend the ingredients for the milkshake, pour into the cup, and garnish with the toppings:
Best Recipe Tips
Make Ahead Tips
- Because this milkshake contains a lot of different components, I suggest making some of the components ahead of time! You can make both the chocolate cup and the salted honey kataifi up to 1 week in advance. After the chocolate has hardened, you can continue freezing the chocolate cup (right side up) with the top of the cup wrapped in plastic wrap. The salted honey kataifi can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
A Note About Ice Cream Weight
- Don’t make the same mistake I did and assume that a pint of ice cream, which has a volume measure of 16 FLUID ounces, will have enough for this recipe. Apparently fluid ounces and ounces are NOT the same. Fluid ounces measures how much space the ice cream takes up, and ounces measure its weight. Confusing, right? All you need to take away from this note is that you’ll probably need at least 2 pints of ice cream. Or just play it safe and opt for a family sized tub instead.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Shake Shack Dubai Chocolate Milkshake Recipe
Ingredients
For The Chocolate Magic Shell
- 1.5 ounces (43 grams) dark chocolate (between 60% to 70% cacao), chopped into ¼- to ½-inch pieces
- ¼ teaspoon canola oil
For the Salted Honey Kataifi
- 1 Tablespoon (0.5 ounces or 14 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 Tablespoon (0.75 ounces or 21 grams) honey
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅔ cup (1.15 ounces or 33 grams) dried kataifi
For the Copycat Shake Shack Dubai Chocolate Milkshake
- 1 ½ cups (12 ounces or 340 grams) cold vanilla custard ice cream
- ⅓ cup (2.65 ounces or 75 grams) cold whole milk
- 5 Tablespoons (1 ounces or 28 grams) salted honey kataifi (from about ½ of the salted honey kataifi recipe)
- 2 Tablespoons (1 ounce or 28 grams) pistachio cream
For Garnish
- 5 Tablespoons (1 ounces or 28 grams) salted honey kataifi (from about ½ of the salted honey kataifi recipe)
- 1 Tablespoon raw shelled pistachios, roughly chopped into ½- to 1-inch pieces
Equipment
- (16-ounce) plastic cup
- high-powered blender
Instructions
- First, make the chocolate magic shell. Place the chocolate in the top pan of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl set over a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan filled with a few inches of simmering water (be sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water).Cook over medium heat, using a heatproof rubber spatula to stir the chocolate and scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally, until the chocolate is completely melted, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan or bowl from heat, set on a wire rack, and immediately whisk in the canola oil.
- Line the milkshake cup with chocolate magic shell. Working quickly, pour the chocolate magic shell into the bottom milkshake cup. Then, turn the cup upside down and tilt it to let the chocolate slide down the sides of the cup. Continue rotating the cup upside down and tilted to coat its sides and bottom with a thin, even layer of chocolate.Once the cup is completely coated with the magic shell, place the cup upside down on a wire rack and freeze while you make the salted honey kataifi.
- Make the salted honey kataifi. In a light-colored saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the honey and salt, using a heatproof rubber spatula to mix into the butter.Add the kataifi and use the spatula to coat it completely in the butter and honey mixture. Continue cooking over medium heat, continuously tossing the kataifi, until it turns a golden brown color. Remove from heat and immediately pour the kataifi on a sheet pan on a wire rack. Cool for at least 5 minutes.
- Make the Dubai chocolate milkshake. Combine the ice cream, milk, kataifi for the milkshake, and pistachio cream in a high-powered blender. Blend on high speed for at least 1 minute, or until completely smooth but thick.
- Assemble the Dubai chocolate milkshake. Pour the milkshake into the prepared milkshake cup. Garnish with the remaining kataifi and pistachios.
- Serve immediately. Serve with a wide straw and a spoon, squeezing the cup to break the chocolate into the milkshake.
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Weeknight Baking:
Recipes to Fit your Schedule
Over the past several years of running Hummingbird High, I kept a crucial aspect of my life hidden from my readers: I had a full-time, extremely demanding job in the tech world. In my debut cookbook, Weeknight Baking, I finally reveal the secrets to baking delicious desserts on a tight schedule.
Wondering why my toasted honey/butter kataif clumped up after frying. I used the same Alkis brand as yours. Yours look so stringy. Recipe was very good and delicious. Thank you for your response.
Oh, after coating it in the honey butter I kinda tossed the whole thing with my fingers to get them to separate a bit more. But I didn’t include that in the recipe because it was messy and unnecessary (you ended up blending most of it anyway, and it doesnt matter if it clumps for the topping).