AUSTIN (KXAN) — Internet hype is manifesting into something real in Austin again.
Dubai chocolate bars, originally created by Dubai’s Fix Dessert Chocolatier in 2022, have gone viral on social media. CNBC even produced a mini-documentary about the confection and how it exploded in popularity, in part because of its scarcity.
The chocolate bar features a pistachio cream filling with Kataifi, a type of shredded phyllo dough, a pastry commonly used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean desserts.
The virality of the chocolate has culminated in price-gouging resale trends and spin-off creations from companies like Lindt, Trader Joe’s, and Costco.
IHOP is the latest company to capitalize on it, announcing Thursday that it will soon offer Dubai Chocolate Pancakes at only three locations for a limited time.
Austin has one of those locations. The others are in New York City and Los Angeles.
IHOP’s Cesar Chavez Street location will sell the pancakes starting Monday, August 4. The pancake stack, which will feature “layers of silky smooth pistachio cream and crunchy roasted Kataifi, topped with pistachios and chocolate curls,” according to IHOP, is selling for about $13.
If that wasn’t sweet enough, IHOP is also offering its scaled-up, Luxe Dubai Chocolate Pancakes — valued at $130 dollars — for free to the first 25 guests at the participating IHOP locations.
IHOP calls them their “most decadent pancake ever,” with handmade Madagascar Vanilla whipped cream, a whole Dubai Chocolate bar, edible 24k gold flakes and gold glitter on top of the Dubai Chocolate flavored pancakes.
Dubai chocolate has made an appearance in Austin before. The Museum of the Future House at South by Southwest 2025 offered guests FIX’s original Dubai chocolate bar.