Dubai Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies have rich chocolate flavor, chewy texture, pistachio cream center, and pockets of melted chocolate. Inspired by the viral Dubai chocolate bar and made with affordable ingredients.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I love the flavors of Dubai chocolate, that’s why I keep experimenting with its flavors in my kitchen. First came Dubai chocolate muffins, and now these Dubai chocolate oatmeal cookies.
Once I discovered pistachio cream for myself, I started to incorporate it into cookies recipes. First in pistachio thumbprint cookies, then oatmeal pistachio cookies, and now this Dubai chocolate oatmeal cookie recipe.
It’s based on my healthy oatmeal cranberry cookies but with addition of cacao powder. The sturdy chocolate cookie dough holds the pistachio cream center to mimic the Dubai chocolate bar, while still delivering soft, chewy edges and a rich, never dry texture.
I’m so happy with how these cookies turned out, they’re to die for!
Ingredients for Dubai Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
- Pistachio cream: I freeze the cream and cut it into small squares for stuffing each cookie.
- Rolled oats: I always use rolled oats for a chewier cookie, but quick oats will work too.
- Oat flour: Helps bind the cookies and keeps them soft and tender. You can easily make your own by pulsing oats in a blender or food processor, just measure after blending.
- Egg: Just 1 large egg to bind the ingredients.
- Cane sugar: Adds sweetness and helps create crisp edges. You can also swap in coconut sugar and cookies will come out more crispy.
- Baking essentials: Pure vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt.
- Butter: Adds richness and flavor for soft, satisfying cookies. You can also use melted coconut oil, just be sure to measure it after melting.
- Cacao powder: Or cocoa powder, either works to give these cookies their rich chocolate flavor.
- Roasted pistachios: Chopped and mixed with the oats to help give the dough structure. I used lightly salted pistachios, if yours are fully salted you can add less salt.
- Dark chocolate chips: Add rich, melty chocolate pockets throughout the cookies for extra indulgence.
Almond Flour Tip
If you don’t have oat flour, I tested this recipe with 1 1/2 cups almond flour. It was great, but oat flour adds more oatmeal cookie flavor.
How to Make Dubai Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Before you start, plan ahead because your pistachio cream needs to freeze before baking.
- Freeze the pistachio cream: Spread the cream on a sheet of parchment into a 4 x 2-inch rectangle and freeze for 2 hours or overnight. Make sure it’s large enough to cut into 10 squares.
- Prep and mix: Preheat the oven to 375 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, sugar, vanilla, baking soda, and salt for a minute, then add melted butter and cacao powder and whisk until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients: Stir in oats and oat flour with a spatula until combined.
- Add mix-ins and rest: Fold in pistachios and chocolate chips, then let the dough rest for 5 minutes to absorb the moisture.
- Cut the pistachio squares: Remove the frozen pistachio slab and cut into 10 squares. Work quickly so they don’t melt.
- Assemble the cookies: Scoop generous portions of dough, create a cavity in the center, insert a pistachio square, and cover with dough. Flatten slightly into discs. They don’t spread much, so place 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. It’s okay if some cream peeks out.
- Bake: Bake for 13 minutes. Don’t overbake, or the cream will dry out.
- Cool and enjoy: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for another 30 minutes. Enjoy!
Tips for Best Results
Keep these simple tips in mind to make your Dubai chocolate oatmeal cookies turn out perfectly every time.
- Freeze pistachio cream well: Make sure the cream is fully frozen before cutting and stuffing, or it will be too soft to handle.
- Stuffing can protrude: It will actually create pretty swirls on top, but it will bake more and be less creamy and gooey.
- For runny pistachio cream: Make sure to freeze it well and completely cover it with cookie dough when assembling.
- Don’t overbake: The cookies will still be soft when you take them out. Let them cool for the perfect texture, and don’t bake too long or the filling will bake and lose its creamy, indulgent center.
Variations
- Milk chocolate chips: Use milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate for a sweeter, creamier cookie.
- Caramel swirl: Add a little caramel over the pistachio cream for an extra gooey, decadent center.
- Extra crunch: Sprinkle some chopped pistachios on top before baking.
- Spiced chocolate: Add a pinch of cinnamon or cardamom to the dough for a warm, aromatic flavor.
- Quick version: Skip the pistachio cream center and drizzle melted cream on top after baking.
How to Store
Store: Keep cookies in a cool, dry place, lightly covered for 3-4 days. If sealed, they can get too soft.
Freeze: Pop them in an airtight container for up to 3 months and let thaw on the counter for a few hours before enjoying.
More Cookies Recipes to Try
Dubai Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup pistachio cream
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup cane sugar, or coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter, or coconut oil, melted & measured after
- 1/4 cup cacao powder, or cocoa powder
- 2 cups rolled oats, or quick oats
- 1 cup oat flour
- 1/3 cup roasted pistachios, coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Spread pistachio cream on parchment paper sheet into approximately 4 x 2-inch rectangle and freeze flat for 2 hours or overnight. You will want to have 10 squares to stuff inside each cookie.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add an egg, sugar, vanilla extract, baking soda, salt and whisk vigorously for 1 minute. Add melted butter and cacao powder, whisk to combine.
- Add oats and oat flour, stir with spatula until combined. Add pistachios and chocolate chips, stir and let cookie dough sit for 5 minutes.
- Remove frozen pistachio slab from the freezer and cut into 10 squares. Now you have to work quickly, so it doesn't melt.
- Using a large cookie scoop, scoop generous amount of cookie dough, packing it into a scoop and even overflowing a bit. Place it in your hand, make a cavity in the center, place pistachio cream in it, cover with cookie dough and flatten into a disc. These cookies do not spread much, place on prepared baking sheet 1-inch apart, and it's OK if some cream is protruding. Repeat – I had 10 large cookies total.
- Bake cookies for 13 minutes. You don't want to overbake them, so cream dries out.
- Remove from the oven and cool cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, they will be quite soft. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool off for another 30 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
- Store: Store in a cool dry place for up to 3-4 days lightly covered, otherwise cookies will become too soft.
- Freeze: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw on a counter for a few hours.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
