Have you ever considered how a trip can be intertwined with unforgettable flavors? Dubai, a city renowned for its soaring skyscrapers and luxurious shopping malls, also holds a hidden treasure of sweet delights, ranging from traditional to modern desserts. By reading this article, you’ll discover the best Arabic desserts in Dubai and receive a comprehensive guide to exploring these unparalleled pleasures. This guide will help you create the sweetest memories during your trip to Dubai.
Dubai: The Capital of Sweet Flavors and the Best Arabic Desserts
Dubai, as one of the largest and most significant cities in the UAE, boasts a rich treasure trove of sweet flavors, encompassing both traditional and modern desserts. The culinary scene in Dubai is a delicious fusion of Arabic, Mediterranean, and international cuisines. Arabic desserts in this city are more than just sweet treats; they are a part of the cultural heritage, symbolizing hospitality, tradition, and a love for cooking.
These sweets, crafted with ingredients like dates, nuts, rosewater, honey, and aromatic spices such as saffron and cardamom, create a flavor that is both delightful and leaves a lasting sweet memory. In Dubai, local pastry chefs meticulously preserve authentic desserts while infusing them with contemporary creativity. If you’re looking to buy property in Dubai and wish to reside in this city, getting acquainted with its culinary culture, including its exquisite desserts, can make for an unforgettable experience. Below, we provide a comprehensive introduction to some of the most delicious Arabic desserts and other popular sweets in Dubai:
The Best Arabic Desserts in Dubai You Must Try!
Luqaimat
Luqaimat is one of Dubai’s most popular and well-known desserts, often enjoyed during Ramadan and at Iftar. These deep-fried dough balls are flavored with cinnamon, saffron, and cardamom. After frying, they are drenched in date syrup (dibs) and garnished with sesame seeds. Luqaimat are crispy on the outside and soft and airy on the inside, with a puffy, bubbly texture that collapses when pressed, rather than being tough or chewy.
Some believe this style of Luqaimat, slightly flatter than the perfectly round ones commonly found, represents the authentic, homemade style of grandmothers. Their sweetness is balanced, perhaps due to the use of date molasses instead of honey or sugar syrup. You can try some of the best and freshest Luqaimat at Sukkar Cafe. Additionally, HumYum Cafe in Umm Suqeim also serves authentic Luqaimat.
Kunafa
Kunafa is one of the best and most beloved desserts in Dubai and the Middle East, also very popular in Turkey. This dessert consists of a thick layer of mild white cheese, topped with shredded vermicelli or crushed wheat strands. Kunafa must be served hot so that the cheese is soft and gooey. For enhanced flavor, it’s prepared with a sweet syrup, often infused with rosewater. Interestingly, Kunafa is popular not only as a dessert but also as a breakfast item, served in older restaurants in Dubai. You can enjoy the best Kunafa in Dubai at Seven Hands Restaurant. A version of Kunafa is also served in Kak bread, a Lebanese sesame-coated bread, making for an energizing breakfast.
Umm Ali
Umm Ali, meaning “Ali’s Mother,” is one of Dubai’s most delightful and best desserts, often considered a type of bread pudding. With its buttery, creamy, and flavorful taste, this dessert is a must-have at celebrations, ceremonies, and holidays (especially Eid al-Fitr) across Arab countries, including Dubai. To prepare Umm Ali, milk, cream, and sugar are combined and heated to create a creamy, smooth mixture. Unlike Western bread and butter pudding, this dessert is made with puff pastry or torn croissants, crushed pistachios, dried coconut flakes, raisins, or dates, and then baked in the oven. You can experience one of the best qualities of this dessert at ILA Cafe and Restaurant.
Basbousa
Basbousa is a traditional Arabic sweet and another one of Dubai’s best desserts. This cake is primarily made from semolina flour and sometimes coconut powder. After baking, a thick syrup is poured over it, and it’s garnished with almonds and pistachios. Various types of Basbousa are made with honey, rosewater, or orange blossom water to give it a pleasant aroma and flavor. This cake is very sweet and pairs perfectly with Arabic coffee and tea. You can find the best Basbousa cake at Village Mall. For those looking for apartments in Dubai, access to such shopping centers offering local desserts is a definite advantage.
Maamoul
Maamoul is one of the traditional Arabic sweets and among the most delicious desserts in Dubai. These small, delicate cookies are a harmonious blend of flour, dates, aromatic spices, and sometimes honey. They are filled with various sweet ingredients like dates, pistachios, hazelnuts, or walnuts. Maamoul is a customary sweet for gatherings and weddings, and in Emirati homes, it’s an integral part of hospitality in the Majlis (guest room), served alongside Arabic coffee or scented tea. Many Emirati grandmothers have their own special recipes for preparing it. You can try one of the best and highest quality Maamoul sweets at Mamikonyan Cafe and Restaurant.
Chebab
Chebab is a type of Emirati pancake typically served for breakfast. Its main difference from regular pancakes is the use of aromatic spices like turmeric, cardamom, and saffron, which give it a pleasant color and aroma. After cooking, it’s garnished and served with date syrup. If you’d like to start your day by enjoying these delicious pancakes, you can visit Sikka Cafe.
Muhallabia
Muhallabia is a classic Arabic dessert, light, delicate, and cool with a creamy, milk-based texture. Its main ingredients include milk, sugar, rice, and syrup, often prepared with rosewater, which imparts a unique and soothing aroma to the dessert. Muhallabia is usually garnished with crushed pistachios, but some versions also use dried rose petals, cinnamon, or slivered almonds. This dessert provides a refreshing and delicate sensation, ideal for hot days or as a light finish to a heavy meal.
Baklava
Baklava is a luxurious, layered dessert whose origin traces back to Turkey, but it has become one of the most popular treats in Arab countries, including the UAE. This dessert is made from thin, crispy layers of filo pastry, filled with nuts such as walnuts, almonds, or pistachios. After baking, the dessert is drenched in a sweet, sticky honey syrup. Baklava is usually made in bite-sized pieces and is available in a variety of flavors.
Qatayef
Qatayef is one of the most popular Arabic Ramadan desserts, finding its place on every table as the holy month arrives. This dessert is made from a soft, pancake-like dough that, after cooking, is filled with various sweet ingredients like sweetened Akawi cheese, Ashta (cream flavored with rosewater), a mixture of ground pistachios, or walnuts and sugar. Finally, a sweet syrup (often with rosewater) is added.
Camel Milk Ice Cream
This unique and popular dessert in Dubai is made with camel milk, offering a distinctive and delicious taste. This dessert is often served with chocolate and comes in special and unique flavors such as caramel biscuit, honey saffron, pistachio, mint tea, and Turkish coffee. Camel milk, known for its strong flavor and being healthier than cow’s milk, provides a delightful and different experience.
Ghariba
Ghariba is typically a shortbread cookie that is very buttery and crumbly. There is a version in Dubai where the outer part is the Ghariba cookie, and the inside is filled with Ashta (fresh clotted cream). This exceptional dessert is rich and buttery, yet not overly sweet.
Halawet el Jibn
This dessert consists of a layer of gelatinous, slightly stretchy cheese dough on the outside, filled with fresh cream (Ashta) on the inside. Orange blossom water is used in its preparation, which, in the right proportion, gives it a floral, summery, and light taste.
Maklut
This dessert can be described as a noodle sundae, as its name means “mixed dessert.” Maklut consists of two main components: saffron ice cream with small pieces of clotted cream (Bastani) and Faloodeh (corn starch noodles). This dessert is served with rosewater, lime juice, and sour cherry juice (Ab Aalbaloo).
Zulabia
Zulabia is a type of deep-fried, round, and tangled sweet, similar in appearance to Indian Jalebi. The Iranian version of Zulabia is very crispy, like Jalebi chips. Its history dates back to the 10th century Baghdad and was described by a poet named Al-Warraq in one of the earliest Arabic cookbooks.
Buzza
Buzza is a type of pounded Syrian ice cream that doesn’t melt easily. This characteristic is due to the presence of an ingredient called sahlab, made from orchid tubers, which makes the ice cream elastic and chewy and raises its melting point. This ice cream has a very clean milky flavor and sometimes a hint of mastic (resinous gum).
Dubai Chocolate
This chocolate is one of the trending sweets, made from a combination of high-quality milk chocolate, crispy Kadaif strands, pistachios, and tahini. Currently, this chocolate is one of the best-selling chocolates in Dubai and even globally.
Ranginak
Ranginak is a popular dessert in Dubai, often served during Ramadan and special occasions. This dessert is made from pitted dates filled with nuts (walnuts, pistachios, and hazelnuts) and garnished with sesame tahini and shredded coconut.
Chocolate Babka
Chocolate Babka is a type of layered and twisted bread made with chocolate, butter, sugar, and cocoa powder. Its origin dates back to Eastern Europe, and it is usually served with coffee or tea.
Rice Pudding
Rice Pudding is a classic and well-known Arabic dessert made from a combination of rice, milk, cream, sugar, and nuts, and can be served either warm or cold.
Conclusion: Dubai, A Sweet Destination for All Tastes
Ultimately, with its unparalleled variety of traditional and modern desserts, Dubai is an ideal destination for sweet lovers. From crispy and sweet Luqaimat to creamy Kunafa and rich Umm Ali, every palate can find the best Arabic desserts in Dubai. This city is not only a captivating destination for visitors and residents due to its unique investment and living opportunities but also because of its rich culinary culture and delicious desserts.
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