Dubai chocolate, yogurt ice cream and crookies set new dessert trend in Korea

Until recently, "tanghulu," a Chinese candied fruit snack, and "yanggaeng," a jelly-like traditional Korean dessert, were the top two choices for those with a sweet tooth in Korea.

Tanghulu enthralled social media users with its colorful visuals and exotic allure, prompting numerous people, including Jennie of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK, to post videos of them making the treat at home. The popularity of yanggaeng largely stemmed from singer Bibi's February single, "Bam Yang Gang" (sweet chestnut jelly), which reigned atop multiple streaming platforms here for several weeks.

Tanghulu, a Chinese candied fruit snack / Captured from Instagram @eat_time_food

Recently, Korea's MZ Generation, encompassing both Millennials and Gen Zers, has turned to new indulgent treats to satisfy their cravings, including the viral "Dubai chocolate," yogurt ice cream, and the popular crookie, a fusion of croissant and cookie.

Stuffed with pistachios and fried kataifi, a very fine pastry used in diverse Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines, Dubai chocolate has emerged as a social media phenomenon, with many users sharing videos of themselves tasting this crunchy chocolate.

It originates from Dubai-based Fix Dessert Chocolatier, but a slew of Korean bakeries and manufacturers are producing their own versions to ride on its coattails. It is now being sold at major convenience stores and department stores as well as artisan chocolate shops.

But demand still exceeds supply. The convenience store chain, CU, which sells a Dubai-style chocolate for 4,000 won ($3), says it is currently facing an inventory shortage. As a consequence, Dubai chocolate is now being sold at 6,000-10,000 won at Danggeun Market, the country's largest flea market platform.

In their quest for the elusive dessert, many have resorted to buying chocolate-making kits online or searching for alternatives like Dubai chocolate-style cookies, financiers or small, rectangular or oval-shaped tea cake, and cakes. This growing demand has driven up the price of pistachios in Korea, nearly doubling from 30,000 won per kilogram to more than 50,000 won.

Yoajung's yogurt ice cream / Captured from the company's Instagram

Also spearheading Korea's new dessert trend is yogurt ice cream. Served with different toppings ranging from fruit to cheese to granola, this visually-appealing ice cream also became a viral hit on social media after a number of influencers and celebrities, including Haewon of K-pop girl group NMIXX, uploaded posts about their favorite toppings, prompting their followers to try them out.

Since yogurt is high in protein and calcium, among others, yogurt ice cream is believed to offer more health benefits than other sugar-coated confectionery products. This is why Yoajung, one of the most popular yogurt ice cream brands here, is highlighting this feature to promote its item. Thanks to the ice cream's immense popularity, the total number of Yoajung stores nationwide jumped from 166 in 2023 to 350 in 2024.

Coffee franchise Ediya Coffee's crookie / Courtesy of Ediya Coffee

Crookies from France are also experiencing a heyday in Korea after going viral on the Chinese video-sharing platform, TikTok. Originally created by pastry chef Stéphane Louvard in 2022, this croissant topped with chocolate chip cookie dough has become one of the most sought-after baked goods in Korea’s bakeries and cafés.

Since crookies combine two familiar yet irresistible foods, sweet enthusiasts in Korea are flocking to bakeries and cafés to savor this unique treat. In a country where innovations like the “croffle” — a croissant-waffle hybrid — and “crungji” — a biscuit-like flattened croissant — have captured the public’s taste, crookie is also making a significant mark in the market.

According to analytics platform Black Keywe, the users of Korea's biggest portal, Naver, searched for the term "crookie" more than 53,000 times between March 19 to April 17 this year.