Starbucks Dubai Chocolate Recipe: Copycat & Delicious

I like coffee a lot and recently, Starbucks Dubai Chocolate recipe was in trend. I saw many videos on YouTube and Tiktok. 

So I went to the Starbucks shop and bought that coffee (and I had to stand in line for that coffee). 

After looking at many people in raw, I thought, is it really necessary to stand in line to buy this Starbucks Dubai chocolate? 

Then I talked to a few people there and asked, Why don’t you make it by yourself, even though it’s expensive? 

And their common answer was, Yeah, it’s expensive, but it’s convenient. Plus, we don’t know how to make the Starbucks Dubai chocolate drink at home, we don’t know ingredients, etc. 

(By the way, I keep going outside to eat food so that I can learn new things and make them at home.)

However, I came home and tried that copycat which turned out really awesome with a velvety texture, deep cocoa flavour. 

So in this post, I will give you this copycat Starbucks Dubai Chocolate recipe and it’s very easy to make. 

 

What Makes Starbucks Dubai’s Chocolate Drink So Special?

Starbucks Dubai is known for its premium offerings, and its chocolate drinks are famous. 

However, one thing that separates them from others is their ingredient quality. 

For example, if you make it at home, you don’t know the exact quantity or what ingredients you will need to use, while these shop owners know exactly.

Plus they also perfectly balance sweetness, richness and give their 100% to deliver a luxury experience to their customer. 

The recipe that I’m giving you, is exactly the same which you will get at the shop, plus you can customize it, which you can’t do with the store-bought Dubai chocolate drink.

 

What Ingredients You’ll Need for Starbucks Dubai Chocolate Recipe

To make this Starbucks Dubai-inspired chocolate drink, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• 2 cups of whole milk: This will make your coffee smooth, rich, creamy textured drink. Also, you can use other milk, but the whole milk is the best because the shop owners used that.
• 1/4 cup of high-quality cocoa powder: It is important for a deep and intense chocolate flavor. You can use Valrhona Cocoa Powder or Guittard Cocoa Rough as they have a premium rich taste. (Other works, too, but these are premium)
• 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate (70% cocoa or higher): You’ll need to use this to give richness, smooth and velvety texture to your drink. And for the best result you can use Lindt 70% Dark Chocolate or Ghirardelli 72% Chocolate Chips or even Callebaut Dark Coventure.
• 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar: I am recommending two tablespoons, but based on your taste preference, you can adjust the quantity, but you would need to use four to enhance chocolatey goodness. And make your drink a little bittersweet.
• 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract: It’s a small thing, but really important to deepen flavor and round out the chocolate notes. You can go for Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract.
• Whipped cream: It’s a must-have topping that you can’t neglect. As it will give an airy and creamy finish
• Optional toppings: I personally use toppings and Starbucks do it too, so I recommend you to use any of them like you can have chocolate shavings, caramel, drizzle, cinnamon, or sea salt. And if you want your drink to be thick enough, use Ghirardelli Caramel Sauce.

These ingredients are very important, and I have also given you some choice of premium quality ingredients. 

However, if they are not available at home, you can use the other one too. 

But if you use premium, they will ensure a signature Starbucks Dubai chocolate drink experience at home.

 

Ingredient Substitutes

Now you know what ingredients you need. However, if you have different dietary preferences, then here are some substitutes to make the copycat Starbucks drink.

• Milk: If you don’t want to use whole milk, then you should go for almond milk, oat milk, or coconut milk. If you want a creamy drink, then you can use Oatly full fat Oat Milk. 
• Dark Chocolate: You can use milk chocolate for creamy and sweet taste, or white chocolate for a smooth vanilla infused twist. I recommend you try Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Chips or Valrhona Ivoire White Chocolate.
• Sugar: If you don’t want to use regular granulated sugar, then you can replace it with honey. It’s a natural sweetener. Maple syrup and stevia are good options too. For honey, I recommend Nature Nate’s Raw Honey.
• Cocoa Powder: If cocoa powder is not available at home, then you can even melt dark chocolate and use it. But make sure to adjust the sweetness.

 

How to Make the Perfect Copycat Starbucks Dubai Chocolate

Here is a simple step-by-step process. You need to follow to create your own Starbucks domain-inspired chocolate drink. With exact texture and flavor balance.

1. Heat the Milk:

Firstly, you need to pour 2 cups of whole milk into a saucepan and start heating it over medium heat. 

Do it until it is warm but non-boiling. And meanwhile, you would want to stir it occasionally. You can use a wooden spoon.

However, instead of using whole milk, if you use any plant-based milk, like almond milk, then keep in mind that it will heat faster than dairy milk. 

So, you need to warm it at a lower temperature and keep your eyes on it.

2. Add Cocoa Powder and Sugar:

Now whisk ¼ cup of high quality cocoa powder along with 2 tbsp of sugar any other sweetener you are using. 

Then, start stirring it continuously until the cocoa powder dissolves completely, and make sure there are no lumps.

3. Melt the Chocolate:

Add ½ of dark chocolate chips or chocolate to the warm milk mixture. 

And then start stirring it with a spoon until you melt the chocolate completely and the mixture becomes smooth and velvety. 

Make sure you do not increase the heat too much because it can cause the chocolate to seize. 

Keep the temperature low and just stir it. If you slowly melt, everything will be fine.

4. Incorporate Vanilla Extract:

Now remove the saucepan from the heat and add ¼ tablespoon of vanilla extract and start stirring it again. It will enhance depth of flavor and will also give your drink a smooth and aromatic finish.

5. Froth the Milk:

For authentic Starbucks-style texture, you will need to use a milk frother to create a wide air consistency.

However, if you don’t have this then you can also use a blender or hand whisk. They work well too.

6. Serve and Garnish:

Finally, your drink will be ready so you can pour it in a clear glass mug. And top it with a dollop of whipped cream. Doesn’t matter homemade or store-bought. 

Also, drizzle with Ghirardelli chocolate sauce, cocoa powder, or even sea salt.

Pro Tip: If you want an extra touch of elegance, then I recommend you serve it with a cinnamon stick as a stirrer, or you can even add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper to make it a little spicy. 

This is my Starbucks Dubai chocolate drink recipe. It is smooth, velvety, and rich in flavor.

 

Nutrition Value: Is This Drink Healthy?

Based on ingredients that I have discussed about making this copycat Starbucks by chocolate recipe, here is a quick breakdown of its nutritional facts

• Calories: 300-350
• Sugar: 25-30g
• Fat: 15-20g
• Protein: 8-10g

However, you can also make it more healthier by using low-fat milk, reducing sugar, or you can substitute sugar with natural things like honey. 

And you can also skip whipped cream and some toppings to reduce calories.

 

Starbucks Dubai Chocolate Drink Customization Ideas

One of the best things about this Copycat Starbucks Dubai chocolate recipe is that it’s highly versatile. 

Here are some creative ways you can customize it based on your preference.

• Vegan Option: You can use vegan milk like almond or oat milk and a free dairy chocolate and turn this Starbucks copycat chocolate drink recipe into a vegan.
• Spiced Chocolate: You can try making it a little spicy by adding a pinch of chili powder, cinnamon, or nutmeg.
• Minty Twist: You can add a drop of peppermint extract if you want a refreshing flavor.
• Iced Version: During summer, I really want you to try. It’s ice water. You’ll have to cool down this recipe a little and then pour it over the ice and top with some cold foam. And then you have a summer-friendly drink.

By the way, these were some of my customization ideas, but you can also do other experiments. 

You can add toppings like caramel drizzle, marshmallow, crushed nuts like pistachio, almonds, or something else..

 

What to Serve with Your Homemade Starbucks Dubai Chocolate Drink

Here are some delicious pairing ideas that will give you a better chocolate drink experience. 

Savory Dishes

• Croissants: It balances the chocolate’s richness. But you’ll have to warm it slightly for an extra indulgent experience.
• Cheese platter with crackers: Their taste is salty, so you can eat that; you can combine it with crisp crackers for an elegant pairing. I recommend you try Carr’s Table Water Crackers.
• Spinach and feta pastries: it’s a little salty and creamy, and the feta provides a delicious counterpoint to the chocolate’s sweetness.

Sweet Treats

If you want a fully indulgent dessert experience, then pair your chocolate drink with these classic sweet options:

• Chocolate chip cookies: The combination of melted chocolate chips and crispy cookie dough is an irresistible match. I recommend you try Tate’s Bake Shop Chocolate Chip Cookies, which have a crispy texture.
• Macarons: It has an airy texture, especially if you use flavors like hazelnut, coffee, or vanilla.
• Brownies: You can try fudgy, dense brownie Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate Brownie Mix.

Healthy Options

Here are some lighter, nutrient-dense options to pair with your homemade Starbucks drink:

• Fresh fruit platter – You can serve it with strawberries, bananas, raspberries, oranges. 
• Granola bars: You can make them at home or just buy granola bars like Nuts Dark Chocolate Chunks from a store to have an energy-boosting snack.
• Dark chocolate-covered almonds: These almonds have some crunchiness, and when you drink them with a dark chocolate drink, you’ll love them.

Spicy Pairings

Just like me, if you also like bold flavor, then here are some items you can try with your copycat Starbucks Dubai chocolate recipe.

• You can try Chili-spiced dark chocolate truffles.
• Another option is, Spiced nuts (e.g., cayenne or paprika-coated almonds), they’re a mix of sweet, salty, and spicy.
• Jalapeño poppers: You can have a crispy, spicy jalapeño popper filled with cream cheese that 

 

Why This Recipe is Better Than Starbucks Dubai’s Original

This recipe is much better than what you get at Starbucks, and here are a few reasons why I recommend you try it at home rather than buy it from a store.

• As compared to Starbuck Coffee Shop, Homemade coffees are very cheap. And despite being cheap, they are still luxurious drinks. 
• When you make this Starbucks drink at home, you can adjust sweetness, creaminess, and flavor, so it’s highly customizable. 
• This copycat Starbucks Dubai chocolate drink recipe doesn’t have artificial additives in it. As you have control over ingredients, so you can make it healthy and natural as much as possible.
• You don’t have to leave the home and stand in a row. You can make it fresh at home whenever you want.

 

Conclusion

This was my copycat Starbucks Dubai chocolate recipe, which is really easy, cost effective, and highly customizable, that you can make at home.  

Although this is not a vegan drink, if you use vegan milk, chocolate, and sweeteners, you can turn it into a 100% vegan drink, without sacrificing your taste. As you have the controls over ingredients.

Besides this, You can also make it to impress your guests or serve it with other things like brownies, cookies, fruits, and other spicy recipes. 

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some important things you need to know about copycat Starbucks Dubai chocolate recipes.

Can I use milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate?

Yep, you can use a milk chocolate for homemade Starbucks drink as it will make your drink more sweet, creamy, and give mild flavor as compared to the dark chocolate which is naturally used for this drink. 

However, since milk chocolate has more sugar as compared to dark chocolate, I recommend you to reduce the added sugar amount as overly sweet drinks won’t taste good and it’s also not good for health.

How do I store leftovers?

Look my dear, this recipe is very easy, first I want you to make enough coffee that you finish it in one meal, rather than storing it for the next day.

However if you want to store it for later, then use airtight container, glass jar with lid, and keep that in a refrigerator, your drink will be safe for up to two days.

Can I make this recipe vegan?

Yes, you can match this Copycat Starbucks Dubai Chocolate Recipe fully vegan. You just have to use plant-based milk like almond, oat, or coconut milk. I recommend oat milk. 

For chocolate, you should use dairy-free chocolate like Lindt 70% dark chocolate. And coconut whipped cream. 

If you use these things, your recipe will be fully vegan.

What’s the best way to froth milk at home?

However, I recommend you use a milk frother for a creamy and foamy texture.

But if you don’t have it, then you can also use a hand-held whisk, French press, blender, or simply shake your jar.

Can I make this drink iced?

Yes, you can make a cold version of a Starbucks Dubai Chocolate drink recipe.

• You just want to cool hot chocolate completely at room temperature. Or you can use a refrigerator. 
• Then, fill a glass with ice cubes or crushed ice. 
• Pour that chocolate drink over the ice. Top it with foam or whipped cream for a Starbucks-style touch. 
• Lastly, you can drizzle chocolate syrup.

Here, you have your cold copycat Starbucks Dubai Chocolate drink at home.