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Ghirardelli has launched Dubai-style chocolate squares with pistachio filling and crispy kataifi, sold nationwide in 4.4-ounce bags for a suggested $10.99. Separately, PepsiCo and Pilgrim’s Pride are introducing Flamin’ Hot chicken tenders and bites, the flavor brand’s first move into the frozen aisle.
Ghirardelli has launched Dubai-style chocolate squares filled with pistachio and crispy kataifi, while PepsiCo and Pilgrim’s Pride are teaming up on Flamin’ Hot chicken tenders and bites. The launches bring familiar brands into new product formats, including the first Flamin’ Hot offering in the frozen aisle, according to Food Dive.
Ghirardelli’s new squares combine chocolate with pistachio filling and crispy kataifi, a shredded pastry used in Middle Eastern desserts. The pieces are taller than the company’s traditional squares to make room for more filling. They are sold in 4.4-ounce bags at major retailers nationwide and through Ghirardelli’s website, with a suggested retail price of $10.99.
The second launch pairs PepsiCo’s Flamin’ Hot brand with poultry processor Pilgrim’s Pride. The companies are introducing Flamin’ Hot Chicken Tenders and Bites, extending the spicy flavor into frozen chicken. PepsiCo said the partnership gives consumers another way to experience the brand, but the source report did not provide a price, retail availability date or distribution details.
The report also covered a separate retail-food announcement: California Pizza Kitchen plans to launch single-serve salads and kits in 2027 with FiveStar Gourmet Foods. Planned varieties include BBQ Chicken Chopped and Thai Crunch. The companies said they may explore other prepared-food products, including dressings, as the partnership develops.
Brands Reach Beyond Their Core Aisles
These launches show how packaged-food companies are using recognizable flavors and restaurant names to compete in categories beyond their established products. Ghirardelli is applying a premium chocolate identity to a trend-led format, while PepsiCo is putting Flamin’ Hot on a frozen chicken product made with Pilgrim’s. For shoppers, the changes mean the flavor and brand cues they know from candy and snacks are appearing in new sections of the grocery store.
The Flamin’ Hot partnership also broadens how PepsiCo can sell the brand: rather than limiting it to products such as Cheetos and Doritos, the company is licensing or partnering to carry the flavor into another food category. The source report says PepsiCo established Flamin’ Hot as a standalone brand in 2024 and cited more than $3 billion in retail sales for the brand at that time. That figure describes its sales then; it is not a sales forecast for the chicken launch.
For Ghirardelli, the product connects a long-running chocolate brand with the Dubai-style chocolate trend, while its availability at major retailers makes it a national retail offering rather than a limited local test, according to the report. Product performance, repeat purchasing and any effect on the companies’ wider sales were not reported.
Ghirardelli Dubai-style chocolate squares with pistachio
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Dubai-style chocolate typically pairs chocolate with pistachio and crunchy kataifi. The Food Dive report traces the confection to 2021, when a Dubai chocolatier created it to satisfy a pregnancy craving. Its popularity grew after an influencer promoted it on TikTok in 2024, prompting more food companies to develop similar products.
Among the companies cited as having released Dubai-style offerings in 2025 were Lidl, Hershey and Lindt. Lindt and Ghirardelli are owned by the same company, according to the report. Ghirardelli has also been adding products outside its traditional chocolate line; earlier in the month, it entered packaged cookies for the first time, Food Dive reported.
Flamin’ Hot already appears across multiple snack products, including Cheetos, Doritos and Funyuns, and the report also identified Jack Link’s jerky. PepsiCo announced the brand as a distinct part of its portfolio in 2024. The Pilgrim’s collaboration is described as its first step into frozen foods, not simply another snack extension.
“Consumers continue to be drawn to the rich pistachio filling and crispy kataifi texture that define Dubai-style chocolate.”
— Bobby Oliver, Ghirardelli’s vice president and head of marketing
Launch Dates and Sales Still Unknown
Food Dive reported that Ghirardelli’s squares are available nationwide, but it did not provide sales figures or say how widely the product has reached individual stores. The launch date, price and full distribution plan for Pilgrim’s Flamin’ Hot chicken were not included in the report, so its retail rollout cannot yet be assessed.
The CPK salads are planned for 2027, but the report did not specify a release date, price or initial markets. It is also unclear whether the companies will proceed with additional prepared-food products beyond the salads and kits. The reported consumer survey and packaged-salad market estimates provide category context, but do not establish how these particular launches will perform.
Retail Rollouts and CPK’s 2027 Plan
Shoppers can currently look for Ghirardelli’s Dubai Style Chocolate Squares at major retailers and on the company’s website, at the suggested price of $10.99 per 4.4-ounce bag. Further details on availability or performance may emerge as the product reaches stores.
For the Flamin’ Hot chicken, the next useful update would be from PepsiCo or Pilgrim’s Pride on where and when the tenders and bites will be sold. California Pizza Kitchen and FiveStar Gourmet Foods have set their salad and kit launch for 2027; details on distribution and any additional products remain pending.
Key Questions
What is in Ghirardelli’s Dubai-style chocolate squares?
They contain pistachio filling and crispy kataifi pastry inside chocolate. Ghirardelli says the pieces are taller than its traditional squares to allow for more filling.
How much do the Ghirardelli squares cost?
The suggested retail price is $10.99 for a 4.4-ounce bag. The report says the squares are available at major retailers nationwide and on Ghirardelli.com.
What is new about PepsiCo’s Flamin’ Hot chicken?
Pilgrim’s Pride is making Flamin’ Hot chicken tenders and bites with PepsiCo. The source report describes it as the first Flamin’ Hot entry into the frozen aisle; it does not give a price or release date.
When will California Pizza Kitchen’s packaged salads launch?
California Pizza Kitchen and FiveStar Gourmet Foods plan to launch single-serve salads and kits in 2027. Planned varieties include BBQ Chicken Chopped and Thai Crunch, but the companies have not provided a specific release date in the report.
Source: rss
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