Are Dubai chewy cookies on their way out?

After weeks of nationwide sell-outs, Korea's latest dessert craze is beginning to lose steam.

An increasing number of social media posts show the once-scarce Dubai chewy cookie, widely known as “dujjonku,” piling up at cafe and bakery counters, with some stores offering discounts.

One user uploaded a photo taken at a bakery in Sweet Park — Shinsegae Department Store's dessert zone — in Gangnam, southern Seoul, showing large stacks of the dessert displayed on counters and in refrigerators.

The slowdown is also evident on “dujjonku map,” a mobile application that lists stores selling the dessert and shows whether they are sold out or still have stock.

While most stores near Jonggak Station on Subway Line No. 1, for instance, were marked as sold out last month, recent updates show that the cookies are now available at most locations.

One cafe that previously limited sales to one cookie per customer lifted the cap about a week ago.

“It is still difficult to secure ingredients, so lowering prices is not easy, but demand for dujjonku has clearly declined,” Cho, the owner of a lettering cake shop near Jonggak Station, told The Korea Herald.

“We put the cookies out at 9 a.m. when the store opens, but there are hardly any customers lining up anymore.”

First launched by dessert brand Mont Cookie in April last year, the Dubai chewy cookie became a nationwide hit starting in December, with even non-dessert eateries, from sushi bars to salad shops, adding it to their menus.

Yet only several weeks after its surge in popularity, the craze has already cooled, marking a notably shorter lifespan than previous dessert trends.

The local dessert market has repeatedly gone through rapid cycles of boom and bust over the past decade. Honey Butter Chips, launched by Haitai Confectionery in 2014, remained a sensation for about 17 months, while Taiwanese castella, which surged in early 2016, faded after roughly 15 months. Tanghulu, a sugar-coated fruit skewer that went viral in 2023, lost its momentum within about a year.

Experts say wider distribution through franchise chains has eroded the dessert’s initial appeal.

“While dujjonku was known for its unique texture, scarcity was a key driver of its popularity. As franchise chains enter the market, the product loses its scarcity and the trend shortens," said Seo Yeong-gu, a professor of business administration at Sookmyung Women’s University, during an interview with a local news outlet.

Seo added that cases involving hygiene-related issues and poor-quality products have also contributed to the decline in the cookie’s popularity.

A total of 19 violations of the Food Sanitation Act related to the Dubai chewy cookie were reported between December and January, according to data from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety released Monday by Rep. Seo Mi-hwa of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea.

Hygiene management and unlicensed operations accounted for the largest share of violations, at seven cases each, followed by two cases involving foreign substances, with the remainder classified under other reasons.