Online Reviews Say These Are The 5 Best Places To Get A Malasada, Hawaii's Iconic Breakfast Food

One of Hawaii's signature dishes is an apt symbol of the Aloha State's vaunted multiculturalism. Portuguese immigrants introduced the malasada to Hawaii: a rustic pocket of fried dough often filled with gooey goodness and dusted with sugar. Similar to a doughnut, with the addition of eggs and butter, this gloriously calorific confection was traditionally served on Fat Tuesdays to head into fasting for Lent but has become a beloved year-round staple on the Islands – both at bakeries and at home. The name malasada roughly translates to "poorly cooked," a humble way of saying this is a casual, homestyle dish.

Styles range from melt-in-your-mouth and light as angel wings, to substantial and toothsomely satisfying. Hawaii residents have favorites depending on which bakery their family used to frequent, or even which style grandma used to make. If you're a tourist, the malasada's availability and addictive deliciousness are a threat to that bikini body you worked so hard to get for your dream vacation. But it's totally worth it.

These treats are so popular that narrowing the field down to just five was a challenge, but we did so by combing through countless online reviews from actual customers. Can we give an honorable mention to Punalu'u Bakery's flavorful take-home mixes in taro, guava, or mango flavors? What a novel souvenir to take home. And to KTA Superstores, a local supermarket chain whose versions include unglazed malasadas made into decadent sausage-and-egg breakfast sandwiches and BLTs? Now there's a bakery counter that's also a genius bar.

Leonard's is one of the most well-known out of all Hawaiian malasada bakeries and sells over 8,000 pockets of doughy heaven daily. The bakery was opened in 1952 by the Portuguese immigrant family that still owns and operates it. Some things really should never change, including Leonard's spectacular red, yellow and blue neon sign, and its original malasada recipe. All the classic flavors are here, from coconut cream to chocolate to guava — but they had us at macadamia nut cream.

Leonard's is a Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice, largely on the strength of its signature malasadas, which are commonly described as "irresistible."  "The hype is real," one Tripadvisor reviewer sums up succinctly. So skip the Hawaii tourist traps and head straight for this amazing gem like you're an in-the-know local. And any time you're out and about in Oahu, keep your eyeballs peeled for one of Leonard's' signature red and white-striped Malasadamobiles to get your fix on the fly. These mobile malasadas were Iron Chef Chairman Mark Dacascos' pick on the Food Network's "Best Thing I Ever Ate."

How good is Kaua'i Bakery in Līhu'e? Good enough to have once — briefly — knocked Leonard's out of first place in Hawaii Magazine's reader's choice award for best malasada in Hawaii. The chic, upscale eatery with bright wood floors, wicker lampshades, stylized banana-leaf wallpaper, and a glass pastry counter that looks straight out of a Parisian patisserie has a fun vibe and a loyal following. With 4.5 stars on Yelp, one customer writes, "My husband and I are always testing out bakeries to discover the best ones. This one is legit. The red bean filled malasada was out of this world good."

Kaua'i Bakery's impossibly light and fluffy takes on the classic collapse like cotton candy when you slip them into your mouth, and a box makes a perfect take-along for a road trip to see Kauai's natural wonders. The dark, intensely purple yet delicately flavored ube, or purple yam, is a specialty, as is the sunny pink guava chiffon, with a tart, fragrant fruit filling that is a perfect contrast to the fried dough's rich sweetness. Can't decide? Order the malasada flight – that's one each of 10 varieties, and may include favorites like mango, chocolate, custard, coconut, and passionfruit. If you're planning a winter trip to the Islands, you'll be just in time to pick up a box of the seasonal pumpkin spice flavor.

This classic, hole-in-the-wall drive-in diner in Honokaa on the Big Island of Hawaii is an authentic 1960s joint that's justly celebrated for its malasadas. What better way to fuel up on carbs after a hike through mesmerizing Akaka Falls State Park? The malasadas here aren't just your typical treat — they are "unbelievable," according to a reviewer on Tripadvisor. "If you are driving to Hilo on Highway 19, be sure to stop at Tex's Drive In. It is like an oasis."

Yes, you can order without getting out of the car, since this is a drive-in, but that would be a shame. Instead, park and stretch your legs so you can watch the bakery operation through a picture window as the pastries are expertly handcrafted and fried to order (that touch means you'll have to wait a bit, but it's worth it). Tex's malasadas are slightly square and rolled in traditional granulated sugar, served filled or not. These are doughier and heavier than some iterations, eggy and yeasty for a sink-your-teeth-in bite. You'll immediately see why these earned Tex's accolades, including a spots on Time Out's list of the best restaurants on the Big Island and in the Hawaiian Restaurant Hall of Fame.

Hawaii's status as a cult foodie destination is legendary; this is a place where even the 7-Eleven offers up craveable local delicacies, after all. So it's no surprise a little hole-in-the wall place like Kamehameha Bakery can compete with the classics with its poi glazed malasada. These bright purple treats have achieved one-hit-wonder status in Honolulu. "I come to Hawaii just for the Kamehameha Bakery poi malasadas. You don't need to get anything else at this bakery. They are worth the wait," writes Paul D on Tripadvisor. Others have described eating these as legendary and a spiritual experience. 

Poi is perhaps the most quintessentially Hawaiian of dishes, a purplish puree of the starchy taro root that is a staple of traditional luaus, with a slightly sour flavor many view as an acquired taste. But cooking this questionable potion into a malasada results in a kind of alchemy, transforming the humble ingredient into culinary gold. Unlike pastel poi, these succulent sweets are a rich, royal purple as delicious to look at as to eat. Customers disappointed to arrive after the famous poi flavor is sold out report that the orange chantilly flavor is also the stuff of which foodie travel memories are made. Worth getting on a plane for? You decide.

Pipeline Bakeshop & Creamery, named after Oahu's most famous surf break on its most beautiful stretch of coastline, was founded in 2016 by a former Leonard's employee, with the idea of taking the malasada concept in an upscale, artisanal direction. Unfilled, small, and more spherical than most, these bites are the result of over 100 recipe experiments, and are said to retain their flavor and texture for days. They're rolled in flavored sugar in five flavors: plain, cocoa, coffee, cinnamon, and lihing, the latter a tangy, sweet-and-sour dried plum that's a signature Hawaiian flavoring. Special flavors might appear for holidays, like green matcha sugar for St. Patrick's Day. And in summer, you can't find a better way to beat the heat than with a Pipeline Malamode, a malasada ice cream sandwich.

"These are the best malasadas I've ever had," one Yelp reviewer raves. "Seriously, so good! If you are reading this review you should drop whatever you're doing and go there now!" What's more, Sunset named Pipeline to their list of the Top Ten Donut Shops in the West, singling out the signature malasada. The shop also made Hawaii Magazine's reader's choice list, alongside Leonard's. Which is best? Why not make it a dessert crawl, and visit all these delectable destinations to see how different generations interpret the famous treat?

What better way to highlight the best of the best than to look toward people with firsthand experience? That's precisely what we did to narrow down our list of the top places to get a malasada in Hawaii. We looked at reputable online review sites like Tripadvisor and Yelp to collect a list of bakeries that not only make malasadas — but do it well. We also took trusted local Hawaiian publications into account. While there are undoubtedly dozens of bakeries in Hawaii that deserve a shout-out, these ones appeared over and over again in our search, which is why they made their way onto this list.