Need to know
Area
Kapahulu + Kaneohe
Description
Leonard’s is legendary in Oahu - hence the all day lines (that move quickly btw). These malasadas are made to order and served up hot and fresh, no matter what time of day you go. There are several different places to find malasadas in Oahu, but this is by far the most famous one because they’ve been consistently great since they opened in 1952 (and we think the first bakery in Hawaii to serve them).
Ok, so what’s a malasada? Think of it like a donut hole, only the size of a tennis ball, deep fried, rolled in sugar, and served warm. They’re golden brown and crispy on the outside and soft and puffy on the inside. You can also opt for cinnamon sugar or li hing (a local flavor - think dried plums and it’s kinda sweet and tangy at the same time) on the outside.
Malasada puffs are the same thing, but they’re filled with different flavors like custard, dobash (chocolate), haupia (coconut), guava, macadamia nut, and a flavor of the month. They fry and fill them to order too.
Eat them right away, while they’re still warm.
They sell cookies, pies, pao doce, and some other treats too, but let’s be real. People are here for the malasadas.
Website
Menu
Malasadas, Cookies, Pao Doce, and more
Address
933 Kapahulu Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816
Contact Info
808-737-5591
Hours
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Daily ▭ 5:30am - 9pm
Additional Locations
Leonard’s Malasadamobile (Food Trucks) is regualrly parked at the Windward Mall Shopping Center
46 Haiku Rd
Kaneohe, HI 96744
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Sun ▭ 8am - 6:30pm
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Mon – Sat ▭ 7:30am to 6:30pm
Shop
Price
$
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Malasadas: $1.35 each
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Malasadas Puffs: $1.80 each
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Pao Doce: ~$1 - $7
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Pies: $8.50
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Cookies, Pastries, and Cupcakes: ~$1.50 - $7
Nearby
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Kono’s Northshore — 1 min walk (It's right next door)
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Ono Seafood — 6 min walk
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Rainbow Drive-In — 3 min drive (or 13 min walk)
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Koko Head Cafe — 5 min drive
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CowCow's Tea — 5 min drive
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Waiola Shave Ice — 8 min drive
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Waikiki — 12 min drive
An Oahu institution — Hawaii’s original malasada bakery. Fresh and always made to order and come in different flavors. A few Malasadamobiles (food trucks) too.
Leonard's Bakery
BAKERY
Good to know
PHOTOS
PACKING LIST
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Wet Ones can come in handy if you eat your malasadas right away (as you should) and want to clean up your sugary hands.
TRY THE...
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Original (aka plain sugar) Malasada. (Everyone says this is the best.)
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The flavor of the month
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Haupia Malasada Puff
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Custard Malasada Puff rolled in Cinnamon Sugar
TIPS + TRICKS
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Eat them right away, while they’re still hot! If they sit out and cool down, they get soft and oily and they’re just not as tasty.
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First time to Leonard’s? Get the Original malasada for sure and then a couple flavored or filled ones to try with it.
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Check their homepage to see what the featured flavor of the month is.
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The lines are long, but move quickly almost any time that you visit. In the morning they stretch out the door. Plan at least 20 minutes if you come at the busiest times. By 8am there will be a long line all the way around the side of the building.
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Fridays and weekends are the busiest times to go. If you want to go during off hours, try Monday or Tuesday or between 4-7pm when you’ll have a better shot at grabbing a bench and a parking spot. Fridays and weekends are the busiest times to go. If you want to go during off hours, try Monday or Tuesday or between 4-7pm when you’ll have a better shot at grabbing a bench and a parking spot.
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Get a pic in front of their retro sign out front. Everyone does.
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There are a couple benches outside, but that’s it, so if you can’t snag one, and you want to eat your malasadas warm (which you definitely should) then you may end up standing in the parking lot or eating in your car. You won’t be the only one.
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At the Kapahulu Avenue store, you can put in a phone order and skip the line and go straight to the cashier when you get there. Minimum phone order is 2 dozen malasadas and you should place your order at least 1 hour in advance. (The Malasadamobiles don’t take phone orders.)
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Malasadamobile: Leonards has a food truck parked in Kaneohe. Great if you just want to try them out, but visit the Kapahulu Ave location if you want the full experience. Order ahead if you want to skip the line.
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The Li Hing flavor is common in Hawaii and Asia, but might be a little foreign if you’ve never tried it. It’s made out of ground plum skin and it’s sweet and salty and sour all at the same time. It’s a very distinct flavor that’s not for everyone, but if you want to try something very local, this is it.
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There is a parking lot, but it fills up during busy times.
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They sell some souvenirs, like a t-shirt or a little malasada plush toy.
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Kono’s Northshore is right next door. Perfect if you want to have some kalua pork and follow it up with malasadas for dessert.
DID YOU KNOW?
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There is a Leonard’s in Yokohama, Japan.
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Malasada recipes came to Hawaii in the late 19th century, when Portuguese laborers arrived to work in the sugar cane fields. In 1882, the British sailing ship, The Monarch, carried Arsenio and Amelia DoRego (Leonard’s grandparents) from San Miguel Island, Portugal to Maui on a contract to work in the sugar cane fields.
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Leonard’s grandparents started a bakery in Maui. In 1946, Leonard moved to Honolulu with his wife and daughter and in 1952 he opened his own bakery. His mom suggested he sell malasadas for Shrove Tuesday, a Portuguese tradition. Supposedly Leonard thought malasadas would be too ethnic for anyone to want them, but they were immediately popular. He and his wife, Margaret, grew the business into what it is today. Now Leonard’s is the reason that malasadas are found throughout Oahu.
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Fat Tuesday is known as Malasada Day in the islands. It refers to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods and desserts before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season.
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Leonard’s Bakery on Kapahulu Ave is in the same location as when they first opened.
Last Updated 1 / 8 / 23
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