Malasadas: Portuguese Doughnuts in Hawaii

Malasadas are Portuguese fried doughnuts made from a rich yeasted dough, deep-fried until golden, and rolled in granulated sugar while still hot. They have no hole, no glaze, and in their traditional form no filling: just hot dough and sugar. They are extraordinary eaten fresh from the fryer, and entirely mediocre when cold. They are one of Hawaii's most beloved treats, and they are available year-round on every main island.

What malasadas are

The dough is made from eggs, butter, milk, yeast, and flour, resulting in a texture that is lighter and slightly chewier than an American doughnut. The exterior is crisp and caramelized from the hot oil; the interior is soft and airy. Sugar adheres to the hot surface immediately. The total eating window for maximum quality is approximately 10-15 minutes after the fryer. After that they soften and lose the contrast between crust and interior that makes them special.

Hawaii bakeries have developed filled malasadas as a local innovation: custard (vanilla, coconut, or macadamia nut), haupia (coconut pudding), guava jam, and chocolate are common fillings. Purists consider the unfilled version the real thing; most visitors find the filled versions irresistible.

Portuguese origins in Hawaii

Portuguese immigrants from the islands of Madeira and the Azores began arriving in Hawaii in 1878 under contract labor agreements to work on sugar plantations. Unlike most other immigrant groups who were recruited purely as field labor, Portuguese workers were often placed in supervisory positions (luna, or overseers) because they were European and Christian, though many worked in the fields alongside other laborers. They brought malasadas with them as a Shrove Tuesday (Fat Tuesday, called Terça-feira Gorda in Portuguese) tradition: the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent, all the lard, butter, sugar, and eggs in the house would be used up to make rich fried pastries before the fasting period began.

In Hawaii, this strict seasonal association disappeared within a generation. Portuguese families opened bakeries in Honolulu and other towns in the early 20th century, and malasadas became an everyday item rather than a once-a-year Lenten ritual. Leonard Rego Sr. opened Leonardʻs Bakery in 1952 on Kapahulu Avenue and began making malasadas daily, establishing the template that most Hawaii malasada bakeries follow today. The transformation from religious tradition to everyday local treat is typical of how immigrant foods adapted to Hawaii's year-round warm climate and multiethnic society.

The Portuguese influence on Hawaii food extends well beyond malasadas. Sweet bread (pão doce), a slightly sweet eggy bread often served toasted with butter, became a Hawaii breakfast staple. Portuguese bean soup (sopa de feijão), a thick stew with ham hocks, beans, and vegetables, is a comfort food served at local diners statewide. The Portuguese also introduced the braguinha (cavaquinho), the small four-stringed instrument that became the ukulele. All of these arrived with the same wave of immigration documented in our Hawaii plantation era page.

Where to get malasadas

Leonardʻs Bakery at 933 Kapahulu Avenue in Honolulu has been making malasadas since 1952 and is the most famous malasada destination in Hawaii. They operate a bakery and several malasada mobiles (trucks) that appear at events around Oʻahu. Arrive early: the line forms before opening and the most popular filled versions sell out. On Maui, Champion Malasadas in Wailuku is highly regarded. On the Big Island, Tex Drive-In in Honokaa on the Hamakua Coast is a long-established institution. On Kauaʻi, malasadas appear at farmers markets and bakeries in Līhuʻe and Kapa'a. In all cases: eat them immediately.