Leonard’s Bakery: We Tried Every Malasada Flavor! (Full Review)
Last Updated on December 17, 2024 by Kelly
While you’re in Hawaii, you should definitely visit Leonard’s Bakery! This bakery specializes in making malasadas, which are Portuguese-style donuts. Leonard’s Bakery is world-famous, with celebrities like Chrissy Teigen and Dwayne Johnson attesting to the deliciousness of their malasadas. We recently visited Leonard’s Bakery on our trip to Hawaii, and we ordered one of every flavor on the menu! In this post, we’ll share our full review of Leonard’s Bakery in Honolulu.
The short version: If you’re in a hurry, our favorite items were:
- original malasada
- guava malasada puff
- dobash malasada puff
- haupia malasada puff
Scroll down to see photos and our full review!
Tip: If you’re not planning on eating your malasadas right away, you can purchase an insulated bag at the counter when you check-out to help keep them warm. Eating them warm is best, so I definitely recommend getting the bag if you’re going to drive them back to your hotel.
Our Review of Leonard’s Bakery
Leonard’s Bakery has a large menu with tons of malsadas and pastries. When we visited early one morning, we tried both the malasadas and the malasada puffs (which are malasadas filled with flavored creams). We specifically ordered one of each flavor so that we could make the best review for you!
But before I got to the bakery, I interviewed both of my Uber drivers about their favorite things to eat at Leonard’s Bakery. It’s always helpful to have a local’s perspective! Both drivers said the original (plain sugar) malasada was their favorite. I made sure to order an original malasada, and I have to say it was one of our favorites also! The malasada was light and crispy on the outside, and it was soft and chewy on the inside. It was perfection!
We also ordered the cinnamon sugar and li hing malasadas at Leonard’s Bakery, which were both delicious. I especially enjoyed the li hing flavor because it’s not a flavor I can typically order at home in Seattle.
Because we love trying new foods, we decided to also order one of each of the malasada puffs listed on their menu. We literally ordered one of each flavor for the ultimate taste test. (For the record, we shared them with our family!)
When we visited Leonard’s Bakery, we tried the following flavors:
- Custard
- Dobash (chocolate)
- Haupia (coconut)
- Macadamia Nut
- Guava
- Featured Flavor (lilikoi when we visited)
After much deliberation, our favorite items from Leonard’s Bakery were the original malasada, the guava malasada puff, the dobash malasada puff, and the haupia malasada puff. My mouth is watering just thinking of them!
Be sure to check out the full menu at Leonard’s Bakery.
Pricing
When we visited Leonard’s Bakery, the cost of a malasada was $1.50 and a malasada puff was $1.95. We tried one of each flavor, and we paid less than $20 to try them all!
You can also order malasadas online and have them shipped to any of the Hawaiian Islands, Washington, Oregon, California, & Nevada. Just check out their online store. We think a box of malasadas would make for a great souvenir to a loved one back home!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commissions.
How Long Is the Line?
The locals that I interviewed told me that the line can be extremely long at Leonard’s Bakery. They said the wait can be over an hour long! Armed with that information, I visited Leonard’s Bakery on a weekday morning. I found that the line was short with just a few people ahead of me. My recommendation would be to arrive right at the bakery’s opening time to avoid the crowds.
Tip: If you’re planning on making a large order at the Kapahulu Avenue store, you can call ahead for pick-up and skip the line. You’ll need to order at least two dozen malasadas, and you’ll have to place the order at least one hour in advance.
How to Get There
Address: 933 Kapahulu Ave, Honolulu, HI 96816
Leonard’s Bakery is located in Honolulu on the island of Oahu.
The bakery is located just north of the Ala Wai Canal. If you drive to Leonard’s Bakery, make sure you follow all parking regulations. The parking lot at Leonard’s Bakery is very small, and you can get ticketed if you park on the street and block a driveway.
I didn’t have a rental car on the day I went to Leonard’s Bakery, so I took a ride service to the bakery and back to my resort in Waikiki. It was about a 10-minute drive and $15 each way from Waikiki, but it was worth it to get to the Leonard’s Bakery and try their legendary malasadas!
Food Truck Locations
Leonard’s Bakery also has several Malasada Food Trucks, which are called Malasadamobiles™. If you can’t make it to their main bakery, there may be a food truck closer to you.
The food trucks are typically located at the following locations (subject to change):
- Waikele Shopping Center
- Pearlridge Shopping Center
- Koko Marina Shopping Center
- Windward Mall Shopping Center
| See our Hawaii itinerary to help plan your trip! |
Our Review
I woke up really early one morning to bring back a box of Leonard’s malasadas to my family at our resort. (One advantage of traveling with a toddler is early wake-ups!)
I arrived to Leonard’s Bakery a bit before 7am on a weekday. There were people standing outside, but I realized that was not the line. Those people were waiting for their number to be called to pick-up their malasadas. Inside the store, there were just a few people ahead of me.
I ordered a box of malasadas and waited outside for about 15 minutes. The malasadas were made fresh-to-order. I brought the warm box back to the hotel to my family, barely succumbing to the urge of sampling them on the way back to the hotel. When I arrived back at our hotel, we quickly devoured the entire box.
Overall, it took me about an hour to take a ride share to the bakery, order at the bakery, and return back to our resort in Waikiki. I was lucky that there was hardly any line when I went, so it could take you a lot longer if you visit Leonard’s Bakery at a different time!
Where Else Can You Find Malasadas in Oahu?
Malasadas are a super-popular fried pastry in Hawaii. We saw them being sold in plenty of places. We ordered malasadas from the Wiki Wiki Market at the Hilton Hawaiian Village resort. They were also delicious!
Here’s a few more places where you can find malasadas in Oahu:
- Pipeline Bakeshop
- Liliha Bakery
- Zippy’s
Looking for hotels in Honolulu? We really enjoyed our stay at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort!
Summary
If you’re planning a trip to Hawaii, we recommend stopping by Leonard’s for some freshly fried malasadas! We were glad we ordered a box on our last day in Hawaii. We ordered one of every type of malasada on the menu so that we could do a proper taste test. Our favorite malasadas at Leonard’s Bakery were: the original malasada, the guava malasada puff, the dobash malasada puff, and the haupia malasada puff. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: We always strive for content accuracy. Since the time of publishing, travel-related information regarding pricing, schedules, and hours may have changed. Please see individual websites embedded in this post for the most current trip-planning information.
