TravelAge West
Search Sponsored by

Explore TravelAge West

Destinations

Back
  • Africa & Middle East
  • Asia & South Pacific
  • Caribbean
  • Central & South America
  • Europe
  • Hawaii
  • Mexico
  • USA & Canada

Travel Types

Back
  • Family
  • Adventure
  • Cruise
  • River Cruise
  • Tour Operators
  • Luxury
  • Hotels
  • Culinary
  • Romance
  • Wellness
  • Sustainability

Directories

Back
  • Hotels
  • Cruise
  • Job Seeker Center

Interactive

Back
  • Click & Win
  • Geo Quiz
  • Slideshows & Video

Professional Development

Back

Industry Insight

  • Business Features
  • Interviews
  • Events
  • Opinion
  • Tech
  • Podcasts
  • Coronavirus and Travel
  • Need to Know Research

Education

  • Certifications
  • Digital Guides
  • Fams
  • Thought Leadership
  • Advertiser Spotlight
  • Webinars
  • Immersive Family Experiences

Events

  • Global Travel Marketplace
  • GTM West
  • WAVE Awards
  • Future Leaders in Travel Retreat

Sign Up for Our Monthly Hawaii Newsletter

I accept the T&C and Privacy Policy.

Search TravelAge West

Clear Field
Marty Wentzel // (c) 2012 Marty Wentzel
Marty WentzelContributing Editor, Hawaii

Share

  1. Home
  2. Travel
  3. Hawaii

6 Delicious Hawaiian Desserts and Where on the Islands to Find Them

May 13, 2022
Culinary  Hawaii  Maui  Oahu  
HawaiiDesserts_FEATURE
Try malasadas, fried and hole-less doughnuts, from Leonard’s Bakery in Honolulu.
Credit: 2014 Leonard's Bakery

The best Hawaiian desserts look and taste as distinctive as the islands themselves. 

While pineapple upside-down cake might seem exotic elsewhere, desserts in Hawaii take things a seductive step further. Blending cultural traditions with tropical flavors, they lead to luscious adventures in an appetizing destination. 

When it’s time to satisfy your sweet tooth island-style, check out these decadent Hawaiian desserts that locals swear by, with tips on the best places find them.

Chocolate Haupia Cream Pie

Most every Hawaiian gathering features haupia, a variation on coconut pudding. This dessert does it one better by filling a pie shell with equal layers of dark chocolate custard, creamy haupia and a whipped topping. The undisputed mecca for chocolate haupia cream pie is Ted’s Bakery on Oahu, open since 1987 across from Sunset Beach. Devotees have been known to drive all the way to the North Shore for a slice.

Sign Up for Our Monthly Hawaii Newsletter

I accept the T&C and Privacy Policy.

Coco Puffs

At almost any local potluck or special occasion on Oahu, someone shows up with a box of these melt-in-your-mouth treats. We’re not talking breakfast cereal here — instead, picture puff pastry shells stuffed with creamy chocolate filling and topped with a buttercream frosting called Chantilly. Liliha Bakery, a Honolulu mainstay since 1950, sells thousands of coco puffs each day. Try their newest version that includes  green tea frosting.

Crispy Manju

The traditional Japanese confection called manju consists of dough buns filled with sweet bean paste. Home Maid Bakery on Maui takes this concept to new heights by using a light, flaky pie-like crust. Instead of the standard bean paste, you can order yours filled with apples, coconut, peaches, pineapple, chocolate, peanut butter or purple sweet potato. Die-hards take home boxes to friends and family on the mainland.

Traditionally, manju is a dough bun filled with sweet bean paste.
Traditionally, manju is a dough bun filled with sweet bean paste.
Credit: Caito/stock.adobe.com

Guri Guri

Once again we thank the Japanese, who introduced this smooth, creamy concoction to Hawaii. Made with fruit juice, lime soda and condensed milk, this sherbet/ice cream hybrid makes for a refreshing treat in Hawaii's warm climate. Some of the state’s best guri guri — fittingly pronounced goodie-goodie — awaits at Tasaka Guri Guri, located at Maui Mall in Kahului. They specialize in two flavors: strawberry and pineapple. 

Malasadas

When Portuguese plantation workers came to Hawaii in the 1870s, they brought malasadas, a sugarcoated fried doughnut without the hole. Today, Oahu’s malasada king is Leonard’s Bakery in Honolulu, while Tex Drive In reigns supreme on Hawaii Island. For a twist, order them coated with cinnamon sugar or li hing (dried plum powder), or try one stuffed with custard, chocolate, fruit or coconut.

Malasadas are a sugarcoated fried donut.
Malasadas are a sugarcoated fried donut.
Credit: uckyo/stock.adobe.com

Mochi Ice Cream

Another Japanese innovation, these round, soft outer shells of mochi (rice cake) are filled with different flavors of ice cream. One of the best desserts on Oahu is mochi ice cream from Bubbies. It features 20 different varieties including green tea, mango, lychee, pistachio, passion fruit, chocolate, peanut butter, strawberry, raspberry and blueberry. With just one bite, you’ll understand why it’s a favorite Hawaiian dessert.

Mochi ice cream has a soft outer rice cake shell and is filled with ice cream.
Mochi ice cream has a soft outer rice cake shell and is filled with ice cream.
Credit: Vasiliy/stock.adobe.com

Tell Us What You Think! forum

Related Content

5 Top Desserts to Eat in Oahu

5 Top Desserts to Eat in Oahu

  • Most Read
  • Most Shared
  1. When Will the Brightline to Orlando Open? New Details Released
  2. The Top Hotels in Mexico for a Romantic Getaway
  3. A Travel Agent's Guide to Pet-Friendly Travel Planning
  4. What to Know About Waikiki Beach Marriott's Renovation, According to Its New General Manager
  5. What to Know About Riding on the Alaska Railroad
  1. 6 Unforgettable Chateau Experiences in the Loire Valley
  2. The Caribbean’s Newest Theme Park: Katmandu Park Punta Cana
  3. When Will the Brightline to Orlando Open? New Details Released
  4. The Top Hotels in Mexico for a Romantic Getaway
  5. What Is It Like to Travel to Saudi Arabia?

From Our Partners

More Stories Like This

flytographernycbarcelonaloscabos

Review: Flytographer for Travel Photo Shoots in Maui, Paris, Los Cabos and Beyond

fairmontkealaniresortmauiwailea

Review: The Fairmont Kea Lani's Transformative Room Renovation

What to Know About Waikiki Beach Marriott's Renovation, According to Its New General Manager

What to Know About Waikiki Beach Marriott's Renovation, According to Its New General Manager

3 Fun New Things to Do at Sea Life Park Hawaii

3 Fun New Things to Do at Sea Life Park Hawaii

4 Super-Local Food Experiences on the Big Island of Hawaii

4 Super-Local Food Experiences on the Big Island of Hawaii

A Review of The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua’s $100 Million Renovation

A Review of The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua’s $100 Million Renovation

Review: Kaimana Beach Hotel

Review: Kaimana Beach Hotel

New Tours and Attractions at Pearl Harbor

New Tours and Attractions at Pearl Harbor

HawaiiAirports_FEATURE

A Guide to Hawaii's 5 Major Airports

Review: Maunakea Stargazing With Hawaii Forest & Trail

Review: Maunakea Stargazing With Hawaii Forest & Trail

TravelAge West

About TravelAge West

  • About Us
  • Contributors
  • Sales Team
  • Contact Us
  • My Profile

Advertise

  • Advertise With Us
  • Write For US
  • Media Kit
  • Upload Ad Material
  • Digital Ad Specifications
  • Reprints
  • Subscribe to Print

Stay Connected to TravelAge West

Get Us in Your Inbox

I accept the T&C and Privacy Policy.


Northstar Travel Group

Northstar Travel Group

  • Travel Weekly
  • Travel Weekly Asia
  • Travel Weekly China
  • TravelPulse
  • TravelPulse Canada
  • TravelPulse Quebec
  • Meetings & Incentives
  • Travel Technology
  • Corporate Travel
  • Hotel Investment
  • Data Products
  • AGENTatHOME

Copyright © 2023 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. 301 Route 17 N, Suite 1150, Rutherford, NJ 07070 USA | Telephone: (201) 902-2000

Load Carousel Here
Load Video Here