Leonard’s Bakery

Is five stars enough to express my love for Leonards? No. If you haven’t already, then what’s stopping you?
Definitely get the haupia. The original is good too. :’)

We always enjoy Leonards and the Malasdas, we prefer the original and have them keep it easy on the sugar sprinkled. Can be a long wait but worth it. The pastry covered hot dogs and Portuguese sausage are also a treat.
This place is not for those on a diet particularly gluten free, just don’t go if your in this category. However, for that occasional treat it is well worth it and consistently great!
They do have trucks that setup across the Island… They make em fresh on them as well!

I come here for one thing and one thing only, the malasadas. It’s the best on the island. While they do sell other pastries, I haven’t tried them. Their shelves are mostly bare, so malasadas must be their best seller. They fry it fresh in the back when it’s ordered, so it doesn’t sit on the shelves. Cold malasadas just do not taste the same.
My favorite is the haupia malasada puff. The haupia cream that they inject into the malasada is sensational. It’s not too sweet with a nice coconut flavor. This is best sprinkled with the original plain sugar. I didn’t enjoy it as much with the cinnamon sugar.
If I’m getting the malasada with no filling, then I prefer the cinnamon sugar. They also have the li hing with sugar, which I’ve never tried.
They have a few parking spots in front of the bakery. If it’s full I just park on one of the side streets. Sometimes, the wait can be kind of long, especially when the people ahead of you are getting one or two dozen malasadas.

A yummy bakery with over 3k+ reviews = yummy malasadas. Prior to visiting Oahu, I had no idea what these little things were. At the urging of a local friend, we made a stop by here and wow, it was packed with people.
What exactly are malasadas? Simply put, these are cute little donut like pasties that are Portuguese style. The texture is a bit different from your usual donut. It has a nice chewy and smooth feel when you bite into it. There are different options you can select for the malasadas, so you really can’t go wrong with what you pick.
This is honestly one of the best fresh and hot dessert /​pastry that one should eat. It doesn’t taste quite the same once it’s cold or reheated, so it’s best consume as quickly as possible. If you find the main location to be too busy (given how there is limited parking spots), there are a couple of other Leonards around that you can check out. Heard that there are other places that makes these… so shall be searching them out for comparison the next time I visit Oahu.

Yeaasss believe the hype! They have the best malasadas! I came bright and early and grabbed a box before my hike. I got two of each of the filled malasadas. My favorite were the coconut and the macadamia nut!
You gotta eat them fresh because they make them to order. They come out piping hot, so let them cool a little bit. It’s seriously a bite of heaven as the filling oozes out! A must stop in Oahu!

I AM IN LOVE!
I’ve never loved malasadas as much until I went here.
If only they had this in San Diego, I would get it all the time.
The classic malasadas are $ 1.00 each and the stuffed malasadas are $ 1.35 each.
Any of them are well worth the price.
The Classic Malasadas come in:
Regular, Sugar, or Li-​Hing
The Stuffed Malasadas come in:
Macadamia, Haupia, Dobash, and Flavor of the Month (Pineapple when I went)
We tried all the stuffed malasadas and they were all delicious!
Although the macadamia and haupia tasted the same, I would have to say that my favorites were dobash and pineapple. The malasadas are all made fresh and hot. The dough is very soft on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside. Just made PERFECTLY!
This bakery is usually busy, but they are super fast on their orders!
I’m usually in line, order, and recieve my donuts within 5−10minutes.
Absolutely love this place. Must try!!!

Hands down the best malasadas are sold here. They are made to order, so it’s always warm and slightly crispy when you get them. See their menu for the different varieties that they offer, and also the flavor of the month.
Parking is one way only. The lot is small and often very crowded. Use the entrance on Kapahulu Ave and Charles St. The exit is on the other end, and leads directly onto Kapahulu Ave.

DROOOOOOOLLLL*
Wanted to follow the hype and thank goodness I did. Got a dozen of the malasada puffs– six macadamia cream, four coconut, and two pineapple. And oooOOOooouuweeEEEeee. I am in LOVE. They’re coated with cinnamon sugar on the outside, and stuffed with cream inside. And as soon as you take a bite of the warm, fluffy donut, be prepared to be messy! The sugar gets everywhere, and the cream oozes out of every nook and cranny. Ugh, I would fly back to Hawaii just to get another dozen. Ooo wanted to try the guava cupcake but they ran out. I WILL BE BACK.

Leonard’s was not the magical overly hyped malasada place of my dreams, regrettably. I think it’s probably hard to put the same amount of love, care, and attention into each individual order when they’re churning out (probably) thousands each day. For those of you new to malasadas, they are basically large, fluffy sugar-​coated donuts, sometimes filled with custards or jammy things.
THE LOWLIGHTS.
— Parking is a nightmare in the tiny lot (and patrons there have little regard for other people’s cars, considering we watched some old guy hit another person’s car and walk away once making sure his own vehicle was fine)
— Lines form quickly here, and it can take anywhere from 15−30+ minutes to get your order
~ The malasadas are decent, but more of a total sugar-​sensory overload than a delicious, delectable dessert, in my opinion
~ It’s redundant to get more than one malasada, considering how little filling is placed into any of them
I personally preferred malasadas from Liliha Bakery, simply because they were less sugar-​heavy and more filled. If you miss out on Leonard’s during your trip, you’ll probably be OK.

Their malasadas are amazing (think warm, fluffy pastries covered in sugar), your quintessential Hawaiian donuts.
The parking lot is tiny but luckily there is a lot of street parking. Grab a few and enjoy!

Told to give Leonard’s a try while on the island. We ordered some malasadas with custard in them. They tasted good. Not the best thing I’ve ever tasted but good enough to say i tried it an can now check it off my list. To each his own. There was a long long long long line while we were there but it did move fast. Obviously they are doing something right.

I still think it’s a solid 3.5.
Eating them immediately is key. Malasadas taste best very fresh. The custard and the dobash (chocolate) were my favorites, but my family also liked the original plain. I don’t recommend getting iced coffee — it was super watered down.
There is a private lot, but it’s small. Sometimes there’s a line, but it goes relatively quickly.

Malasadas!
January 5, 2016
wow! A solid 4−½ Stars with over 3,500 reviews. What’s one more review to add to the list of accolades. That about tells you how good Leonard’s Bakery is. Wish we had a Leonard’s here in the mainland but this is pure Hawaii. One shouldn’t leave the islands without having a taste of their warm freshly baked malasadas which come in Original, Cinnamon or Li Hing. They also have malasada puffs and filled malasadas which is available in Custard, Dobash (chocolate), Haupia (coconut), and Flavor of the Month. It would be a shame if you didn’t get a chance to try one and missed out but a legit excuse to come back again to the islands (or Japan… a location opened there in 2008). I am drooling as I write about my experience in this review… I miss these yummy tasty treats!
Malasadas can be purchased for $ 1 ea. A dozen for $ 12.57 includes tax. The custard filled are $ 1.35/ea. Malasadas are these Portuguese sugar-​coated fried pastry that are slightly crispier outside and chewier inside than a doughnut and with no hole. But aside from these malasadas they offer sweet bread, coffee cakes, and pão doce meat wraps.
We arrived here around 9:30p and found parking easily. The bakery closed at 10:00p. The parking lot is very small though and it could be an issue. There was no line inside. The bakery isn’t very big. No inside seating. It’s buy your malasadas and go. There are a couple of benches right outside.
This isn’t my first time to try their malasadas I did live in Oahu for 3 years in the late 70’s. But, heck, that was so long ago… Leonard’s is a family business that is a household name in Hawaii and is well known in the mainland USA… the owner’s name is Leonard Jr :)

Another place everyone told me to go to while visiting in Hawaii. Waited in line like everyone else, but it goes by pretty fast. I was so hyped up to go here that I didn’t even know what I was in line for! I remember it being a dessert thing, but that was it. It’s like a giant fresh cream puff donut luxurious breakfast lunch and dinner item!
I think the original is the best way to go, but if it’s your first time (like me) I buy everything and every flavor! I had the coconut one and that was really good, but a little too heavy meaning it’s like a small meal. If you had the original (no filling), you’ll be good. Have a cup of tea or coffee with it. I ate so many that I didn’t get to eat the custard filling and the ling-​hing sprinkled powder. It went to waste. It didn’t taste the same.
Eat it while it’s fresh!

Pillowy soft mounds of fried carb heaven… Some filled with decadent custard, oozing out with each bite you take. These aren’t your normal doughnuts (donut) they are MALASADAS, a Portuguese confection, made the Hawaiian way here at Leonard’s.
When we landed in Oahu, this was our second stop! We had to stop for lunch first because we were famished and came here for dessert. It was easy to spot while driving, thanks to their HUGE sign!
You’re malasadas will be made to order so make sure you’ve plenty of time to wait around in line (it can get quite long) and to wait around again for your order. I may have been too excited for these confections because they weren’t as good as my mind had built them up to be. Darn you, brain. Though these didn’t end up being my fav piece of fried dough I’ve ever had, they’re certainly in the top 5 and a must for all visitors!

«Old school traditions– da good kine»
Trivia time: what do Mr. Potato Head and Leonard’s Bakery have on common? Both were «born» in 1952 and have been institutions in their respective areas.
How could I not have done a review of this east Honolulu institution? Shame on me. Sometimes you take things for granted and forget the enjoyments close at hand. Leonard’s bakery falls into this category.
Like many islanders I grew up on Leonard’s bakery goodies. Back in the day, malasadas came one way– sprinkled with sugar and the only two places you could buy malasadas was at Leonards or da Punahou school carnival. My how things have changed. There are quite a few places that sell this Portuguese treat, but in my opinion no one tops that light, airy taste of a traditional malasada from Leonards.
There are lots of variations now (flavor filled delights sort of like jelly donuts) but if you are a traditionalist like me, the basic sugar coated treat without filling is da best. Light and fluffy, I prefer this version over others which are heavier. It’s kinda like one’s preference for either chewy chocolate chip cookies or crispy cookies (I prefer crispy).
Yep, soft and fluffy malasadas for me :)
Other treats that are a «can’t miss» include their Haupia cake, the orange chiffon sponge cake, the Pao Duce (sweet bread) and their coffee cake rings.
Visitors have really picked up on Leonards and the lines and parking can be pretty crowded now. Give yourself some extra time, it’s worth it.
Leonard’s Bakery hasn’t changed much after all these years (decades) and that’s good! Enjoy a great taste from the past that’s still going strong in the present.

Whoa.
Whoaaa.
Whoaaaaa.
There are no sufficient words to describe how amazing the malasadas are here. They’re not exactly a cronut, and certainly not a donut either. But what they are is absolutely amazing. I tried the cinnamon, coconut, and macadamia ones, and all were just drool-​inducing. And whoever says that you must have them warm is right. It’s criminal to let them get down to room temperature before enjoying them. Incredible.

Have you ever been swept off your feet? Fell in love for the first time and have it hit you like a ton of bricks? The moment was such a blur but I am confident I experienced something very similar when I took my first bite of a malasada from Leonard’s.
Original Malasada — A cross between a donut and croissant coated in granulated sugar. You simply cannot go wrong with deep fried dough. It was such a mind-​blowing experience, I swear it made my toes curl.
Custard-​filled Malasada — An original malasada filled with custard. They also have a few other flavors, one of them being the flavor of the month. Supposedly, their chocolate is a really popular one. You’d think this would be a sugar overload but everything was so perfect and heavenly.
Make sure you eat these right away when they’re still hot because they don’t taste as good when cold.

**Just bookmark it**!! Honolulu, HI
Over 3000 reviews I mean what can I say really?!
Just bookmark it, if you have not been here. If I had money, the wealth, I’d fly back every weekend just for these Malasadas. Where can I find this in the mainland? I see some imitations but no one can make it like Leonard’s. It’s a puffy donut, I don’t know how to describe it but it MUST be eaten warm. It’s made fresh to order, so when you get it, you must eat it right away. I only crave it when I cannot have it. I’m in Hawaii every summer but I don’t stop by as much as I should. I live like walking distance from here. This stuff is dangerous I tell you!!! I gain 5lbs just eating this stuff!!! ;(
My favorite is the chocolate filling. Every month they have one special flavor they change out and rotate, but they do have other flavors. Even eating it plain, it is just heaven, drool, yum. Custard filling is very yummy. If you’re a haupia (coconut) fan, than you’re definitely in for a treat here.
~*Parking — the lot is very tiny! Catch a ride, make someone wait in the car or hop on the bus.
If you’re ever on the island, stop in and grab a malasadas or two. If you’re already on the island, but never came? Shame on you. ;)
Thanks for reading!
~*kenzie*~

Hot pipping fried goodness all in one bite. Love donuts and love the malasadas here! Original, custard and hauipa.
Not usually a big fan of filling but the hauipa was worth it!!! If you love hot donuts with a twist, come here for a quick snack!

Masaladas mit Cocos und Papaya, das beste was ich gegessen habe an süsses, nach Bestellung werden sie frisch zubereitet, nach kurzer Wartezeit kann man sie Geniessen.