Kauai Malasadas

In our opinion this a one stop that is a must while on the Island. We make it a habit every time we visit, but come early as they sell out!

Wow, the window was finally open the other day as I walked by. You five-​star people are either friends and family or just don’t know what a real malassada is supposed to taste like, much less look like. Just by looking at them in the display, these are not the real deal. Tourist will get duped because they don’t know the difference. Glad I didn’t waste those calories on me. Although not the best, Kauai Bakery is better. Go there. (And no, I’m not related.)

A great stand in front of K-​Mart? I’m in! Yes, these Hawaiian donuts are delicious!!! So fresh here.

Omg yum! I was craving malasadas so bad and found this gem here outside of Kmart. They were fresh, hot and delicious. I will be back!

Better than Leonards in Honolulu. Simple menu. Sugar or cinnamon. No fancy flavors or fillings. Just straight up good malasadas. Her hours are very open. It says she opens «around 10» so be prepared to wait if you are there before she ready. But they are worth it

Ready to smile at hello.
That perfectly describes the lady who makes the malasadas.
The hours of business are casual. She opens when she gets there, and closes when she is sold out. 2 flavours are available for purchase. Malasadas rolled in sugar or cinammon & sugar. I enjoyed the malasadas with cinammon & sugar, as it made me feel like I was giving my taste buds a treat.
The delightful lady who makes the malasadas is the real reason to come here.
The malasadas were good too.

Still can’t stop thinking about the malasadas! So damn good! Will need to plan a trip back to Kauai soon!

If you’re in Lihue on a weekday after 10 am and before 3 pm then make sure to stop by this malasada stand right in front of Kmart. I know it’s such a specific time frame but that’s Hawaiian hours for you. They open when they want to open and they close when they’re out of malasadas.
The malasadas are best when they’re fresh and warm. I’ve bought a box and had leftover 4 day old malasadas reheated in the microwave and it’s a big difference. Only buy what you can finish that day because you’ll regret eating those 4 day old leftover malasadas.
Personally I like the cinnamon version more than the plain sugar one. They’re both good but the cinnamon version is much like a circular churro and reminds me of the churros back in SoCal so I’d choose that one over the sugar one.

Holy crap! These are the best malasadas you will ever have! My husband and I are malasada connoisseurs and we will never find malasadas that compare to Kauai Malasadas. It’s cheap and made fresh right in the stand. Just freaking come here!

Delicious. Must try in Kauai. Nicest lady who makes these amazing tasty fried dough morsels covered in sugar or cinnamon.
A tradition for us when in Kauai.

Don’t be shy this place is in front of K Mart. Served hot, lightly sugared, fried perfectly and slightly chewy on the inside. I liked the cinnamon sugar Malasadas the best.
These tasty Malasadas are AMAZING. We read about this stand before we came to the island and had to make a special trip.
On top of all that, the sweet lady making these treats could not be any sweeter. A truly wonderful person.
Get an 18 pack ASAP!

Malasada stand located right in front of K-​mart.
Delicious fried goodness, much bigger than I was expecting. I really liked the cinnamon sugar ones. The hours posted are an estimate (open: about 10, close: til all gone) which seems very common in Kauai. The owner is very nice and friendly.

This place was recommended by all of the shuttle drivers & tour guides we bumped into. Everyone raved about how delicious these malasadas were, so I had high expectations.
It’s a small shack in front of K-​Mart, to the left. We purchased 3 malasadas for $ 2.00. 2 cinnamon, and 1 sugar (traditional). She threw all of them into a white wrapper and into a bag. When I asked how do we know which one the sugar is, she said, «it’s on top.» …Bitchy…
I looked into the bag, and they were all sitting at the bottom. I didn’t think it would be difficult to wrap the sugar one in a separate paper. She wasn’t super friendly; I assume she’s the owner.
I would give this place 3.5 stars. It’s good, but not mind blowingly amazing. I’ve never had a malasada, so I can’t really compare it to anything else. It’s basically a sugar donut. Nothing special.

Oh baby!!! Yes! We finally caught the malasada lady and boyyyy was it worth the drive-​bys. They were fresh, warm, and just perfect. We got three of the sugar and three of the cinnamon. I really wish I didn’t have to share with the rest of my family. I’m craving them again just writing about them. The only issue is trying to track her down since her hours are so flexible, but hey that’s how it goes.

We had to try a malasada in Kauai and supposedly these were the best on the island. We bought 9 total with a mixture of sugar and cinnamon. They are quite filling so if you are eating them in one sitting 1 – 2 per person would be enough. Definitely make sure you check the hours and don’t be in a hurry getting any at 10. It was about 10:45 when they were ready on the Friday I went so the hours sign doesn’t lie! The malasadas had a nice golden brown outside with a doughy inside. I haven’t had a malasada to compare to, but they were much much better than the donut holes I had when I got back to San Diego. Great lady who makes them, definitely the kind of business you want to support. Just make sure you come at the perfect time, before they sell out but after they are open! That could be a small window. Good luck!

General Notes:
1) This woman is such a beautiful person
a) She has 10 grandchildren!
2) Types of Malasadas: sugar, cinnamon sugar
3) I got a box of 18 malasadas for $ 7.50
4) I know right
5) Get over her hours you annoying city slicker, she can come and go as she pleases
The Malasadas:
What is a Malasada? IT’S A DOUGHNUT sorta.
Seriously, biting into one is like biting your memory foam pillow, but like, with sugar on it and stuff. I’m not exaggerating, it’s probably made with memory foam flour. I love this business, its Hawaiian style business hours, and its heart :-)

Best malasadas on Kauai and trust me, I’ve tried all of the malasadas on the island (at least I think!). They are made fresh and the lady who makes them has a cart right outside of the Kmart entrance. Cinnamon and sugar! So fresh, moist and not greasy!

Great balls of hot sugary dough! If you’ve never tried one, you’re missing out because malasadas are delicious. Similar to a fluffy doughnut, these fried dough balls are slightly spongey & coated in either cinnamon sugar or just sugar. The owner makes then fresh on site & I hear she runs out pretty early, so get here quick! Parking’s a breeze since it’s literally in a little stall at the KMART entrance. 3 for $ 1.50 or a box of 18 for $ 7.50.

I’m a fan of just about any cuisine’s version of fried dough and sugar, so I was excited to try these! And, yes, they are great!
The only negative is the totally inconsistent hours. I respect the idea of island time and try my best to assimilate when visiting. But it’s hard to not be disappointed if you make a drive over here during the hours they’re supposed to be open to find them closed. I wouldn’t suggest making a special trip just for the malasadas, but if you’re in the vicinity and they happen to be open, they’re definitely worth it!

Malasadas are a staple for me when visiting The Islands. Some Malasadas are sold out of food trucks or bakeries, but this location in particular, is a small shack located next to the entrance of a Kmart.
Malasadas are basically light and fluffy hole-​less doughnuts, that are fried to a golden brown, and covered in sugar.
This location sells cinnamon and sugar (traditional) Malasadas. I do prefer the sugar over the cinnamon Malasadas, but I still made sure to get a few of each. The very nice lady working had just removed the Malasadas from the fryer, so they were warm, moist, and melted in my mouth.
Prices are very reasonable (shown in picture). So, if you are with friends/​family then I recommend opting for the ‘Box Special’ (18 Malasadas for $ 7.50); I can promise you that the delicious Malasadas will disappear quickly :)