Hawaiian Malasadas

Malasadas Origins

Malasadas have a rich history originating from Portugal. This delectable fried pastry was introduced to the Hawaiian Islands by Portuguese laborers who arrived in the late 19th century to work on the sugarcane plantations. Hawaiians came to love the Portuguese malasada so much, that they created their own Hawaiian donut malasadas and adopted them into their culinary culture.

In Portugal, malasadas are known as “Filha” and are traditionally eaten on Fat Tuesday, also known as Mardi Gras, as a way to indulge before the fasting period of Lent. The name "malasada" comes from the Portuguese word "mal-assada," which means "poorly cooked" or "under-cooked." This name reflects the deep-fried nature of the pastry.

Originally, malasadas were simple, consisting of dough that was deep-fried and rolled in sugar. However, over time, various fillings and toppings have been added, leading to a wide array of delicious variations like ube malasadas and lilikoi malasadas.

Today, malasadas are celebrated in Hawaii during Shrove Tuesday, where locals and visitors alike flock to establishments like the famous Leonard’s Bakery, to indulge in these pillowy, sugary treats.

The history and evolution of malasadas highlight the cultural exchange between Portugal and Hawaii, making them a delightful symbol of the island's diverse heritage.

For more examples of Hawaiian sweet treats, we recommend trying our delicious Hawaiian Sheet Cake.

Malasadas Ingredients

Malasadas are made with basic ingredients, like flour, milk, eggs, sugar, and butter, that most home cooks have on hand. Our version of this Hawaiian recipe is no different.

Bread Flour: Flour is the main ingredient. For our malasadas recipe, we use bread flour, not all-purpose flour. Bread flour is ideal for baked goods that need structure and chew. Because malasadas tend to have a chewy texture on the inside, bread flour is the best choice.

See more about the differences between bread flour and all-purpose flour below.

Whole Milk: You’ll often find evaporated milk used in malasada recipes, but we like to use whole milk. Evaporated milk adds extra richness to the dough, which takes away from its chewiness.

It also tends to brown the malasadas more quickly in the frying process than regular milk, which can result in them browning on the outside before being cooked completely on the inside.

For full ingredients, measurements, and complete instructions, please refer to the recipe below.

How to Make Malasadas

If you’ve made raised donuts, making malasadas will seem very familiar, but even if you’ve never made donuts, you’ll find making these sweet treats to be a breeze. Here’s how to make a malasada.

Making the Dough

This easy-to-make dough comes together quickly. In a large bowl, make a well in the flour, add the other ingredients, and stir until a soft, sticky dough forms.

Letting the Dough Rise

The dough will need to rise twice. Once in a bowl and the second time after you’ve formed the malasadas on an oiled baking sheet.

Forming the Malasadas

Malasadas come in all shapes and sizes. Ours are formed into rounds with well-oiled hands. It’s important to keep your hands oiled, as the dough is very sticky and will constantly stick to your fingers if you don’t.

Frying the Malasadas

Frying the malasadas isn’t difficult, but it does require your full attention.

The malasadas don’t take long to cook, about 3 minutes. It’s important to keep the oil at the correct temperature. If you don’t, the malasadas will burn before they are fully cooked on the inside or will take longer to cook and become greasy.

Use a thermometer to check the temperature throughout the cooking process, and turn the heat up or down to maintain the proper amount of heat.

Coating the Malasadas

Tossing the hot malasadas in a bowl with granulated sugar is the easiest way to get an even coating.

How to Serve Malasadas

There is nothing like a hot, freshly fried malasada for a memorable treat, but they can also be eaten at room temperature. Just make sure to eat them within a few hours of cooking. Otherwise, they lose their crispy exterior. They are most often eaten for breakfast, brunch, or accompanied with coffee or tea in the afternoon.

You can serve malasadas plain, as we do in our malasadas recipe, or you can think about filling them with other popular options like coconut, lilikoi, or ube.

If you’d like to be transported to the islands, you might want to make a night of it by enjoying your malasadas for dessert after a tropical meal.

Looking for ideas for a Hawaiian party menu? Try Slow-Cooker Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken or Easy Pineapple Upside-Down Cake.

How to Store Malasadas

At their best, malasadas should be eaten right out of the fryer. There is nothing like biting into a fresh malasada, with its crispy exterior and a warm, chewy interior. If serving them straight out of the fryer isn’t possible, make sure to serve your malasadas within a few hours of cooking. Just keep them uncovered at room temperature before serving. They will begin to lose their signature crispy coating if left any longer.

If you didn’t have time to make your own, you should still try to serve your store-bought malasadas the same day as you purchased them, again, keeping them uncovered at room temperature.