Hawaiian Malasadas

Name: Hawaiian Malasadas
Prep time: 45 min
Total time: 4 h 30 min
Yield: 20
Ingredients: 4 1/4 cups Gold Medal™ Bread Flour; 1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 cup for coating; 1 package fast-acting dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons); 2 teaspoons salt; 3 large eggs, slightly beaten; 1 1/4 cups whole milk; 1/4 cup butter, softened; 2 quarts plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Ingredients:8
Servings:20

By Betty Crocker Kitchens(Opens in a new tab)Updated 09/02/2024

Hawaiian Malasadas

Ingredients:8
Servings:20

Malasadas, a delicious type of raised donut covered in sugar, has a rich history for something so simple. This delectable fried pastry originates from Portugal and was introduced to the Hawaiian Islands in the late 19th century. Malasadas quickly became a beloved treat among locals and have since become an iconic part of Hawaii's culinary culture.

Today, malasadas are enjoyed on a daily basis in Hawaii, made with basic ingredients most people already have on hand -- like flour, eggs, yeast, milk, and sugar, a batch can be whipped up whenever the craving for a sweet treat hits. While the most traditional malasadas are typically plain or unfilled, over the years Hawaiians have begun to fill them with many different luscious options such as custard, chocolate, or fruit-flavored fillings.

Modern variations have expanded the filling options to include unique and exciting choices such as haupia (coconut), lilikoi (passion fruit), guava, and even savory fillings like bacon or cheese. This wide range of fillings allows malasadas to cater to diverse tastes, creating a delightful surprise with every bite. Whether you prefer a classic flavor or enjoy exploring new flavor combinations, there's a malasada filling for every palate.

Our malasadas recipe reflects the more traditional unfilled version but trust us they are “ono” (Hawaiian for “good to eat.”)

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ever since the Portuguese introduced malasadas to the islands, Hawaiians have been making them their own by filling them will all kinds of delicious flavors. Once you’ve mastered the art of making malasadas, you might want to experiment with some of the fillings.

Indulge in rich and creamy vanilla custard. Delight in luscious chocolate. Savor the tropical taste of coconut. Experience the unique sweetness of guava. Tantalize your taste buds with the exotic essence of a Hawaiian favorite, lilikoi (passion fruit). Experiment with the vibrant color and flavor of ube (a purple yam from the Philippines). It’s hard to know which one to try first!

For our malasadas recipe, we use bread flour, which you may or may not have used before. Here’s the difference between bread and all-purpose flour and why we called for bread flour in this recipe.

Bread flour and all-purpose flour have key differences in their protein content and potential uses in baking and cooking.

Bread flour typically has a higher protein content, usually around 12-14%, compared to all-purpose flour, which has a protein content of around 10-12%. The higher protein content in bread flour contributes to the structure and elasticity of bread dough, making it ideal for yeast-based breads, pizza and certain donut dough that require a strong gluten network to rise and hold their shape.

On the other hand, all-purpose flour is a versatile option suitable for a wide range of recipes, including cakes, cookies, muffins, and quick breads. It strikes a balance between protein content and ability to produce tender baked goods.

When choosing between the two, we were looking for the best flour to create the chewy interior typical of malasadas, and that’s bread flour.

Hawaiian Malasadas are often compared to the New Orleans favorite fried treat, beignets. Both are enjoyed year-round, but originally were created to use up extra fat and sugar on Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras, before Lent began.

The word "beignet" comes from the French term for "fritter" and the pastry itself is made from deep-fried choux pastry, resulting in a light and fluffy texture. Beignets are typically served hot and sprinkled with powdered sugar, making them a delightful treat often enjoyed with a cup of café au lait. Over time, beignets have become part of the distinctive culinary tradition of New Orleans and are enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.

Malasadas are closer to raised donuts or jelly donuts. The dough is eggy and yeasted, and the interior has a slight chewiness. Malasadas are also best enjoyed straight out of the fryer, rolled in granulated sugar.

Also, while beignets are usually unfilled, malasadas are often filled with custard, chocolate or fruit-based fillings like lilikoi or guava.

After you’ve tried your hand at malasadas, you may want to give these French Quarter Beignets a try!

A freshly fried malasada is a thing of beauty, but for all kinds of reasons, frying may not be in the cards for you. Does that mean you have to deny yourself the joy of a malasada? No!

Like most donuts, it is possible to bake malasadas. Although we haven’t kitchen-tested this method see our suggestions are as follows.

You should be able to bake them on the oiled baking sheet they proofed on. Just make sure to remove the plastic wrap. Brush the formed, proofed malasadas with egg wash and generously sprinkle the tops with granulated sugar before baking. The egg wash will help the sugar stick to the dough.

The texture of a baked malasada will be different than a fried one. It might be a little more delicate and crumbly. If you want to fill them, you may just have to cut them in half and spread the filling in the middle.

The crust may be thicker and little tougher on the baked malasadas than their fried counterpart, but it should still be delicious!