Bakeries in Hawaiʻi hit different. Maybe it’s the Portuguese influence that gave us malasadas and sweet bread. Maybe it’s the Japanese baking tradition that brought us impossibly fluffy shokupan and delicate cream puffs. Whatever the reason, Oʻahu’s bakery scene has quietly become one of the best in the country.
We’ve been eating our way through these spots for years, and this guide covers every style of bakery on the island. Every spot is one we’d send our own family to.
Related: Best Breakfast & Brunch on Oʻahu | What Local Food Actually Means in Hawaiʻi
Local Institutions
1. Leonard’s Bakery
What to get: Original malasadas (plain sugar), haupia malasada, li hing malasada
Leonard’s has been the malasada standard since 1952. Fried to order, golden and warm. The outside has that perfect golden crunch, the inside is pillowy. The original sugar-coated version is still the best, but the haupia filling is a close second.
📍 933 Kapaʻhulu Ave, Honolulu, HI 96816
💰 ~$1.75-$2.50 per malasada | Hours: 5:30am-7pm daily
leonardshawaii.com
2. Liliha Bakery
What to get: Coco Puffs, butter rolls, Chantilly cake
If you grew up on Oʻahu, Liliha Bakery is woven into your childhood. The Coco Puff is the signature: choux pastry filled with chocolate pudding and topped with Chantilly frosting. And the Chantilly cake is the birthday cake of Hawaiʻi.
📍 515 N Kuakini St, Honolulu, HI 96817 (original) | 580 N Nimitz Hwy (Nimitz location)
💰 ~$2-$4 per pastry | Open 24 hours (Kuakini)
3. Pipeline Bakeshop & Creamery
What to get: Malasadas, Cake Bombs, lilikoi cream puff
Pipeline took the malasada concept and elevated it with creative fillings like Fruity Pebbles, Oreo, and their signature Cake Bomb. If Leonard’s is the classic, Pipeline is the modern remix.
📍 3632 Waiʻalae Ave, Honolulu, HI 96816
💰 ~$3-$5 per item | Hours: 7am-2pm (or until sold out)
pipelinebakeshop.com
Artisan Bread Shops
4. Fendu Boulangerie
What to get: French batard, country loaf, croissants
Fendu quietly became Honolulu’s best bread bakery. Their French batard has a crackling crust and airy crumb that rivals anything in Paris. They supply Honolulu’s best restaurants.
📍 11 S Hotel St, Honolulu, HI 96813 (Chinatown)
💰 ~$5-$10 per loaf | Hours: 7am-2pm Wed-Sun
5. Wallflour
What to get: Sourdough loaf, morning buns, seasonal pastries
The most popular loaf at the Saturday Kakaʻako Farmers Market. Great tang, chewy crust, perfect for sandwiches or ripping apart with butter.
📍 Kakaʻako Farmers Market, 919 Ala Moana Blvd (Saturday mornings)
Japanese-Style Bakeries
6. Okayama Kobo Bakery & Cafe (Our Personal Favorite)
What to get: Salt & Butter Roll, curry pan, matcha mochi an-pan, croissants, sandwich bread (shokupan)
This is our personal favorite bakery on the entire island, and we don’t say that lightly. Okayama Kobo is a Japanese artisan bakery from Okayama Prefecture that opened in Ward Village, and every single thing in their case is made with 100% Hokkaido flour, no additives, no preservatives, baked fresh daily. The Salt & Butter Roll alone is worth the trip: warm, pillowy, with a perfect salty-sweet balance. The curry pan has a crispy fried shell with rich Japanese curry inside. We stop here at least once a week, and we’re not the only ones: the line starts early and popular items sell out by noon.
📍 310 Kamakee St, Honolulu, HI 96814 (Ward Village)
💰 ~$3-$7 per item | Hours: 8am-4pm Tue-Sun (closed Mon)
okayamakobousa.com
7. Kulu Kulu
What to get: Japanese cheesecake, cream puffs, character pastries
Pure joy in bakery form. Display cases filled with pastel-colored cakes, delicate cream puffs, and everything under $5. Two locations in Waikiki.
📍 Royal Hawaiian Center, 2233 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815
8. Brug Bakery
What to get: Hokkaido milk bread, anpan (red bean bun), raisin bread
Hokkaido-based chain bringing authentic Japanese bakery style. The milk bread (shokupan) is impossibly pillowy.
9. Mille Fête Bakery
What to get: Seasonal pastries, layered cakes, fine chocolate work
Opened February 2025 in Chinatown by James Beard winner Robynne Maii and pastry chef Katherine Yang. Haute patisserie with island influence.
Local Sweets & Specialty
10. Champion Malasadas
The other malasada spot locals know. Lighter, airier, and some people prefer them over Leonard’s.
📍 1926 S Beretania St, Honolulu, HI 96826
11. Kamehameha Bakery
What to get: Poi glazed donuts, malasadas, poi rolls
Opens at midnight and the poi glazed donuts sell out by sunrise. The poi gives the dough a purple tint and earthy sweetness that’s uniquely Hawaiian.
📍 1284 Kalani St, Honolulu, HI 96817
💰 ~$1.50-$3 per item | Hours: 12am-5:30pm
12. Dee Lite Bakery
What to get: Butter mochi, haupia bars, pumpkin crunch
The butter mochi gold standard on Oʻahu. Dense, chewy, coconut-rich, with that perfect browned top.
15. Ted’s Bakery (North Shore)
What to get: Chocolate haupia pie, pies by the slice
North Shore institution. Layers of chocolate pudding and haupia on a flaky crust. Every food tour hits Ted’s, and the pie lives up to the hype.
📍 59-024 Kamehameha Hwy, Haleiwa, HI 96712
💰 ~$5 per slice, ~$28-$35 whole pie
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