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Manuela Malasada - Big Island

4.3 (751 reviews)
ModerateFood Trucks, Donuts
Closed • 8:30 am - 5:30 pm

Manuela Malasada - Big Island Photos

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Three pack of Malasadas Bavarian, raspberry and Li Hing
Nathan B.

The staff here were very friendly and made great suggestions. We ordered a 3-pack of Hot, fresh and incredibly delicious Malasadas. We also ordered plain iced coffee and it was made the way iced coffee should be made. In other words, it wasn't so watered down that it looked and tasted like coffee flavored tea, like one gets at so many other places. Stop here if you're looking for some freshly made Malasadas. You won't regret it.

Nicole H.

Little food truck. They take card and cash. Lots of fillings to choose from. We ordered 3 filled, and it was $15. They come out hot and ready. They were tasty, just on the denser side, not the light, fluffy, and airy side. There are no tables, so it's more of a grab and go. The area is not paved. The truck is on the side of the street. There was an espresso and smoothie truck in the same area.

plain with sugar (top left), powdered sugar (top right), and nothing (bottom)
Wendy T.

easy to find off the side of the road, located in an unpaved parking lot, had lots of space for vehicles but limited shade and no tables/seats. cash and card accepted. grab and go malasadas are made fresh to order, expect to wait about 15min. malasadas were a little dense but the inside is still soft and fluffy with a harder/crispy golden brown exterior shell. I only got plain ones without filling (toppings: regular sugar, powdered sugar, and nothing). Powdered sugar was my favorite! I tried a bunch of different malasadas all over the big island and I gotta say: manuela's has the best malasadas!

after 5 minutes  whats left
Lori L.

Six stars if it were possible. Freshly made oer order and Hot and drooling yummy!!! each filled generously with raspberry jam, coconut cream and bavarian cream dipped in sugar... there was a choice of many more fillings. Hey, there's always tomorrow we are staying 10 minutes away...YAY!!!!!

Hanaah F.

Stopped by the first time around 4pm, and they were completely sold out. Stopped by the 2nd time around 2:30pm, and they were still in business. Minimum order is 3 malasadas. We ordered the Dubai chocolate, guava, and banana cream fillings. They were made fresh. It does take awhile to place the order and also get your order served for this reason. It's a food truck too, so need to be patient. They are located right off the highway, and some other food trucks are there too. The banana cream and guava fillings tasted more artificial. The malasadas weren't out of this world. I've had better. Good service though.

Sam P.

After a fun day exploring the island but frustrating day trying to get food including Malasadas - we decided to try this food truck having passed it by for years! Be prepared for a wait - it was probably near 30 minutes from waiting to order to waiting for our food but it is made fresh to order and you can customize flavors and toppings. The Malasadas are delicious - warm and fresh! The fillings for me were hit or miss - some like S'mores tasted lovely with marshmallows and what I assume was a Nutella filling but others, especially local flavors like Lilikoi tasted very artificial and overly sweet and anything with coconut in it turned to liquid like a coconut oil! Glad I tried them - fresh, warm and hit and miss on fillings

So excited for this
Reetu P.

Hidden gem on the big Island! This famous malasadas truck did not disappoint. Freshly made malasadas with so many different options to choose from. They do have peanuts but they do take care of cross contamination for those with nut allergies. Team is so friendly and accommodating. There was a long line for orders which shows how good this place is. Malasadas were huge compared to the normal size you would get at other places. 3 for $11 we went with sugar coated ones and they were SO good. Perfectly cooked where you couldn't taste raw dough. You can go behind the food truck and pick your order and eat your malasadas. Better to eat outside than inside your car with all the sugar from the donuts dropping everywhere. Definitely a must then on the big island. I believe they have few trucks spread across the island.

Li hing w/ guava, plain sugar w/ ube cheesecake, cinnamon sugar w/ no filling.
Lilian V.

Easy to find roadside stand with plenty of dirt parking on a weekday morning. It's a grab and go spot w/ limited shade available. The malasadas are made fresh to order, so expect a wait (it took about 20 minutes with a few parties ahead of us). There's a 3-piece minimum for $11 and an extra $1.50/2 for each filling. We wanted to try the ube malasadas but they weren't available. The standouts here are definitely the unfilled malasadas. The Original with Cinnamon Sugar was amazing--hot, fresh, and the dough beats other malasadas on the island. Skip the Ube Cheesecake filling. It had no ube flavor and a bizarrely strong, alcohol-like aftertaste (maybe too much vanilla extract?) that made it hard to finish. The Li Hing with Guava was okay, but the filling leaned a bit artificial.

Jillian N.

Came on a weekday in the afternoon and got 6 malasadas. Service was quick and it's off the side of the road. I think I made the mistake of waiting until hours later to eat it. The dough got a bit dense but overall the flavor was good. I definitely should have eaten then fresh but if I'm back I'll try again!

Masubi!!!
Maribel T.

WOWWW! This Malasada was the perfect treat on the way to the beach! We could not have been more satisfied with the texture and flavor of these warm yummy goodies! BONUS! We also got to grab some masubi's!! The guy was super helpful when picking out the top sellers! His friendly personality made our experience even more enjoyable! The convenience of it being off the main road was great!

Vanessa L.

Delicious malasadas! Best to eat fresh! No additive flavors, tasted like real fruit. Fluffy donut-like malasadas full of flavor in each bite. They have so many flavors available. Out of the ones we ordered, my favorite was the Haupia and my husband's was the Ube. GPS will ask you to loop around to get here, but we were able to just pull in right next to the stand on a Saturday early afternoon. Overall, we recommend!

David H.

Sweet, Simple, Unmissable If you're on the Big Island and craving something warm, sugary, and straight-up comforting, Manuela Malasadas is your move. The malasadas are legit--crispy edges, fluffy centers, and fillings that actually taste like something. Service is fast, friendly, and no-frills. You order, you wait a few minutes, and boom--hot malasadas in hand. Eat one before you drive off.

Malasadas: lilikoi, guava cheesecake, & cookie butter
Isabelle V.

Had to stop by this malasada food truck in this area. Got there at 9 in the morning on Wednesday and it wasn't busy at all. They take Apple Pay which is super convenient! We got three special filling malasadas which were around $16-17. Super yummy and fit the spot for my sweet tooth! The cookie butter filling was super rich and decadent and lilikoi flavor was a nice fruity balance. Definitely stop by if you are in the area!

Lilikoi, Dubai chocolate, plain

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Fantastic malasadas, best on the island. Hot and fresh every time. Look for the food trucks!

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Manuela Malasada - Big Island Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Manuela Malasada - Big Island

How do I contact you directly for a refund?

808-747-5531

What brand of "Li-Hing (Sweet & Sour Plum Sugar)" do you guys use? When I flew home I wanted to dust some local donuts the same way, but the one powder I tried buying on Amazon (described as "Li Hing Mui Powder" was not sour so much as salty...

We blend our own li hing - try to add sugar to your powder and it may turn out amazing too

Hi; we were there Sunday morning after 8:30, but only the espresso truck was there. We'd like to come by this morning & try again...what time will you be open today (Tuesday) & tomorrow?

830

What time are you open until today? It says 5:30pm, but I just wanted to confirm since I am making a bit of a drive.

Yes

Are you open today? I can't find your truck on 1 Puako, we can come back later but I only saw a bunch of cars and police cars there on the lot?

Yes

Do you do catering or we can pick up a large order? We are looking for malasadas for our wedding instead of cake. With much advance notice of course.

Hi, thank you for considering us yes we do. We would just need to know your quantity and the date that you were thinking about because we have become extremely popular for weddings and catering. I just need to make sure that I have the availability… 

Are you always there at 8am?

No. 830

I'm visiting Hilo on vacation. Are you on the Hilo side anywhere? Thanks

Sorry - only in Waikoloa

Are y'all open today?

I think they are open 7 days a week. We had to find their "temp home" while we were there due to the Ironman race.

Drove by today, are you going to be there today?

Yes. We had 3 employees call in sick today so it’s going to be 10.

Are you at the same location ? We drove by a few times and only saw a shaved ice truck.

We are here - yes, since we are so sought after we have a ton of folks that pull up on that spot…

What are your timings on the Fourth of July?

What oil do they fry the Malasdas in?

Coconut/ canola blend exclusively for our trucks

I read that your location is hard to find. we're visiting and not totally familiar with the area. Is it really just 6.3 miles coming from Waikoloa beach drive (hotels)? One address says 1 and half hour drive from here.

1 Puako beach drive

Hi there :) Do you take debit card or credit card?

She does take both along with Apple Pay. Hope that helps .

What days of the week are you there? Are you still off highway 19? We haven't been to the leeward side in a while and are craving your amazing malasadas!

We are open 7 days a week. 8- until we sell out- this happens between 4-5

Can you pay with credit card?

Yes

Are you guys still around at the Big Island? We were looking for the truck last week but to no avail. 😕

Yes- more popular then ever… Puako beach drive

There is a storm today, are you open during heavy rain?

Yes

Where will you be today?

Only location we have on the big island - Puako - we are there 7 days a week

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Manuela Malasada - Big Island - foodtrucks - Updated October 2026

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