Malasadas
intro
Pillowy, hole-free fried dough rolls coated in crisp granulated sugar, a beloved Hawaiian-American treat adapted from Portuguese immigrant baking traditions.
Ingredients
Steps
Activate the yeast
In a small bowl, combine warmed whole milk (heated to 105°F/40°C, no hotter to avoid killing yeast), 1 teaspoon of the portioned dough sugar, and active dry yeast. Stir gently to combine, then let rest for 5-7 minutes until the mixture forms a foamy, frothy layer on top, confirming the yeast is active and alive.
Mix the malasada dough
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, add the remaining dough sugar, room-temperature large eggs, melted cooled unsalted butter, vanilla extract, fine sea salt, foamy activated yeast mixture, and all-purpose flour. Mix on low speed (mixer setting 2) for 4 minutes to combine ingredients, then increase to medium-low speed (mixer setting 4) for 6 minutes, until the dough is smooth, soft, and pulls cleanly away from the bowl sides, with a slightly tacky but not sticky surface.
First dough proof
Lightly grease a large clean glass bowl with 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil, form the kneaded dough into a tight smooth ball, and place it in the bowl, turning once to coat the dough surface lightly in oil. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and a clean cotton kitchen towel, then set it in a warm, draft-free spot (75°F/24°C) to rise for 1 hour, or until the dough doubles in total volume.
Shape dough portions
Once the dough has doubled, punch it firmly in the center to release all trapped air, then turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 12 equal 70-gram portions using a bench scraper, roll each portion into a tight, smooth round ball, and place the balls 5cm (2 inches) apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap and let rise a second time for 30 minutes, until the balls are puffy and increased by 50% in size.
Heat frying oil
While the dough completes its second rise, pour the remaining neutral vegetable oil into a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, clipping a candy/deep fry thermometer to the inner side of the pot. Heat the oil over medium stovetop heat until it reaches a steady 350°F/175°C, adjusting the burner heat as needed to maintain this consistent temperature throughout the frying process.
Fry to golden brown
Carefully lower 3-4 dough balls into the hot oil at a time, taking care not to crowd the pot (which causes oil temperature to drop sharply). Fry for 2 minutes per side, using a slotted metal spoon to flip the malasadas, until both sides are a deep, even golden brown and the internal temperature of the dough reaches 190°F/88°C. Remove fried malasadas from the oil and let drain on a wire rack set over paper towels for 1 minute to remove excess oil.
Coat and serve warm
While the malasadas are still warm (not piping hot, which causes sugar to melt and clump), place them one at a time into a wide bowl holding the 200 grams (1 cup) of coating granulated sugar, tossing thoroughly to coat every surface evenly. Serve immediately, as malasadas have the best fluffy texture when eaten fresh within 2 hours of frying.
Tips
2.If your kitchen is cooler than 72°F/22°C during proofing, place the covered dough bowl inside a turned-off oven with the interior oven light turned on; this creates a perfectly warm, draft-free 75°F environment for even rising.
3.For a popular Hawaiian-style filled variation, poke a 1cm (1/2 inch) hole in the side of slightly cooled malasadas, and pipe 1 tablespoon of haupia (coconut pudding), vanilla custard, or guava jam into the center using a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip.
OMG these taste exactly like the malasadas I got at Leonard's when we visited Oahu last summer! I was so nervous to try a fried dough recipe because I usually mess up yeast doughs, but the rising instructions were so clear. Rolled them in plain sugar and a little li hing mui powder for extra local flair, and my whole family devoured them before they even cooled all the way. SO good, will be making these for our next backyard luau!
Made these for my office potluck yesterday and people were begging for the recipe! I did half filled with vanilla custard and half with haupia filling, and the haupia ones were the first to go. The dough is so light and fluffy, not greasy at all like some malasadas I’ve had from bakeries around here. Only note is I needed to add an extra 2 tbsp of flour because my dough was super sticky after the first rise, but that’s probably just my kitchen being super dry this time of year. 10/10, game changer!
My kids loved it! We did a little Saturday baking project and they had a blast rolling the warm malasadas in cinnamon sugar. I was worried the 2+ hour cook time would be too much with their short attention spans, but the rising time gave us plenty of time to run to the grocery store for sprinkles to put on top. They’re already asking when we can make these again for their soccer team snack day.
Took these on our weekend hike up Mount Evans and they were the perfect post-hike treat! I used bread flour like the recipe suggested and they had that perfect chewy, soft texture I remember from trips to Maui. Didn’t even fill them, just tossed in granulated sugar, and they held up great in the backpack for a few hours without getting soggy. Will absolutely be adding these to our regular camping meal prep rotation.
Help! I tried making these last night and my dough didn’t rise at all. I used instant yeast that I’ve had in the pantry for like 8 months, do you think that’s the problem? I really want these to turn out for my girlfriend’s birthday, she’s from Hawaii and has been missing malasadas so bad.
These are the perfect pairing for my morning Kona coffee! I made a batch on Sunday and have been reheating them for 10 seconds in the microwave each morning, and they taste just as fresh as the day I fried them. Skipped the filling this time but next time I’m going to try the lilikoi curd filling someone mentioned in the reviews.
Can I use my deep fryer for these instead of a Dutch oven on the stovetop? I’ve had bad luck regulating oil temp on my stove before and don’t want to burn the outside before the inside cooks through.
Made these for my twins’ high school graduation luau party and they were a total hit! We had 40 people over and I doubled the recipe, and there were literally zero leftovers. So many people asked if I bought them from a local Hawaiian bakery, I felt so fancy.
Just made these for our beach day potluck and they were chef’s kiss! I added a little coconut extract to the dough to give it extra tropical vibes, and it worked so well. Only issue was I got a little overzealous and filled them before frying, so half oozed out into the oil — oops. Still tasted amazing though!
My 7 year old has been begging to make malasadas ever since we watched that Disney movie set in Hawaii, so we tried this recipe this weekend. We had so much fun! We set up a little topping bar with sugar, cinnamon sugar, sprinkles, and chocolate dip, and she got to decorate every single one. Only thing is our kitchen smelled like fried dough for two whole days after, totally worth it though.
These are amazing but I’m wondering if there’s a way to make them a little less calorie-dense? I know, I know, they’re fried dough, but I’m trying to cut back a little without giving up my favorite treats. Has anyone tried baking them instead of frying?
Just pulled my first ever batch of malasadas out of the fryer, and WOW! I was so intimidated to try this because it’s marked medium difficulty, but it was way easier than I expected! The only tricky part was getting the oil temp right at first, but after the first couple test malasadas I got the hang of it. Ended up filling half with Nutella for my little cousins when they come over for family dinner tonight, and I already snuck one — SO good. Game changer, can’t wait to serve these!