I first got to know Honolulu well before bakeries were on my mind. My first visit was at age 13, when my family stayed in Waikiki and followed a schedule my parents planned.
Even so, those first few days on Oahu left a lasting impression: the tropical vibe, surf culture, and the feeling of being somewhere completely different from my home in New Jersey.
When I came back to Honolulu as an adult in 2021, I could finally explore the city my own way. Bakeries soon became a regular part of my day: early mornings due to jet lag, going back for my favorites, and people-watching.
Since then, I've added to those first memories with another visit to Oahu in 2025, followed by a return trip to Kauai in 2026, where I also put together my guide to the best places to eat on the Garden Island.
This guide to Honolulu's best bakeries comes straight from my own experiences.
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Honolulu Bakeries
Honolulu's Chinatown is now one of the city's most exciting places to eat in Oahu, and its bakeries reflect that change. They're creative, chef-led, and worth visiting outside of Waikiki. That's why I'm starting there.
Mille Fête Bakery
Mille Fête Bakery, located in Honolulu's Chinatown, has quickly become one of the city's top spots for pastries since it opened in February 2025.
The bakery is a team effort between Robynne Maii, a James Beard Award-winning chef, and pastry chef Katherine Yang, who started Gigi Blue (a dessert catering company).
Maii, who won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific in 2022, brings a refined, Hawaii-inspired style to the bakery. Yang brings almost 30 years of experience, including work with Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller.
Together, they've built a bakery that mixes classic baking skills with seasonal flavors that fit right in with Honolulu.
Big windows let in lots of natural light, which brightens the white walls and warms the exposed brick at the back. The pastry cases, filled with cakes, hand pies, and flaky pastries, speak for themselves.
On my first visit, Kel and I tried four pastries. The apple-banana butterscotch hand pie had just the right mix of fruit and richness. It was flaky but not too heavy. Mille Fête's colorful POG layer cake made with passion fruit, orange, and guava stood out the most.
The Classic Bell, a dark chocolate treat filled with cream, tasted like a richer, more grown-up version of a Ding Dong. The chocolate peanut butter whistle was great, too.
Mille Fête has gotten attention in the food world. Gail Simmons from "Top Chef" has shown her support, according to Honolulu Magazine. Soon after our visit, I saw another "Top Chef" host, Kristen Kish, post photos from her own trip. She, too, praised the POG cake.
It seemed like a quiet confirmation of what's already obvious: this is one of the best bakeries in Honolulu. 1113 Smith St, Honolulu, millefete.com
Liliha Bakery Waikiki
Few bakeries in Honolulu are as much a part of the city's food culture as Liliha Bakery. It opened in 1950 and has grown from a neighborhood spot to several locations around Honolulu.
We visited the Waikiki location, which opened in 2021 on the roof of the International Market Place shopping mall. It's easy for visitors to find, and it still serves the classic treats that made Liliha famous.
Inside, it feels like a classic Hawaiian bakery. The place is busy and practical, with full pastry cases and a constant flow of people picking up boxes to take home. This Liliha Bakery is about comfort, plenty of choices, and knowing exactly what you want.
The Coco Puff is still the can't-miss item, a cream-filled choux pastry with a thick, rich chocolate frosting. You can also get chocolate cream and green tea flavors.
Liliha's Chantilly cake is a favorite, with a light chocolate sponge and whipped frosting that's a staple at birthdays and celebrations across the islands. You can buy it whole or by the slice. Poi mochi donuts are also very popular.
Liliha Bakery's consistency and long history are impressive. It offers the same comfort and enjoyment it always has, whether you're local, picking up a whole cake, or a visitor coming in for the first time. 2330 Kalākaua Ave, Suite 326, Honolulu, lilihabakery.com
Leonard's Bakery
Leonard's Bakery is closely tied to my memories of Honolulu. On our trip to Hawaii in 2021, Kel and I went there first. We bought a half-dozen malasadas and took the pink box straight to Waikiki Beach, eating them barefoot in the sand.
Leonard's opened in 1952 and brought malasadas to Hawaii long before they were known as Hawaiian doughnuts. The bakery focuses on Portuguese-style pastries, fried to order: crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, and best when warm.
The process is quick, with most people ordering to go and often starting to eat before they even leave the parking lot.
We tried several flavors. The classic sugar-and-cinnamon malasadas were light and soft, while the Li Hing version had a sweet-and-sour flavor.
Among the filled choices, the Dobash puff was loaded with chocolate, while the haupia puff was creamy and full of coconut flavor, inspired by traditional coconut pudding.
The macadamia puff was rich and nutty, and the ube malasada, the special flavor that month, was my first taste of purple yams in a sweet pastry.
Leonard's Bakery is known for doing one pastry extremely well. Whether it's your first time in Honolulu or you're coming back after years, picking up fresh malasadas here is always worth it. 933 Kapahulu Ave, Honolulu, leonardshawaii.com
b Patisserie at Kona Coffee Purveyors
Most mornings, there's a line out the door at Kona Coffee Purveyors in Waikiki, and it's not only for the locally roasted coffee.
The café also boasts a kitchen where pastries from b. Patisserie, the James Beard Award-winning San Francisco bakery, makes its baked goods daily.
Since Kona Coffee Purveyors was right across from our hotel, it became part of our mornings. We went three times during our 2021 trip, not just because it was close, but because the pastries were just as good each time, which is a good sign for any bakery on this list.
My favorite was the chocolate-banana-almond croissant, rich, flaky, and truly indulgent. The black sesame kouign-amann had the perfect mix of caramelized edges and buttery layers. The pain Suisse, a croissant with pastry cream and chocolate chips, was also delicious.
The setting makes this place even better. You can savor exceptional pastries with great local coffee in a lively Waikiki café. It's a great spot to start your day, and once you go, you'll want to come back.
Kuhio Avenue Mall Entrance - International Marketplace, 2330 Kalākaua Ave #160, Honolulu, konacoffeepurveyors.com
Related: Hula Pie at Duke's Waikiki
Kulu Kulu
Kulu Kulu is the kind of bakery you find by chance and instantly want to order more than you expected. I discovered it while walking through the Royal Hawaiian Center in Waikiki.
Its bright display and fun designs made it impossible to ignore. This Japanese-style cake shop is playful, with small, beautifully made desserts.
Inside, you'll find cases full of pastel cakes, pastries shaped like characters, and neatly arranged rolls and puffs. I chose a few treats to bring back to Kel at the hotel, starting with the white owl cake filled with white chocolate mousse and orange cream. It was light, gently sweet, and more sophisticated than its cartoon look suggested.
The bear puffs, filled with chocolate custard cream, immediately became a favorite. They were soft, comforting, and just rich enough.
Kulu Kulu is also famous for its strawberry roll cake and diamond puff. Both showcase the bakery's Japanese-style light sweetness, airy textures, and a focus on balance rather than excess.
The Japanese-style soufflé cheesecake was lovely, but it didn't win me over. I still prefer Basque or New York-style cheesecake, but people who like lighter desserts will probably enjoy it more.
Royal Hawaiian Center - 2nd floor B1b, Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, kulukulucake.com
If you're planning to visit multiple islands, Kauai has a smaller but more locally rooted bakery and coffee scene-see my guide to the best coffee shops and bakeries on Kauai.
