Malasadas
Soft, fluffy, pillowy and sweet Malasadas that you just can’t stop eating. This easy Malasadas recipe is Leonard’s Bakery copycat, it’s fail-proof and super easy.
If you have been to Hawaii, I am sure you have had the world’s famous Leonard’s Malasadas on the island of Oahu.
You hadn’t been to Hawaii if you didn’t try Leonard’s. I am one of the fans of malasadas, ones that I am constantly craving.
Malasadas is Portuguese in origin. They are basically yeast-based fried dough balls coated with sugar. The dough is soft, puffy, pillowy and once you sink your teeth into one, you just can’t stop eating. I am hooked since my first trip to Hawaii.
My baker Kendoll and I decided to try the recipe from My Pinterventures, which is the easiest malasadas recipe ever! It’s very straight forward and it doesn’t take a long time. The active time is pretty short and the proof time is about 1 hour.
The end results are the most amazing malasadas that transport me instantly to Leonard’s Bakery. Every bite is utterly satisfying. Try this easy malasadas recipe, I guarantee you it’s fail-proof!
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Malasadas Recipe
Malasadas - sweet, light and fluffy Portuguese donuts. The easiest malasadas recipe ever, fail-proof, delicious, just like Leonard's Bakery in Hawaii.
Ingredients
- 1 packet active dry yeast （1/4 oz. or 2 1/4 teaspoons or 7 grams)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 8 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups scalded milk
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 8 large eggs beaten
- Oil for frying
- Sugar for coating
Instructions
-
Dissolve the yeast and the 1 tablespoon of sugar in warm water. In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, sugar and salt and make a well in the center. Add the milk, butter, eggs and yeast mixture. Beat thoroughly to form a soft and smooth dough. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about an hour. Heat oil to 350 degrees. While the oil is heating up, shape dough into flat round discs, pulling the dough outwards and leaving a small indentation in the center (see picture below).
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Place the dough into the oil and fry until browned. Drain on paper towels, then shake in a bag with sugar.
Recipe Notes
Scalded milk is milk heated to a near boil. It makes the malasadas fluffier and and lighter.
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Wanda
Where’s the “Get recipe”? It says to click for the recipe index instead.
Rasa Malaysia
I have changed my format, the recipe is at the bottom of the page.
D. Nordstrom
Hi, your site is wonderful! I think the recipes are too difficult to find now, however, it is counter-intuitive tohave to scroll through all of the other pictures and recipes to actually come to the one we are interested in.
Please consider going back to your previous, clearer format! I value your posts so much–best wishes
Rasa Malaysia
The recipe is at the bottom of the page. We are changing format to put the recipe on the bottom of the page.
Tuty
Hi Bee,
I don’t quite understand the small indentation in the center of the dough (no picture on the page). What is the purpose of indentation? Kindly advise
Rasa Malaysia
I have added the picture. We just followed the recipe source, I guess that indentation keeps the malasadas in shape? I am not entirely sure.
Darcy Dickel
Para facilitar o cozimento deixa na forma achatada.
Nancy
The indentation is for even cooking otherwise it will puff in the middle and take longer to fry making the outside edge overdone or the middle gooey if undercooked
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks for letting me know!
Alice
The indentation is to make sure the dough gets done on the inside or it might be raw.
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks for explaining.
Dina
The traditional malassadas were formed using our knee. Women would sit on a low chair in front of the fire and would form the malassadas using one hand and rolling them on their knee. Hence the indentation.
Natalie
It is to prevent the Malasadas from being raw in the middle because the gear of the oil would have to go through a lot of dough to thoroughly cook the middle of there were no indentation.
Susan Olbery
I think the indentation helps to cook the centre as the centre might otherwise be half cooked if it’s too thick as the centre takes the longest to cook.
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks for explaining, I have no idea, lol.
Alaina Mantel
I love, love,love these! My FAVE is the cream filled ones. Would you happen to know what kind of cream filling Leonard’s uses to fill them? Anyhow, thank you for posting this and first chance I get I am going to make a batch.
Love your website. Alaina
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Alaina, thanks so much for your sweet comment. I think it’s a sweet vanilla custard filling. :)
Doug
Alaina Mantel:
If the cream filling tastes a tad like coconut, then it’s “Haupia” (My favorite!).
Sometimes… I’ll order it “unfilled”… simply sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar.
Doug
Love Malasadas, enjoyed them all my life starting around 1955.
Thanks for the recipe.
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks Doug. The BEST fried dough ever!
Gillian DidierSerre
Hi Bee can j do the dough in a sort of flat oval or round
Rasa Malaysia
Sure!
Matthew Smith
Bea; my mother used to make these and called them donut ball’s she also rolled them in brown sugar, as well as confectioner’s sugar and cinnamon sugar.Thanks for the recipe. I miss these as a desert.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Matthew, yeah, malasadas are basically donut balls. Your mom’s version sounds very yummy!
Julie
Would it worked if these were baked? Temperature?
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Julie, I don’t think so. This malasadas recipe is for deep-frying.
Sierra
Do we have to rest the yeast ? If so how long ?
KYspeaks
Remove the sugar and now we can have this with bak kut teh, hehehe.
Rasa Malaysia
LOL, sure, why not?
Tricia
Hi,
Can I bake instate of fry?
Thanks in advance.
Rasa Malaysia
I don’t think you can bake. This should be fried.
Molly
Hi Bee,
Like d doughnuts ?
May I know if they can be kept overnight for the next morning?
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Molly, sure, but malasadas won’t taste as good, you probably want to eat them all warm.
Cheryl
What type of oil do you use for frying?
Looking forward to trying these . . . thanks!
Rasa Malaysia
Vegetable oil.
Verly
what ia scalded milk ?
Rasa Malaysia
Try this: https://www.wikihow.com/Scald-Milk
Erlene
Thank you so much for trying and featuring the malasada recipe. I hope everyone enjoys it.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Erlene, thanks for your amazing recipe. I love it, it’s the easiest malasadas recipe ever!
Susan W
Hi about how much does this recipe make & how many is a serving? Thanks for sharing recipe.
Rasa Malaysia
It makes 24 malasadas, it’s stated in the recipe.
Cassey
Hi Bee, I only used 1/2 recipe, I followed the measurements accordingly, but why is my dough so wet, I tried adding more flour hoping to get the dough form but it just doesn’t. Also what do you mean by beat ? Do we use hands to knead or machine to beat? For how long? Sorry so many qns.
Rasa Malaysia
Machine. I am not sure why. We followed the recipe from My Pinterventures and the recipe definitely works.
Cassandra
Hi, how did you made the donuts so round? Can you pls convert cups to grams for your recipe?
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Cassandra, this recipe is sourced from another website. Just shape the dough round like the method.
Sheryl
Hi B,
Does this taste similar to the basic donuts we used to eat in Malaysia? (I sound so old saying that! LOL!)
Ann
Can these be cooked in an air fryer?
terrimoni1
She already mentioned that this is a recipe for frying. To be non-fried it would need the addition of more fat. Otherwise, the donuts would be very dry.
Monica Montes de Oca
The dough for this donuts is very wet, you can’t even form them in the shape that is mentioned, you are lucky if you can scoop them out with an ice cream scoop into the oil. The amount of wet ingredients is too much, the dough is sticky and unworkable and also it lacks flavor, maybe some vanilla could be added.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Monica, that’s not true. The recipe is from another website and we had no problem with the dough. If it’s wet, that means you mis-measured something in the recipe.
Rose
About how much oil is needed?
Rasa Malaysia
Depending on what utensil you use, basically about 2-3 inches high in your utensil.
Sara
Can you make them with gluten free flower?
Charlene
Can these be made gluten free ?
Jennifer
I see the recipe makes 24. What is the serving size for the nutrition facts? One?
So each malasada is 237 calories? Thank you.
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, that’s what my program tells me. It’s ok just indulge!
Jennifer
I think why it’s being asked as they look small, like donut *holes*. Perhaps they are more donut sized, in which serving size one – 224 calories makes more sense. Thank you