Have you ever heard of Molokai Hot Bread? If you have ever visited Molokai, you surely have. This may be the most iconic product sold on the quiet rural island. And for decades, getting a loaf of Molokai Hot Bread was as much about the experience as it was about the final product.
After all, a trip to Molokai feels like stepping back in time. And nothing embodies the entire experience quite like lining up outside the back door of a bakery after hours to purchase bread as they make it.
Now Hawaii visitors who can’t make it to Molokai can still get a taste of Molokai Hot Bread, with supplies available on other islands.
Ahead, we’re sharing everything you need about this yummy fresh bread, including its Molokai origins, how to get it “the old-fashioned way,” and where to purchase it on Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island.
What is Molokai Hot Bread
Molokai Hot Bread is a product of Kanemitsu Bakery, which has been serving baked goods in Molokai’s main town of Kaunakakai since 1935. But what exactly is it? Here’s what you can expect from Molokai Hot Bread:
- A fresh loaf of white bread, about the size of a dinner plate
- Filled with a custom combination of butter, sweetened cream cheese, and a variety of flavors, like cinnamon, jelly, and pie fillings
- If bought fresh on Molokai, it’s served fresh from the back of the bakery as they make it (sometimes it’s still warm when they pass it over to you, hence the name).
The white bread recipe from Kanemitsu Bakery is some of the best bread I’ve had anywhere. It’s got a slightly sweet flavor and a soft texture that’s not great for sandwiches but is perfect for toast, toppings, or even plain (maybe with a little bit of butter).
Kanemitsu Bakery
Photo by @jshyun on Flickr
Like we mentioned, the folks at Kanemitsu Bakery are the ones that bring us Molokai Hot Bread. The old, nondescript business on the main road of Kaunakakai has a sit-down breakfast restaurant and a counter packed with an assortment of baked goods.
I’ve never settled in for breakfast at Kanemitsu Bakery, but I always pop in for a pastry when I’m in Kaunakakai. Their donuts are my favorite anywhere. However, I also pick up an Ensaymada (a Filipino pastry with butter and sugar), sometimes a cinnamon roll, and usually a loaf of regular white bread to enjoy later.
The sign above the store labels it as a bakery and coffee shop. Don’t get your hopes up for the coffee. They have a self-serve coffee dispenser with some half-and-half and sugar packets next to it. For me, that’s all I need to complement my donut.
Baked goods often run out fast in the morning, and the staff at Kanemitsu Bakery works the night shift to prepare their bread. This nighttime baking schedule is how Molokai Hot Bread was born.
How to Get Original Molokai Hot Bread
Molokai is not a touristy island, but for the right visitors it offers a few quaint things to do that are both quintessentially Hawaii yet remarkably unique. Ask any repeat visitor or resident what the must-do activities Molokai are, and they’ll likely tell you the following:
- Take the mule ride down the sea cliff to Kalaupapa (currently closed)
- Join a guided hike through Halawa Valley on the east end of the island
- Buy Molokai Bread after dark
I don’t know many places where getting a late-night snack is more about the experience than the actual snack itself. But that’s part of Molokai’s charm.
Join the Line and Pick Your Fillings
This is a true word-of-mouth experience. There are no commercials or polished guides for how to get Molokai Hot Bread. Somebody told you about it, and you head into town hoping you can find the right spot.
Many nights, you’ll know you’ve found the right spot because a line stretches out of the alley. They’re likely the only people you’ll see out and about in Kaunakakai after all the stores have closed.
Before you set out to get your loaf of original Molokai Hot Bread, you’ll want to confirm the hours first. Lately, they’ve been serving up the treat from 7:30 – 10 PM, but there’s a chance that could change over time. In past years, they didn’t even open until 9 PM or later, and would stay open at least until Midnight. So call the bakery earlier in the day to confirm their hot bread hours.
Then, when all the shops lock up and the cars clear from the street parking along Ala Malama Avenue, it’s your time to visit one of Molokai’s most talked-about attractions. Simply head to the side of Kanemitsu Bakery, down the alley, and join the line.
You’ll have a few fillings to choose from. The classics are Cream Cheese, Butter (or, margarine), Cinnamon, Strawberry, and Blueberry. Order “the works” to get all five on one loaf. They’ve also added new flavors like Mango and Guava recently.
They’ll take your order and then split open a loaf of freshly baked bread. If you’re lucky, it will still be warm. If you’re even luckier, they’ll spread the fillings generously and evenly.
How to Eat It…
Some people think Molokai Hot Bread is the best thing they’ve ever tasted. These people got a warm loaf with the perfect filling ratio.
If anyone says they don’t get the hype, they likely got an older loaf with haphazard fillings.
Molokai Hot Bread is very rarely hot. But, it is best enjoyed warm. So whether you get a cool loaf from the bakery or have some saved for later, you’ll likely want to warm it up. A few seconds in the microwave is typically all it needs.
If you want to be classy when you eat your bread, you can slice it into thin pieces, so that you get a section of bread with neat fillings spread through the inside. Or, you can eat it like most hot bread connoisseurs: pulled apart into sloppy chunks, filling spilling out at the corners.
Buying In Store
But what if you can’t make it to Kanemitsu Bakery during Hot Bread hours? Maybe Paddler’s (the one bar in town) stays open later, and you miss the window to access the Hot Bread window.
Can you buy Molokai Hot Bread during Kanemitsu’s daytime hours?
Only if you order it in advance. So you’ll need to go into the bakery, order and pay for your bread, and come in the next day to pick it up. This is a popular option for residents who are bringing loaves to other islands to share with loved ones.
Besides that, you can’t get the bread with its fillings from the bakery counter at Kanemitsu Bakery. But you can get plain, sliced white bread along with some loaves that have cheese and other flavors mixed into the dough. And, of course, you can always get a donut or other pastry instead.
Beyond Molokai: Ordering Hot Bread on Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and Big Island
Recent years have been monumental for Molokai Hot Bread and its fans. Operations have expanded to Oahu, Maui, and Big Island. Now, visitors to these islands can get a taste of Molokai. And residents don’t have to call up their Molokai friends to bring them back bread when they’re traveling.
Molokai Hot Bread features Kanemitsu’s classic bread recipe, baked fresh on Oahu and loaded with an assortment of creamy, dreamy fillings. Here’s what you need to know about this groundbreaking way to get Hot Bread on Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island:
- Maui, Big Island, and Oahu’s hot bread are mobile operations. You’ll want to check out their Instagram or Facebook to get their location schedule.
- You can get it during the daytime hours!
- You don’t need to order ahead of time, but it’s a good idea if you’ve got your mouth set on a certain flavor or want multiple loaves.
- Loaves of bread are pre-filled and are much more consistent than what you get at the bakery in Molokai. But they won’t be warm.
- The fillings are different from what’s on Molokai too. There are more flavors, and they are usually blended with cream cheese for a smooth, frosting-like texture.
- The families who operate Molokai Hot Bread on other islands are from Molokai, and they put a lot of love into their work!
Kauai also occasionally offers hot bread through bulk special orders – this is a great option for residents but may be tough to time and plan for if you’re a visitor.
More Than Bread: a Molokai Tradition
The Molokai Hot Bread line has long brought together visitors and residents who want a little something sweet after dark. Or, maybe they’re drawn to the little bit of nightlife on the quiet island.
And now, those who line up for it on other islands are brought together by a love of Molokai and a taste for its most famous product.
Nothing defines a Molokai resident or visitor more than their favorite Hot Bread flavor combination. You can read them almost like horoscopes. I’m a cinnamon-cream-cheese girly who married a strawberry-butter-cream-cheese guy. What does that mean for our relationship, I wonder?
Whether you want fresh hot bread from Molokai’s darkest alley or want to buy it from a shining market on Oahu, Hawaii Aloha Travel can help get you there. Contact us today for help planning a vacation that fits your style – and taste!
