Ube Mochi Donut
Hawaii's most photogenic donut. Vibrant purple, chewy mochi texture, distinctly sweet and earthy — here's what ube tastes like and where to try it in Waikiki.
Ube (pronounced OO-beh) is Filipino purple yam — naturally vibrant purple, distinctly sweet, with earthy and slightly nutty notes. When it gets glazed onto a chewy pon-de-ring mochi donut, you end up with Hawaii's most Instagram-worthy donut: brilliant purple color, chewy bouncy texture, and a flavor profile that's unlike anything in a typical American donut case. This guide covers what ube actually tastes like, why it's everywhere in Hawaii right now, and where to find the best ube mochi donut in Waikiki.
Ube Mochi Donuts — Made Fresh Daily on Kalākaua
Kona Coffee Donut hand-makes ube mochi donuts every morning. Vibrant purple glaze on chewy rice-flour pon-de-ring, optional coconut flakes on top. Walking distance from Waikiki Beach. Open 7 AM to 9 PM.
What Does Ube Taste Like
Ube tastes earthy-sweet, kind of like vanilla and pistachio had a baby with sweet potato. It's not aggressively sweet like a regular donut glaze — there's a vegetal undertone (because it's a root vegetable) and a slight nuttiness that makes it more interesting than just "purple = grape." The color comes naturally from anthocyanins in the yam, not artificial dyes (in well-made ube products).
- •Sweet but earthy — not candy-sweet
- •Vegetal undertone (it's a root vegetable)
- •Hints of vanilla, coconut, pistachio
- •Naturally purple from anthocyanins
- •Pairs well with milk-based drinks
Why Ube Mochi Donut Is the Best Mochi Donut Flavor
Hot take, but it's earned. The chewy mochi donut texture absorbs glaze beautifully, and ube's vibrant color makes the visual unmatched. The flavor combination of slightly bouncy rice-flour donut + earthy-sweet ube + occasional coconut flake topping is genuinely unique — you can't get this from a Krispy Kreme or Dunkin. It's also the donut your Instagram will thank you for.
How Ube Mochi Donut Pairs With Drinks
Ube is mellow but earthy, so it pairs best with drinks that don't fight it. Top pairings:
- •Matcha Latte — earthy + earthy = perfect harmony (and the purple-green visual is gorgeous)
- •Ube Smoothie — full purple aesthetic, doubles down on the ube flavor
- •Iced Latte (100% Kona) — mellow coffee lets ube shine
- •Hot Chocolate — surprising combo, the sweetness levels balance
- •Avoid: super-bitter espresso or sour drinks (they overpower the ube)
Why Ube Is Everywhere in Hawaii Right Now
Hawaii has a large Filipino-American population (one of the largest in the US), and ube has been a Filipino dessert staple for generations. The mainstream food world finally caught up around 2018–2020 with ube ice cream and ube lattes, but in Hawaii ube has always been on local bakery menus. The mochi donut format (Japanese-Hawaiian fusion) plus ube glaze (Filipino-Hawaiian) is a uniquely Hawaiian combination — try it at the source.
Where to Get the Best Ube Mochi Donut in Waikiki
Most Waikiki bakeries focus on malasadas or chain donuts. For ube mochi donut specifically, Kona Coffee Donut on Kalākaua is the only walking-distance option in central Waikiki that hand-makes them daily. The ube glaze is real ube paste (not artificial flavoring), and the pon-de-ring texture is chewy and bouncy as it should be.
Other Mochi Donut Flavors to Try at the Same Time
Since you're getting an ube, make it a flight. Best combos to order together:
- •Ube + Matcha — purple + green, the K-cafe aesthetic
- •Ube + Black Sesame — earthy and nutty, both dessert-friendly
- •Ube + Original Glazed — sweet meets earthy
- •Ube + Strawberry — Filipino + American, classic combo
Frequently Asked Questions
Hawaii's Most Photogenic Donut Awaits
Fresh ube mochi donuts daily, walking distance from Waikiki Beach.