30-second TL;DR
- The short answer: the best dessert in Waikiki is a scoop built on island flavors like ube, haupia or lilikoi, with matcha or gelato as the lighter pick.
- Five flavors to know: haupia (coconut pudding), ube (purple yam), lilikoi (passion fruit), macadamia and Kona coffee.
- Where we fit: STIX ASIA sits at 2250 Kalākaua Avenue, Lower Level 100, with seating from 11am to 10pm and parking validation.
- Our dessert counters: Dave’s Hawaiian Ice Cream, AO Gelato and Nana’s Green Tea.
- One honest limit: for a reservation-only dessert tasting, Asato’s Waikiki is built for that and we aren’t.
Finding the best dessert in Waikiki sounds easy until you’re standing on Kalākaua Avenue with four people who each want something different. One wants coconut. One wants matcha. One just wants something cold.
We run a food hall, so we’re biased, and we’ll say so up front. Still, we’d argue the smartest after-dinner treat is the one everyone at the table can order without a debate. This guide covers the flavors worth knowing, where each one fits, and when you should walk somewhere else.
What is the best dessert in Waikiki?
The best dessert in Waikiki is a scoop of Hawaiian ice cream made with island flavors like ube, haupia or lilikoi, because those taste like the place itself. Choose matcha or gelato if your group wants something lighter. The sections below match the dessert to the table.
Waikiki has plenty of options within a few blocks.
Honolulu Magazine’s Waikiki dessert crawl from February 2018 mapped gelato counters, mochi donuts and a hotel bakery’s pink snowball cake along the same stretch of Kalākaua Avenue. That list is old, so check hours before you go.
Which Hawaiian ice cream flavors should you try first?
Start with five: haupia, ube, lilikoi, macadamia and Kona coffee. Together they cover creamy, nutty, tart and roasted, so one scoop of each would taste like a short tour of the islands.
- Haupia: a coconut pudding firm enough to cut into squares, somewhere between pudding and gelatin. Order it if you like coconut without heavy cream.
- Ube: a purple yam that tastes nutty and a little floral. Order it if you want the color and a gentle sweetness.
- Lilikoi: passion fruit, bright and tart. Order it after a rich dinner, because it resets your palate.
- Macadamia: buttery and crunchy, often folded into a scoop for texture. Order it if you miss crunch in ice cream.
- Kona coffee: a deep roast from Big Island beans. Order it if dessert is also your caffeine plan.
Mochi belongs on this list too. In Hawaii it shows up as a chewy wrapper around ice cream or as a topping, and it’s softer and more casual than the formal Japanese version.
What does ube ice cream taste like, and where does it come from?
Ube ice cream tastes nutty and faintly floral, and its purple color comes from the root itself. Ube is Dioscorea alata, a tuberous yam, and Honolulu Magazine’s 2019 ube roundup described it as a point of pride in the Philippines.
That roundup found ube in churros, cheesecake tarts, lattes and soft serve across Oahu. It has only spread since. If you’ve never tried it, start with ube ice cream, because a cold scoop shows the flavor most clearly.
What is haupia, and why does it show up everywhere?
Haupia is Hawaii’s coconut pudding, made from coconut milk, sugar, salt and a thickener. Traditionally that thickener was pia, or Polynesian arrowroot (Tacca leontopetaloides), a ground root that early Polynesian voyagers carried in their canoes. Today most cooks use cornstarch instead, according to Ke Ola Magazine.
Think of pia as the original cornstarch. It turns liquid coconut milk into something you can cut with a knife.
The same Ke Ola piece calls haupia a staple of Hawaii since World War II. That’s why you’ll see it as a pudding square, a pie layer and, for us, the coconut note in Hawaiian ice cream flavors.
Where can you find Dave’s Hawaiian Ice Cream near Waikiki Beach?
Dave’s Hawaiian Ice Cream is an Oahu name with more than 40 years of history.
Its boards lean local. Ube, haupia, taro, Kona coffee and lychee sherbet are flavors it’s known for, and they make a good tour of tropical flavors in one cone.
That puts a dessert near Waikiki Beach inside the same building as dinner, so nobody has to split up or wander for a scoop.
Which dessert near Waikiki Beach fits your group?
Pick by craving, not by popularity. Here’s how our three dessert counters compare, with the details we could confirm as of October 2026.
| Counter | Best for | Flavors | Hours |
| AO Gelato | Fruit and tea fans | Gelato from tropical fruits and tea varieties | 11am to 10pm |
| Nana’s Green Tea | Matcha lovers | Matcha desserts and parfaits to go | 11am to 10pm |
Prioritize Dave’s if you want an island classic.
Prioritize AO Gelato if your group splits between fruit and tea.
Prioritize Nana’s Green Tea if someone says the word matcha, and read our guide to matcha first if you’re curious about grades.
Want something lighter? Our list of healthier boba drinks works as a cold finish too.
How do you plan an after-dinner treat at STIX ASIA?
Plan it as a second course, not an afterthought. Here’s the order we’d follow.
- Eat first. Pick a stall from our Waikiki food hall page, or read where locals actually eat in Waikiki.
- Check the dessert menu boards. Look at AO Gelato and Nana’s before the line forms.
- Order by craving. Use the flavor list above to choose between creamy, tart and roasted.
- Validate your parking. Parking validation is available, so ask before you leave.
- Finish before 10pm. Seating runs from 11am to 10pm.
New to the format? Our explainer on how an Asian food hall works covers what to expect.
When should you skip the food hall and book somewhere else?
Skip us if you want a reservation-only dessert tasting.
Asato’s Waikiki at Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach launched “Flavor Lab,” an hour-long, four-course dessert omakase, per a Hawai’i Tourism United States release dated March 18, 2026.
It listed the price at $58 and noted reservations are required.
The same release named Neale Asato of Asato Family Shop a 2026 James Beard Awards semifinalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker. That’s a different night out than ours. We’re built for easy, flexible scoops, and it’s worth choosing on purpose.
Frequently asked questions
What desserts should you try in Hawaii?
Try haupia, ube ice cream, lilikoi sweets, mochi and Kona coffee flavors first. Each one leans on an island ingredient, so it tastes different from a mainland scoop. Locals also love shave ice and malasadas, but a single scoop of Hawaiian ice cream is the easiest way to taste several island flavors in one stop.
What does ube taste like?
Ube tastes nutty and a little floral, with a mild sweetness that stays gentle in ice cream. The purple color comes from the yam itself, Dioscorea alata. In a cold scoop the flavor reads clearly, which is why many first-timers try ube ice cream before they try ube cakes or tarts.
What is haupia made of?
Haupia is made from coconut milk, sugar, salt and a thickener. Traditionally the thickener was pia, or Polynesian arrowroot, and modern recipes usually use cornstarch. The result is a soft, sliceable coconut pudding that Hawaii has treated as a staple since World War II, and it turns up in pies, cakes and ice cream.
Where can you get dessert near Waikiki Beach after dinner?
STIX ASIA is at 2250 Kalākaua Avenue, Lower Level 100, and has seating from 11am to 10pm. You can eat dinner and then walk to the dessert counters in the same hall, which keeps a mixed group together. Parking validation is available, so ask about it before you leave.
Is there matcha dessert in Waikiki?
Yes. Nana’s Green Tea at STIX ASIA is a matcha specialty counter with a dessert menu and a parfaits to go menu. Its hours are 11am to 10pm as of October 2026. If you want to know what separates matcha grades before you order, our matcha guide explains the basics.
Does STIX ASIA offer parking validation?
Yes, parking validation is available at STIX ASIA Waikiki. Confirm the current terms with the staff when you order, because validation rules can change. The hall sits at 2250 Kalākaua Avenue, Lower Level 100, and seating runs from 11am to 10pm, so you have time for dinner and a scoop.
Bottom line
The best dessert in Waikiki isn’t one shop. It’s the one that matches your table, whether that’s a haupia scoop, an ube cone or a matcha parfait.
If you want everyone fed and happy in one building, our Waikiki food hall is the easy call. If you want a reserved, chef-led tasting, book Asato’s instead. Either way, order lilikoi after a heavy dinner.
Last updated: October 2026.
Prices, hours and flavors change, so confirm with each counter before you go. Want first word on new flavors and events? Sign up for our newsletter on the STIX ASIA home page.
