Find Hawaiian Chocolate at Oahu Farmers Markets

Oahu's farmers markets are home to some of Hawaiʻi's most celebrated chocolate makers. While the island's cacao farms are smaller than those on the Big Island, Oahu's chocolate scene punches above its weight—with award-winning bars, innovative flavors, and deep roots in the local food community. Here's where to find Hawaiian-grown chocolate at markets across the island.

Madre Chocolate

Markets: KCC Farmers' Market (Kapiʻolani CC, Saturdays) and Kakaʻako Farmers' Market (Saturdays) When: Saturday mornings

Oahu's pioneering bean-to-bar chocolate maker, Madre Chocolate has been crafting dark and flavored bars since 2010 using cacao grown in Hawaiʻi—including some from right here on Oahu. Their award-winning bars feature local ingredients like coconut milk and lilikoi (passion fruit), and they're known for their chocolate-making classes too.

What makes them special: As one of the first craft chocolate makers in the state, Madre helped launch Hawaiʻi's modern chocolate movement. Their booths at KCC and Kakaʻako often feature new Hawaiʻi-grown cacao products you won't find elsewhere.

Aikane Plantation

Market: KCC Farmers' Market (Kapiʻolani CC) When: Saturday mornings

A family-run Kaʻū (Big Island) coffee and cacao farm, Aikane Plantation brings their 100% Hawaiian products to Oahu every weekend. At KCC they serve their award-winning Kaʻū coffee alongside chocolate made from their own Hawaiʻi-grown cacao beans.

What makes them special: Look for their dark chocolate-covered coffee beans—a perfect pairing of two crops grown on the same Big Island farm. It's a taste of Kaʻū without leaving Honolulu.

Mānoa Chocolate

Markets: Available at Hawaiian Farmers Market booths at KCC (Saturdays), Kakaʻako (Saturdays), and Kailua (Sundays) When: Saturday and Sunday mornings

This Kailua-based craft chocolate maker sources cacao from Oahu and other Hawaiian islands to produce internationally acclaimed single-origin bars. Their 70% Oahu (Mililani) bar showcases cacao grown right here on the island, while other bars highlight beans from across the state.

What makes them special: Mānoa's bars have earned international awards for their quality and distinct Hawaiian terroir. While they don't have their own booth, you can find their chocolates at the Hawaiian Farmers Market vendor tent alongside other local products.

Lonohana Estate Chocolate

Markets: Limited appearances at special market events When: Check their website and social media for announcements

Oahu's North Shore is home to Lonohana's 20-acre cacao estate, one of the largest in the state. They produce small-batch bars using only Hawaiian-grown cacao from their own farm. While Lonohana primarily sells through their Honolulu factory store and chocolate club, their bars occasionally appear at special farmers market events at Kakaʻako and Kailua.

What makes them special: If you spot Lonohana chocolate at a market, grab it—their bars are 100% estate-grown Hawaiian cacao, meaning every step from tree to bar happens on their North Shore farm.

808 Honey / Hawaiʻi Queen Bees

Location: North Shore farm stand and occasional market events When: Check for North Shore market schedules

A honey producer in Waialua that also crafts artisan chocolate from Waialua-grown cacao. While not a regular vendor at Honolulu's weekly markets, their farm stand on the North Shore features dark chocolate bars (branded "Nine Fine Mynahs") made with cacao from their own Waialua farm.

What makes them special: This is true farm-to-bar chocolate from the North Shore, paired with their raw honey. If you're visiting the Haleʻiwa area, it's worth seeking out their farm stand for a taste of Waialua-grown cacao.

---

Quick Reference

The Saturday Morning Chocolate Route

For the best chocolate hunting on Oahu, plan for a Saturday morning. Both KCC Farmers' Market and Kakaʻako Farmers' Market happen on Saturday mornings, and between them you can find Madre Chocolate, Aikane Plantation, and Mānoa Chocolate (via Hawaiian Farmers Market).

KCC Farmers' Market at Kapiʻolani Community College is one of Hawaiʻi's largest and most popular markets. Arrive early—it gets crowded, and popular vendors can sell out.

Kakaʻako Farmers' Market in the Ward Village area offers a more relaxed atmosphere with excellent chocolate options.

Tips for Finding Chocolate at Oahu Markets

• Saturday is the day. Most chocolate vendors are at Saturday markets. Sunday's Kailua market is your backup for Mānoa Chocolate.
• Arrive early. KCC especially gets packed, and popular items sell out.
• Check for special events. Lonohana and some other makers appear at holiday markets and special pop-ups.
• Visit the North Shore. If you're driving up to Haleʻiwa, look for 808 Honey's farm stand for rare Waialua-grown chocolate.
• Ask about origins. These makers love talking about where their cacao comes from—you might discover a new favorite Hawaiian origin.

Oahu may not grow as much cacao as the Big Island, but its farmers markets are arguably the best place to sample the diversity of Hawaiian chocolate. In one Saturday morning, you can taste bars made from cacao grown in Mililani, Kaʻū, the North Shore, and beyond.