Inside scoops on National Ice Cream Month

Here’s the hottest news about your favorite frozen treat

It’s no surprise that July is national ice cream month — it’s the peak of summer and all we want in this sweltering heat is a big scoop of ice cream. This Sunday (July 15) is the National ice cream day … as if you needed another excuse to eat ice cream. 

Here’s the latest in the wonderful world of ice cream:

The Alohasada just launched at HOPA Ala Moana

What: Uncle Clay’s malasada ice cream sammie made with malasadas from Watanabe Bakery and local ice cream. 

Inside scoop: Uncle Clay’s House of Pure Aloha (HOPA) introduced the Alohasada before the Fourth of July, and it’s available only at the Ala Moana location on select days and times. To find out when you can get your hands on this treat, you’ll have to follow HOPA on Instagram. There’s five different flavors—the classic ($3.75), poi classic ($3.75), chocolate lover ($4.50), strawberries and cream ($4.75) and uji kintoki ($5)—but my favorite is the poi classic because poi malasadas, of course! Since these petite balls of dough come from Watanabe Bakery, they’re not your typical dense malasada. Instead, they’re light and airy, and these bite-sized desserts are easy to pop into your mouth. 

Uncle Clay’s House of Pure Aloha (HOPA) • 1549 Kona St.​ • Ala Moana • Instagram

Uncle’s Handmade Ice Cream bar pop-up at Kakaako’s Cooke Street Market

What: Uncle’s Handmade Ice Cream in bar form

Inside scoop: Cooke Street Market is one of the few stores in town that sells Uncle’s handmade ice cream sandwiches. For a few months now, they’ve had a pop-up ice cream bar selling the North Shore-based ice cream but with a twist. 

These ice cream bars are the same price as the sammies at $5.49 each but they’re even more fun to eat because you have free reign to create your own dessert. Choose your desired ice cream flavor (chocolate, lilikoi, peanut butter, mint chocolate and more), dip (including butterscotch, white bliss and chocolate), three toppings ranging from Fruity Pebbles and coconut flakes to cookie crumbles and M&Ms and a dust (cinnamon, matcha or li hing) to top it off.

Cooke Street Market • 725 Kapiolani Blvd. • Kakaako • 476-9953

Hakuna Banana’s selling soft serve in Whole Foods Market Queen

What: Hakuna Banana’s banana-based, non-dairy frozen dessert in soft serve form

Inside scoop: Pints of Hakuna Banana’s non-dairy frozen desserts are sold at all Whole Foods Markets on Oahu. Their claim to fame: being plant based, using real fruits for sweetness, and no refined sugars in their products. 

But, the Kakaako Whole Foods Market has something special — this is the only place you can find Hakuna Banana in soft serve form. 

At the beginning of July, Hakuna Banana started serving two soft serve flavors: Banilla (its best-selling pint flavor) and a rotating flavor of the day which have included chocolate, pineapple, and most recently, lilikoi. A swirl option is available as well. 

Choose your flavor, topping and opt for a cup or cone ($5 small, $7 regular). You’ll appreciate the creamy, velvety texture — it’s so smooth I almost forgot it’s dairy-free because it’s about as rich as any top-quality ice cream.

Hakuna Banana • 388 Kamakee St. (inside Whole Foods Market Queen) • Kakaako • Open Mon-Thurs, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Fri-Sun. 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

You can order Pipeline Bakeshop’s Malamode every day in multiple flavors

What: Pipeline Bakeshop’s Malamode is now available daily from 2-9 p.m. in multiple flavors 

Inside scoop: Prior to this, Pipeline’s malasada-wrapped ice cream was only available from 7-9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and from 2-4 p.m. on Sundays in its original flavor. Now, you can pick from a variety of flavors — including Malafrozada, She’s So Strawberry, Chocolate Money, Avery’s Chocolate Avalance, Molly Madness or Haupia Heaven — and a malasada flavor (classic, cocoa, coffee or li hing) to create your Malamode ($5.95).

Pipeline Bakeshop & Creamery • 3632 Waialae Ave. • Kaimuki • 738-8200