Hawaiian-Grown Cacao

People searching for Hawaiian-grown cacao specifically, often farmers, agricultural tourists, or chocolate professionals.

15
Places
7
Big Island
2
Oahu
2
Kauai

Hawaii is the only U.S. state where cacao is grown commercially at any meaningful scale. The combination of tropical climate, volcanic soil, and decades of agricultural experimentation has produced a working cacao industry across all four major islands — with roughly 190 acres of cacao under cultivation as of the most recent state survey.

This guide focuses on the farms that grow Hawaiian cacao and sell chocolate made from it. Most also offer farm tours; tour cadence and booking requirements vary.

Compare the picks

What to know before you choose

Use this table for the quick differences that matter most: location, visit type, product focus, and whether the stop is built around tours or tastings.

PlaceAreaBest forTour or tastingProduct focus
01
Hāmākua Chocolate Farm
5.0 rating, 183 reviews
Papaikou, Big IslandGuided farm visitTours available, $79 per persondark chocolate, Hamakua Chocolate Bars ($15 each)
02
Kamananui Cacao Orchards
5.0 rating, 162 reviews
Waialua, OahuGuided farm visitTours availabledark chocolate, milk chocolate
03
Mauna Kea Cacao
5.0 rating, 69 reviews
Pepeekeo, Big IslandGuided farm visitTours available, $50 per adult, $25 per child (5-17 years), children under 5 freedark chocolate, Farm-fresh cacao nibs
04
HouLau Farm Chocolate
5.0 rating, 31 reviews
Kilauea, KauaiGuided farm visitTours available, $50.00 per person (children under 12 free)dark chocolate, 70% Dark Chocolate Bars (50gm)
05
Honolii Orchards
5.0 rating, 145 reviews
Hilo, Big IslandGuided farm visitTours availabledark chocolate
06
Valley Isle Chocolate
5.0 rating, 208 reviews
Kahului, MauiChocolate giftsRetail visitdark chocolate, milk chocolate
07
Puna Gold Estate
5.0 rating, 53 reviews
Pāhoa, Big IslandGuided farm visitTours available, $35 per person (children under 12 are free)dark chocolate, Handmade Hawaiian Chocolate
08
Ocean Grace Farms
5.0 rating, 1 reviews
Kailua-Kona, Big IslandGuided farm visitTours availabledark chocolate
09
Kīlauea Jungle Oasis
5.0 rating, 44 reviews
Kilauea, KauaiGuided farm visitTours available, Adult - $95.00, Child (4-15) - $55.00, 3 & Under - Freedark chocolate, Homemade Chocolate
10
21 Degrees Estate
4.9 rating, 141 reviews
Kaneohe, OahuGuided farm visitTours available, $60 per adult, $38 per teen (13-18), $18 per child (3-12), free for children 2 and underdark chocolate, 100% Hawaiian Grown & Made Brewing Chocolate

Start with access

Farm and factory tours are the biggest separator. Book appointment-only farms first, then fill the day with walk-in tasting rooms.

Choose by island

Big Island pages skew farm-heavy, Oahu is strongest for tasting rooms, Maui has estate experiences, and Kauai is best for farm tours.

Compare the product focus

Some makers are strongest for bars, others for cacao tea, bonbons, drinks, or farm-grown ingredients.

Check shipping and heat

For gifts, confirm mainland shipping, warm-weather cutoffs, and whether the maker sells gift-ready assortments.

Events and tours

Events and tours for Hawaiian-Grown Cacao

Source-backed chocolate experiences that match this collection's trip intent.

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Featured

The full list

HouLau Farm Chocolate

HouLau Farm Chocolate

5

Kauai

Three-acre Kauaʻi cacao orchard processed entirely on-site into 70% dark bars — planting through finished chocolate under one roof. Appointment-only farm tours run 3–4 hours; children under 12 free.

Toursbean to-barfarm tours
Honolii Orchards

Honolii Orchards

5

Big Island

The owner is an award-winning fermenter with a master's degree in cacao fermentation and published research — the step that most determines chocolate quality. Tours walk a 33-acre Hāmākua Coast farm with 2,000+ cacao trees and close with a tasting.

Toursfarm tourstastings
Valley Isle Chocolate

Valley Isle Chocolate

5

Maui

Bean-to-bar maker on Maui sourcing cacao from three distinct Hawaiian microclimates — Kona, Oahu's North Shore, and Hilo — and turning each into its own single-origin bar. The Kahului shop near the airport carries a mac nut dark with sea salt, cacao tea, and roasted nibs.

shopsbean to-bar
Puna Gold Estate

Puna Gold Estate

5

Big Island

Bean-to-bar from their own 3-acre Puna estate, with guided tours that walk the cacao and coffee fields before the factory. Stephen runs it personally — the kind of place where sourcing starts at your feet.

Tourscafesbean to-bar
Ocean Grace Farms

Ocean Grace Farms

5

Big Island

Three acres of Kona estate cacao grown under Korean Natural Farming practices — the same orchard produces the single-origin chocolate and is open for walking tours. Cacao ceremony experiences are also available alongside the farm visits.

Toursfarm tours
Kīlauea Jungle Oasis

Kīlauea Jungle Oasis

5

Kauai

Family farm in Kīlauea with 200+ cacao trees, running the full tree-to-bar process on-site. Guided tours (2.5 hrs, by appointment) walk you through cacao harvest, chocolate making, and tasting alongside exotic fruit and honey from the same six acres.

Toursshopsbean to-bar
21 Degrees Estate

21 Degrees Estate

4.9

Oahu

A 10-acre Oʻahu farm — 800 trees, sixth production year — making single-estate bars from their own cacao, start to finish. Appointment-only tours run two hours and cover the orchard with tastings of the chocolate, an award-winning estate honey, and tropical fruit.

Toursbean to-barfarm tours
Lavaloha Chocolate - Farm Tours

Lavaloha Chocolate - Farm Tours

4.9

Big Island

A 1,000-acre Mauna Kea farm where the growers and the chocolate makers are the same operation — cacao grown, processed, and finished into 100% Hawaiian bars on the same land. The Tree-to-Chocolate tour walks the orchards, into the production area, and finishes in the chocolate lounge with tastings.

Toursbean to-barfarm tours
Maui Ku’ia Estate Cacao Farm

Maui Ku’ia Estate Cacao Farm

4.9

Maui

Cacao grown in Lahaina, chocolate made from it in the same on-site factory — farm and production-floor tours let you see the full chain. Single-origin bars from Uganda, Vanuatu, and Ecuador sit alongside the Maui-grown dark in the retail store, making the terroir comparison easy.

Toursbean to-barfarm tours
Maui Chocolate Tour

Maui Chocolate Tour

4.9

Maui

Ku'ia Estate grows 8,000 cacao trees across 20 Lahaina acres and processes them into finished bars at Hawaii's largest chocolate factory, all on the same property. The tour walks the whole chain — orchard, production floor, and a tasting with beverage pairings.

bean to-barfarm tours
Hana Gold Cacao Plantation

Hana Gold Cacao Plantation

4.9

Maui

Cacao has been growing on this East Maui farm since 1978, and the chocolate goes from branch to bar without leaving the property. The farm shop is a rare chance to taste single-origin Maui terroir at the source.

bean to-barfarm tours
Kulike Farm

Kulike Farm

4.9

Big Island

Honey-sweetened, 100% Hawaiian bean-to-bar made from their own Hakalau permaculture cacao — the sweetener swap alone signals a maker thinking from the ground up. Appointment-only farm tours walk you through fermentation, roast, and tasting on the same land where the trees grow.

Toursshopsbean to-bar

Frequently asked questions

Where is cacao grown in Hawaii?
Cacao is grown commercially on all four major islands. The Big Island has the highest concentration of farms; Oahu's North Shore, Maui's west coast and upcountry, and Kauai's east coast and north shore also host working operations.
How long has cacao been grown in Hawaii?
Cacao was first introduced to Hawaii in the 1830s, with significant plantings by botanist William Hillebrand in 1850. It didn't develop into a commercial industry until the 1990s — most working farms today were established within the last 25 years.
What cacao varietals grow in Hawaii?
Most Hawaiian farms grow Trinitario or Criollo varietals, both prized for flavor complexity. A few experimental plantings of pure Criollo (the rarest, most flavor-forward variety) exist on the Big Island and Kauai.
Is Hawaiian cacao certified organic?
Some farms are — Kuaiwi Farm, Kulike Farm, and Princeville Botanical Gardens all hold organic certifications. Many smaller farms operate organically without formal certification due to the cost of the process.
Can visitors buy raw Hawaiian cacao beans?
Yes — several farms (Mauna Kea Cacao, Hilo Sharks, Island X Hawaii) sell roasted cacao beans and nibs alongside their finished chocolate.
Do Hawaiian cacao farms supply mainland chocolate makers?
A handful do. Hawaiian cacao is generally too valuable to sell to mainland makers in volume — most is finished into chocolate on-island by the farm itself or by partner makers in Hawaii.