Best Organic Shave Ice Hawaii Island Has to Offer
When visiting Hawaii, your vacation won’t be complete without trying a local favorite, Shave Ice. This refreshing dessert is made from bits of ice shavings drizzled with fruit syrup. It is just as magnificent as it sounds! We’re sharing our favorite Big Island spot for some of the best organic shave ice Hawaii has to offer.
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Shave Ice stands are pretty common in Hawaii… but none are quite like One Aloha Shave Ice in Kailua-Kona, on the Big Island. They serve ORGANIC Shave Ice! I know!!! I couldn’t believe my eyes when I was planning our trip and found this place. We were so excited to try it, we actually went the very first day we were on the Big Island.
The majority of Shave Ice stands use “ready-to-use” syrups full of high fructose corn syrup, artificial food dyes and a shelf-life upwards of a year (I don’t even want to know what chemicals are added to make that possible).
One Aloha Shave Ice actually makes their own syrups daily using fresh organic fruits and ingredients. The owners made the decision to switch to organic after researching the health effects of the ingredients found in the ready-to-use syrups they were originally using.
This husband and wife team were so bothered by the potential health effects of the ready-to-use syrup they were using, especially on keiki (children), they no longer felt good about what they were serving.
Wanting to do better for their customers, and their families, they set out to create their very own unique syrups using organic ingredients. Talk about the Aloha spirit! I appreciate this SO much. Its one of the reasons I think they serve the best organic shave ice on Hawaii Island.
The menu has so many tempting options! You can create your own fruit combinations or choose from their featured flavors. One Aloha Shave Ice also offers ice-cream, which can even be served right in the middle of your shave ice. Yum!
Don’t forget to check out our list of Over 50 Amazing Resources for Kids, All About Hawai’i!
Once you finally decide what to order, then comes the fun part! You can actually watch how the ice is shaved to make your frozen treat. The ice shaving machines are situated on the front counter and are easy to see.
Our family really enjoyed watching how the shave ice was made. The owners were smiling and chatting the whole time and it is obvious they love what they do!
We couldn’t wait to dig-in once our order was ready! This was our very first time eating shave ice and I can tell you One Aloha Shave Ice has set the bar really high. The tropical fruity flavors were so refreshing paired with the bits of ice. You can choose from many unique fruits like lilikoi (passion fruit), lychee, guava and jaboticaba (Brazilian grape).
The seating area is open-air and the ocean breezes swept through as we enjoyed our tropical desserts. We were definitely feeling “island time.”
There are beautiful Hawaiian paintings on the floor throughout One Aloha Shave Ice. The owners lovingly hand-painted each one! They are so sweet and each one will have you adoring these ocean creatures even more.
Without question, we will absolutely be visiting One Aloha Shave Ice the next time we are on the Big Island. The organic shave ice was remarkable and the aloha spirit really made us feel like part of their ohana (family).
We highly recommend visiting more than once (like we did!) to taste as many frozen treats as possible! Mahalo, One Aloha Shave Ice, for your commitment to using only organic ingredients. You get our vote for the Best Organic Shave Ice Hawaii Island has to offer! We hope to see you sooner than later!
Read about our other Hawaiian adventures:
Big Island
- Hilo Tropical Waterfall Tour with Hawaii Forest and Trail
- Kona House Condo
- Giving Back on Vacation: Hawai’i Wildlife Center
- Meet the Artist; Mattie Mae Larson of Upcycle Hawaii (Big Island, plastic pollution, marine debris, unique wearable art.)
- Upcycle Hawaii ~ A Peek Inside their Studio
- A Visit with Upcycle Hawaii to One of the Most Plastic Polluted Beaches in the World
Maui
- Volunteering at O’o Organic Farm
- Maui Ocean Center, Aquarium
- Stargazing at Haleakala National Park
- Best Snorkeling in Maui ~ Molokini & Turtle Arches Snorkel Cruise with Pacific Whale Foundation
- The Best Luau in Maui ~ The ‘Aha’aina Wailea Luau, at Grand Wailea Resort
- Maui Humane Society, Beach Buddies Program ~ Volunteer on Vacation
Be sure to check out our Top 30 Gift Ideas for Travelers. It is full of unique ideas to give to those in your life who love to travel… or to add to your own personal carry-on. We’ve even included the one item we won’t go to Disney without, it might surprise you!
24 Comments
Karen Quinn
Sounds delicious and love that they make their own syrups!
Charlene
It was splendid, Karen. Their fresh organic syrups are so refreshing!
Jocelyn
Yum!! You can’t go wrong with a giant shaved ice, especially if you’re eating it in Hawaii!
Charlene
Right?! One Aloha Shave Ice was absolutely marvelous!
Christina Erickson
Ice cream in the middle of shaved ice?! Yes please!
Charlene
It was a perfect match!
TicketsForFour
Thank you for sharing! One of the things I love to do when traveling is trying traditional dishes. I am pinning this to use on our trip to Hawaii!
Charlene
Thank you! You won’t be disappointed with One Aloha Shave Ice.
Sarah Wilson
Oh yum, we are planning our first trip to Hawaii in 2020 and will definitely be referencing this!
Charlene
How exciting Sarah! Happy travels.
Leah
Awesome! I have so many food allergies but I often can’t have traditional shaved ice, but this is organic! Sounds amazing!
Charlene
Yes, it is organic! I couldn’t believe my eyes when I found it. Definitely worth trying this shave ice. Bummer about your food allergies… I’m sure that is tricky to work around.
Sharon
I can’t believe we went to Hawaii and never tried this!
Charlene
Oh no! Hopefully, you can go back someday and try it. Best of luck!
ania
They look so yummy 😉 Looks like must try when in Hawai
Charlene
Yes, One Aloha Shave Ice is a must try on the Big Island!
amanda
Yummy – sign me up!!
Charlene
Right?! It was amazing!
Suzy
Oh reading this took me right back to our honeymoon in Hawaii. The first time we came across shave ice was when we were hiking out to the active lava flow at Hawaii’s volcanos NP and it was so hot! We passed someone with a cart selling shave ice and it was the BEST THING EVER!! So refreshing. I love that these people make their own syrup. I didn’t like the nasty fake flavour syrups but the fresh ones are incredible
Charlene
WOW! How lucky you were able to see the active lava flow! A shave ice would’ve been great next to hot lava for sure. Sadly, the lava flow had stopped when we visited in December 2018. Kilauea was still gorgeous and we enjoyed exploring Hawaii Volcanoes National Park for two days. Hoping to get back soon to explore more of the island. Happy travels!
Liona
This is a great tip! Look so yum.
Charlene
Thank you Liona, One Aloha Shave Ice was quite yummy indeed.
Steph
I absolutely love Hawaiian shaved ice!
Charlene
We do too! One Aloha Shave Ice had such an awesome menu to choose from too!