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The tastiest paczki in Chicago are stuffed with strawberry jelly, silky pastry cream and fresh fruit.
You can't celebrate Fat Tuesday in Chicago without paczki. The pillowy, sugar-coated Polish doughnuts (pronounced "poonch-key" or "punch-key") are piped full of delectable fillings—from tart raspberry preserves and chocolate custard to whipped cream and fresh fruit—and for the most part, you can only find them this time of year. In 2022, Paczki Day in Chicago will be celebrated on Tuesday, March 1, and some of the best bakeries in Chicago will be offering their own take on the pastry. FYI: We suggest ordering ahead to ensure availability, as these delicious treats go fast. Take home some of the best donuts in Chicago when you order paczki from these Chicago bakeries.
RECOMMENDED: Discover more of the sweetest desserts in Chicago
Phillipe Sobon and Cynthia Orobio embrace the Polish side of their fusion menu by offering paczki at Time Out Market Chicago ahead of Fat Tuesday. Each order (a half-dozen or a dozen) will include five flavors including peanut butter and jelly as well as guava coconut.
How to order: You'll have to pre-order your paczki before Feburary 26 and pick them up at Time Out Market Chicago on February 27, 28 or March 1.
In addition to offering paczki at its brick-and-mortar location in Lakeview, Bittersweet will also have multiple flavors of the Polish pastries at its Time Out Market outpost on March 1. And if you'd rather celebrate New Orleans-style, there'll be king cake, too.
How to order: No ordering necessary—just show up while supplies last!
It's tough to beat the sugar-dusted, jelly-filled paczki available at Bennison's Bakery in Evanston. Classic flavors like raspberry and custard are musts, while upgraded options like the fan-favorite fresh banana cream are hard to resist.
How to order: Paczki are available for in-store purchase, or you can order online with 24 hours' notice.
This sweet, family-owned bakery kicks off its paczki celebration on February 24. Browse all of the delicious flavors online—like strawberry jelly, apple cinnamon and Oreo buttercream—or spring for a dozen for about to try them all.
How to order: Paczki are available for in-store purchase, or you can order online for pickup. The bakery will stop taking online orders when it hits capacity for the week, so don't wait too long!
This old-school Lakeview bakery brings out the paczki and king cake from February 24–March 1. Order a four-pack of filled doughnuts or upgrade to a dozen. Unique flavors like strawberry cheesecake and chocolate silk are musts, but there's nothing like the fresh strawberry, which is filled with cloud-like cream and ripe berries.
How to order: Place your order online for pickup or delivery; online orders must be placed 48 hours in advance.
Have your paczki and drink it too with Marz's special Fat Tuesday menu. On February 27, the Bridgeport brewery is pairing a four-pack of its beloved Paczki stout—brewed with lactose and cocoa nibs—with two or four filled doughnuts from Bridgeport Bakery.
How to order: Visit Marz Community Brewing between noon and 8pm on February 27.
The pastry cases at all Stan's locations will be stocked with paczki from February 26–March 1. Guests can choose from cherry, cannoli cream, chocolate cream and vanilla pastry cream fillings. Toss in your favorite Stan's classics, too!
How to order: Paczki are available for in-store purchase, or you can order online. You can also ship paczki anywhere in the U.S. through Goldbelly.
This snug, old-school spot has a seriously tasty take on paczki. Choose from varieties including blueberry, rosehip, cheese and poppy.
How to order: Call the bakery at 773-581-8500 or fill out an online order form and drop off or fax to Racine Bakery to schedule pickup.
Want to keep things simple? Choose from three classic flavors (raspberry, vanilla and chocolate) available from West Town Bakery on Fat Tuesday, which are available for pickup at all three of the bakery's locations.
How to order: Place your order online for pickup on March 1 at 7am in West Town, Wrigleyville or the Loop; orders must be placed by February 24.
Much to the dismay of longtime fans, this Bridgeport icon suddenly closed in 2019, only to reopen under new ownership months later and close again in October (though it's now open again weekly on select dates with pre-order). There's no need to fret, as Paczki Day 2022 is still on—the bakery will open at midnight on March 1 so that you can get your fix at the crack of dawn.
How to order: Place your order online for pickup or delivery.
Firecakes locations in Lincoln Park, River North and Oak Park are frying and filling dough from February 25–March 1, with out-of-the-box flavors like blackberry elderberry, plum almond and chocolate cookie crumb. Depending on how many mouths you're feeding, you can order one, a half-dozen or a dozen.
How to order: Place your order online for in-store pickup or schedule delivery via DoorDash.
The Polish pastry specialists at Delightful Pastries keep us on our toes with three "drunken" paczki—named for their fillings, like Jameson-spiked chocolate custard—as well as gourmet selections like passion fruit jelly and from-scratch salted caramel.
How to order: Place your order online or by phone at 773-545-7215; orders must be placed by February 24.
This beautiful French patisserie is known for its over-the-top cakes and decorated cookies, but in honor of Fat Tuesday, the bakers are rolling out six filled doughnuts in flavors like raspberry rose, apple cinnamon and vanilla bean ganache.
How to order: Place your order online for pickup or delivery, or stop by to browse the in-store selection from February 25–March 1.
This bastion of Polish deli fare, imported sweets and Eastern European breads enriched with sprouted grains and other good-for-you ingredients is expanding its year-round paczki lineup with some decidedly non-traditional offerings. Look for quirky flavors like limoncello, tiramisu and rum.
How to order: Paczki are available for in-store purchase, or you can place your order by Facebook or phone (773-637-3772).
Executive chef Ashley Robinson and head baker James Kubie crafted an intriguing menu of Fat Tuesday sweets at this Revival Food Hall stall, where you can order paczki in botanical flavors flavors like blueberry chamomile jam and raspberry rose cream.
How to order: Order online for pickup or local delivery; available for purchase February 23–March 1.
Evanston's artisan bakery is rolling out baked paczki just in time for Fat Tuesday, which you can order stuffed full of lemon curd or chocolate pastry cream. You'll be limited to six pastries per person, though, so don't order if you're hoping to buy in bulk!
How to order: Order online by February 26 at 8pm for pickup March 1.
Twenty-four flavors of paczki await you at this long-running Humboldt Park bakery. Choose from delectable options like strawberry iced, blueberry powdered, guava iced and PB&J, and plan on pre-ordering if you want the pastries on Fat Tuesday—lines for in-person orders often go down the block.
How to order: Call 773-489-6900 to pre-order.
This Logan Square brewery is teaming up with Polombia Chicago for a Fat Tuesday collab, pairing a 4-pack of your favorite Maplewood beer with a 4-pack of boozy paczki (including flavors like PB&J made with Maplewood pistachio liqueur and Maplewood Wild Forest Berries paczki made with the brewery's Foeder Raspberries fermented ale). Order through February 27 for pickup at the brewery on March 1.
How to order: Order online by noon on February 27.
If you're feeling indecisive, Bittersweet will take the guesswork out of your paczki order this Fat Tuesday with a half dozen pack of the brioche-style doughnuts, each of which comes with two each of the berry, vanilla bean custard and blueberry-filled variations.
How to order: Order online for pickup or delivery on March 1.
