Paczki is already popping up all over Champaign-Urbana
Where you can find your favorite treats
Take a look at the calendar and you will see that Ash Wednesday, and the beginning of the Lenten season, is not far away — arriving on March 5. Don’t worry, there’s still plenty of time before then to indulge in paczki.
Paczki
What are paczki? They are Polish pastries — similar to donuts — that “feature a variety of fruit and creme fillings and can be glazed, or covered with granulated or powdered sugar.” (Thanks, Wikipedia. Also note that English speakers use “paczki” for both singular and plural pastries, because we’re efficient like that.)
Paczki dough is bursting with rich ingredients such as eggs, fats, and sugars; they are an especially delicious way to use up such ingredients before more austere menus take over Lenten tables. Whether they are consumed on “Fat Thursday” (Poland) or “Fat Tuesday” (here in the U.S., which embraces multiple Mardi Gras traditions), paczki are a delicious final hurrah before Ash Wednesday.
In areas with large Polish populations, especially Midwestern cities such as Detroit, Milwaukee, and Chicago, Fat Tuesday may even be called Paczki Day (this year, Tuesday, Mar. 4). As a bonus — because who doesn’t love bonus pastry? — paczki sometime make a reappearance in Illinois for Casimir Pulaski Day on the first Monday in March.
Where to buy paczki
We asked our readers where they could find paczki in Champaign-Urbana, and here’s what they told us. Please call before heading out; these seasonal treats may be made in limited quantities or may require a special order.
Central Illinois Bakehouse, Champaign: Last year, we found these at Pekara Bakery and Bistro and Martinelli’s Market Bakery & Deli, made fresh by Central Illinois Bakehouse. Two flavors were available: Raspberry Powdered Sugar and Pastry Cream Glazed.
All of CIB’s Mardi Gras treats — including paczki, King Cake, and fleur de lis cookies — are available through special order, on select days at Pekara and Martinelli’s, and on pre-Mardi-Gras Saturdays at the C-U Winter Farmers Market inside Lincoln Square Mall. They can also be delivered right to your doorstep via Market Wagon.
Harvest Market, Champaign: Paczki have been spotted at Harvest Market! Many varieties available and we do hope they stick around for a little while, at least.
Rick’s Bakery, Urbana: Rick’s Bakery in downtown Urbana typically sells both raspberry and apricot paczki as well as Bavarian creme.
Ye Olde Donut Shoppe, Champaign: No word on pre-orders this year, but last year paczki and beignets were available in-store and by pre-order. Note that its paczki use different dough than its normal donuts; extra yeast and high gluten flour make for a denser and richer dough. Expect both glazed and powdered sugar paczki, with fillings of lemon, raspberry and custard. “King cake” doughnuts will be available as well.
Industrial Donut, Savoy: Not paczki, not king cake. BUT Industrial Donut will satisfy your Mardi Gras donut dreams again in 2025 by blinging up a half-dozen donuts, Mardi Gras style, for $14.99. By preorder only.
Meijer and Schnucks carry paczki but typically start early and are often sold out by Fat Tuesday. Other grocery sightings of paczki in past years include Harvest Market, Niemanns, Sam’s Club, Costco and Walmart.
The Zagloba Polish Club at the University of Illinois held its annual paczki sale in the Illini Union vestibule (right off the Main Quad), with paczki brought in from a Polish bakery in Chicago on Tuesday, February 25. Follow them for next year’s sale info!
Where else have you found paczki? Be sure to email us to let us know.