Easy Paczki Recipe

• How Paczki Are Made
  • Ingredients you will need
  • Basic tools that make this easier
  • Step by step, friend to friend
• More Filling Ideas
• Paczki Day
• Etymology, spelling, and pronunciation
• Storage Instructions
• Common Questions
• Ready to Fry a Batch at Home?

Paczki cravings always sneak up on me right when I swear I am trying to eat a little lighter.

Then I remember how warm, soft, and jammy they are, and I cave happily. If you have ever wanted a bakery-style batch at home, I have you.

This is my go-to method for light, fluffy doughnuts filled with fruit or custard that do not taste greasy.

I will walk you through every step so you can fry with confidence and enjoy that first bite while the sugar is still warm. By the way, I call this recipe Delicious Paczki: A Sweet Treat You’ll Love to Make for a reason.

How Paczki Are Made

Ingredients you will need

• All-purpose flour, plus a little extra for dusting
• Warm milk to wake up the yeast
• Active dry yeast or instant yeast
• Granulated sugar and a pinch of salt
• Eggs and egg yolks for richness
• Unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• Vanilla extract and a touch of lemon zest
• Your favorite filling, like raspberry jam, plum butter, lemon curd, or pastry cream
• Neutral oil for frying, like canola or peanut oil
• Powdered sugar for dusting or a simple glaze

Basic tools that make this easier

• Stand mixer with a dough hook or a sturdy wooden spoon and bowl
• Instant-read thermometer for oil
• A bench scraper and a rolling pin
• Round cutter about 3 inches wide
• Spider or slotted spoon for frying
• Piping bag with a small tip for filling
• Cooling rack set over a sheet pan

Step by step, friend to friend

1. Bloom the Yeast
Warm the milk and add the active dry yeast. Let it sit for a few minutes. If it becomes foamy, it’s ready.

2. Mix the Wet Ingredients
In a bowl, combine the sugar, eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, zest, and the milk-yeast mixture.

3. Add Dry Ingredients
Add most of the flour and the salt. Begin kneading the dough.

4. Add the Butter Slowly
While kneading, add the melted butter a little at a time.
The dough should be soft and slightly tacky, but not sticky.

5. Adjust if Needed
If the dough sticks too much, sprinkle in a little more flour.
It’s ready when it pulls away cleanly from the bowl and stretches without tearing.

6. First Rise
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl.
Let it rise until puffy, about 60–90 minutes, in a warm, draft-free spot.

7. Roll Out the Dough
Turn the dough out onto a surface and roll it to about ½ inch thick.

8. Cut the Rounds
Cut dough rounds. Gently re-roll scraps and cut more.

9. Second Rise
Place the rounds on a baking sheet, cover loosely, and let them rise again until very light and airy.
(This second rise gives paczki their cloud-like texture.)

10. Heat the Oil
Heat oil to 350°F (175°C) and keep the temperature steady.

11. Fry the Paczki
Fry a test piece first. Then fry the dough rounds for 1–2 minutes per side, flipping once, until deeply golden.
Transfer them to a rack to drain.

12. Coat the Paczki
While still warm, dust with powdered sugar or dip into a simple glaze.

13. Fill the Paczki
Let them cool slightly.
Poke a small hole in the side and pipe in jam or custard until each one feels slightly heavy.
Avoid overfilling.

14. Enjoy or Store
Once you learn the rhythm, making paczki becomes simple and fun.
Store them properly so they stay fresh for the next day.

First time making paczki and this method worked beautifully. Light dough, clean flavor, no greasy aftertaste. The detailed tips gave me the courage to fry at home.

More Filling Ideas

I love raspberry and plum the most, but this dough is a blank canvas. Try one classic and one surprise flavor in the same batch so everyone finds a favorite. Here are a few ideas that always vanish first from the plate.

• Traditional: rose hip jam, plum butter, apricot preserves, rich pastry cream
• Bright: lemon curd, passion fruit curd, orange marmalade with a vanilla glaze
• Cozy: apple butter with cinnamon sugar, chocolate hazelnut spread, dulce de leche
• Berry lovers: strawberry jam with a simple vanilla glaze, blueberry jam with lemon zest
• Bakery style: whipped vanilla diplomat cream for a lighter custard vibe

Fill gently, and if using a thick jam, stir it to loosen before piping. You can also cut them open like a sandwich and spoon in filling if you do not have a piping bag. For a refresher on the dough shaping, jump back to how they are made.

Paczki Day

Every year, right before Lent starts, Paczki Day hits, and the lines stretch around bakeries. My first memory is my grandma handing me a paper bag with sugar spots and a lemon curd paczek inside.

I did not even make it to the car before taking a bite. That bright lemon with the sweet dough still makes me smile. Today I make them at home and deliver warm bags to friends. No one refuses a paczek delivery.

This is also the perfect excuse to gather family in the kitchen. Someone rolls, someone fries, someone dusts, someone fills. You can set out bowls of various fillings and let everyone choose.

When I say Delicious Paczki: A Sweet Treat You’ll Love to Make, I am thinking of that whole scene. If you want flavor inspiration, I tucked plenty above in the fillings section, and you can also read about more filling ideas to plan a festive spread.

Etymology, spelling, and pronunciation

The original Polish word is pączki. The little tail under the a called an ogonek changes the sound, and the correct pronunciation is roughly ponch kee.

Suppose you order a single one, that is, a pączek. In English writing, you will often see paczki without the diacritic, which is what I am using here for simplicity.

Whatever spelling you see, the meaning is the same. These are golden, rich dough rounds, often enriched with eggs, butter, and sometimes a splash of spirits to keep them tender.

Different regions have slightly different traditions. Some families glaze, others swear by powdered sugar. Many stick to rose hip or prune filling, while others go wild with chocolate and caramel. I say make what you love and share the plate. That is the heart of it.

Storage Instructions

Paczki are best within a few hours of frying, but you can absolutely plan and keep them good. Cool completely on the rack before storing. If they are still warm, condensation makes them soggy.

Counter: Keep filled paczki in a loosely covered container at room temperature for up to 24 hours. I leave the lid slightly ajar so they do not sweat. If you used a dairy-based filling like pastry cream, store it in the fridge and eat it within 2 days.

Fridge: Refrigeration can firm up the dough a bit. If you must refrigerate, rewarm gently before serving. Ten seconds in the microwave per piece or a few minutes in a 300-degree oven on a sheet pan works. Dust with fresh sugar after warming to revive the finish.

Freezer: Freeze unfilled paczki for up to 2 months. Wrap individually, then place in a freezer bag. Thaw at room temp, refresh in a low oven, then fill. If you need the full method again, hop back to how paczki are made. Keeping this flow in mind is why I call the whole process Delicious Paczki: A Sweet Treat You’ll Love to Make. A tiny bit of planning makes the second day just as sweet.

Common Questions

Q: Can I bake instead of fry? A: You can, but it will not be a true paczek. Baking gives a soft bun. If you try it, brush with butter right out of the oven and adjust your expectations a bit.

Q: My oil keeps dropping in temperature. What should I do? A: Fry in small batches and give the oil a minute to recover between batches. A clip-on thermometer helps. Aim for 350 degrees and avoid crowding.

Q: How do I stop them from tasting greasy? A: Keep the oil at the right temperature and let the dough proof properly. Underproofed dough absorbs more oil. Drain on a rack, not on stacked paper towels.

Q: How do I get a neat filling pocket? A: Use a small piping tip and push it into the side of the paczek. Squeeze gently while pulling the tip back slightly. When it feels just a little heavy, stop. Wipe any extra dust with sugar.

Q: Can I make the dough the night before? A: Yes. Mix and knead, then let it rise slowly in the fridge overnight. Bring to room temperature before shaping so it relaxes and rolls easily.

Ready to Fry a Batch at Home?

Making paczki is a little project, but it is joyful, especially when you take that first warm bite.

Keep your oil steady, proof the dough until it is airy, and do not skimp on the filling. If you want another perspective or a second method to compare, I like this guide to Homemade Paczki, and for a bit of background on the tradition and history, the entry on Pączki is helpful too.

Most of all, have fun with it and share the sweetness. You have got this, and your kitchen is about to smell like Delicious Paczki: A Sweet Treat You’ll Love to Make.