Celebrating Paczki Day in Ohio.
Paczki Day – Tuesday, February 13, 2024 (Fat Tuesday) *
Don’t feel bad if you don’t know what Paczki Day is. Until a few years ago I was unaware of this confection day. In fact, how I found out I was driving by a bakery and there was a line out the door. So of course I had to stop and find out what everyone was lining up for. Response? It’s Paczki Day! It’s what? IT’S PACZKI DAY!!
“Paczki, pronounced PUNCH-key, is a Polish jelly-filled doughnut, traditionally served before the Lenten season begins.” Paczki are circular deep-fried doughnuts filled with various fillings such as apricot, lemon, custard, vanilla cream, blueberry, peach, cherry and more.
Since learning about paczki, I have made an effort to grab a bucket every year and share them with those who aren’t familiar with what a paczki is. I like to call them Ohio’s snowballs of flavor since they seem to make an appearance during the middle of winter.
Where can you find these donuts? After much research (sampling) and reader input, I have listed below the top places to find paczki in Northern Ohio. (Please note that we have made every attempt to include flavors and current pricing for each bakery. Prices and flavors may be subject to change.)
- In some countries, Paczki is celebrated the Thursday before Ash Wednesday.
CUYAHOGA COUNTY
Colozza’s Bakery
Location: 5880 Ridge Road, Parma, OH 44129
440.885.0453 | website
Flavors: marshmallow, raspberry, cannoli, chocolate mousse, pistachio, custard, apricot, peanut butter fudge, apple, blueberry, lemon and tiramisu.
Becker’s Donuts
Location: 22088 Lorain Road, Fairview Park, OH 44126
440.734.9856 | website
Flavors: white cream, chocolate cream, Bavarian cream, raspberry jelly, strawberry jelly, poppy seed, prune, lemon, pineapple, and apricot.
Michael Angelo’s Bakery
8035 Broadview Rd, Broadview Heights, OH 44147
440.526.0499 | website
Flavors: apricot, apple, Bavarian maple, chocolate mousse, custard, lemon, marshmallow, peanut butter, poppy seed, prune, and raspberry.
Rudy’s Bakery
Location: 5580 Ridge Road, Parma, Ohio
440.886.4430 | website
Flavors:
Sweet Paczki – apple, apricot, blueberry, butter cream, cherry, chocolate butter cream, chocolate custard, coconut, custard, lemon, marshmallow, mocha, pina colada, pineapple, prune, poppyseed, raspberry, rose petal jelly, strawberry, and Sweet Moses hot chocolate.
Savory Paczki – Breakfast of Champions, Clevelander (sauerkraut & kielbasa), Parma (potato & cheese), Polish Village (potato & cheese, kraut & kielbasa), and Westparker (corned beef & cabbage).
It is suggested that you pre-order to guarantee your favorite flavors. Call or visit the store to pre-order.
Samosky’s Home Bakery
6379 Pearl Rd., Cleveland, OH 44130
440.845.3377 | Facebook
Flavors: marshmallow, raspberry, cherry, chocolate cream, poppy seed, prune, pineapple, apricot, apple, blueberry, lemon, strawberry, vanilla cream, and custard.
LAKE COUNTY
Biagio’s Donut Shop
35475 Vine St., Eastlake, OH 44095
440.942.5541 | Facebook
Hours: Check Facebook for current hours.
Flavors: Black raspberry, strawberry, lemon, apple, white cream, and chocolate cream.
Gartman Model Bakery
30 N State St., Painesville, OH 44077
440.357.6883 | website
Flavors: cinnamon buttercream, vanilla cream, chocolate cream, custard, marshmallow, raspberry, cherry, prune, strawberry, lemon, blueberry, apple, poppy seed, and apricot.
LORAIN COUNTY
Kiedrowski’s Simply Delicious Bakery
2267 Cooper Foster Park Rd., Amherst, OH 44001
440.282-2700 | website
The Kiedrowski Bakery has been selling Paczki for over 30 years. Their paczkis are hand rolled on a Polish maple table.
Flavors: They offer 5 flavors. The traditional paczki, an apricot paczki, a poppy seed paczki, a rose paczki, which is filled with an Old World Rose Marmalade jelly, and the Lekvar paczki, a blended sweetened creamed prune.
MAHONING COUNTY
Krakus Polish Deli & Bakery
7050 Market St., Suite 108
Boardman, Ohio 44512
330.758.8333 | Facebook
Flavors: Mixed berry, apricot, raspberry and plum.
Celebrate Fat Tuesday Polish Style!
PACZKI, POLKAS & PIWO
Date: 2024 TBA
Polish Youngstown is excited to invite you to celebrate
Carnival season in a festive POLISH fashion!
Translated as Donuts, Dancing, and Draught, this LAST-CHANCE-BEFORE-LENT celebration offers you delicious pączki and Polish-inspired food specialties!
Add to that Pączki Royalty + a party atmosphere …we even brought back the LIVE music all day! PLUS don’t forget to try our signature Pączki Slider – a grilled pąckzi, grilled kielbasa, brown mustard, red onion & a pickle slice! Wash it all down with some nice, cold Polish beer, and you’ve got the makings for a happy, toe-tapping, game-playing, and giveaway-filled day!
Kravitz Polish Deli & Bakery
3135 Belmont Ave., Youngstown, OH
330.759.7889 | Facebook page.
Flavors: Apricot, Homemade Custard, Plain Sugared, Rose Hip Jam, and PYTown Pączek™ (half rose+half custard).
SUMMIT COUNTY
Stan’s Northfield Bakery
9395 Olde 8 Rd., Northfield, OH
330.467.8655 | website
Flavors: Raspberry jelly, strawberry jelly, vanilla buttercream, chocolate buttercream, custard “Bavarian” cream, chocolate custard, coconut custard, apple, apricot, cream cheese, prune “Lekvar”, blueberry, lemon and plain.
The bakery suggests that you order ahead to guarantee the Paczkis that you may want. Walk-ins are still welcome, but no guarantees.
Even if you are not Polish, it is always a wonderful experience to enjoy one of northern Ohio’s ethnic foods while learning about their traditions. We do recommend you purchase yours early as the Paczki’s move fast on Fat Tuesday.
Want to know more about how Paczki Day came to be? I found this wonderful article at PolAmJournal.com.
Article and photos, unless noted by: D. Rock, MyOhioFun.com
Diane Rock is the owner and editor of MyOhioFun.com and the Tea Cup Rescue Society. She is an avid baker, gardener, Little Free Library owner, who loves to read and travel. She spends most of her days sharing her love of things to do in Ohio, as well as creating destinations and itineraries for group tours and individual travelers.
Editor’s note: Part of this story ran in 2023. The dates and additional events have been updated for the 2024 season. Any use of the above article or images without prior permission, will be in violation of copyright laws.
***Disclosure: My Ohio Fun receives compensation from advertising banners. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.***
