My favorite day of the year is approaching – Paczki Day! On Fat Tuesday (or even before), local bakeries crank out paczki, traditional Polish donuts usually filled with jelly or some other sweet variation. Ever since I had my first bite of a paczki I’ve been crazy about them,and patiently (or impatiently) wait every year for them. And lucky for us (not for our diets), there are plenty of places to get paczki in the northwest suburbs of Chicago.  Okay, enough talking. Check out these places that we’ve personally tried where you can find paczki. (I know, I know it was a hard task but someone had to do it!)

In case you’re wondering how I rate Paczki. The ratio of dough to filling (needs to be a good balance) and the dough (dry is a big no no!)

*Updated for 2026*

Happy Paczki Day/ Fat Tuesday!

Where to find paczki in the northwest suburbs of Chicago

Country Donuts

Where: 181 W. Virginia St., Crystal Lake
Why: This is THE place to go to in the NW suburbs. In fact, they churn so many paczki. (A few years ago they had 60,000 orders!) With only 3 flavors to choose from (custard, black raspberry, and strawberry), Country Donuts is a prime example of a keeping it simple and excelling in what they do. 
The verdict: The dough is perfect fluffy while the combo of buttercream and filling melted in our mouths. They definitely don’t skimp on the filling, plus the fillings weren’t too sweet. So, so good!
Favorite flavor: Although black raspberry may be Country Donuts most popular flavor, buttercream and custard was ours!
Price: $2.30 each. $27.60/dozen. Orders filled from February 12-17th.
Tip: Pre-order early by calling their hotline. You can even pick up your order through their drive-through or curbside pickup.  How convenient, right? My husband swears by their coffee. Go grab some!

Morkes Chocolates

Where: 11801 Main Street, Huntley
Why: If you’re looking for paczki with a variety of flavors, Morkes has you covered. Anything with their yummy whip is amazing!

The verdict: Oh so delicious, especially those with the yummy whip added. This girl, a strawberry fanatic, LOVED her strawberry whip paczki.
Favorite flavor: Strawberry with yummy whip and Bavarian custard with chocolate frosting.
Price: $4.75
Tip: Pre-order by calling, filling out their form, ordering online, or stop by the shop. Available Feb. 27th – March 5th.

Riverside Bake Shop

**Sadly, the bakery recently experienced a fire. We’re hoping to see them back up and running very soon.**

Where: 1309 Riverside Dr, McHenry
Why: A wonderful bakery that does NOT skimp on the filling! They offer so many flavors so you’re bound to find something you like.
The verdict: Riverside is another favorite in the area. Great ratio of filling and dough. You won’t be disappointed. I highly recommend anything with whip.
Favorite flavor: Strawberry whip is always a favorite!
Price: Prices range from $1.96 to $4.50 per item.
Tip: Pre-order early by calling. Paczki’s available Friday 2/28/25 -Tuesday 3/4/25. Cash or check only.

Deli 4 You

Where: 1601 S. Randall Rd., Algonquin
Why: As an authentic Polish grocery store in the area, I had to try their authentic paczki. Paczki are always available if you have a craving. I picked mine up about 2 weeks before Fat Tuesday. 
The verdict:  I was limited to what was available: plain, Bavarian Creme, raspberry, and plum. I bought everything except plain.Oh, how I wanted to love them but they were not my favorites. The dough to filling ration was sad and the dough was too dry for my taste.  I don’t think this will be my last visit to Deli 4 You, thought. Everything looked so good in their dessert/pastry section.
Favorite flavor: If I had to choose, definitely Bavarian creme. It almost balanced out the dryness of the dough.
Price: Very affordable at $1.29/piece. Tip: Preorders are available but when I called it was a 50 piece minimum!

KD Market

Where: 29 Crystal Lake Plaza, Crystal Lake, IL 60014
Why: As one of the newest authentic Polish grocery stores in the area, KD Market was a must-try for traditional pączki.
The verdict:
We loved the wide variety of flavors, including Nutella, strawberry, and Bavarian cream. Last year, the filling-to-dough ratio was a bit disappointing (my strawberry pączki didn’t even have filling). This year, we tried Nutella, Bavarian cream, and mango/passionfruit/coconut. While the ratio is still on the lighter side, the Bavarian had the most filling.

The plain pączki is shaped like a pretzel which is fun and unexpected. Their other desserts looked so good that we’ll definitely be back to try more.

Favorite flavors:
Last year: Nutella
This year: Coconut, mango, and Bavarian cream

Price: About $2.29 each, making them a very affordable option.