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Learn how to make this authentic Polish Pączki donuts recipe with step-by-step photo instructions to guide you through the process. Deep-fried with a crisp exterior and fluffy, chewy interior, Pączki are mind-blowingly delicious yeasted Polish donuts typically filled with fruit or custard. Traditional for Fat Tuesday (or Fat Thursday in Poland), this recipe is easy to customize with your favorite filling and perfect as a special treat year-round.
What Are Pączki?
Crispy outside, soft and fluffy with the perfect chewiness inside and a sweet filling, Polish donuts known as Pączki will set the bar for all other doughnuts. They really are that good!
Deliciously rich and decadent, soft and fluffy yet chewy, jam-filled Polish Pączki are so much better than regular jelly donuts! Prune butter, stewed plum jam, or rose hip jam are traditional fillings, but just about any type of jam or custard you like would be delicious. (Nutella and chocolate cream are both on my list of fillings to try!)
Because a great donut is the best indulgence, right?
The Tradition Behind This Treat
The story behind Pączki is that it was traditionally made in Poland before Lent started to use up rich foods like lard and sugar that weren’t allowed during the fast.
In Poland, these decadent donut-type confections are typically eaten on Fat Thursday (called Tłusty Czwartek), which is the Thursday before Ash Wednesday, which is when the Catholic season of Lent begins.
In the U.S., Pączki is a Fat Tuesday treat. You might also know the day as Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, and Pączki Day! It’s the day before Ash Wednesday.
I first had Pączki a few years back. My then-mother-in-law Sahar was Syrian, but her sister-in-law Yanina was Polish. They were both amazing cooks, and of course they taught each other their favorites. Sahar brought recipes like Ma’amoul (Middle Eastern Date-Filled Cookies) and Yanina shared dishes like Polish doughnuts.
I learned so much from my amazing mother-in-law, especially in terms of cooking. In addition to a whole host of Middle Eastern recipes, Yanina’s Pączki was another recipe that Sahar shared with me.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Softy, fluffy, and chewy texture. When you think of how the texture of a yeast doughnut should be, Pączki is it. As you bite into the crisp exterior, it gives way to a soft, fluffy, chewy interior that almost melts in your mouth.
- Crispy outside, but not oily. The trick to getting a crispy (not soggy or oily) exterior when you’re deep-frying Pączki is to add a touch of grain alcohol (vodka in this recipe) to the dough. You can’t taste it in the donuts, but it makes all the difference.
- Eating Pączki is like biting into chewy, fluffy clouds of bliss. Did I mention that they will now set the bar for all other donut-type confections that you eat?
Polish Pączki Donuts Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
Dough Ingredients
- Flour – Use regular all-purpose flour here, and make sure you have a little bit more for kneading.
- Whole milk – Whole milk lends a lovely soft texture and rich flavor.
- Instant yeast – The leavening agent.
- Lukewarm water – We activate the yeast with sugar and lukewarm water. The ideal temperature here is around 100 to 110F.
- Granulated white sugar – We use a little bit of sugar to activate the yeast, and we use more in the dough to sweeten the doughnuts.
- Salt – Salt seasons the dough and makes sure this recipe isn’t bland, and also helps control the yeast.
- Egg yolks – We’re making an enriched dough here; egg yolks add richness and help create a smooth texture.
- Vodka – Yields less greasy donuts (I explain that more later).
- Vanilla extract – For flavor and aroma.
- Unsalted butter – Butter is a classic ingredient in enriched dough.
Other Ingredients
- Vegetable oil – For deep frying.
- Granulated white sugar – For coating the outside of the donuts. If you prefer, you can skip the sugar coating and dust them with powdered sugar once they’re filled.
- Raspberry jam – For filling the donuts. You can swap this out for more traditional plum preserves or rose petal jelly, or go with something different, such as vanilla buttercream or chocolate custard.
How to Make This Traditional Pączki Recipe: Step-by-Step Instructions
Here is a photo guide for how to make yeasted donuts that are coated in sugar and filled with jam (or any filling you like). To get a feel for the recipe, read through the entire recipe before starting.
1: How to Make Pączki Dough
- Add 1/2 cup flour to the bowl of a stand mixer, and carefully pour in the scaled milk. Use the stand mixer’s paddle attachment to mix for 10 seconds on medium-low to medium. Let it cool until lukewarm, about 15 minutes.
- In a small bowl, stir together the yeast, lukewarm water, and 1 teaspoon sugar until the yeast is dissolved. Add this mixture to the milk/flour mixture. Mix with the paddle for 10 seconds.
- Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, cover it with plastic wrap, and let the dough rest for 30 minutes (it will puff during this time and look like this).
- Put the bowl of the stand mixer back onto the mixer and attach the dough hook. Add the salt, egg yolks, 4 tablespoons sugar, vodka, vanilla, melted butter, and remaining 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour.
- Use the dough hook attachment to mix for 3 minutes on medium-low to medium. The dough will be sticky and wet when it’s done.
- Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, cover it with plastic wrap, and let the dough rest until it’s doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Pro Tip: Follow the knead times carefully for this recipe, making sure not to over-work the dough.
2: How to Shape and Fry Pączki Donuts
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.
- Flour your hands and knead the dough a few times until it comes together nicely.
- This is how the dough should look when it’s ready.
- Lightly flour your surface, and roll the dough out until it’s a 10-inch circle about 1-inch thick.
- Use a 2 1/2 to 3-inch circle biscuit or cookie cutter to stamp out the dough. You can gather the scraps into a ball, roll it out again, and stamp out circles until the dough is gone.
- Arrange the dough circles on a large baking tray lined with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap, and let the donuts rise until they look puffed, about 30 minutes.
3: How to Deep Fry Donuts
- Heat oil to 350F, and then cook 4 donuts at a time. Adjust to the heat to try to keep the oil around 340 to 360F.
- The donuts are done when they’re golden on both sides, about 4 minutes per side.
4: How to Sugar Coat and Fill Pączki (With Jam or Any Filling You Like!)
- Remove the donuts from the oil and immediately put them into the bowl of sugar. Use tongs to turn them around in the sugar until they’re well-coated. Once coated in sugar, place the donuts onto a paper towel-lined baking tray. Cook the remaining donuts the same way. Let the donuts cool to room temperature before filling, about 15 minutes.
- Use a sharp paring knife to cut a slit into the side of each donut.
- Put the jam into a piping bag fitted with round tip that’s big enough for the jam to flow through. Insert the tip into the slit you just cut in the side of each donut, and squeeze about 1 tablespoon of jam into the center of each donut.
- I like to let just a little bit of jam show so you can tell what the filling is.
Storage
Like most fresh homemade donuts, these are best eaten on the same day that they’re fried. However, there is a way to make this recipe ahead of time!
How to Make These Donuts Ahead
- Make the dough as the recipe directs up to the point that the dough circles are stamped out and arranged on a baking tray – but don’t let it do the 30 minute rise!
- At this point, pop the uncovered baking tray into the freezer to flash-freeze the raw donuts. Once they’re frozen solid, you can arrange them in an air-tight container stacked between pieces of parchment paper for up to 3 months.
- When you want to fry the doughnuts, thaw as many as you want to room temperature. Once they’re at room temperature, lightly cover them with plastic wrap and let them rest until puffed (about 30 minutes). After that, fry them as the recipe directs.
Variations
- Bake them in the oven. I find that about 8 minutes in a preheated 375F oven is perfect.
- Air fry them. Preheat an air fryer to 350F. Once hot, add as many donuts as will fit without crowding the basket into the unlined basket. Air fry for 6 minutes, and then flip and air fry for 2 to 4 minutes longer.
- Fill them with whatever jam you like. Instead of raspberry, you can go with a more classic filling like plum jam or wild rose petal jelly. Custard, crème patisserie, or crème diplomat are also delicious. Or go with something wild and crazy like chocolate buttercream or peanut butter mousse.
- Instead of a sugar coating, use powdered sugar, icing, or chocolate glaze. Instead of rolling the hot donuts in sugar as soon as they come out of the oil, place them on a wire rack set over a paper towel-lined tray. Let them cool, fill them, and top with one of these other suggestions.
Tips for Making The Best Pączki Recipe
- Use vodka as your alcohol of choice. I definitely don’t recommend skipping the alcohol in this recipe! I’ve made these doughnuts with and without it, and just a touch of alcohol really helps these fried treats absorb less oil from frying, yielding less greasy donuts. And I couldn’t taste the vodka at all! But I’ve also made them with rum and brandy, which I could subtly taste. For that reason, I prefer to use vodka in this recipe.
- The sugar sticks to the exterior best if you use fresh sugar each time. If you want the sugar to uniformly coat the outside of the donuts, you can change out the sugar each time and just add less sugar to the bowl each time. You will need about 1/3 cup of sugar to coat 4 donuts.
- When you select a tip for the piping bag to fill the donuts with jam, choose a tip large enough to let the jam flow through. Some types of jam have larger pieces of fruit that others, so make sure you pick a tip that’s large enough for the jam (and its fruit pieces) to fit through.
Pączki (Polish Doughnuts) FAQs
The “ą” in the word Pączki has an ogonek, which looks like a little hook or a tail under the letter “a”. In Polish, this produces an “ohn” or “awn” sound. The phonetic pronunciation is “pohnsch-key” or “pawnsch-key”.
The difference between Pączki and regular jelly donuts is that Pączki are richer. These Polish doughnuts are made from an enriched dough similar to brioche that contains eggs, sugar, butter, and milk.
I’ve also made brioche doughnuts, and I have to say, Pączki are even better! Both are soft and fluffy, but the difference I’ve noticed between them is that Pączki has a delicious chewiness as well.
Traditionally, a little bit of grain alcohol, such as vodka, is added to Polish Pączki. As the pastry deep-fries, the alcohol evaporates off and prevents the dough from absorbing excess oil. The end result is a less-greasy fried pastry.
I know this might sound like an old wives’ tale, but I’ve made these Polish donuts with and without alcohol. I was surprised when the ones made with vodka were noticeably less oily! And nope, you can’t taste the vodka.
More Decadent Treats to Make
- Chocolate Babka
- Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding
- Vanilla Macarons with Chocolate Ganache and Coffee Buttercream
- Drinking Chocolate (French Hot Chocolate)
- Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
Let’s Connect
Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment below. You can also tag @anediblemosaic on social media.
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Pączki Recipe (Polish Donuts)
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Equipment
Ingredients
Dough:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour divided into 1/2 cup + 2 1/2 cups, plus more for kneading
- 1 cup whole milk scalded and still hot
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons lukewarm water
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 large egg yolks
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vodka
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
Other:
- 48 fluid ounces vegetable oil for frying
- 1 cup granulated sugar for coating the outside of the donuts
- 3/4 cup raspberry jam for filling the donuts
Instructions
Make the Dough:
- Add 1/2 cup flour to the bowl of a stand mixer, and carefully pour in the scaled milk. Use the stand mixer’s paddle attachment to mix for 10 seconds on medium-low to medium. Let it cool until lukewarm, about 15 minutes.
- In a small bowl, stir together the yeast, lukewarm water, and 1 teaspoon sugar until the yeast is dissolved. Add this mixture to the milk/flour mixture, and mix with the paddle for 10 seconds. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, cover it with plastic wrap, and let the dough rest for 30 minutes (it will puff during this time).
- Put the bowl of the stand mixer back onto the mixer and attach the dough hook. Add the salt, egg yolks, 4 tablespoons sugar, vodka, vanilla, melted butter, and remaining 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour. Use the dough hook attachment to mix for 3 minutes on medium-low to medium. The dough will be sticky and wet when it’s done. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, cover it with plastic wrap, and let the dough rest until it’s doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Flour your hands and knead the dough a few times until it comes together nicely.
Shape the Pączki:
- Lightly flour your surface, and roll the dough out until it’s a 10-inch circle about 1-inch thick. Use a 2 1/2 to 3-inch circle biscuit or cookie cutter to stamp out the dough. You can gather the scraps into a ball, roll it out again, and stamp out circles until the dough is gone.
- Arrange the dough circles on a large baking tray lined with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap, and let the donuts rise until they look puffed, about 30 minutes.
Fry the Pączki:
- Put the 1 cup of sugar for rolling the donuts into a large bowl.
- Add 48 fluid ounces of vegetable oil to a 5-quart pot with a heavy bottom. Heat the oil to 350F, and then cook 4 donuts at a time. Adjust to the heat to try to keep the oil around 340 to 360F. The donuts are done when they’re golden on both sides, about 4 minutes per side.
- Remove the donuts from the oil and immediately put them into the bowl of sugar. Use tongs to turn them around in the sugar until they’re well-coated.
- Once coated in sugar, place the donuts onto a paper towel-lined baking tray. Cook the remaining donuts the same way. Let the donuts cool to room temperature before filling, about 15 minutes.
Fill the Pączki:
- Use a sharp paring knife to cut a slit into the side of each donut.
- Put the jam into a piping bag fitted with round tip that’s big enough for the jam to flow through. Insert the tip into the slit you just cut in the side of each donut, and squeeze about 1 tablespoon of jam into the center of each donut. Repeat until all the donuts are filled.
Notes
- To Scald Milk: Add it to a small, wide saucepan over medium heat. Cook until it steams and forms bubbles along the outside (it should reach about 180F), and then remove from the heat.
- The Role of Vodka in This Recipe: Don’t skip the alcohol in this recipe! I’ve made these doughnuts with and without it, and just a touch of alcohol really does help Pączki absorb less oil from frying, yielding much less greasy donuts. And if you use vodka, you can’t taste the alcohol! But I’ve also made them with rum and brandy, which I could subtly taste. For that reason, I prefer to use vodka in this recipe.
- Sugar Coating Tip: The sugar sticks to the exterior best if you use fresh sugar each time. If you want the sugar to uniformly coat the outside of the Pączki, you can change out the sugar each time and just add less sugar to the bowl each time. You will need about 1/3 cup of sugar to coat 4 Pączki.
- Tip for Filling the Donuts: When you choose a tip for the piping bag to fill the donuts with jam, choose a tip large enough to let the jam flow through. Some types of jam have larger pieces of fruit that others, so make sure you pick a tip that’s large enough for the jam (and its fruit pieces) to fit through.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on February 24, 2022 and updated on February 28, 2025.
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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Easily the best doughnuts I’ve ever had in my life !