Pączki near me: Northeast, Central Wisconsin bakeries taking orders ahead of Fat Tuesday

It's that time of year when the jelly-filled doughnut's more sugary, fattier and more enriched bigger siblings muscle into bakery cases across Wisconsin. That's right, pączki are back for Fat Tuesday. That's Feb. 21 this year.

Most bakeries stuff pączki (pronounced "POONCH-kee" by some, including Greg Smurawa, of Smurawa’s Country Bakery in Pulaski) with fruit fillings like apple, raspberry and — for the hardcore traditionalists — prune. If you want to maximize your Fat Tuesday indulgences, other super-sized sweet flavor options include peanut butter, double chocolate and fresh strawberry.

If you're a one-and-doner, then ask for a pączek (POON-check).

Pączki bring customers out in droves and spirits are always high, said Doug Manderfield, of Fox Cities-based Manderfield’s Home Bakery. Smurawa, meanwhile, said he’s already shipped orders to customers in Ohio, Florida, Arizona and California.

“We’re just trying to keep them moving in and out,” Smurawa said. “People are always in a good mood.”

Here is a smattering of bakeries across northeastern and central Wisconsin where you can find pączki, individually or by the dozen.

Green Bay area

Smurawa’s Country Bakery 

204 E. Pulaski St., Pulaski, (920) 822-8655 

Preorders from a pre-set menu can be placed through Sunday by calling or visiting the bakery. Customized options are available before and after Fat Tuesday. Pre-package pączki are also available for walk-in customers who don't order in advance. Shipping is available. Full details can be found on Facebook @smurawascountrybakery.

Fat Tuesday hours: 5:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (or until customers stop coming)

Price: $1.50 each; $18 dozen

Flavors: Apple, apricot, blueberry, cherry, chocolate, French crème, cream cheese, custard, double chocolate, French crème, key lime (walk-in only), lemon, peanut butter French crème, plain, poppy seed, prune, raspberry, red velvet, strawberry.

Uncle Mike's Bake Shoppe

1840 Dickinson Road, Ledgeview, (920) 330-0300; 2999 E. Mason St., Green Bay, (920) 544-0330; 2514 Lineville Road, Suamico, (920) 434-0100  

Pączki come in two forms here: regular and extreme. Regular include traditional fillings like lemon and raspberry.

Extreme pączki are cut in half because they get more filling than the regular versions. The Ultimate is stuffed with custard, fresh strawberries and bananas. Other extreme options include peanut butter cup, maple bacon, turtle, and cookies and cream.

Pączki are available daily through Fat Tuesday.

Fat Tuesday hours: 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Price: Regular $2.16 each, Extreme $3.31 each

Flavors: Chocolate custard, lemon, raspberry, turtle with more options added as it gets closer to Fat Tuesday. At least 15 varieties get made. Check Facebook @unclemikesbakeshoppe for updates.

Appleton, Fox Cities, Oshkosh and Fond du Lac

Hill Top Bakery

100 E. Seventh St., Kaukauna, (920) 766-1771  

Available only on Fat Tuesday. Preorders accepted through Saturday. Call to place your pre-order to ensure your flavors are available. Pączki sold on a walk-in basis while supplies last.

Hill Top goes beyond traditional cream and fruit fillings. There's a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup pączek that's filled with peanut butter buttercream and topped with chocolate icing and peanut butter cups. New this year are maple bacon bourbon and strawberry flavors.

Fat Tuesday Hours: Preorder pickup 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Prices: $2 for traditional (fruit), $2.75 for gourmet (all others). $11.75 for six traditional, $23.50 for a dozen traditional. Gourmet pączeks can be mixed into traditional boxes for $0.75 more per pączek.

Flavors: Apple (cinnamon sugar), lemon (powdered sugar), raspberry (sugared and iced), prune (powdered sugar), Boston crème with chocolate icing, double chocolate (chocolate crème, chocolate icing), Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, chunky monkey, strawberry (glazed), maple bacon bourbon

Simple Simon Bakery

218 E. Wisconsin Ave., Appleton, (920) 733-4351 

Pączki and king cakes can be ordered online at simplesimonbakery.com with contactless payment and curbside or local delivery options. Walk-in sales available through Fat Tuesday. A special, traditional poppyseed pączki available only on Fat Tuesday.

Fat Tuesday hours: 3 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Price: $1.25 each, $15 dozen

Flavors: Apple, apricot, blueberry, cheese, cherry, custard, lemon, prune, raspberry, strawberry.

Manderfield's Home Bakery

811 Plank Road, Menasha, (920) 725-7794; W3176 Springfield Drive, Appleton, (920) 731-2181; 5100 W. Michaels Drive, Appleton, (920) 882-6500. On Facebook @manderfieldsbakery.

Available daily Monday through Saturday, Feb. 25. Perorders are accepted. For Fat Tuesday only, Manderfield’s will offer a flattened “flying saucer” paczek that is thin with a crispy texture. The family developed it at a former Menasha area bakery.

Fat Tuesday Hours: 5:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Price: $1.35 each; $15 dozen

Flavors: Fat Tuesday options are raspberry, lemon, blueberry and custard, all rolled in sugar, or chocolate crème rolled in powdered sugar.

Mix It Up Bakery

64 N. Main St., Fond du Lac, (920) 933-3898

Available on Fat Tuesday. Preorders can be placed by emailing mixitupbakerypaczkis@gmail.com or calling the bakery.

Fat Tuesday hours: 6 a.m. to noon.

Cost: $1.75 each

Flavors: Bavarian crème (custard), Holland crème (white fluffy), lemon, and raspberry. Topping choices are glazed, granulated sugar and powdered sugar.

Mom & Pop’s Bakery

710 W. Kimberly Ave., Kimberly, (920) 380-0800

Preorders are accepted online at momandpopsbakery.com but not necessary. No need to get out of the car to get pączki here thanks to the drive-thru.  The drive-thru is open all year, but the pączki are only available on Fat Tuesday. It's also the only Tuesday of the year that Mom & Pop's is open.

Fat Tuesday hours: 6 a.m. to noon

Price: $2 each; $22 dozen

Flavors: Apple (cinnamon sugar coated), Bavarian cream, lemon (powdered or iced), raspberry (sugar coated or iced).

Tamara's The Cake Guru

2271 Westowne Ave., Oshkosh, (920) 267-8443, 1859 Casaloma Drive, Appleton (920) 903-8440

Available through Fat Tuesday in flavors that are traditional and extreme (versions of the bakery's popular cupcakes) as well as king cakes. Orders can be placed online at cakeguru.com.

Fat Tuesday hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Appleton, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Oshkosh

Price: Sold in six-packs, dozen and 18-packs. $12 to $30 for traditional; $15 to $46 for extreme

Flavors: Andes mint, cherry cheese, chocolate-dipped strawberry, custard, Hostess, lemon, Hurricane, Lick the Bowl, raspberry, Ring "King Cake" Donuts, Peanut Butter Cup, and strawberry.

Sheboygan and Manitowoc areas

City Bakery

1102 Michigan Ave., Sheboygan, (920) 457-4493  

Some flavors available now with all flavors available on Fat Tuesday and through early March. Preorders accepted through Monday for Fat Tuesday.

Fat Tuesday hours: 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Price: $1.85 each

Flavors: Cherry, lemon, raspberry and custard.

Johnston's Bakery

1227 Superior Ave., Sheboygan, (920) 458-3342  

Pre-orders can be made by phone or in person. For Fat Tuesday pickups, preorder by 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18.

Fat Tuesday hours: 5 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Price: $1.15 each

Flavors: Apple, chocolate custard, custard, lemon and raspberry. Frosted and sugar coated options vary by flavor.

Wausau, Stevens Point and Central Wisconsin

Becky's Downtown Polonia Cafe

7419 County Highway Z, Custer, 715-592-4900

Available through Easter, but only walk-in sales available on Fat Tuesday with a maximum of four per order. Pre-orders are recommended, and needed if you want more than four. Call or use Facebook messenger @poloniacafewi to place orders.

Fat Tuesday hours: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Price: $1 unfilled; $1.50 filled; $19 dozen

Flavors: Apple, apple churro, Bavarian cream, blueberry, cherry, chocolate Bavarian, churro, cream cheese, cream cheese churro, lemon, peach, prune, raspberry, strawberry.

Kregers Bakery

1506 N. Third St., Wausau, (715) 845-3644

These fruit-filled pączki either get a sugar coating or a second hit of fruit flavor in the glaze. Each pączek is made from scratch and by hand, start-to-finish.

Available on Fat Tuesday. Accepting preorders.

Fat Tuesday hours: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Cost: $2.75 each

Flavors: Apple (cinnamon sugar), apricot (orange glaze), blueberry (blueberry glaze), cherry (cherry glaze), prune (sugar coated) and raspberry (powdered sugar).

Rose House

1140 Clark St., Stevens Point, (715) 997-9556

Preorders can be placed until Sunday night, Feb. 19, by emailing hello@rosehousevenue.com with “Fat Tues” in the subject line. Emails need to include how many pączki, flavors, your name, phone number, and pick up time. Some pączki will be available for walk-in customers on Tuesday.

Fat Tuesday hours: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Price: $2.50 each

Flavors: Blueberry, lemon, prune, raspberry, and rose petal jam. All are sugar coated.

Wisconsin grocery stores

Festival Foods

Pączki are made fresh daily in each store. Pre-orders can be placed at local stores but are not necessary; plenty are available for walk-in sales. Available through Fat Tuesday.

Price: $1 each Feb. 15 through Feb. 21. Otherwise, $1.50 each.

Flavors: Bavarian cream, lemon, prune, raspberry, strawberry.

Pick ’n Save and Metro Market

Available at all locations. Pre-orders available for pickup with 48 hours' notice.

Price: $4.99/six-pack

Flavors: Bavarian cream, lemon, prune (select stores only), raspberry.

Piggly Wiggly

Available through Fat Tuesday at all Wisconsin stores.

Price: $4.99/four-pack

Flavors: Bavarian cream, cream, lemon, raspberry and strawberry

Contact Jeff Bollier at (920) 431-8387 or jbollier@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JeffBollier. 

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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Pączki near me: Here's where to buy in Northeast, Central Wisconsin