Everyone in Texas has heard of a kolache. Chances are, most people around the country have, too. The best thing about these nuggets of wonder is that they can come in a variety of sizes and flavors, leaving something for every type of eater. The dough is slightly sweet from the sugar and puffy from the active dry yeast. You have your breakfast kolaches and klobasniky, the ones that are perfect to bring on the road and are filled with fruits like prunes, apricots, and blueberries and cream cheese, and sausage, respectively. These traditional Eastern European pastries of heaven exist across the Lone Star State thanks to the original Czech immigrants, so it bears the question. Where can you find the best kolache bakery in Texas?
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If you're not sure where to start, or maybe you want a reason for a road trip, these are 10 of the best kolaches in Texas.
Editor's Note: While kolache is already plural, we use kolaches to signify more than one since kolache, in Texas, is synonymous with a single pastry. And you can never just have one kolache...
10. Hruska's Bakery
Ellinger
Notable in and outside of Ellinger for their kolaches and other baked goods, Hruska's is a must-stop if you're traveling from Houston to Austin or anywhere in between. With both breakfast sausage and fruit filling and cream cheese kolaches, you can have the best of both worlds.
9. Dignowity Kolaches
San Antonio
You'll likely run into the owners themselves when you step into this joint in San Antonio, and you'll never believe how delicious these traditional kolaches are. When you enter, you'll be greeted with a warm smile and the smell of paradise.
What does paradise smell like? Warm dough being formed into soft kolaches. This is a great way to start your weekend before hitting the shops at The Riverwalk! Try the poppy seed kolache, it'll blow your mind.
8. Kolache Haven
Denton
If you want your Texas kolaches freshly made, this is the place to go. Often overlooked by the sea of bakeries in the Dallas area, Kolache Haven is an escape to the good ole' days, making everything from meat kolaches (klobasniky) to a dulce de leche kolaches.
7. Original Kountry Bakery
Schulenberg
If you're looking for a helpful staff with even better-tasting kolaches, this is your place. The counter staff is known to be overly friendly, which is never a bad thing, especially when you have serious decisions (like what kolaches you'll eat) to make.
The Original Kountry Bakery knows Czech pastries and they know them very well.
6. The Village Bakery
West
Attributed with the first sighting of a kolache in Texas, Village Bakery throws down on a delicious kolache, that's for certain. As the first Czech bakery in Texas, there's a reason that stopping off in the town of West, Texas for a treat is a time-honored tradition to most Texans.
Here you'll find way more than kolaches, like most of the shops on this list. Try the Moravian spice cookies, you won't be disappointed.
5. The Czech Stop
West
This is probably one of the most notable kolache joints in the state. Call it good marketing, call it word of mouth; whatever you want to call it, just make sure it's good because that's how you'll feel after biting into one of their kolaches.
Whether you're a fan of the sweeter cream cheese kolaches or the more savory kolaches, you won't leave without a dozen, guaranteed.
4. Weikel's Bakery
La Grange
This place has been known to cause trouble in all the right ways. Bakery goers have noted their baked goods and kolaches should be illegal they're so delicious. To us, that's a sure sign that we're in the right place.
The kolaches are the only thing capturing the hearts of diners everywhere. Their Apple Lattice pie is exceptional, and the cinnamon rolls. Well, there aren't enough words for how tasty they are.
3. Hill Country Donuts
Fredericksburg
Don't let the name fool you here. Hill Country Donuts is not only a doughnut shop; they're also serving up fruit filling and cream kolaches to die for.
Located on Main Street in Fredericksburg, there's no better way to start off your day on the town than with one of their fresh, in-house kolaches before embarking on a classic Texas Hill Country wine tour.
2. Green's Sausage House
Temple
Home of some of the best sausage kolaches, or klobasniky, if you're a purist, in the country, Green's is one of those tiny little hideouts that's locally known and has been celebrated for decades. Jerome and Ella Green's dream of a grocer in 1946 has blossomed into full-scale legend with its meat market, café, and bakery.
Oh, it's also a deer processing facility. Stop in the kolache shop as you hand over your prized buck from your weekend hunt processed and you won't be disappointed.
1. Two Czech Chicks Kolache Shoppe and Bakery
Danbury
The girls who opened this bakery in the Houston area are using a recipe passed onto them from generations, so you know they'll be authentic and nothing short of delectable. Craving something else?
Their collection of cake balls are legendary, just make sure you show up before they sell out because it happens quicker than you might think.
Want to make your own at home? We've got a delicious kolache recipe or two that we swear by.
This post was originally published on March 1, 2018.
