They may look similar to croissants, but these homemade crescent rolls are closer to our traditional Dinner Roll (so soft and delicious).
We make these crescent rolls as often as we can and especially love them as a side dish for holidays or Sunday dinner. (In fact – you may need to double this recipe because they never last long at our house.) In fact, if you are making these for Thanksgiving or Christmas, Also make our Cranberry Honey Butter as a spread. I promise it will make these amazing rolls stand out even more!
For more flaky fabulousness try Yeast Dinner Rolls or Homemade Dinner Rolls.
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Pair perfectly with meals. From a Sunday Crockpot Ham or a bowl of soup, these are the ideal sides to any meal (especially great for Thanksgiving, Christmas, + Easter).
- Freezable. Freeze the dough or the baked roll and double the recipe so you always have some on hand.
- Easy to make. The instructions are easy to follow and result in a flavorful and soft texture.
Homemade Crescent Rolls Ingredients
- Active dry yeast (1 tablespoon): Leavens the dough so crescents bake light and fluffy.
- Sugar for proofing (1 teaspoon): Feeds the yeast so it activates quickly.
- Warm water (½ cup): Hydrates the yeast and starts the dough. The water needs to be between 100°F and 110°F
- Butter, softened (½ cup): Adds rich flavor and tenderness to the crumb.
- Warm milk (½ cup): Enriches the dough and helps it bake soft and golden.
- Large egg (1): Adds structure and extra softness for a pillowy interior.
- Sugar (⅓ cup): Light sweetness that also helps with browning.
- Salt (¾ teaspoon): Balances sweetness and boosts flavor.
- All purpose flour (4 cups): Builds structure for shaping and that classic crescent roll.
- Butter, melted (2 tablespoons): Brushed on hot rolls for sheen and buttery finish.
How to Make Homemade Crescent Rolls
WET INGREDIENTS. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, dissolve the 1 tablespoon of active dry yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar in ½ cup warm water. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, until bubbly and foamy.
- Add ½ cup butter, ½ cup warm milk, 1 egg, ⅓ cup sugar, and ¾ teaspoon salt to the yeast mixture.
DRY INGREDIENTS. Add 2 cups of flour, and stir until combined. Mix in the remaining 2 cups flour, ¼ cup at a time, to form a soft dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
KNEAD & SHAPE. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Shape the crescent dough into a ball, place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for about one hour, until doubled.
ROLL & CUT. After the dough has risen, gently punch it down and divide it into two balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball out into a circle that is about 12 inches wide, then cut each circle into twelve wedges using a pizza cutter.
RISE. Roll each wedge of dough up, starting at the wide end, to form a crescent shape. Place on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and let rise until doubled (about 30-60 minutes).
BAKE. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake 10-12 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush with the melted butter. Serve warm.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Proof yeast until foamy before mixing, if it does not foam, start over with fresh yeast.
- The dough should be soft and slightly tacky, add flour a little at a time until it pulls from the bowl.
- Roll each circle to about 12 inches and keep thickness even so the crescents bake uniformly.
- Let shaped rolls rise until puffy and nearly doubled, this is the key to a tender crumb.
Crescent Rolls Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ cup warm water
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup warm milk
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve the yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar in the warm water. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, until bubbly and foamy. Add the butter, warm milk, egg, remaining ⅓ cup sugar, and salt to the yeast mixture.
- Add 2 cups of flour, and mix until combined. Mix in additional flour, ¼ cup at a time, to form a soft dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball, place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for about one hour, until doubled.
- After the dough has risen, gently punch it down and divide them into two balls. Roll each ball out into a circle that is about 12 inches wide, then cut each circle into twelve wedges using a pizza cutter.
- Roll each wedge of dough up, starting at the wide end, to form a crescent shape. Place on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and let rise until doubled, 30-60 minutes.
- While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake 10-12 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush with the melted butter. Serve warm.
Notes
- Refrigerate the dough: Once the dough is kneaded, place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. When ready to bake: roll, form, rise, and bake.
- Freeze the dough: Form rolls into a crescent shape, line them up on a baking sheet, and freeze. Once solid, transfer the individual rolls into a freezer-safe container. They are best when used by 3 months, but can last for up to 6 months.
- To bake: Place crescent rolls on a baking pan. Cover the pan with a greased piece of plastic wrap (the cooking spray helps keep the plastic from sticking to the dough). Allow to rise for about 4 hours before baking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Yeast issues. The yeast could be old or killed by water that was too hot, preventing it from activating.
Temperature problems. The dough might not have been in a warm enough environment for optimal yeast activity, hindering the rising process.
Ingredient errors. Too much salt or sugar can inhibit yeast growth, while insufficient liquid can prevent proper dough development.
Over proofing. If the dough rises too high it caves in on itself and the batch is lost.
> Refrigerate the dough. Once the dough is kneaded, place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When ready to bake: roll, form, rise, and bake.
> Freeze the dough. Form rolls into a crescent shape, line them up on a baking sheet, and freeze. Once solid, transfer the individual rolls into a freezer-safe container. They are best when used by 3 months, but can last for up to 6 months.
> To bake. Place crescent rolls on a baking pan. Cover the pan with a greased piece of plastic wrap (the cooking spray helps keep the plastic from sticking to the dough). Allow to rise to double, about 4 hours, before baking.
Whisk an egg and 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl. After the rolls have risen, use a pastry brush to gently apply a layer of egg wash to the top of each roll. Bake.
> Cinnamon sugar rolls. Roll the dough into a circle, and top it with butter. In a separate bowl, mix cinnamon and (white or brown) sugar. Spread the sugar mixture evenly over the dough. Cut into triangles, roll, and bake.
> Pizza crescent rolls. Roll the crescent roll dough into a circle, top it with butter, and cut it into triangles. Add mozzarella cheese and pepperoni, roll the triangles up, and bake.
> Pigs in a blanket. Roll the dough into a circle and cut it into triangles. Roll each triangle around a hot dog. Bake (See our Pigs in a Blanket recipe for more info)
Keep any leftover crescent rolls in Ziploc bags on the counter at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Wrap the leftovers in plastic wrap, then again with foil, and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Complete The Meal
Main Dish
Roast Turkey
3 hrs 20 mins
Easy Meatloaf
1 hr 25 mins
Crock Pot Pot Roast
7 hrs 5 mins
Honey Glazed Ham
4 hrs 10 mins
More Rolls
Yeast Dinner Rolls
2 hrs 12 mins
Potato Rolls
2 hrs 30 mins
Easy Yeast Rolls
50 mins
Dinner Rolls Recipe
2 hrs 40 mins
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This recipe was originally published October 2020.
Best roll recipe I have ever made! I also put Nutella and some cinnamon sugar in some. Delicious!
So good! New favorite crescent roll recipe for sure. This is my first dough recipe I tested out putting in the freezer. After letting them thaw at room temp for 4 hours, I cooked them per the instructions. They didn’t brown like they do if I bake them fresh, despite adding more time. Maybe broil for a minute? Any tips?
That’s great to hear you love the recipe! For extra browning, you could try broiling the tops for 30 seconds at the end—just watch closely so they don’t burn.
I made these for a fellow bread addict who recently had oral surgery to get back into normal foods- they turned out perfectly delicious! I, too, enjoyed them, and that the recipe resulted in so many crescents that I could freeze a dozen to have with future meals. My one suggestion would be to chill the dough for 15 mins to a half hour after rolling it out and before rolling into crescent shapes. My dough was very loose (despite adding extra flour before rising), so the crescents were a bit messy. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
That’s so sweet of you to make them for your friend! I’m glad they turned out delicious, and thank you for the great tip about chilling the dough.
I followed the recipe exactly the way it was written since it was my first time making crescent rolls. They were easy to make but the taste was bland. I was expecting them to be buttery and tasty but they were not.
Hello!
Would you have any suggestions on making these cardamom cresent rolls?
Thanks
You know, I have never tried making them cardamom crescent rolls, but that sounds delicious! So depending on how strong you want the flavor, I would probably just add it in when you add the salt and other ingredients. You’ll have to let us know how they turn out!
Will do. Making them today. My Aunt made the best cardamon crescent rolls but i never got the recipe.
Your rolls were really good. I added 2 teaspoons of ground cardamom to the warm milk but it was somewhat subtle in the final product, so I’ll need to add more next time.
Your rolls were really good. I added 2 teaspoons of ground cardamom to the warm milk but it was somewhat subtle in the final product, so I’ll need to add more next time.
Hi Kyle! I’ve not made this recipe, BUT from my baking experience, if you add the cardamon to the fat (butter in this case) it will create a better flavor. You could always blend it when the butter is soft or brown the butter with cardamom and let reform for a richer taste. Hopefully that helps
🙂
I am not the greatest at bread making but these crescent rolls turned out so good! I was not the best at shaping them at first but after a few more times and following the steps I made perfect looking crescent rolls!
Made this for my Sister’s welcome party and I’m so glad everyone liked it! It was a hit! Saving this recipe!
I make these all of the time now, instead of buying canned rolls! Thank you for sharing how easy it is!