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.
These are so easy to make and so delicious. I am making them right now for Christmas dinner.
How many rolls does this recipe make?
It makes about 24 rolls.
Love these!! They always turn out so great.
I had almost given up on yeast roll until this recipe. They are they best!! You must try them.
Made these for thanksgiving and it was way easier then I expected! I did have to put my dough in the fridge since I couldn’t make them right away so my dough was a little hard to roll out and thick but it was my first time making them and my husband and kids loved them!!
This is my favorite recipe for Sunday dinners, Thanksgiving and Christmas ! So easy to make!
I’ve made a lot of rolls over the years – tried a bunch of different recipes – and am kind of known for my homemade rolls yet I’ve never been able to decide on a favorite roll recipe. Until this recipe – it is now my absolute favorite!! So perfectly soft and flaky and delicious.
Love the simplicity of this recipe! I can’t wait to make them! I’d like to freeze them to bake on Thanksgiving though. Would you recommend this? If so, should I allow them the final rise before freezing them, or, once they thaw, allow the final rise right before baking? Thanks!
Yay!! These will be a great addition to a Thanksgiving feast. Yes, so once you have the rolls rolled into the crescent shape you’ll want to line them up on a baking sheet and place it in the freezer. Once solid, transfer the individual rolls into a freezer safe container. You can freeze for up to 6 months. When you’re ready to bake, place frozen dough balls in 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. Then bake as listed in the recipe. Hope you enjoy!!
Can you put the rolled up crescent roll in the refrigerator, set them out the next day, allow them to raise and then bake them??
Yes, you could do that. Here’s also the suggestion we include on the post for making them in advance: “Refrigerate the dough: once you have kneaded the dough place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. When you’re ready roll and form the rolls, rise and bake.”
I make a lot of rolls – and have a lot of different roll recipes that I use for different reasons. I really liked the simplicity of this one with the super yummy results! Will definitely make again!
Yay!! So happy to hear that you enjoyed this roll recipe too! Thanks for sharing.