These soft, buttery, flaky homemade crescent rolls are way better than anything from a can, and are so easy to make! This recipe makes two dozen deliciously fluffy, irresistible crescent rolls to serve as a side dish for any meal or holiday.
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Why You’ll Love This Crescent Roll Recipe
Whenever I pass around these homemade crescent rolls at the holidays, everyone’s eyes light up around the table! They’re fluffy, festive yeasted rolls with a soft, buttery texture similar to croissants, only a bit denser and dinner roll-like. If you’re one to reach for a can of refrigerated crescent roll dough, I urge you to give my family’s homemade version a try. Here’s why:
- It’s SO easy. Maybe not quite as easy as popping open that tube of dough, but even if you’re new to baking with yeast, you’ll have these rolls on the table in no time. I’ll show you how to make crescent rolls that are buttery, light, and fluffy in just a few steps.
- Quick. The dough comes together quickly enough, with two short rises. You can have these rolls fresh from the oven in a little over 2 hours. That being said, they’re a great make-ahead side dish, too, if you want to get a head start the day before!
- Irresistibly good. There’s nothing like tearing into a warm crescent roll and watching the steam escape from the fluffy interior. I make this recipe with real butter and plenty of it, and a generous knead that leaves these rolls incredibly soft. They fly out of the bread basket!
If you’re looking for more easy homemade dinner rolls to make this festive season, try my fluffy Hawaiian rolls, these melt-in-your-mouth potato rolls, and copycat Texas Roadhouse rolls.
Key Ingredients
Homemade crescent rolls use what’s called rich dough, which contains a higher fat content than the lean dough you’d use to make, say, ciabatta rolls. You only need a few basic ingredients. I’ve included some notes here, and you’ll find the printable ingredients list in the recipe card after the post.
- Milk and Water: The milk and water should be warmed to 105º-110°F, so slightly higher than body temperature, but not hot. This temperature is important for activating the yeast.
- Sugar: Regular granulated sugar is fine, or you can use light brown sugar.
- Yeast: Active dry yeast makes for a speedy rise. Make sure to check the expiration date on your yeast package to make sure it’s fresh.
- Eggs: A combination of whole eggs and egg yolks makes these rolls rich and gives them a great texture.
- Flour: I recommend all-purpose flour. Make sure to measure using a scale, or the spoon-and-sweep method where you spoon the flour from the bag into the measuring cup. Don’t scoop straight from the bag as it risks overmeasuring.
- Butter and Salt: I use salted butter, softened to room temperature. If you’re using unsalted butter, I recommend adding 1⁄4 teaspoon + 1⁄8 teaspoon of salt to the recipe.
How to Make Crescent Rolls
The main difference between other yeasted rolls and crescent rolls is the shaping process. To shape these rolls, we’ll be slicing the dough into triangles and rolling them up into that classic butterhorn shape. Follow the steps below, and scroll down to the recipe card for the printable instructions.
Make the Dough
This recipe starts with a simple rich dough made with plenty of butter. It comes together super easily:
- Proof the yeast. Start by adding the yeast, warm milk, water, and a little sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk for a moment on low, and then let the mixture rest and activate. It should turn frothy within about 5 minutes. If it doesn’t, either the yeast was old or the liquids were too hot/cold and failed to activate the yeast. Either way, you’ll need to start again with fresh ingredients.
- Add the eggs, flour, and salt. Meanwhile, crack the eggs into a separate bowl (watch out for any shell pieces). Add the eggs to the yeast mixture and whisk to combine. Next, swap the whisk attachment for the dough hook and add the flour and salt. Knead on medium speed until the dough starts to come together.
- Add the butter and knead again. Add the butter, and continue to knead until that’s fully incorporated. Afterward, keep kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
- First Rise. Place the dough into a lightly greased mixing bowl, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let it rise for about 1 hour. The dough should double in size.
Shape and Bake the Rolls
After the first rise, you’ll roll out, cut, and shape the crescent rolls to get them ready for the oven. Here’s how to do it:
- Cut the dough. Now, you’ll turn the risen dough out on a floured workspace and roll it into a large, even rectangle (about 21”x14”). Cut the rectangle lengthwise down the center, and cut the two sides into triangles as pictured.
- Shape the rolls. Starting at the wide end of each triangle, roll the dough up into a butterhorn shape. Place the shaped rolls onto a greased and lined baking sheet.
- Second Rise. Once all of the crescent rolls are formed, leave them to rise and puff up on the baking sheet for about 15 minutes.
- Bake! Bake the crescent rolls in the center of a preheated 350ºF oven for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown. Then take them out of the oven and allow them to cool slightly before serving warm.
Tips and Variations
- Get the temperature right. If the temperature of the water and milk is too hot, it’ll kill the yeast. Make sure that the liquids you use for the dough are between 105º and 110ºF for best results. If they’re too cold, the yeast won’t activate.
- Rising times will vary. The time it takes for the dough to rise depends on how warm or cool your kitchen is. If you notice that the dough doubles in size before the hour is up on the first rise, simply move on to the next steps. If your kitchen is cooler, the dough may take a bit longer to rise. Hang in there!
- Brush the rolls with butter. I love to brush the baked crescent rolls with melted butter as they come out of the oven. So good! You can also borrow the garlic and herb butter topping from my garlic knots recipe.
- Add a filling. Before rolling up the dough triangles, add a filling that’s sweet or savory, like shredded cheese or cinnamon sugar. Also, try these pumpkin pie crescent rolls!
Serving Suggestions
These homemade crescent rolls are the ultimate side dish! They go with everything, and I often make them for a holiday dinner, so my favorite serving suggestions are holiday main courses like these:
- Ham: Pair these fluffy rolls with a festive spiral ham and a classic green bean casserole at Christmas.
- Turkey Breast: Crescent rolls are right at home on a Thanksgiving table. If a whole roast turkey is too much, try my recipe for air fryer turkey breast. Don’t forget the mashed potatoes and gravy!
- Short Ribs: Rich, meaty, red wine braised short ribs and homemade crescent rolls are a match made in heaven. These rolls are perfect for sopping up leftovers! Enjoy with a side of parmesan roasted broccoli.
Storing and Reheating Crescent Rolls
- At room temperature. Store leftover crescent rolls in an airtight container or resealable bag at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also keep them in the fridge if you prefer.
- Reheat. Warm these rolls in the microwave for 30 seconds or so, or you can wrap them in foil and place them in a 350ºF oven for a few minutes.
- Freeze. I love having a stash of homemade rolls in my freezer. I recommend flash-freezing the baked crescent rolls on a baking sheet first, and transferring them to a freezer bag once they’re frozen solid. Reheat directly from frozen in the oven.
More Easy Dinner Roll Recipes
Yield: 24 rolls
Homemade Crescent Rolls
These soft and flaky homemade crescent rolls need just a few easy ingredients. They're irresistibly fluffy and buttery, perfect as a side dish with any meal!
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup whole milk, warmed
- ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons warm water
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoon active yeast
- 2 large eggs + 2 yolks
- 5 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup salted butter, room temp
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Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment, add milk, water, 2 teaspoons of sugar and yeast. Lightly whisk together on low speed until just combined. Let rest for 5 minutes, until frothy and bubbly.
- Add in the eggs and mix to combine. Swap the attachment to a dough hook, then add in the flour and salt. Knead on medium speed until the dough comes together.
- Once a rough dough has formed, add in the butter and knead together on medium-low speed for 8 minutes. Wait until the butter is incorporated into the mixture to start the timer for 8 minutes. Once the dough is kneaded, transfer it to a clean bowl that has been sprayed with baking spray. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray with baking spray. Set aside.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer it to a clean, lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out to a rectangle 21” long x 14” wide. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the dough down the center long ways.
- Next, cut 12 triangles from each strip of dough, with the base of each triangle being 3” wide. Take a cut-out triangle and press down the wide end out a little, then roll up starting with the wide end. Place the crescent roll onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat the rolling process with the remaining triangles. (For help with these steps, check out the visual step-by-step photos in the post above.)
- Once all of the crescent rolls are on the baking sheet, let rise for about 15 minutes until puffy. Place it into the preheated oven on the center rack.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden brown. Once baked, remove from the oven. Let the rolls cool for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- Store leftover crescent rolls at room temperature, or put them in the fridge if you prefer. Make sure to keep them in an airtight container or food storage bag so that they stay fresh and don’t go stale. They’ll keep for around four days.
- Crescent rolls may be stored in an airtight container or baggie for up to 4 days.
- You can use salted or unsalted butter. If using unsalted butter, add 1⁄4 tsp + 1⁄8 tsp of salt to the recipe.
- When working with yeast-based recipes such as this one, it is very important to have the correct temperature of liquids. If the liquids are too hot they will kill the yeast. Too cold and the yeast won’t activate and the dough won’t rise properly. The ideal temperature is between 105°-110°.
- Rising times will vary depending on the temperature of your kitchen. If it doubles in size before the hour is up, just simply move on to the next step in the recipe. If your kitchen is on the cold side, you will want to go ahead and wait until it has truly doubled in size before using.
- Brush the baked crescent rolls with melted butter if desired.
Nutrition
Serving: 1, Calories: 179kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 47mg, Sodium: 144mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 5g
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Can you substitute bread flour for the APF?
I would not recommend it because bread flour has a higher protein content and will change the texture, making them chewier.
What temp do you use for reheating from frozen and for how long? You stated you don’t need to thaw, correct?
I just set them on the counter for about 30 minutes, but you can also lightly wrap them in foil and bake them at 350°F for about 10 minutes!
Can this recipe be used to make Pigs in the Blanket? Maybe after step 6, wrap the lil wieners and continue to next step?
Yes! They will be delicious!