These homemade golden Crescent Rolls are always the star of any dinner or holiday feast. They’re tender, buttery, and extraordinary!

This recipe costs around $3.87 to make twenty-four rolls. That works out to cost about $0.16 per roll. 

A pile of homemade Crescent Rolls on a white plate.

Crescent Rolls Recipe

Homemade Crescent Rolls are way better than the store-bought canisters you can buy at the grocery store. Like all homemade bread recipes, they take a bit of time and a little bit of effort.

They’re so worth it, in my opinion, because all that extra effort translates into L-O-V-E!

These Crescent Rolls are soft and fluffy with a golden and crispy crust and a soft and fluffy interior. They almost melt in your mouth! You will love the warm, buttery taste of each roll. 

The rolls make the perfect addition to a holiday dinner, Sunday dinner, or potluck. Load them up with butter, jam, or enjoy them plain; there is no wrong way to enjoy these homemade Crescent Rolls. 

If you’re short on time, these 1 Hour Dinner Rolls will be perfect. 

What You’ll Love About Crescent Rolls

  • Fluffy rolls: These Crescent Rolls have the perfect texture. They are soft, pillowy, and light. 
  • Fresh: There is nothing better than homemade bread. The aroma in your kitchen is overwhelmingly delicious! And one bite of the crescent roll will have your mouth watering for more. 
  • Versatile: These homemade rolls can be served alongside a casual family dinner or a fancy holiday dinner party. Serve them alongside soup, turkey, or a meal of your choice.
The finished Crescent Roll Recipe cooling on a baking sheet.

Crescent Rolls Ingredients and Estimated Cost

Per Serving Cost: $0.16

Recipe Cost: $3.87

  • 4 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast – $1.36
  • ¾ cup warm water – $0.00
  • ½ cup granulated sugar – $0.22
  • 2 large eggs – $0.86
  • ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons butter – $0.84
  • 2 Tablespoons vegetable shortening – $0.10
  • 1 teaspoon salt – $0.01
  • 4-4 ½ cups all-purpose flour – $0.48

NOTE: The recipe prices are calculated by using grocery store websites. The recipe cost is calculated by the amounts needed for the recipe. The actual cost of the recipe will vary depending on what ingredients you already have. I updated the pricing for this recipe in August 2023.

All of the ingredients needed to make this recipe.

How To Make Crescent Rolls

***For complete recipe instructions, see the recipe card below.

  1. First, spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and set it aside. 
  2. Then, whisk together yeast and water until it has dissolved. 
  3. Mix in sugar, eggs, butter, shortening, and salt until combined. 
  4. Add two cups of flour and beat until smooth. 
  5. Then, add enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough that is slightly sticky. 
  6. Knead the dough on a floured surface for about eight minutes until it is elastic and smooth. 
  7. Spray a clean mixing bowl with nonstick cooking spray and set the dough in the bowl. Lightly spray the top of the dough with cooking spray and then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise until it has doubled in size. 
  8. Punch the dough down and then divide it into two balls. Roll each dough ball into a twelve-inch circle, brush each with one tablespoon of melted butter, and cut the dough into twelve wedges. 
  9. Next, roll the wedges from the wide end and place them two inches apart on the prepared baking sheet, point-side down. 
  10. Then, curve the ends to form crescents and cover the baking sheet loosely with greased plastic wrap. Allow the rolls to rise until they double. After thirty minutes of rising, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 
  11. Finally, bake for nine to twelve minutes and then brush with additional butter if desired and let them cool for at least ten minutes before serving. 

A picture collage showing how to make this recipe.

Recipe Variations and Substitutions:

  1. Whole Wheat or Multigrain Dough: Replace some or all of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour or a mixture of whole wheat and other whole-grain flour to add a nuttier flavor and increased nutritional value to the rolls.
  2. Sweet Filling: Add a sweet filling to the rolled-out dough before shaping. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or dried fruit onto the dough, then roll and shape as usual.
  3. Savory Fillings: Experiment with savory fillings like grated cheese, cooked bacon bits, herbs, or even pesto to create a more savory version of the crescent rolls.
  4. Glazes and Toppings: Brush the baked crescent rolls with different glazes like honey, maple syrup, or a simple powdered sugar and milk glaze for added sweetness and shine. You can also sprinkle sesame seeds, poppy seeds, nuts, or grated cheese on top before baking.
  5. Herb-Infused Dough: Add finely chopped fresh herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, dill, or parsley, to the dough for a fragrant and flavorful twist.
  6. Stuffed Crescent Rolls: Instead of plain crescents, you can stuff them with various fillings like ham and cheese, turkey and cranberry sauce, or spinach and feta.
  7. Gluten-Free Version: Use a gluten-free flour blend instead of all-purpose flour to create gluten-free crescent rolls.
  8. Vegan or Dairy-Free Variation: Replace dairy-based ingredients like eggs, butter, and milk with vegan alternatives such as plant-based milk, vegan butter, and egg replacers to make a vegan-friendly recipe.

Crescent Rolls Recipe Serving and Storage Tips:

Make Ahead: While these Crescent Rolls are best served freshly baked and warm, you can make them the night before your holiday dinner. Don’t brush them with butter when they come out of the oven. Cool them to room temperature, then place them in a zipper-top bag. Before dinner, warm them in a 250°F oven for 5 minutes and then brush them with melted butter.

Serve: The crescent rolls can be enjoyed plain, with butter, jam, or even as a base for sandwiches.

Store: Once cooled, store the crescent rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. For more extended storage, refrigerate them, but remember that refrigeration might affect the texture.

Freeze: To freeze, allow the baked crescent rolls to cool completely, then place them in a freezer-safe container or resealable plastic bag, separating layers with parchment paper. Freeze for up to 2-3 months.

Thaw: When ready to use frozen crescent rolls, remove them from the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature for a few hours. You can also reheat them directly from frozen.

Reheat: Warm the crescent rolls in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 5-10 minutes or until heated. You can also microwave them for about 15-20 seconds per roll, but be cautious as microwaving might affect the texture more than oven reheating.

One of the Crescent Rolls cut in half so you can see the soft, fluffy interior.

Homemade Crescent Rolls FAQs:

Are crescent rolls and croissants the same thing?

Both have a similar shape, but they are entirely different. Crescent rolls are a type of bread, and croissants are a pastry.

How do you roll perfect crescent rolls?

First, split the dough into two dough balls.
Flatten each dough ball into a 12-inch circle, coat each with a tablespoon of melted butter, and slice into 12 wedges.
Then, starting from the wider side, roll the wedges and position them 2 inches apart on the baking sheet, placing the pointed end down.
Shape the ends into crescents.
Loosely cover the baking sheet with greased plastic wrap and allow it to double in size, taking around 45-60 minutes.

What do crescent rolls bake at?

These rolls will bake at 375 degrees F for about nine to twelve minutes. Once they are slightly golden brown on top, they are done baking.

More Bread Recipes:

An overhead picture of Crescent Rolls piled on a plate.
4.50 from 12 votes

Homemade Crescent Rolls

Recipe Cost $ $3.87
Serving Cost $ $0.16
Prep Time 2 hours 24 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 36 minutes
24 rolls
These homemade golden Crescent Rolls are always the star of any dinner or holiday feast. They’re tender, buttery, and extraordinary!

Equipment

  • mixing bowls
  • measuring cups and spoons
  • whisk
  • handheld mixer
  • rolling pin
  • knife
  • pastry brush

Ingredients
 
 

  • 4 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast or 2 ¼ oz packages
  • ¾ cup warm water between 110-115 degrees F
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • ¼ cup butter at room temperature
  • 2 Tablespoons vegetable shortening at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4-4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tablespoons melted butter plus more for brushing rolls (optional)

Instructions

Prep Baking Sheet:

  • Spray standard-sized baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray set aside.

Make Dough:

  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together yeast and water until dissolved.
  • Mix in sugar, eggs, butter, shortening, and salt until combined.
  • Add 2 cups flour and use a handheld mixer to beat until smooth.
  • Add enough remaining flour to form a slightly sticky, soft dough.
  • Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until elastic and smooth, about 8 minutes.

Rise Dough:

  • Lightly spray a large, clean mixing bowl with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Place dough in a bowl, and lightly spray the top with cooking spray.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in a warm place, about 90 minutes.

Shape Rolls:

  • Deflate the dough by punching it down, and divide it into two dough balls.
  • Roll out each dough ball into a 12-inch circle, brush each with one tablespoon of melted butter, and cut into 12 wedges.
  • Roll wedges from the wide end and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet, point-side down.
  • Curve the ends to form crescents.
  • Cover the baking sheet loosely with greased plastic wrap, and rise until it is doubled, about 45-60 minutes.

Preheat Oven:

  • After 30 minutes of rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bake and Cool:

  • Bake for 9-12 minutes or until deliciously golden.
  • Brush with additional butter if desired.
  • Let the rolls cool for at least 10 minutes, and serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 1roll | Calories: 149kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 130mg | Potassium: 52mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 111IU | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg

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10 Comments

  1. These are a family favorite! I can’t wait to make these for Thanksgiving! So delicious and yummy!

  2. Noelle Simpson says:

    Yum! This was the perfect roll for a dinner side, everyone loved it! Thanks for sharing

  3. Jersey Girl Cooks says:

    I could always eat a fresh crescent roll! Great for the holidays too.

  4. Lisa Lotts says:

    It’s not a holiday without crescent rolls. These look absolutely perfect, flaky and delicious. I can’t wait to try them for Thanksgiving.

  5. I have used the same crescent roll recipe for ages. I lost it! This was a really great recipe. I will definitely be using it again.

  6. Penny Lee says:

    Easy to make used a little less four, puffed up quite big. Tasted heavy on the yeast flavor thoigh. I made a dozen and froze a dozen. Picky husband liked them.

  7. These rolls turned out perfectly! I can’t wait to make them again!

  8. Sara Welch says:

    This was such a fun and surprisingly easy recipe to make! Turned out perfectly light, fluffy and delicious; way better than any store bought version too!

  9. These crescent rolls always turn out perfectly every time I make them! This is one of our family’s favorite homemade rolls!

  10. Carrie Robinson says:

    I usually just buy the stuff that comes in the cans at the grocery store. I can’t wait to try this homemade version soon! 🙂