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If thereโs one roll that disappears first, itโs a warm, buttery crescent. These are soft, layered, and genuinely doableโno all-day lamination. We use quick folds and short freezer rests to lock in flaky layers, so they bake up golden and tender for your holiday table or Sunday roast.
**Heads up, there are a ton of step-by-step shots in the post, if you just want the recipe scroll down through them.
Why These Crescents Work
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Quick, approachable lamination (three book folds) builds real layers without traditional croissant timing.
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Freezer rests keep butter cold = flakier, more defined layers.
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Dough is soft but workable; rises once after shaping so you can bake the same day.
Sooo, itโs time we talk about these easy extra flaky homemade crescent rolls.
Cause you know, extra flaky is the best.
When theyโre extra flaky, that means extra buttery, a combo that can never be beat.
In my family? Well, we all love our rolls. In my opinion, you canโt do Thanksgiving (or Christmas) without really, really good rolls.ย Obsessed much? Definitely.
There are a lot of foods that I have always wanted make. I have this list running in my head (that I should really write down because my head is too full of lists as it is) of classic foods that I want to cook/bake. It may seem odd that I have a list of classic foods, since all I tend to do around here is twist the classics into something totally new. But to be totally honest, I think the classics will always be the best. Theyโre timeless you know? Plus, typically they are simple, full of flavor, and pretty straight forward. And ok, they are mostly all comfort, cozy foodsโฆ which you all know I adore.
Last year, I decided to be all crazy and makeย Croissants. Not sure what the heck I was thinking at the time because wow, those things are a labor of love, BUT it was still worth the effort. AND believe it or not I actually make them regularly now. After the first couple of times, you get the hang of things and now itโs a simple recipe for me to do. We LOVE um. Like I make them for every special occasion and yeah, that does include out twenty + Christmas clan too. You can all call me insane now, I totally am.
But really though, if you have a little time you should try making these Croissants for one of your holiday gatherings. The best.
For this Thanksgiving though, I really wanted to try Crescent Rolls. Way back when I was still in middle school and my family was still living in Ohio, my mom would occasionally buy Pillsbury Crescent rolls for Sunday dinner or her Thanksgiving gathering. They where always the best. I mean, they came from everyoneโs favorite dough boy so what do you expect? Always good.
My goal for these rolls was to create a โcopy catโ of the Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, but to also keep the recipe easy so that everyone can actually make them, and make them with success. I mean, no one wants any failures on Thanksgiving.
That is the worst.
I was actually really surprised at how easy it was to โeasifyโย these crescents rolls. The process of making them is actually very similar to making croissants, but easier and much quicker, using only a few simple steps.
You are still going to have to roll the dough out five different timesโฆ which yes, I know, sounds horrible. Sorry, but you need to do this to create those classic flaky layers. I promise, itโs not that hard. You can make these in just a couple of hours AND this dough is super easy to work with. Meaning it isย one of those doughs that isnโt hard to roll out. Yes!
Oh, and then, I made some butter.
Well, I didnโt make butter. Like churn it and all that, but I made cranberry toasted coconut butter (winning combo, guys!) to slather all over these rolls.
Obviously.
Really though, canโt you see just how good these are? All warm and buttery and perfect.
Easy Extra Flaky Homemade Crescent Rolls.
Ingredients
Crescent Rolls
- 1/4 cup very warm water, but not boiling water
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast, one packet
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup warm milk, not boiling
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted or softened
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 8 tablespoons salted butter, softened
- 1 egg, beaten and or melted butter, for brushing
Cranberry Toasted Coconut Butter (OPTIONAL)
- 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon grated orange peel, or more to your taste
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or large glass bowl, combine the warm water, yeast and sugar. Mix until combined. Let the mixture sit for about five minutes until it smells like bread and is foamy.
- Once the yeast has proofed and is foamy, add the warm milk, egg, butter, salt and flour. Using a dough hook, knead the dough on medium-high speed for about five minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. It will seem sticky at first, but keep mixing (or kneading by hand*) and it will become smooth.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a floured work surface. Knead the dough into a smooth ball. Grease the bowl that you mixed the dough in and set the dough back in the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, remove dough from fridge and roll out on a lightly floured surface to a large rectangle thatโs about 1/4th inch thick. Spread the softened butter all over dough, leaving an inch around the sides of the rectangle, being careful not to break through dough with butter.
- Fold one half of the rectangle towards the center and fold the other half over as well on top of the first layer so you have three dough layers, cover with plastic wrap and place in freezer for 10 minutes.
- Roll out dough again to a long rectangle (being careful of the butterโroll gently) and fold dough again into thirds like a book. Place back in freezer for 10 more minutes. Repeat this process two more times for a total of three folds (and 30 minutes in the freezer)
- After the three folds, you can either proceed with the directions or you can wrap your dough tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight or up to three days.
- To proceed, using a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife cut the dough in half lengthwise, and then cut the dough into triangles. Using both hands, roll the crescent up. Place on a baking sheet about 2-3 inches apart, cover with a towel and set in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Before baking, brush each crescent with the beaten egg wash. Bake rolls for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden brown. If desired brush with melted butter. Serve warm along side the cranberry toasted coconut butter (recipe is below) if desired.
Cranberry Toasted Coconut Butter
- Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Spread coconut in thin layer on an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake 5 to 10 minutes until toasted. Cool 5 minutes. In large bowl, beat butter, maple, and orange peel with electric mixer on medium speed until honey is whipped into butter. Using rubber spatula, fold in cooled toasted coconut and dried cranberries. Transfer to serving bowl and serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate, and use within 1 week.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Sorry Pillsbury dough boy, but you ainโt got nothinโ on that. Nothinโ.
Heated water to 110 F as the package of yeast recommended. Did same for milk to not kill yeast. Will bake tomorrow.
I hope you love the recipe, Bob!!
I made these today and while theyโre not difficult, they are a bit time consuming (which is ok, because theyโre worth it!) It wasnโt clear if you butter each layer or do it all at once, as some comment replies are contradictory. In the end, I portioned the butter and added to each layer – they turned out really well!
Hey Kelly,
Happy Sunday!! Love to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for making it and your comment!! Yes, you can add the butter to each layer:)
I am not a baker. When I make baked goods from scratch, itโs always a craps shoot as to how itโs going to turn out. These were INCREDIBLE! The best things Iโve ever baked. Hit of thanksgiving dinner. Hardest part was having the patience to wait (oh, and rolling out the dough after you freeze it a bit too long, but need them done by a certain time so you canโt wait for it to soften – donโt make my mistake ha!).
Hey Rachel,
Thank you so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was a winner! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! xx
Tiegan, I don’t understand how much softened butter and when to spread it on the dough. It seems like you’ve given 2 different answers:
1. to spread all 8 tablespoons ONLY the first time the dough is rolled out.
2. to spread the butter “every time” you roll out the dough, in which case you would need more butter.
I think you mean option 1: spread all of the butter on the dough before you fold it the first time.
Am I correct? I’m looking forward to trying this recipe!
Hi Christine,
So sorry for any confusion!! You are going to spread the butter all over the dough in step 4. I hope this helps! Let me know how these turn out for you:) xx
I am confused about the spread of the butter: only the first time? Or each time you fold the dough? Becuase I read: Erika
November 25, 2020 at 1:59 PM
Do you only butter the rolls once with the first fold??
REPLY
Tieghan
November 27, 2020 at 11:51 AM
Hey Erika,
Yes, that is correct. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan and later on this:
Colleen
May 11, 2020 at 9:24 AM
I want to try this recipe, do you spread with butter each time you roll out the dough or just the first? Tieghan
May 12, 2020 at 3:28 PM
Hi Colleen,
You do the butter each time you roll out the dough! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan.
Sorry to bother you with the same question. How many times you butter the dough, please?
Hi Maria,
Sorry for any confusion, you are going to spread with butter in step 6 and repeat the process 2 additional times adding butter each time. I hope this makes sense! Let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Can you freeze the baked crescent rolls and serve them later? If so, what’s the best way to defrost?
Hey Nell,
Totally, just allow them to thaw on the counter at room temp. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
This recipe is amazing! So easy and delicious. Thank you for making something that seemed impossible so simple to make.
Hey Kelly,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy New Year!? xxT
Roughly how long and how wide do you roll the dough?
Hey Terry,
Sorry, I don’t have exact dimensions, but a rectangle is what you are aiming for, if you refer to the photos above that should help! xx
For how long should I leave to thaw once out of the freezer?
Hi Elizabeth,
You will want to thaw for a few hours:) xx
Made these for Thanksgiving today. They are delicious. I have notes on what to do better for next time. Can’t wait to make for Christmas to go with Gumbo.
Hi Tina,
I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for trying it out! Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
These look amazing, can I use instant yeast? Thanks
Hey Kellee,
You bet, just add it right in with the flour! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Do you only butter the rolls once with the first fold??
Hey Erika,
Yes, that is correct. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
Hi, Do I use whole or skim milk? Thanks for your time.
Hey Jeanean,
Either one will work! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I want to try this recipe, do you spread with butter each time you roll out the dough or just the first? Love your blog, soooo many recipes Iโm going to try. Beautifully photographed, love how you show so many steps. Thank you for your beautiful blog. Iโm going to look for your cookbooks, I have a large collection and am always looking for more. Good time to be trying new recipes with self isolation. Stage safe and keep on cooking.?
Hi Colleen,
You do the butter each time you roll out the dough! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Iโm completely confused. I spread the 8 tablespoons of butter on the first rollout. Do you spread additional 8 tablespoons of butter after each roll? I just used 8 tablespoons one time. PLEASE advise.