These gluten-free crescent rolls are a must-have at the holiday table! They’re soft, buttery, and fluffy — everything a delicious roll should be!
This post has all the tips and tricks you need to make homemade gluten-free crescent rolls. I hope they bring a smile to your face like they do for our family!
If you think eating gluten-free means giving up warm, buttery rolls, think again! I tested this recipe repeatedly to recreate the soft, fluffy crescent rolls I used to love.
My Mom used to make crescent rolls for Thanksgiving dinner every year. I’ve never been able to successfully make them gluten-free until I discovered this gluten-free bread flour! (Not sponsored!)
These buttery gluten-free crescent rolls can be rolled up into that classic crescent shape just like traditional rolls made with all purpose flour. Better yet, they’re even easier to make!
Since most crescent roll recipes call for two rises of the dough, they can seem intimidating and time-consuming. But with this recipe, the dough only needs to rise once! They really are a lot easier to make than you would think.
I love using whole milk and almond flour to make these crescent rolls rich in flavor and beautifully golden in color. I also have options to make these rolls nut-free and dairy-free.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy, gluten-free rolls
- Light and fluffy
- Perfect for holiday dinners
- Only need one rise
For more favorite gluten-free bread recipes, try these gluten-free breadsticks, gluten-free pizza crust, gluten-free garlic bread, gluten-free rolls and gluten-free biscuits.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For Roll Dough
- Gluten-free Bread Flour: I’ve been loving using this gluten-free bread flour that contains gluten-free wheat starch and xanthan gum. It makes dough that is very easy to work with and gives the texture of traditional baked goods!
- Almond Flour: I add a little almond flour along with the gluten-free bread flour fore more flavor and browning. I use this same trick with my gluten-free chocolate chip cookies and gluten-free banana bread! For nut-free options, see the tips below.
- Water/milk: Warm water is mixed into the dough with eggs and melted butter. I also like using warm, whole milk to make more flavorful, buttery crescent rolls.
- Sugar: Domino fine granulated sugar is my favorite for this recipe!
- Baking powder: Any baking powder brand will work for this recipe. It’s essential for helping to create tender, fluffy gluten free rolls!
- Instant yeast: Be sure to use instant yeast for this gluten free crescent rolls recipe, which can be mixed right into the ingredients. (Active dry yeast must be mixed in water before adding to the dry ingredients.)
- Eggs: Two large, room temperature eggs are used to help bind the dough and create a rich flavor.
- Butter: I like using salted butter rather than unsalted butter. It has more depth of flavor!
- Salt: I like using fine sea salt for this crescent roll recipe.
Gluten-Free Bread Flour
This gluten-free bread flour really is the secret ingredient for amazing gluten-free crescent rolls. Unfortunately, other flour blends like gluten-free 1:1 baking flour won’t yield the same results.
I like combining gluten-free bread flour with a little of another flour, like almond flour, to give the rolls more flavor. The bread flour yields amazing texture, but can taste slightly bland on its own. If you can’t use almond flour, oat flour, sorghum flour or buckwheat flour are all great choices!
For Finishing the Rolls
- Butter: As with the crescent roll dough, I like using salted butter for the top of the rolls. It makes a real difference in the depth of flavor!
- Egg: Once the crescent rolls rise, you’ll brush them with an egg wash. This adds flavor and enhances the presentation, giving the rolls a nice shine!
You also might like these gluten-free scones or this gluten-free cornbread!
How to Make Gluten-Free Crescent Rolls
Make the Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the gluten-free flour, almond flour, granulated sugar, instant yeast, baking powder and salt. Mix to evenly combine.
- With the mixer running on low, slowly add the water, milk, eggs and melted butter. Turn the speed up to medium and mix for 3 minutes until very smooth. The dough will resemble thick cookie dough. This is normal!
- Use an oiled spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes. (Refrigerating the dough makes it easier to roll out.)
Shape the Rolls
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- On a lightly floured surface, scoop out ½ of the yeast-leavened dough. Roll into a 12-inch circle.
- Brush the top of the dough with melted butter, about 2 tablespoons per circle. (You’ll use the rest of the melted butter to brush on the rolls after they bake.)
- Use a pizza cutter to slice the circle into 12 long triangles. (Mine usually vary in size and it’s just fine!)
- Roll up wedges from the wide end and place point side down 2-inches apart on greased baking sheets or a parchment-lined baking sheet. Curve the ends to form crescents.
- Cover the gluten free rolls and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45-60 minutes.
Bake the Crescent Rolls
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Whisk together the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and a pinch of salt until smooth. (The salt helps to liquify the egg wash so don’t skip it!) Brush the risen rolls with the egg wash.
- Bake for 22-26 minutes, until starting to turn golden brown on the edges.
- Remove from the oven immediately and brush the baked crescent rolls with melted butter.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Storage Instructions
These crescent rolls taste the very best when enjoyed shortly after baking.
TO STORE: Place the gluten-free crescent rolls in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to three days. I like to refresh the rolls by slicing them in half, spreading them with a little butter and broiling the rolls for 2-3 minutes until warm/toasty.
TO FREEZE: Place the cooled rolls in a zip-top freezer bag, press air out and seal tightly. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature and refresh by warming in the oven or microwave.
For more gluten-free holiday sides, try this gluten-free gravy, gluten-free stuffing, gluten-free green bean casserole, gluten-free sweet potato casserole, gluten-free cornbread sausage stuffing and roasted sweet potatoes.
FAQs
No, Pillsbury doesn’t make gluten-free crescent rolls. However, you can buy gluten-free crescent roll mix from brands like Mom’s Place. Or, if you prefer, you can make homemade gluten-free crescent rolls using gluten-free flour.
Crescent rolls and croissants both have a similar crescent shape, but they’re different in texture and flavor. Croissant dough is laminated, which means that butter is folded into the dough multiple times to create thin, flaky layers. In contrast, crescent rolls are made by rising yeasted dough once or twice to create a bread-like roll.
Yes, crescent rolls are made from a yeasted dough that rises once or twice to create a light, fluffy consistency. If the recipe calls for instant yeast, the yeast can be added right into the dry ingredients. If the recipe calls for active dry yeast, it must be activated in warm water before adding to the other ingredients.
Serve these with gluten-free pot roast or gluten-free beef stew for a comforting meal!
Expert Tips & Tricks
- This gluten-free bread flour really is the secret ingredient for amazing gluten-free crescent rolls. Unfortunately other flour blends like gluten-free 1:1 baking flour won’t yield the same results.
- I like using this silicone baking mat with circle measurements to roll out the dough. It’s helpful for measuring the 12-inch circle.
- I prefer using the paddle attachment on my stand mixer when making these crescent rolls, rather than the dough attachment. I find the it mixes the dough more evenly.
- I highly recommend using salted butter for this recipe. It provides the best depth of flavor!
- Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before shaping to make it easier to work with. Also, be sure to flour your work surface and rolling pin while rolling out the dough.
- NUT-FREE: I like to add another flour to add more flavor to these rolls. The gluten-free bread flour can be a little bland on it’s own. If you can’t use almond flour, oat flour, sorghum flour or buckwheat flour are all great choices! You could also simply use more bread flour in place of almond flour.
- DAIRY-FREE: I like using Elmhurst Unsweetened Cashew milk in place of whole milk. It has a similar fat content to whole milk, and doesn’t have any added gums or stabilizers that could interfere with the rise/crumb of the rolls. I also use vegan butter in place of the butter.
MORE GLUTEN-FREE BREAD RECIPES
I hope you love these gluten-free crescent rolls as much as we do! If you try these gluten-free crescent rolls, be sure to leave me a comment/rating below. I’d love to hear from you!
Buttery, Gluten-Free Crescent Rolls
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 4 cup (600g) King Arthur Gluten-Free Bread Flour
- 2/3 cup (75g) almond flour or another flour of choice for flavor, see note
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast 1 packet
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup (236ml) water, warm
- 1 cup (236ml) whole milk, warm see note for dairy-free
- 2 large eggs
- 4 tablespoons (56g) butter, melted
Additional Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 8 tablespoons (113g) butter, melted
Instructions
Make the Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the gluten-free flour, almond flour, granulated sugar, instant yeast, salt and baking powder. Mix to evenly combine.
- With the mixer running on low, slowly add the water, milk, eggs and melted butter. Turn the speed up to medium and mix for 3 minutes until very smooth. The dough will resemble thick cookie dough. This is normal!
- Use an oiled spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes. (Refrigerating the dough makes it easier to roll out.)
Shape the Rolls
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- On a lightly floured surface, scoop out ½ of the dough. Roll into a 12-inch circle. Brush the top of the dough with melted butter, about 2 tablespoons per circle. (You’ll use the rest of the melted butter to brush on the rolls after they bake.)
- Use a pizza cutter to slice the circle into 12 equal wedges. (Mine usually vary in size and it’s just fine!) Roll up wedges from the wide end and place point side down 2-inches apart on greased baking sheets. Curve the ends to form crescents.
- Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45-60 minutes.
Bake the Rolls
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Whisk together the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and a pinch of salt until smooth. (The salt helps to liquify the egg wash so don’t skip it!) Brush the risen rolls with the egg wash.
- Bake for 22-26 minutes, until starting to turn golden on the edges. Remove from the oven immediately and brush the rolls with melted butter.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- This gluten-free bread flour really is the secret ingredient for amazing gluten-free crescent rolls. Unfortunately other flour blends like gluten-free 1:1 baking flour won’t yield the same results.
- I like using this silicone baking mat with circle measurements to roll out the dough. It’s helpful for measuring the 12-inch circle.
- I prefer using the paddle attachment on my stand mixer when making these crescent rolls, rather than the dough attachment. I find the it mixes the dough more evenly.
- I highly recommend using salted butter for this recipe. It provides the best depth of flavor!
- Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before shaping to make it easier to work with. Also, be sure to flour your work surface and rolling pin while rolling out the dough.
- NUT-FREE: I like to add another flour to add more flavor to these rolls. The gluten-free bread flour can be a little bland on it’s own. If you can’t use almond flour, oat flour, sorghum flour or buckwheat flour are great choices! You could also simply use more bread flour in place of almond flour.
- DAIRY-FREE: I like using Elmhurst Unsweetened Cashew milk in place of whole milk. It has a similar fat content to whole milk, and doesn’t have any added gums or stabilizers that could interfere with the rise/crumb of the rolls. I also use vegan butter in place of the butter.
I’ve loved your recipes but I tried making these yesterday and they didn’t turn out well for me. I precisely weighed all my ingredients- which btw the recipe doesn’t say where to put the baking powder, so I assumed with the dry ingredients :). Mine came out dense and thick. I still have half the recipe in the refrigerator. I’m thinking of rolling it out a little thinner. Any ideas why it would come out dense?
I’m sorry to hear this! Did you use the gluten-free bread flour linked in the recipe? These rolls will turn out dense unless they’re made with that specific flour.
I’m guessing you add the baking powder with the other dry ingredients in the beginning, right? Can’t wait to try these!
Made these the other day and they turned out super well! Even my gluten eating friends thought they were great. Will definitely be making an appearance at the thanksgiving table this year.
Thanks Wade! I’m so glad they turned out for you!
Hi.
I read the gluten free flour ingredients that contain wheat,.
Is this flour safe?
The flour contains gluten-removed wheat starch. I have celiac and don’t react to it. Here is what the website says: The gluten-free wheat starch used in this product goes through additional gluten-free testing using both the R5 ELISA Sandwich and R5 ELISA Competitive methods to ensure it meets standards. Once produced, the final Gluten-Free Pizza Flour and Gluten-Free Bread Flour are tested again to ensure a strict gluten-free standard of less than 20ppm, with a target of less than 10ppm, is met for the finished product.
Words can’t even explain how happy I am to find this recipe! Crescent rolls are my son’s favorite and he hasn’t been able to eat them since going gluten free. These are amazing!
Everyone loved the softness of these crescent rolls! They are also indeed buttery and fluffy. But what I love the most about this recipe is it’s Gluten-free! I freeze some for the coming days!
These turned out so yummy and flakey! A new favorite recipe.
I made these the day they were released!!! I have tried a couple other GF crescent roll recipes and they’ve been…ok. I knew I had to try these because the chocolate chip cookies from Erin are a household favorite! Sure enough, these were easy peasy and came out just like the picture and tasted amazing!!! I decided to make a half recipe and should have made a full recipe to freeze some as they are all gone!! These will be on the rotation in this house for sure!! Thank you for another amazing recipe!!
Hooray! So fun you made them the day they were released! I’m happy they turned out for you – great to hear! 🙂
I can’t wait to try this recipe! Can I add psyllium to regular gluten free flour to do this? I have had great success with every recipe I have tried!
thanks
Unfortunately this recipe was designed specifically with the gluten-free bread flour so that won’t work! I do have this roll recipe you might like though: https://meaningfuleats.com/gluten-free-1-hour-pull-apart-dinner-rolls-dairy-free-egg-free-options/
Do you think this recipe could also be used as a base for pizza rolls?
I never knew king Arthur made a GF bread flour. I’ve never seen it in my store. What I have to order it online.
It’s an awesome product! Hope you like it if you try it!
Boy they look great and I would love to make these for my husband(he is gluten sensitive). However it appears King Arthur does not sell the gf bread flour on the Amazon site in Canada. What a shame. Thanks for sharing though.
I’m sure these are delicious. Will you be offering an oat flour dinner roll recipe this season?
I don’t have that planned for this season! I’ll add it to my list of ideas though 🙂