Homemade Crescent Rolls (No-Knead Recipe)

4.86 from 14 votes

By Katie

April 19, 2025

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These Homemade Crescent Rolls are simple enough to make any weekday but fancy enough for any holiday (I’m looking at you Easter and Thanksgiving!). They are the easiest recipe and require ZERO KNEADING! It’s a perfect, buttery roll that tastes simply amazing!

Crescent Rolls Made Easy

You guys, this might be the laziest bread recipe I’ve ever made. All you need is a large bowl, a wooden spoon and a little bit of elbow grease. Aaaand lots of butter. Buttery crescent rolls are only as good as the dough you’re using and this is a good one: it’s an enriched dough filled with milk, egg, sugar and butter. After you make your dough in your bowl (with no kneading required!) you let it rise, form it into crescents, rise and bake.

Ingredients Needed For Homemade Crescent Rolls

Just like any bread recipe, this list of ingredients is pretty darn basic. Lots of pantry staples here! The biggest key is using fresh yeast. Double check your expiration dates before getting started.

water, quick rise yeast + honey– I like proofing my yeast in a little warm water and honey before I add it in with the rest of my ingredients. This allows you to give it a head start but more importantly it lets you know whether or not your yeast is still good. Aim for 107-100° F.
sugar– I love a good sweet roll and these would probably qualify as that. If you just want a normal crescent that is more savory, cut the sugar in half.
egg– adding eggs to bread recipes makes the dough taste richer, gives color and creates a finer crumb. The more you know…
melted butter– I add melted butter to the dough and even more butter to the dough before I roll them up into crescents, so obviously these are very tasty.
all purpose flour + salt– flour is needed for the gluten and salt adds flavor. Please oh please don’t forget the salt! You won’t notice when salt is added in but you will absolutely notice when salt was forgotten.

Flat lay of baking ingredients including all-purpose flour, salt, egg, granulated sugar, honey, milk, melted butter, warm water, and quick rise yeast, with a rolling pin.

How to Make Homemade Crescent Rolls

Ok, prepare yourselves for the easiest (most buttery!) homemade Crescent Roll recipe ever. For full recipe details and ingredient measurements, scroll down to the printable recipe card below. Here are my easy step by step directions. Let’s get started!

1. Proof Yeast

Stir warm water, honey, and quick rise yeast together in a large bowl. Set aside to proof.

A liquid is being poured from a measuring cup into a clear Pyrex measuring jug on a countertop with a pink cloth and green-handled utensil nearby.

A hand pours dry yeast from a small bowl into a glass measuring cup filled with water.

2. Add to Yeast Mixture

Melt butter. Pour in some cold milk to make it a lukewarm mixture. Pour into the yeast mixture. Add in an egg, sugar, and salt. Stir well.

Milk is being poured into a glass bowl containing cracked eggs, with a pink towel in the background.

A metal whisk rests in a glass bowl containing a yellow liquid mixture, placed on a light surface near a pink textured cloth.

3. Add Flour

Add flour in 1/2 cup increments stirring well after each. Add flour until the sides of the bowl become clean and the dough is sticky but not sticky enough to stick to your hands.

A measuring cup with flour is held over a glass bowl containing a foamy liquid mixture, with a pink towel and a rolling pin in the background.

A hand stirs flour into dough in a glass bowl with a spatula; a rolling pin and pink cloth are visible in the background.

4. Cover Dough + Let Rise

Grease your bowl and dough, cover with plastic wrap and set aside for the first dough rise (1-2 hours).

A hand uses a pink silicone brush to spread oil inside a clear glass mixing bowl on a white surface with a pink cloth nearby.

Hands kneading dough in a clear glass bowl with a pastel rolling pin and cloth in the background.

5. Punch Dough Down

Punch down dough and cut into two.

A hand is punching down risen dough in a glass bowl.

A hand sifts flour through a metal sieve, creating a fine layer of flour on a light surface below.

6. Roll Dough Out + Cut into Triangles

Working with one of the halves, on a lightly floured surface, roll it out into a 12×8″ rectangle. Brush dough generously with butter. Cut into 6-8 even triangular pieces using a pizza cutter or sharp knife. If you’re using a ruler, I measured 2 1/2 inches for each base.

Hands using a green rolling pin to flatten dough on a floured surface.

A hand uses a pink silicone brush to spread liquid over a rectangular sheet of dough on a floured surface.

7. Roll Each Triangle into a Crescent

Starting at the wide end, roll each piece into a crescent shape. Place onto baking sheet. Set aside for a second rise in a warm place. Optional step: brush rolls with a simple egg wash to help with browning.

Hands rolling dough into croissant shapes on a floured surface, with three unbaked croissants and dough pieces visible.

A pastry brush applies an egg wash to unbaked croissants on a baking tray.

8. Bake

Preheat oven to 350° F. Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Optional step: spread more butter onto the hot baked rolls.

A baking tray lined with parchment paper holds eight uncooked, rolled croissant dough pieces, arranged in two rows.

A hand uses a red silicone brush to apply butter to a freshly baked crescent roll on a parchment-lined baking sheet with other rolls visible.

Storage + Make Ahead Directions

Any leftover crescent rolls can be stored at room temperature for up to 4 days OR in the fridge for up to one week. Be sure to store in an airtight container to preserve freshness.

Great Make-Ahead Dinner Roll

The beauty of this Crescent Roll recipe is you can make these in advance so they are ready to go for Easter brunch, Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas or any weeknight. Simply make the dough according to the recipe and follow the directions below.

Freezing Unbaked Crescent Rolls

Once rolls are formed and right before the second rise, stop! Place your baking sheet into the freezer for about two hours to freeze the crescent rolls. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 6 months. When ready to bake, thaw and let rise on a baking pan at room temperature. This should take about 2-3 hours in a warm kitchen. Once rolls are puffed and risen, bake as normal.

Freezing Baked Crescent Rolls

Follow the directions all the way through and let your rolls cool completely. Once cooled, transfer to a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, simply place on baking sheet frozen and warm in a 250° F oven for 10-15 minutes.

Crescent Roll Recipes to Try!

Cheesy-Stuffed Garlic Butter Crescent Rolls
Pepperoni Pizza Rolls Recipe
Peach Dumplings or Apple Dumplings
Cheese Danish Recipe (Or really any of my Danish Recipes!)
Pigs in a Blanket

These flaky crescent rolls are soft, buttery, and absolutely worth the extra few minutes in the kitchen. Make a double batch—trust me, they disappear fast! The printable recipe card is below! Enjoy and happy baking 🙂

If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.