Gluten-free crescent rolls that are literally the BEST you have ever tasted! Thanks to a special blend of gluten-free flour, they are flaky, fluffy and so delicious. Nobody would ever know they are gluten-free!
Seriously, these pillowy pockets of gluten-free bread will be your new favorite comfort food. They are fantastic on their own, stuffed with chocolate.
I also love them made into the BEST Hawaiian slider rolls or ham and turkey sandwiches . Or really, any of our other gluten-free sandwiches.
Gluten-Free Crescent Rolls
I can’t even tell you guys how amazing these gluten-free crescent rolls are! You will literally never need another gluten-free roll recipe again. And guess what? You can even make them into gluten-free sourdough crescent rolls!
Do you guys remember our BEST gluten-free cinnamon rolls that are getting rave reviews? Well, these crescent rolls were developed from their base. So you know they are going to be good!
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After years and years of working on this gluten-free crescent rolls recipe, my amazing mama finally perfected it!
I can’t say enough about how talented my mom is. In our cookbook, Gluten-Free on a Budget, she created 70% of the recipes. Including her famous flaky pie crust that can be rolled out and sliced into a lattice piecrust.
Now she’s achieved the impossible in creating what is truly the best gluten-free crescent roll. Her secret lies in the technique.
She figured out after many times of trial and error that she just couldn’t get enough buttery filling inside the rolls unless she used frozen butter.
The result of this technique is the best buttery delicious gluten-free crescent rolls. While this is an extra step, it’s the key and totally worth it.
You can use them to make rustic gluten-free croutons that go great over our gluten-free cream of chicken soup. I also love serving them with our gluten-free Mac and cheese and tater tot casserole.
They are great on their own or with the best chicken salad, crockpot chicken enchiladas or with rump roast.
Can I make them with gluten-free all-purpose flour?
I am going to say this loud and clear with stars around it. Not to seem abrasive, just so there is no misunderstanding…
**If you want this true crescent roll result, stick to the individual flours and ingredients in this recipe, rather than using a gluten-free flour blend. These measurements have been tested over and over to get the crescent rolls just perfect.**
With that being said, I have made them with high quality GF flour like Cup4Cup or King Arthur flour and both have turned out great. They just aren’t quite as amazing as when you blend your own flours.
Gluten free flour blends are not created equal so if you go this route, make sure you choose one of the blends I mention above.
How to make gluten-free crescent rolls
I love soup (hamburger soup is my favorite) and salad with fresh gluten free breads and these gluten-free croissants or crescent rolls are the best! They are perfect for everyone but especially those on a gluten-free diet or with celiac disease. They are great served at Thanksgiving with our Thanksgiving punch recipes non alcoholic as well as our non alcoholic mulled wine.
You can even make a double batch and wrap small pieces of gluten-free crescent roll dough around mini cocktail hot dogs for pigs in a blanket. It’s a great way to use the rest of the dough.
First, start by making sure to freeze or refrigerate 1 lb of butter that can be grated at least 6 hours before preparing these crescent rolls. If you are here and don’t have 6 hours, you can still grate it cold at a refrigerated temperature.
Place 2 T milled chia and 1/2 C warm water in a cup, let soak 2 minutes (as shown in photo 1). Meanwhile, dissolve rapid rise yeast and 1 T sugar in warm milk (heat milk slightly over stove on low or in the microwave), let sit to proof (as shown in photo 2 and 3).
Pro Tip: Use rapid rise yeast for BEST results
Using a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment or paddle attachment, or a large bowl, combine all flours, starches, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, sugar and gelatin (as shown in photo 4).
In another small bowl, mix the soaked milled chia and yeast mixture together with beaten egg, coconut oil, 1/2 cup butter, melted and apple cider vinegar (as shown in photo 5 and 6).
Slowly add that mixture to the flour mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer and combine until well blended (as shown in photo 7) and dough pulls from the side of the bowl.
Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a big circle disc shape or divide it in half and roll into two discs on saran wrap heavily sprinkled with white rice flour (as shown in photo 8).
Using a pizza wheel, cut into long triangles like you would pizza (as shown in photo 9).
Grate the frozen cold butter on to the disc before rolling it up (as shown in photo 10). So if you have two discs you’ll do half the butter on each.
Pro Tip: It’s important that it’s grated on after the discs are cut or the pizza wheel will pick up pieces of the butter and make a mess
Rollup each piece into the crescent shape, rolling from large end to small end (as shown in photo 11).
Pro Tip: Tuck the grated butter in as you roll the crescents up
**You can also just grate this extra butter into the dough before rolling it out (like I do here in my gluten-free sourdough crescent rolls). I have done that a lot lately and it seems to help with butter melting onto the pan.
Place on a cookie sheet at least two inches apart (as shown in photo 12) on a prepared baking sheet. Let them rise for 1 hour on bread proof (100 degree oven) or in a warm place covered with plastic wrap.
Bake for approximately 18 minutes at 350 degrees until golden brown, depending on how dark you like them.
Pro Tip: Brush on more melted butter after they come out of the oven if desired.
Can you make these dairy-free?
Yes, you definitely can make them dairy free! Just be sure to use full-fat canned coconut milk in place of the regular milk. The high fat content in it makes them turn out great just like our gluten free garlic bread.
Also, you will need to use dairy-free butter sticks that have been frozen when grating onto the dough. Earth Balance has some that I’ve heard work very well.
How do I store these gluten-free crescent rolls? Do they freeze well?
These rolls are fantastic right out of the oven nice and warm, but they are also good at room temperature the next day.
Once they have cooled, you can store them in an airtight container. They are good for up to 5 days at room temperature on the counter but are best within the first 3 days.
You can also make a double batch and freeze them. You can also make the crescent rolls up until the point where you are going to let them rise and instead, place them on a baking sheet and flash freeze for 1 hour then place in a freezer bag.
When you are ready to cook them, just pull them out of the freezer and place them in the oven on bread proof or 100 degrees for an hour to an hour and 15 minutes to rise. Then bake them as directed.
If you love this recipe, please let us know below. Consider leaving a comment, a rating or sharing on social media. We are so grateful for wonderful readers like YOU! Here are some other great recipes…
- Flaky Raspberry Toaster Pastries
- Gluten-Free Biscuits (Fluffy Buttermilk)
- BEST Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
And if you need to make rolls alongside these crescents, my friend Michelle of My Gluten-Free Kitchen has a delicious gluten-free pull-apart dinner rolls. Or get baking up a delicious pizza crust with this easy gluten-free pizza crust recipe.
If you’ve been interested in what it means means to do baking gluten-free bread in a bread maker, my friend Jules has a great tutorial! If you are Keto, give this 90 second Keto bread a try!
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Gluten-Free Crescent Rolls (The BEST Ever!)
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- 1 cup white sticky flour sweet rice flour
- 1 cup tapioca starch
- 1 cup potato starch
- 1/2 cup arrowroot powder
- 3 tsp. xanthan gum
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 tsp. salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. gelatin
Yeast Mixture
- 1 T rapid rise yeast regular yeast works but you will have a much longer rise time
- 1 T sugar
- 1 cup warm milk or 1 C water and 3 T buttermilk powder
Wet Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup coconut oil melted
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 2 T ground or milled chia
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1 lb frozen or cold refrigerated butter
Instructions
- Make sure to freeze or refrigerate 1 lb of butter that can be grated
- Place 2 T milled chia and 1/2 C warm water in a cup, let soak 2 minutes
- Meanwhile, dissolve rapid rise yeast and 1 T sugar in warm milk in another cup, let sit to proof
- Using a bowl combine all flours, starches, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, sugar and gelatin
- In another bowl or stand mixer with paddle attachment, mix the soaked milled chia and yeast mixture together with eggs, coconut oil, 1/ C melted butter and apple cider vinegar
- Slowly add 1 cup dry ingredient mixture (THIS IS IMPORTANT) to the wet ingredients in stand and combine until well blended, continue until all dry ingredient mixture has been added, then mix dough for 30 more seconds on medium speed
- Roll the dough out into two discs that are 1/3 inch thick on saran wrap heavily sprinkled with white rice flour to about 12 inches
- Using a pizza wheel, cut into triangle shaped pieces like you would pizza
- Grate the frozen butter on to the disc before rolling it up
- So with two discs you’ll do half a pound of butter on each (It’s important that it’s grated on after the discs are cut or the pizza wheel will pick up pieces of the butter and make a mess)
- Rollup each piece into the crescent shape (rolling from large end to small end tucking the grated butter in as you go)
- Place on a cookie sheet at least two inches apart
- Let rise for 1 hour on bread proof or 100 degrees
- Bake for approximately 18 minutes at 350 degrees, depending on how dark you like them
- Brush on more melted butter after they come out of the oven if desired
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published July 26, 2018 but was republished with new step by step instructions, tips, and FAQs.
Here is the original photo…
Sarah says
The flavor of the dough is outstanding! I was able to roll the dough into a circle over the heavily sprinkled flour, but then found it stuck in places when I tried to roll up each piece into crescents. Maybe it’s because I am at high altitude? Anyway, after making a mess trying to roll up each triangle and having half the dough left behind, I sprayed avocado oil cooking spray onto parchment paper and ended up bunching up the dough with the frozen butter on it, and re-rolling it out onto the greased parchment paper. That seemed to work better for me. Thanks for posting this recipe though. I am excited to have my own yummy crescent rolls for Thanksgiving this year!
Chandice says
Hi Sarah, so glad you loved them! They are VERY sticky indeed and the parchment is a great idea. If you loved them, you should try our cinnamon rolls… so yummy! 🙂
Ciara says
Would this recipe work if I grate the butter before freezing it? I live in a very hot climate, and I think the butter would melt while grating from frozen.
Thank you for sharing!
Chandice says
Hi Ciara, yes, you certainly can grate and freeze the butter first then use it frozen in this recipe.
Rita says
Could their be a substitute for Chia seeds?
Chandice says
Chia seed really gives it an incredible texture so I don’t have a great substitute…sorry
Sherry M. says
Assuming ground chia seed would not give same texture?
Also I was hoping to make these for a taco wreath ring. I’m assuming I would still have to use the frozen shredded butter on them before I put on the taco meat mix and bake, correct?
Chandice says
Hi Sherry, I love using ground chia. It works great! I would add a little less butter before putting the taco meat on it.
Loreto and Nicoletta says
Give me some butter and these Cresent Rolls hot out of the oven and I am a very happy camper! The texture looks amazing and now I am craving these real bad!😋🥰👍👌❤
Chandice says
Yes they are so buttery and delicious!! 🙂
Jamie says
These look so flakey and tender! This is going to be great for Thanksgiving! I know my guests will love this!
Brianna says
My son is newly gluten free but loves bread. These rolls were a godsend and my entire family loved them too.
Chandice says
This means the world to me to hear Brianna, thank you soooo much!! 🙂 Please let me know if you guys have any questions along the gluten-free journey.
Tristin says
I had never made my own crescent rolls before trying out this recipe. It was so easy to follow and they came out golden brown and delicious!
Chandice says
Aww thanks Tristin, I am so glad you loved them!
Jenny says
Thanks so much for sharing this. I am always looking for great recipes for rolls. Very useful recipe for thanksgiving as many family members have gone gluten-free.
Chandice says
Thanks Jenny, as someone with celiac disease, I appreciate you thinking of those who have gluten-free needs.
Mikayla says
A recipe well worth the effort. Your family with gluten sensitivities will be more than happy and asking for the recipe.
Chandice says
Thanks Mikayla, I appreciate you saying this. 🙂 Good things are definitely worth the effort.
Sharon says
I have been playing around with the use of gluten-free ingredients and have found it fairly simple to bake all my favorites with. I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Chandice says
Thanks Sharon, that makes me so happy to hear! 🙂
Liz says
What a great recipe, especially for the holidays coming up!
Megan Ellam says
These are so easy and so delicious! Thanks for sharing some inspiration,
Chandice says
Thanks Megan, glad you like them 🙂
Jennifer says
Can I use an egg substitute?
Chandice says
Absolutely! A flax egg works great…
Jessica says
I was so excited to come across this gluten-free crescent roll recipe and it did not disappoint. I will be making these time and time again. You did not lie when you said the texture was pillowy.
Chandice says
Awww thanks Jessica, so glad you loved them!
Liz says
These look delicious! Not to mention flakey and buttery!
Chandice says
Thanks Liz, they really are 🙂
Leslie says
I am curious why there is so much added butter before the rolls are rolled into crescents? I made these for the first time tonight, and have been so excited to try them! However, the rolls were swimming in butter in the pan while cooking, and I honestly thought they seemed too rich with so much extra butter. I will try them again and cut way back on that additional butter, if not omit completely. Will they still turn out nicely without that extra step? Everything else about the recipe was really great, definitely the best gluten free bread recipe I have ever tried, thanks so much!
Chandice says
Thanks Leslie! I completely understand. I have been grating it into the dough lately and have cut back as well so I will update it. Yes, they still turn out fantastic! 🙂
Claudia Magaud says
What is ‘white sticky flour sweet rice flour’? Is it glutinous rice flour or just plain white rice flour?
Chandice says
Glutinous rice flour, however, regular white rice flour works great as well.
Kari Alana says
This is the perfect gluten free crescent recipe for right now so thank you very much as I have saved to this next weekend.
Chandice says
Aww thanks Kari! I am so glad you love it!