Gluten-Free Crescent Rolls (The BEST Ever!)

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 or made into the BEST 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!

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 from London at Evolving Table or with rump roast from Sweet Tea and Sprinkles.

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!

Need an EASY and delicious breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert?
Take a look at my Sheet Pan Meals and More!

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Gluten-Free Crescent Rolls (The BEST Ever!)

4.85 from 38 votes

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. You could serve these to non-gluten-free folks (and we have) and they would never know they are gluten-free. Yep, it’s true!

PRINT RECIPE

Prep Time: 2 hrs

Cook Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 2 hrs 20 mins

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Keyword: crescent roll recipe, gluten free bread, gluten free crescent rolls

Servings: 24 rolls

Calories: 354kcal

Author: Chandice Probst

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

IF YOU WANT THIS TRUE CRESCENT ROLL RESULT, YOU MUST NOT EXCHANGE OUT THE INGREDIENTS IN THE RECIPE FOR A GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR BLEND. These measurements have been tested over and over to get the crescent rolls just perfect. We have made them with King Arthur gluten-free all-purpose flour and they do work they just don’t taste as delicious. 

 

Pro tip: Rapid rise yeast makes these the BEST they can be

 

Make sure to slowly add dry ingredients to wet one cup at a time then mix so everything gets incorporated well and you get a cohesive dough, otherwise, it will look a bit broken.

 

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. 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.

 

You can grate the butter into the dough and fold it in instead of grating it on the dough if you prefer. This can help with butter melting on the pan.

 

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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1roll | Calories: 354kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 361mg | Potassium: 166mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 625IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 0.5mg

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…