Prepare to be wowed by these gluten free crescent rolls. These warm, buttery rolls are the perfect addition to any meal. Crafted with an artful combination of gluten free flour, they achieve the impossible—they're flaky, fluffy, and downright divine. They are perfect on their own or used to make chicken salad sandwiches or stuffed with Nutella for a sweet treat.
What's to love
Everyone will love them - Each bite is like a warm hug for your taste buds, delivering a taste sensation that defies gluten-free stereotypes. These rolls are more than just a dinner side; they're an experience. They are our go to bread for special dinners, baby showers and other gatherings. Truly a yeasty gluten free bread that will always please whether your guests are gluten free or not! Trust us, we've seen it year after year around our Thanksgiving table.
Tested, Tried and True - The base of these crescent rolls were developed from the BEST gluten-free cinnamon rolls that get rave reviews over and over again. After years of practicing, my mom finally perfected these rolls into the versatile perfection it is today. We have made them hundreds of times and found that fresh yeast for the proper proof and using bread proofing method for rising really are the keys.
They really are the flakiest, most tender crescent rolls you've ever tasted, thanks to a perfectly balanced blend of gluten-free flours and other carefully chosen ingredients.
And if you need more gluten free breads to fill your heart and tummy, our 45-minute homemade gluten free buttermilk biscuits, soft and pliable gluten free naan bread and yeasty sweet and sticky gluten free monkey bread are sure to do the trick.
The ingredients
If you want the authentic taste and texture of these gluten-free crescent rolls, do not swap any of the ingredients. These ingredients, along with a few others listed in the recipe card, are crucial for the perfect flakiness. However, if needed, you can use King Arthur gluten free measure for measure flour in place of the individual gluten free flours is you absolutely must.
Gluten-free flour - A blend of brown rice flour, white sticky flour (so helpful but regular white rice works as well), tapioca starch, potato starch, and arrowroot powder makes the best dough. 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 make the perfect crescent rolls.**
With that being said, I have made them with high quality gluten-free flour like King Arthur flour and both have turned out great. They just aren't quite as amazing as when you blend your own flours. But to be chill again, yes, you can make them with measure for measure gluten free flour like we do with our gluten free monkey bread.
Xanthan gum - Xanthan gum acts as a binder to create structure and texture in this gluten-free recipe.
Yeast - Use rapid rise yeast for BEST results. We've tried others and they don't work as well. And always, always, make sure you yeast is fresh.
Milk - You'll need milk and/or buttermilk for the dough. Warmed milk is important for the yeast and sugar mixture but be sure it isn't HOT.
Eggs – Another great binder for this recipe to make them alike real biscuits.
Apple cider vinegar - ACV helps these crescent rolls reach their desired taste and texture.
Butter - You'll need melted butter AND frozen butter for this easy recipe.
Let's mix and roll!
Tips for making the best crescent rolls
- Rapid rise yeast works best.
- When rolling up the dough, tuck in the grated butter so it doesn't seep out while baking.
- If you're a fan of butter, brush on more melted butter when you pull out of the oven.
What to serve with these gluten-free rolls
- Hamburger soup and salad with fresh gluten free bread is the best!
- You can use these rolls to make gluten-free croutons that go great over gluten-free cream of chicken soup.
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Flaky, Buttery Gluten Free Crescent Rolls (That defy gluten free gravity!)
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- 1 cup white sticky flour sweet rice flour
- 1 cup tapioca starch
- 1 cup potato starch
- ½ cup arrowroot powder
- 3 tsp. xanthan gum
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 tsp. salt
- ¾ 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
- ½ cup coconut oil melted
- ½ cup butter melted
- 2 T ground or milled chia
- ½ 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 ½ 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 small 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 ⅓ 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 prepared baking 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 in September 2023.
Here is the original photo from us making them all the way back to 2009...
Nicole says
Good friends mine are gluten free, and having them over for dinner always pushed me outside my comfort zone for cooking. I will most definitely make these for them next time (once quarantine and isolation are done). You know these are a home run when all the other comments are from folks who've made them multiple times with great success. I know I have a keeper recipe here!
Amanda says
I can't believe how delicate and flaky these are despite being gluten free! They were super delicious, and I can't wait to make them again.
Chandice says
Thanks Amanda that makes my day!! So happy to hear 🙂
Veronika says
Love crescent rolls and it's great that you can make them gluten-free! It's been awhile since I made them, I feel like I want to make them again this weekend!
Ashley Marie Lecker says
Tested and true gluten free recipes can be hard to find and this one is really great! I was so excited to find this recipe and it is one of my favorites.
Chandice says
Thanks Ashley, I am so glad you loved it! It is very versatile. If you love this, I recommend our cinnamon rolls too 🙂
Leslie says
What a blessing it is to have a good baker in the family! I so appreciate how diligently she works to perfect a recipe! This one is great!
Chandice says
Thanks Leslie, she really is amazing!
Andrea Howe says
A good gluten free crescent roll is hard to find, so thank you for sharing! And the step by step photos are super helpful, so thanks!
Chandice says
You bet! 🙂
Denise says
These crescent rolls are delicious. I am saving your recipe for the next time I bake them. Thanks for sharing!
Jacqui DeBono says
I always freeze my butter for pastry - makes it easy to grate for flaky pastry! You can also dip the butter in the flour as you go, to make it grate even easier and keep it manageable! I will definitely try these for my gluten-free friends!
Chandice says
What a great suggestion, thank you! 🙂
Janet O. says
I am so excited to have found this recipe. Homemade crescent rolls were one of my signature baked goods at family gatherings before my celiac diagnosis 5 years ago. I have tried many roll recipes with less than desirable results. I have all the ingredients on hand--now I just need a day when I get to stay home and try making them. Can't wait!
Chandice says
Now is the perfect time to bake while we are all home 🙂
Denay DeGuzman says
I am so excited to have found this delicious gluten-free crescent rolls recipe! I'll be making another double batch so I'll have enough to last all week. Thank you so much for sharing yet another scrumptious recipe!
Chandice says
Hi Denay, thanks for letting us know that you loved it! Double batch is always a good idea 🙂
Angie says
Oh wow! These are perfect! Just sent this to my sister in law who is gluten free!
Kim says
Hi! Do you think I can make them egg free? I usually do 1tbls of flax seed and 2.5 tbls of water to replace 1 egg.
Chandice says
Definitely! Let me know how it works. 🙂
Laura says
Hello,
I can’t find the sweet white rice flour anywhere! Any replacements that might work? Hoping to make them for Thanksgiving tomorrow! 😬
Thank you for any ideas!
Chandice says
Regular white rice flour works just fine. 🙂
Stephanie Lutgen says
Can I bake these completely and then freeze them? If so, how would you recommend warming them for Thanksgiving day. Making them today. 🙂
Thank you in advance!
Chandice says
You can and just warm them up in the microwave so they stay soft but par baking and freezing might be a better option as sometimes after the initial microwave heat bread can get a little hard. Happy Thanksgiving and please, please let me know how it goes 🙂
Cindy Y says
I made these yesterday but forgot the cider vinegar. 😩 They were DELICIOUS, but didn't rise quite right, so I'm going to try again. My biggest concern is that when they were done rising they were in a puddle of melted butter. How do you make sure the butter doesn't leak out as they rise? I thought I had done a good job of keeping the butter "tucked in" so it wasn't visible when rolled up. Help!
Chandice says
Hi Cindy,
Yes, be sure to add the apple cider vinegar and make sure to do the yeast and everything correctly with rise time. For the butter, I have had that happen too so try to grate the butter on inside most area of the crescent rolls and tuck the butter in as you roll them up nice and tight. Let me know how they work again. They are the best for Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches. 🙂
Beverly says
Crescent Rolls and butter-rich Danish type rolls cannot be risen in a warm oven or other very warm lpcation as the butter will melt out during rising as you found out!
Chandice says
We've made them over 20 times and they are perfect every time 🙂 Maybe a bit melts out but not much.
Brooke Besendorfer says
They are super buttery and so good! I love love love them!
Chandice says
That's awesome Brooke, I love hearing that! Thanks for sharing!
Brenda Black says
My kids were diagnosed with celiac disease last fall and when Thanksgiving came I was determined that they would have good rolls. After trying 6 other recipes I finally tried this one and we haven’t looked back. They are so good that my non gluten free family is jealous of my kids. 😊 We have also used them to recreate our favorite chicken roll up recipe that we used Pillsbury crescent rolls for and they were delicious. I’m so grateful for those who have figured out how to make Gluten Free so yummy so my kids don’t have to miss out!
Chandice says
Awww Brenda this totally made my day!! I am so glad your family and especially your kids, love our recipe. 🙂 I would love to hear more about that delicious chicken roll up recipe. Maybe we can share it here with our crescent rolls! Thanks again Brenda, I appreciate you leaving the review. If you haven't tried the cinnamon rolls, pancakes or waffles, you would love them too!
Abbey says
This gluten-free flour blend is magic. I am always searching for the best blends and it can feel really overwhelming at times. Thanks for making this so easy!
Erin says
I've been searching for a recipe like this for a long time now! I can't believe how perfectly they hold their shape!
Chandice says
Thank you so much Erin, they are a family favorite of ours as well so I am glad you love them too!
Jessie says
What if I don't have the chance stuff? Is there something else I can use?
Jessie says
Chia not chance
Chandice says
I would really invest in the chia as it gives these the most incredible texture. 🙂 It is only a few dollars a bag then you can grind them at home in a blender. It is much cheaper to do that than to buy ground chia which is like three times the cost of regular chia seeds. Hope that helps! 🙂
Sydney Wynne says
All growing up my mom would make crescent rolls for thanksgiving. I recently found out I have a gluten allergy and ended up making these amazing gluten-free crescent rolls and they are so yummy! Super fluffy and soft and honestly, probably better than glutinous ones!😍
Chandice says
Yay I am soooo happy to hear this!! What a wonderful compliment, thank you! I hope you enjoy them again and again. 🙂