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!
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. They are great on their own or with the best chicken salad from London at Evolving Table.
Can I make them with gluten-free all-purpose flour?
I am going to put this in all caps not to seem abrasive, just so there is no misunderstanding…
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.
With that being said, I have made them with high quality GF flour like Cup4Cup or King Arthur gluten-free flour and both have turned out great. They just aren’t quite as amazing as when you blend your own flours.
How to make gluten-free crescent rolls
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 yeast and 1 T sugar in warm milk, let sit to proof (as shown in photo 2 and 3).
Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine all flours, starches, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, sugar and gelatin (as shown in photo 4).
In another bowl, mix the soaked milled chia and yeast mixture together with eggs, coconut oil, 1/ C melted butter and apple cider vinegar (as shown in photo 5 and 6).
Slowly add that mixture to the flour mixture in stand and combine until well blended (as shown in photo 7).
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 triangle shaped pieces like you would pizza (as shown in photo 9).
Grate the frozen 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). Let them 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.
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.
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!
NEED MORE GOODNESS? Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter for great recipes, entertaining ideas and more!
Gluten-Free Crescent Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 C brown rice flour
- 1 C white sticky flour sweet rice flour
- 1 C tapioca starch
- 1 C potato starch
- 1/2 C arrowroot powder
- 3 tsp. xanthan gum
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 tsp. salt
- 3/4 C sugar
- 1 tsp. gelatin
- 1 T yeast
- 1 T sugar
- 1 C warm milk or 1 C water and 3 T buttermilk powder
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 C coconut oil melted
- 1/2 C butter melted
- 2 T ground or milled chia
- 1/2 C 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 yeast and 1 T sugar in warm milk, let sit to proof
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine all flours, starches, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, sugar and gelatin
- In another bowl, mix the soaked milled chia and yeast mixture together with eggs, coconut oil, 1/ C melted butter and apple cider vinegar
- Slowly add that mixture to the flour mixture in stand and combine until well blended
- 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
- 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 if you have 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
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 April 2019.
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!
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! 🙂
What is ‘white sticky flour sweet rice flour’? Is it glutinous rice flour or just plain white rice flour?
Glutinous rice flour, however, regular white rice flour works great as well.
This is the perfect gluten free crescent recipe for right now so thank you very much as I have saved to this next weekend.
Aww thanks Kari! I am so glad you love it!