Aunt Carol's Crescent Rolls Recipe (2024)

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This post was originally posted April 2015. I am re-publishing it so that you can all make these amazing rolls for your Thanksgiving dinners!!

Aunt Carol's Crescent Rolls Recipe (1)

I know it’s been two weeks since I’ve posted a new recipe for the Chocolate Chip Cookie Experiment, and I’m so sorry. I know some of you are loving it just as much as I am– I’ve been thrilled with the overwhelming response that you guys obsess over chocolate chip cookies as much as I do! I promise, I haven’t forgotten about it or neglected it (in fact I have a great one all lined up and ready to go for next week).

It’s just that with Easter right around the corner, I’ve been really wanting to focus on Easter-y type recipes, before you all get your menus all set and planned…

And I can’t think of a better Easter/holiday recipe to share with you today than my Aunt Carol’s crescent rolls!

Aunt Carol's Crescent Rolls Recipe (2)

Now, it has to be said that I come from a family of pretty serious bread-makers. My mom makes an awesome white loaf (and has her own famous crescent roll recipe). And my Grandma is well known for her biscuits. One of my cousins even used to sell her wheat bread loaves because they were in such high demand.

And my Aunt Carol’s crescent rolls are always the talk of holiday get-togethers on my Dad’s side of family– for good reason! She’s from Utah, and she totally brings her Western, fluffy, bread-making skills to the table.

I’ve talked a little bit about this recipe before (back when I made these Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Rolls) and explained one of the quirky things about this recipe: scalding the milk. I won’t repeat myself (you can just click over and read what I wrote back then if you want), but don’t skip out on that step, tempting as it may be. Okay? It’s important to the chemistry of the dough.

I am obsessed with these soft, buttery, fluffy rolls, and I know that you will be too! Enjoy them at your Easter meal this year (and with a bunch of other meals too!!).

Aunt Carol's Crescent Rolls Recipe (3)

Yield: 16 large rolls or 32 small rolls

My Aunt Carol's favorite crescent rolls are always the main event of every family get-together! I love eating them with butter and homemade strawberry jam.

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp yeast
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup butter, cold
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 4-6 cups flour
  • Additional: melted butter for brushing inside and on top of the rolls.

Instructions

Dissolve the yeast into 1/4 cup warm (about 125ºF or the same temp as a warm bath) water with 1 tbsp sugar.

Scald the milk over medium-high heat (milk should be about 180ºF). Stir continually so the milk does not burn.

Remove from heat and add cold butter (this will help in bringing the temperature down faster). Stir as the butter melts. Milk needs to cool to 125ºF (think warm bath water).

While the milk is cooling, beat the eggs and 1/2 cup sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the yeasty water, the cooled milk, and the salt and 4 cups of flour to the mixing bowl. Use the bread hook to mix and knead.

Once a sticky wet dough has formed, add more flour (by 1/4 cup at a time) until the dough is pulling away from the edge of the bowl (but still slightly sticky). Lightly grease the bowl and dough. Cover and let rise until double in size (about 30 minutes in a warm place).

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Punch down the dough and divide into two portions. Keep one portion covered while working with the other. Roll one ball of dough out into a circle, and cut 8 slices (just like you would a pizza). Cut 16 if you want to make smaller rolls. Brush the surface of the dough with melted butter.

Roll up each slice from the fat end to the skinny point, and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Repeat with all of the slices and with the second ball of dough.

Bake for 10 minutes. Brush the tops with melted butter.

Serve warm immediately or let cool completely before storing in an airtight container for 2-3 days (best fresh).

By the way, if you’re interested in a different kind of bread-making (aka BISCUITS!), check out my latest guide for eBay:

How to Make the Perfect Biscuits.

Aunt Carol's Crescent Rolls Recipe (4)
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Aunt Carol's Crescent Rolls Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in crescent rolls? ›

Enriched Flour Bleached (wheat flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), Water, Vegetable Shortening (soybean and palm oil, hydrogenated palm oil, fractionated palm oil, water, mono and diglycerides, TBHQ and citric acid [preservatives], beta carotene [for color]), Sugar, Soybean Oil ...

Are crescent rolls and croissants the same thing? ›

Crescent rolls have a similar crescent-moon shape as croissants, but most aspects of these baked goods are different. Unlike croissants, crescent rolls are not laminated. This makes crescent rolls more bread-like than croissants.

What are the ingredients in immaculate crescent roll? ›

Ingredients : ORGANIC WHEAT FLOUR, WATER, ORGANIC PALM OIL, ORGANIC CANE SUGAR, BAKING POWDER (SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, BAKING SODA), SEA SALT, ORGANIC EXPELLER-PRESSED CANOLA AND SUNFLOWER OILS, XANTHAN GUM, ORGANIC WHEAT STARCH, NATURAL FLAVOR.

How long can crescent rolls sit out before baking? ›

Crescent Rolls can be shaped and placed on cookie sheets up to 2 hours before baking. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate. Just before baking, brush each with a beaten egg.

Why are Pillsbury crescent rolls so good? ›

The spongy dough, the prefabricated demarcations for separating each piece into its own obtuse triangle, the saccharine smell as they bake off, puffing up higher and higher until the layers finally congeal and toast to the perfect golden color.

Why are crescent rolls so good? ›

Flavor: Butter is the key flavor in crescent rolls. It's what makes them so darn craveable (and it's the reason there's never one left in the bread basket). Canned crescent rolls should have perfect butter flavor with a hint of salt—the right combo for munching solo or using as the foundation for plenty of recipes.

Are crescent rolls just puff pastry? ›

The crescent-shaped croissant is a flaky pastry with buttery layers whereas a puff pastry is a drier composition of dough. Both use similar ingredients and preparation work.

Are crescent rolls healthy? ›

2. They contain trans fat. The downside to using hydrogenated palm oil is that it contains trans fat, which is bad for your cholesterol. It's not so good for your body, which is why you should definitely eat these babies in moderation.

What is healthier English muffin or croissant? ›

Maximize Your Bread's Nutrition

If you have the option to choose what's holding the sandwich together, go for a whole-grain English muffin or whole-grain bread rather than croissants, bagels, or white bread. That'll deliver a fiber boost, Klamer says.

What is a substitute for crescent roll pastry? ›

You want what is called puff pastry dough. It is usually found near pie crusts at the store. It is sold flat or folded, but isn't sold in a roll like crescent dough.

What is a crescent shaped roll made with butter flakey and sometimes filled? ›

Croissants are named for their historical crescent shape. The dough is layered with butter, rolled and folded several times in succession, then rolled into a thin sheet, in a technique called laminating. The process results in a layered, flaky texture, similar to a puff pastry.

Is crescent roll dough croissant dough? ›

Basically, a crescent roll is made by rolling out bread dough, shaping it into acrescent, and baking. A croissant, however, is made of a puff pastry type of dough. The thin leaves of dough are layered with butter, folded, rolled, and shaped. ... Acroissant has less of a yeast flavor and is flakier.

How do you keep crescent rolls crispy? ›

To keep the crispiness of your croissant, use a paper bag and leave it partially open to let the croissants breathe. Another option is to use perforated cardboard boxes or plastic clamshells. Also, avoid stacking the croissants so that they do not get crushed.

Can I eat a croissant after 2 days? ›

In general, a croissant can last for about 1-2 days at room temperature before it begins to spoil. However, the actual time can vary depending on a few factors, including the specific ingredients used, the humidity and temperature of the room, and how the croissant has been stored.

What happens if you don't let croissant dough rest? ›

Failing to proof your croissant dough for long enough is a common mistake that most commonly results in croissants leaking butter while baking, a tight crumb, and a flat, undeveloped flavor.

What is a substitute for crescent dough? ›

1 Answer. You want what is called puff pastry dough. It is usually found near pie crusts at the store. It is sold flat or folded, but isn't sold in a roll like crescent dough.

Are crescent rolls dairy and egg free? ›

Miss those flaky, buttery pillows of perfection? You can pick up a tube of Pillsbury Crescent rolls to fill your craving, because they don't contain any dairy products. Pillsbury's pizza dough and apple and cherry turnovers are also dairy-free.

Do crescent rolls contain gluten? ›

Are Pillsbury crescent rolls gluten free? No, Pillsbury does not currently make gluten-free crescent rolls. Pillsbury does, however, have a variety of gluten free mixes including pizza crust, cookie, brownie, and cake mix. It is easy to make your own gluten free Pillsbury crescent roll copycat using this recipe!

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