Welcome to our detailed guide on all things crescent rolls. Find out what crescent roll dough is, how to make a homemade version, how to shape them and more! Plus we have all the crescent roll recipes you can imagine: Crescent Roll Appetizers, Dinners, Desserts, Breakfasts and Rings. These are the best crescent roll hacks to an easy meal!
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Contents
1. What is crescent dough?
2. Is crescent dough the same as puff pastry?
3. Can I make my own crescent rolls?
4. How do you shape crescent rolls?
5. All the Crescent Roll Recipes You'll Ever Need
What is Crescent Dough?
Crescent dough is a pre-made, ready-to-bake dough found in the refrigerated section of grocery stores. It typically is made using a combination of flour, water, baking soda, baking powder, vegetable oil or butter, and often other ingredients.
Crescent dough is made very similarly to how you'd make regular bread dough except without yeast. The difference comes in when you spread softened butter over rolled-out dough, fold it several times, roll it again, fold it, and so forth.
This results in buttery, flaky layers that melt in your mouth. Warm, fresh-from-the-oven crescent rolls are unbeatable when it comes to pretty much anything.
Benefits of Crescent Roll Dough
Crescent Dough Sheets & Triangles: The ready-to-use, pre-cut and pre-portioned crescent roll sheets save time and effort, making recipes instructions easier.
Quick Rising: The dough contains chemical leavening agents such as baking powder or baking soda. Carbon dioxide gas gets trapped in the dough allowing it to rise quickly and become light and fluffy during baking, without the need for yeast and long fermentation times.
Versatility: From breakfast lunch and dinner and all the way to dessert, classic dishes can be adapted to use crescent roll dough or unique creations can be crafted.
No Experience Necessary: Using crescent roll dough eliminates the need for creating the dough in any recipe and the uniformity of each sheet and triangle ensures even baking, uniform serving sizes and an easier presentation setup.
Is crescent dough the same as puff pastry?
I've gotten this question a lot so I thought I'd answer it for you here. Yes, it's similar in ingredients but very different in labor intensity. Both use the "laminated dough" process, which is essentially the layering of butter and dough, then rolled out, as described above.
To achieve puff pastry, you'll need to create over seven hundred layers of butter and dough. Crescent rolls have just a few layers, making the final product very different. Although you can certainly use them interchangeably in crescent roll recipes, some will work better than others, as puff pastry won't have the same soft texture after baking as the crescent dough.
Can I make my own crescent rolls?
If the above descriptions have you wanting to run out and buy the ingredients to make homemade crescent rolls, by all means, do it! Once you've mastered the technique, you can still purchase refrigerated dough for everyday crescent roll meals and save the labor for special occasions.
This video will show you the easiest way to make homemade crescent rolls, which only has you rolling out the dough one time. If you'd rather take the extra steps, you can try this recipe for Extra Flaky Homemade Crescent Rolls.
How do you shape crescent rolls?
These are the most common shapes used for crescent dough:
- THE CRESCENT: The most common way to shape crescent rolls is, well, into the crescent shape. This is the shape you'd use when just baking the dough into rolls or making stuffed crescent rolls. This tutorial can be used whether you're using store-bought dough or making your own.
- THE BRAID: This is another common shape used with crescent dough and it looks quite impressive after baking. It's easier than it sounds and can be mastered pretty quickly. Although the video uses refrigerated pie crust, the method for forming the braid is the same, plus you get a bonus recipe!
- THE RING: This might be our personal favorite. With crescent roll rings, you can fill the center with more ingredients or a bowl of dipping sauce. For example, a taco ring might be filled with guacamole or lettuce, tomatoes, and chopped onions. A pizza ring might have a small dish of marinara sauce in the center. The possibilities with this shape are only limited to your imagination. And...bonus!! The video we linked to has a bonus recipe for the "Ring of Fire", which would make a great addition to a Super Bowl party!
More ways to shape crescent dough:
Pillsbury has a great article that will show you how to shape five less common shapes. The best part is that they're all simple but look impressive!
- Swirled Crescent Bun
- Slice Crescent Triangle
- Roll Up Crescent
- Twist into a Bun
- Easy Crescent Stars
All the Crescent Roll Recipes You'll Ever Need
Now that you've got the basics of crescent rolls down, it's time get baking! Below you'll find crescent roll recipes for dinner, plus links to our crescent roll rings, appetizers, desserts and breakfast recipes.
Using crescent roll hacks for a simple appetizer, dinner, or dessert is so easy!
Crescent Roll Dinner Recipes
When you're not in the mood to cook, don't have much time or simply want an easy but tasty meal to be on your dinner table fast, turn to ready-made crescent rolls!
This section starts with crescent roll recipes using chicken or ground beef, then ends with an assortment of deliciously different ideas, such as a Wellington, a waffle sandwich an even one to use up that leftover ham.
CRESCENT ROLL RECIPES WITH CHICKEN or TURKEY
Pick up a rotisserie chicken or use up some leftovers to make these recipes even easier and faster!
Chicken Pillows with Black Bean Avocado Salsa
These look pretty enough to serve to company!
Buffalo Ranch Chicken Pizza
Flaky crescent rolls piled with cream cheese, buffalo chicken, lettuce, cheese, and blue cheese dressing.
Chicken Alfredo Roll Ups
The easiest, no-fuss chicken alfredo you will ever make, conveniently stuffed in the butteriest roll ever!
Cheesy Turkey Pesto Rolls
These make a great meal that's perfect for tailgating or the holidays! Only four ingredients.
Hot Chicken Salad Crescent Braid
Flaky crescent rolls stuffed with chicken, celery, cheese, almonds, and chow mein noodles.
Chicken Parmesan Crescent Bake
Breaded chicken with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese topped with crescent roll dough.
Chicken Puffs Recipe: Enchilada Style
Mexican flavors rolled into crescent rolls and topped with cheese.
5-Ingredient Crescent Roll Chicken Casserole
You only need 5 ingredients and about 10 minutes to pull together this easy Crescent Roll Chicken Casserole.
Easy Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
Quick comfort food at its best!
CRESCENT ROLL RECIPES WITH GROUND BEEF
We're always looking for different and creative ways to cook with ground beef for an easy weeknight supper. These recipes will help you get dinner on the table fast and you're sure to find a new favorite!
Sloppy Joe Stuffed Crescent Rolls
Your childhood favorite with a fun, delicious twist.
Ground Beef Broccoli Pie with Crescent Roll Crust
What's not to love about a creamy, cheesy ground beef and broccoli filling all surrounded in a tasty, flaky crust?
Crescent Lasagna
It's like a lasagna sandwich! Super easy to make for a weeknight meal.
Beef Taco Roll-Ups
These hand-held treats are filled with flavorful ground beef and gooey cheese.
Taco Croissants
Put a delicious dinner twist on Taco Tuesday with this easy recipe.
Ground Beef Stroganoff Bake
Ground beef and mushrooms are combined with sour cream and then topped with shredded cheese just before baking.
BBQ Beef Braid
Each slice is packed with ground beef, barbecue sauce, and cheese. It pairs well with a salad for an easy family dinner
20-minute Taco Pie
No need to make a crust or fuss with fancy fillings–you can even make this ahead and bake it off when you’re ready.
Italian Crescent Casserole
You're just five little ingredients away from dinner.
5-Ingredient Taco Casserole
This 5-ingredient dinner is on the table in less than 30 minutes.
MORE CRESCENT ROLL DINNER RECIPES
Using your waffle iron with crescent rolls? Making an upscale meal for guests? Make sure you have an extra few cans of rolls on hand so you can try every one of these unique and delicious recipes!
Cheesy Hot Ham & Broccoli Crescent Pockets
A family-friendly dinner idea that's perfect for using up leftover ham!
Monte Cristo Sandwich Loaf
A favorite sandwich takes a different form in this sandwich loaf that has layers of crescent dough, turkey, ham, cheese, and raspberry jam.
Cheesesteak Crescent Rolls
Flaky crescent rolls are stuffed with sliced beef, sauteed onions, peppers, and lots of gooey cheese.
Prime Tri Tip Wellington
For a holiday or any special occasion, serve this Tri-Tip Wellington.
Sausage and Pepperoni Crescent Roll Pizza
Just 15 minutes of prep for this easy dinner that the whole family will love.
Italian Sausage Spinach And Havarti Crescent Braid
Italian sausage, fresh spinach and a generous sprinkling of creamy Havarti cheese, it’s then baked until the outer crescent crust is golden brown.
Turkey Club Waffle Sandwich
We added this one just because it's a waffle sandwich, which you definitely needed to see!
Broccoli Crescent Wrap
No meat here, just broccoli and cheese goodness all wrapped up in crescent roll dough. Easy, quick dinner, made healthy by swapping out the mayonnaise!
Sausage Rolls with Arugula
Simple sausage rolls stuffed with cheese and arugula are perfect for dinner or a party snack.
Bacon, Broccoli, and Cheddar Roll-Ups
A threesome of flavors we can always get behind.
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Deeksha says
Thank you so much for sharing these recipes!
Lynna says
Omg, I`m definitely swooning and drooling!!!
I love using crescent rolls to bake. Those veggie pizza rolls! Oh my! Love the chicken pot pie idea too!
Kristy Bernardo says
Thanks, Lynna! There are several that I can't wait to try, too!