Making crescent rolls does not have to be an all-day baking experience. This easy recipe will show you how to make Crescent Roll Cinnamon Rolls that have a sweet and buttery flavor with a cinnamon filling that is hard to resist.
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Everyone loves these tender and fluffy crescents that have lots of cinnamon-y goodness inside that's topped with a simple powdered sugar glaze. They make a delicious treat that can be enjoyed for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
Homemade rolls are always the best, but when you are pressed for time or just don't want to deal with yeast and the rising time, then this recipe is for you because it uses refrigerated crescent dough. And these rolls taste AMAZING!
Try these homemade Butterhorn Rolls made with cottage cheese for another type of crescent roll.
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Why you will love these easy crescent rolls
This recipe is just super quick and convenient with just a few ingredients.
You can make and bake these rolls in 30 minutes.
Got kids? I love getting kids in the kitchen to learn to bake and this is the perfect recipe to learn some basic skills and end up with a delicious cinnamon roll.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- There are several brands of refrigerated crescent dough. I can easily find the Pillsbury brand and love the hint of sweetness, the delicious buttery flavor, and they are soft and fluffy when baked.
How to make Cinnamon Sugar Crescent Rolls: Step by Step
I suggest using a rimmed sheet pan for baking these rolls. They are also perfect for baking cookies, rolls, bread, and sheet pan dinners.
Step 1. Prepare the cinnamon butter first by mixing softened butter, granulated sugar, and cinnamon together in a small bowl to form a paste.
Step 2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and then open the tube of crescent rolls and unroll the dough and separate it into 8 wedges.
Step 3. Spread the cinnamon butter mixture on top of each crescent wedge.
Step 4. Starting at the wide end of the dough, tightly roll them into crescent shapes and space them out on the baking pan.
Cinnamon Crescent tip ~ Because of the amount of butter in the dough and also the cinnamon paste, some butter will melt out of the rolls. It is helpful to pop the sheet pan in the fridge to chill the unbaked rolls for at least 15 minutes. If you don't have enough room, place the crescents on a plate and chill.
Step 5. Bake the rolls at 375 degrees F. for 10 minutes. Let the rolls cool on the baking pan for 10 minutes then remove them to a cooling rack.
How to make the icing drizzle
Step 6. Mix the icing ingredients in a small bowl until smooth and creamy, then drizzle the icing over the cooled rolls.
These rolls are just so good and I love that they only make eight, and if I want more just buy two tubes of crescents and double the ingredients.
Serving and storing
These rolls are best eaten the day they are made, but if you have leftovers store in a sealed container for a day or two. You can reheat the rolls in the microwave for about 20 seconds.
Crescent roll variations
Get creative
- Add some additional spices along with the cinnamon like nutmeg or cardamom.
- Use brown sugar instead of granulated sugar or use half and half.
- Add some cinnamon to the powdered sugar icing.
- Instead of vanilla extract in the icing drizzle, add other flavors like almond extract, or maple extract.
- Once you spread the cinnamon butter on the crescent wedges, sprinkle them with chopped pecans or finely chopped dried cranberries.
Crescent Rolls FAQs
It's a pre-made dough that is commonly sold in grocery stores in the refrigerated section. The dough is typically made from flour, butter, yeast, sugar, and salt and is found in a can or tube.
More recipes with cinnamon
Cinnamon just makes baked goods deliciously spicy
- Apple Cider Bread made with oatmeal and spiced with cinnamon
- A fall favorite is Pumpkin Bread with cranberries, this bread is super moist with lots of amazing flavors
- This Vanilla Bean Cake is baked in a cast-iron skillet with a simple sprinkling of powdered sugar and cinnamon on top
- These delicate Cinnamon Madeleines are the perfect little dessert with your afternoon tea or coffee
- Need a snack for a movie or game night, make a big bowl of this Cinnamon Apple Caramel Corn, it's sweet and perfectly crunchy
- Baked Apples filled with pecans and cranberries and plenty of cinnamon are simple to make.
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Recipe
Crescent Roll Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- Small mixing bowl
Ingredients
Crescent Rolls
- 8 ounce can Refrigerated crescent dough such as Pillsbury 8 ounce (8 count)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon you can add more or less
Icing Drizzle
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
The oven and the baking pan
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of a rimmed baking sheet.
Making the cinnamon butter paste
- In a small bowl mix the softened butter with the sugar and cinnamon until it is smooth and creamy.
Making the Crescent Rolls
- Open the tube of crescent rolls and unroll the dough on the baking sheet, then separate the dough into the 8 wedges where the perforations are.
- Spread the cinnamon butter paste over the wedges.
- Starting at the wide end of the dough, roll the dough into a tight crescent shape and space the crescents out on the baking pan.
- Note: This is optional, but I suggest you chill the dough for at least 15 minutes.
- Bake the rolls for 10-12 minutes until they are golden brown. Let sit on the baking pan for about 15 minutes then remove to a cooling rack.
Making the Icing
- In a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. Stir to combine to a drizzling consistency. Add additional milk if the icing is too thick.
- Leave the rolls on the cooling rack and place a piece of parchment or wax paper under the rack. With a spoon, drizzle the icing over the rolls.
- These rolls are best eaten the day they are made. If you have leftovers, store in a sealed container for a day.
Notes
Crescent Rolls baking tips
- When you place the rolls on the baking sheet put the tip of the roll on the bottom, otherwise, during baking, the rolls can unroll a bit
- Butter does melt out of the rolls while baking so it is best to use a rimmed baking sheet.
- I suggest you chill the roll for a least 15 minutes. If you have room just put the baking pan in the refrigerator, it you are tight on room, place the rolls on a plate and chill.
- You can add flavoring to the icing drizzle, add spices or extracts for added flavors
Nutrition
First published: Oct. 16, 2020, Last updated: March 19, 2023 for better readability.
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About Jere'
From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven sharing both sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.
Ginger
I think these would be great as more of a savory pastry. I thunk in my rolls, the texture of the cottage cheese was old in a sweet pastry. it felt almost like melted cheese, so it was weird for me to think of a sweet treat. I think the taste was good with abs without the icing. I would make again, but only as a savory roll.