Crescent roll cinnamon rolls are for those of us who like the idea of homemade cinnamon rolls more than the idea of making them.
Crescent dough takes care of the part most likely to talk you out of it. No rolling, no yeast and no waiting for dough to rise before you can have warm cinnamon rolls with glaze. Make them when you want them, or get a pan ready the night before and bake it straight from the fridge.
Buy The Can Of Triangles, Not The Sheet
Crescent dough is sold two ways and only one of them works here. The can you want opens into a sheet scored into eight triangles, which is what the recipe is counting on. The other is a seamless sheet with no perforations in it, and there are no triangles in that one to roll.
What You Are Making Is Eight Separate Rolls
You may have seen these made by rolling the whole sheet of dough into one long log and slicing it into rounds. That is a different thing. Here each crescent triangle gets its own spoonful of filling and gets rolled on its own, so you finish with eight rolls, each with its own spiral and its own glaze.
The two bake differently. A sliced log needs 20 minutes or more. These are done in 12.
Soften The Butter And The Cream Cheese First
Don’t melt the butter. You want it softened. Melted butter runs out of the rolls and pools on the pan while they bake. Softened butter holds the filling together and stays where you put it.
If You Forget To Take Out The Butter
Neither the butter nor the cream cheese comes out of the refrigerator soft enough to stir smooth. If you did not think ahead, you can use your microwave to get it there.
Microwave the butter in five-second bursts, moving it around between each one so it does not melt in a single spot. The cream cheese takes about the same.
Glaze Them Warm And Do Not Let It Set Hard
Give the rolls three to four minutes out of the oven before the glaze goes near them, or it runs straight off. Then give the glaze a minute or two to set before you move them.
Do not wait longer than that. It keeps firming as it sits and the rolls firm along with it, and these are best while they are still warm.
Whisked right, the glaze pours about like white school glue. Thinner than that and it soaks in instead of sitting on top. There will be some left in the bag when all eight are done.
Make Ahead: Prep The Night Before, Or Freeze Them Baked
These crescent roll cinnamon rolls are at their best the morning they come out of the oven.
NIGHT BEFORE: Make them right up to the baking stage the night before. The next morning, bake them straight from the refrigerator. Give them 17 minutes instead of 15, because at 15 the middles are still doughy.
LONGER TERM: Once they’ve fully cooled, freeze them baked but not glazed. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to two months. Take one out half an hour before you want it, microwave it for 20 seconds and glaze it then. Note: they come out softer than one straight from the oven.
Keep Leftovers In The Refrigerator, Not On The Counter
They keep three days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The counter is out, because there is cream cheese in the filling and milk and butter in the glaze.
To warm one, give it five to six minutes in a 300°F oven, which brings it back closest to fresh. A microwave will do it at 15 to 20 seconds, but the texture won’t be quite the same.
This recipe was originally published in December 2021. It was updated with new photos in September 2026.
Crescent Roll Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Cinnamon Rolls
- 8 ounces packaged Pillsbury Original Crescent Rolls
- 2 ounces block-style cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Crescent Rolls
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large (13×18-inch) baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Unroll the sheet of crescent rolls onto a second sheet of parchment paper that has been placed onto your work surface. This will help to keep the filled and rolled crescents from sticking. Gently separate each individual triangle at the perforations in the crescent sheet. You can use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut clean lines so you do not tear the crescent dough when separating the triangles.
- Combine the cream cheese, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl using a small rubber spatula or an electric mixer until smooth and well combined.
- Using a 1-tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, divide the cinnamon filling evenly among the 8 crescent triangles, placing the filling near the center of the wide end of each triangle.
- Using a small offset spatula, evenly spread the cinnamon filling over the triangles, being careful not to spread it onto the pointy tips of each crescent triangle. This will help to keep the tip from separating when baked.
- Starting at the widest end, gently roll up the crescent triangle until the small pointed tip is on the top of the roll.
- Place the crescent roll cinnamon rolls tip side up onto the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow the cinnamon rolls to cool for 3-4 minutes before drizzling with the glaze. This allows the glaze to hold its shape rather than running off the warm rolls.
Glaze
- While the crescent roll cinnamon rolls are cooling, make the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar, milk, butter, and vanilla until smooth. The glaze should have a consistency similar to honey.
- Transfer the glaze to a zip-top bag and seal shut. Cut a small piece off one corner of the bag and drizzle the glaze over the slightly cooled crescent rolls. Allow the glaze to set for 1-2 minutes before transferring the rolls to a serving plate.
Notes
- These can be assembled on the baking sheet, then covered tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight. You can bake them at 375°F for about 15-17 minutes or until golden brown. There is no need to allow them to come to room temperature before baking; they can be baked straight from the refrigerator.
- You can easily double this recipe; however, you will need two prepared large baking sheets, as 16 cinnamon rolls will not fit on one.
- A piping bag will work just as well as a zip-top bag for the glaze if needed.
- You can lightly flour your work surface if needed to help keep the crescent dough from sticking as you roll up your cinnamon rolls.
- You can freeze baked cinnamon rolls (that have not been glazed) for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat at 300°F for 5-6 minutes or just until warmed through. You can add the glaze after reheating the cinnamon rolls.
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