Soft and incredibly fluffy, these vegan crescent rolls beat store bought rolls any day, and they couldn't be easier to make!
Love bread rolls? You might also enjoy these recipes for vegan dinner rolls, soft sourdough bread rolls and Mexican bolillo rolls.
I dream of soft, fluffy vegan crescent rolls fresh from the oven that I can tear open with my fingers, watch as the smoke dissipates right before my eyes, slather with a dab of vegan butter and raspberry jelly, and then take a huge bite of...now doesn't that sound like heaven?
After making these vegan crescent rolls I definitely was in heaven. Because not only are they are easy to make and impossibly elegant, they are, of course, 100 percent vegan.
As flaky as these rolls are, don't mistake them for their richer French cousins, croissants, which are made with a richer, laminated butter dough. These crescent rolls are more like everyday rolls you can serve for breakfast or lunch or dinner. You can even make the rolls whole wheat!
This recipe makes 16 crescent rolls, which is great if you have company for dinner. But leftover rolls freeze beautifully too and you can pop them in the oven to freshen them up.
Table of Contents
Why you will love these crescent rolls
- Perfect texture. These rolls have a gossamer-soft, feathery texture you are guaranteed to love.
- Easy recipe. The dough comes together quickly and the rolls are fun to shape. I've got a detailed pictorial guide for you below. This is a wonderful project to get kids involved in!
- Make-ahead friendly. You can make these rolls ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze them. Pop them in the oven for a short time to warm them through and serve.
- Soy-free, nut-free and vegan recipe.
Ingredients
- Bread flour. This will give the best, fluffy texture. You can substitute with unbleached all-purpose flour.
- Active dry yeast or instant yeast. You can use either. If using active dry yeast, mix the yeast with the water and milk and sugar and wait a few minutes to make sure it blooms.
- Sugar. You just need a teaspoon to feed the yeast. These are not sweet rolls.
- Extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- Non-dairy milk. Use any dairy free milk of your choice.
How to make vegan crescent rolls
Place the warm water and non-dairy milk, oil, sugar and yeast in a bowl. If using instant yeast you can proceed directly with the next step. If using active dry yeast, wait a few minutes to make sure the yeast blooms.
Add 3 cups flour to the bowl along with salt. Knead in a stand mixer or by hand until a smooth dough forms. Add more flour as necessary if the dough is too sticky. Once the dough comes together, continue kneading on medium-low speed for eight more minutes, or by hand.
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Form the kneaded dough into a smooth ball. Place in an oiled bowl, turning the dough over once to coat the top with oil. Cover the bowl and set it in a warm spot.
After 1 to 1 ½ hours the dough should have doubled. Remove it from the bowl and punch it down.
Divide the dough in half and shape each half in a ball.
Roll out one ball of dough into a disc, 10 inches in diameter. Use a pizza cutter or knife to cut into eight wedges.
Take one wedge and pull the sides with your fingers to lengthen them.
Begin rolling the dough over itself...
..continuing to do so...
...until you form a crescent shape. Tuck the pointed end under the roll and curve the ends toward you to define the crescent.
Repeat for remaining dough until you have 16 rolls. Place the rolls on a lightly oiled baking sheet, cover loosely with a towel and let them rice another hour or until they have doubled in size. To make the optional "egg" wash, mix a teaspoon each of non-dairy milk, oil and maple syrup or sugar. Brush it evenly over the risen rolls. Bake the crescent rolls in a preheated 425-degree Fahrenheit/220-degree Celsius oven for 15-18 minutes. The rolls should be golden-brown on top. Cool on a rack. You can serve the rolls warm or at room temperature.
Storage instructions
- Refrigerate: These rolls will keep in the refrigerator for up to four days.
- Freeze: Freeze the rolls in freezer-safe bags for up to four months.
- Reheat. Reheat the rolls in the microwave or in a 350-degree oven until warmed through.
More bread roll recipes
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Recipe card
Vegan Crescent Rolls
Equipment
- Stand mixer or large bowl
- Baking sheet(s)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoon instant yeast or active dry yeast (1 packet)
- ¼ cup lukewarm water
- 1 ¼ cup non-dairy milk (oat milk, almond milk, soy milk and cashew milk are all good choices),
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (or avocado oil or another vegetable oil of your choice).
- 3 to 4 cups bread flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Optional "egg" wash
- 1 teaspoon non-dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup (or sugar)
Instructions
- Place the warm water and non-dairy milk, sugar, oil and yeast in a bowl. If using instant yeast you can proceed directly with the next step. If using active dry yeast, wait a few minutes to make sure the yeast blooms.
- Add 3 cups flour to the bowl along with salt. Knead in a stand mixer or by hand until a smooth dough forms. Add more flour as necessary if the dough is too sticky. Once the dough comes together, continue kneading on medium-low speed for eight more minutes, or by hand.
- Form the kneaded dough into a smooth ball. Place in an oiled bowl, turning the dough over once to coat the top with oil. Cover the bowl and set it in a warm spot.
- After 1 to 1 ½ hours the dough should have doubled. Remove it from the bowl and punch it down.
- Divide the dough in half and shape each half in a ball. Roll out one ball of dough into a disc, 10 inches in diameter. Use a pizza cutter or knife to cut into eight wedges, like you'd cut a pizza.
- (See pictures above for clarity on this step) Take one wedge and pull the sides with your fingers to lengthen them. Pull the bottom point to a pointed shape. Begin rolling the edge toward the point to form a crescent shape. Tuck the pointed end under the roll and curve the sides toward you to form a crescent.
- Repeat for remaining dough until you have 16 rolls. Place the rolls on a lightly oiled baking sheet, cover loosely with a towel and let them rice another hour or until they have doubled in size.
- About 15 minutes before the rolls have finished rising, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit/220 degrees Celsius.
- If using the optional "egg" wash, mix the milk, sugar and oil. Brush it on the risen rolls.
- Bake the crescent rolls for 15-18 minutes. The rolls should be golden-brown on top when done. Cool on a rack. You can serve the rolls warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition Information
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Marcie Fairbrother
Hello,
I am currently in the process of making the dough. Once it's finished rising can I split it into two then store in fridge for the next day?
Also you say these are completely vegan, however you say to brush with an egg wash which is not vegan?
Thanks
Vaishali
You can refrigerate the dough. And it's not an egg wash, of course. It's a vegan egg wash made with maple syrup, non-dairy milk and oil. There is no egg in it.
Heather Taylor
Hi Vaishali,
This recipe looks so delicious! I can't find where you add the oil to the recipe, is it just used for prepping the bowl and in the wash?
Many thanks
Heather
Vaishali
Hi Heather, along with the milk and the yeast, in step 1! Thanks.
Julie Fitzpatrick
Wondering about the optional wash. What is it?
Vaishali
Hi Julie, it's a teaspoon each of olive oil, nondairy milk and maple syrup. Clarified in the recipe! You can leave it out, but it adds a nice gloss to the rolls.
Elma
Thank you so much for such an easy and fast recipe! Made these today after looking up a few vegan recipes and I have to admit, this will be my go-to from now on! They were so fluffy and soft! I made 16 like the recipe called but was stuffed after having only 4! Yey for leftovers!! Thank you!
Katelyn
Can these be made without sweetener?
Vaishali
Yes, the sugar helps the yeast multiply but you can leave it out.
Vaishali
So happy you loved them, Elma!
Theresa
Just wondering, is there a way to not use oil ?
Thanks
Vaishali
Hi Theresa, You can leave out the oil but they won't be as feathery and will be crustier.
Cherie
Thank you! I'm making them this weekend:-)
Side note - does anyone have any secrets to vegan baking at altitude? I live at 7400' and have a hard time getting things cooked in the middle and not too brown on top. Regular baking is difficult enough but I find vegan baking more so w/out the eggs.
Pointers anyone?!
Cherie
Hello! These look amazing but it doesn't say how much flour? Can you tell us please? Thanks! I think my kids would like these better than the whole wheat to begin with;-)
BEAUTIFUL site and recipes - printing off a gazillion of them!
Cherie
Vaishali
Hi Cherie, thanks for your kind words. I've added back the amount of flour-- it must have dropped off when I transferred the recipe to the Easy Recipe format. Thanks for pointing out.
Susan A Milne
What is the optional wash made up of, I cannot see in recipe?
Vaishali
Hi Susan, it's in step 9.
VofN
Can I use this for bread rolls?
Vaishali
Yes!
Beatriz
Made this crescent rolls...and they were delicious!!!.... I even post them in my FB and give your website...one thing though...you have to eat them when they are fresh from the oven, otherwise they become a bit chewy ..i..since I love them I put them in the toaster for a few seconds and they were still good..my husband eat half of them when they were fresh with a salad for lunch.... lwill definitely make them again.
Steve Lassoff
Oh I can smell the fresh baked bread smell now! I am working on building a community of vegans and would love for you to hop over to http://www.wedigfood.com and leave a recipe or restaurant review.
Vaishali
Nisha, congratulations! Baking always takes some practice, but you are getting there. Thanks for letting me know. 🙂