The Best 15 Crescent Roll Desserts

Crescent roll dough is so versatile that you can make a range of delicious sweet treats. 

Our best crescent roll desserts are just easy to make, but they also taste truly homemade.

Here are our favorite 15 crescent rolls recipes (see also ‘15+ Fantastic Recipes For Pillsbury Crescent Rolls‘), ideal as desserts for every family meal.

1. Crescent Roll Apple Dumplings

Apples are one of the most popular, and sweetest, way to create a dessert. 

Wrapped in a warm crescent roll, apple filling with cinnamon and sugar makes for the perfect dessert.

Although crescent rolls can be as difficult or easy as you want them to be, this apple dumpling recipe is definitely on the easy side, and it won’t take too long time to make.

2. Strawberry Cheesecake Crescent Rolls

There is nothing better than fresh strawberries in summer, or maybe there is! 

This strawberry cheesecake crescent roll does not just contain a lot of healthy strawberries but it’s also surprisingly quick to make.

It only takes 25 minutes to whisk all the ingredients together and bake it. But the biggest advantage with this crescent roll is that you can cut it into smaller pieces and share.

This makes it ideal for a summer garden party, or even as a sweet treat for your cocktail party.

3. Crescent Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon isn’t just a nice kitchen spice to use for Christmas but it adds flavor to plenty of sweet desserts, like these small crescent cinnamon rolls.

All you need for this recipe is ready-made crescent rolls and cinnamon butter. Just unroll the rolls, spread the cinnamon butter over the rolls, and wrap the crescent rolls again.

Just bake for a few minutes in the oven, and they are ready to eat immediately. Thanks to their small size, these cinnamon rolls are the perfect portion size for children (and grown ups, too).

4. Crescent Roll Churros

This is the adult version of the previously mentioned cinnamon crescent rolls. They are slightly larger but with just the same amount of cinnamon flavor.

All you need is crescent rolls, sugar and plenty of cinnamon. These churros aren’t just a dessert but you can also eat them as a treat for brunch or breakfast.

5. Easy Chocolate Crescents

Nothing says more dessert than chocolate, so when you combine crescent rolls with chocolate, you are guaranteed to enjoy this recipe.

With only four simple ingredients, these easy to make chocolate crescent rolls take just a few minutes to prepare.

Sprinkle a little bit of powdered sugar on top, and they are ready to be eaten.

6. Cheesecake Crescent Rolls

How do you squeeze a cheesecake into a crescent roll (see also ‘23 Amazing Crescent Roll Appetizers‘)? This recipe proves that it’s not very difficult to do.

Just whisk five simple ingredients together and layer them in an oven-safe dish. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over the top and bake.

It couldn’t get much easier to create a quick dessert that feeds a little crowd.

7. Lemon Crescent Rolls Dessert

Lemons are simply a great summer food and you can add lemon or lemon juice to almost any dessert that you want to offer at your garden party.

What makes these crescent rolls so unique is that they contain plenty of lemon, including lemon juice and lemon extract (see also ‘23 Easy Crescent Roll Breakfast Recipes Perfect For A Lazy Morning‘).

They may look very similar to a normal crescent roll but the delicious lemon flavor is a pleasant surprise.

8. Caramel-Scotch Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Although the name seems to say that this is a really difficult recipe to make, it’s amazingly quick and easy. 

You’ll only need a few basic ingredients and plenty of sugar as well as butterscotch-caramel ice cream. 

Thanks to the ice cream, this delicious caramel crescent roll is best served when it’s cold. Then you can cut it into different slices and it keeps its shape beautifully.

9. Blueberry Crescent Rolls

The blueberry season comes around so quickly, and if you find that you have a few blueberries spare, then why not make them into these small crescent rolls.

Blueberries have a gentle sweet and tart taste that combines very well with the crescent roll dough.

You can make them any size you like, but the blueberry flavor comes out best when you make them a little smaller.

10. Baked Jam And Brie Knots

If you have ever tried baked Camembert with cranberry jam, then you might be able to imagine what these delicious jam and brie knots taste like.

When you eat them fresh from the oven, then you can enjoy the melty brie with a kick of the sweet jam.

This recipe just needs three ingredients: jam, brie and almonds, as well as crescent rolls.

You can use any kind of your favorite jam although we found this recipe works perfectly well with apricot jam.

The sweetness and tartness of the apricots balances the savory, creamy brie which just melts in your mouth.

11. Raspberry Crescent Rolls

Thanks to their neutral flavor, crescent rolls can be filled with almost anything, including a range of different berries and jams.

If you have a sweet tooth and crave a little treat, then these raspberry crescent rolls are a great option.

You can make them either with jam or jelly of any flavor, although raspberry tastes just perfectly delicious.

12. Cherry Crescent Ring

This one is not just a simple dessert but it’s an eye catcher for every party in summer or even during the holidays.

This beautiful coffee cake is large enough to feed all the family, and you can enjoy it for breakfast, brunch or even just as a special dessert.

13. Sopapilla Cheesecake

Sopapilla cheesecake is a traditional sweet cheesecake which is layered and topped off with sugar and cinnamon.

Also known as Mexican cheesecake or churro cheesecake, this dessert is well loved in Hispanic cuisine.

But make no mistake. This cheesecake is not just sweet. It can also be turned into a savory version which is equally delicious.

Sopapilla cheesecake is surprisingly old. It is said that it originated in New Mexico over 200 years ago, and there are a number of different dessert stories told about this cheesecake.

14. Peach Crescent Roll

If you’re not a fan of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or other berries, then peaches are a great alternative.

They can be found in almost any store, and you just need a few to make these tasty peach crescent rolls.

But there is a lot more in these crescent rolls than peaches (see also ‘33 Awesome Peach Desserts‘). They also contains rolled oats which makes this recipe extra healthy.

The oats in the crescent roll filling also give the roll an extra crispy texture.

Thanks to their small size, they are also easy to hold. The perfect treat for children and adults alike.

15. Crescent Roll Coffee Cake

If you like your coffee, then chances are that you will love this crescent roll cake with a coffee filling.

All you need is pecans, raspberry preserves and a sugary glaze to make this quick and easy breakfast treat. It’s the ideal dessert for brunch to get your day started.

However, the best thing about this crescent roll cake is that you can make as much of it as you like, and you can also make a large batch for sharing with the family.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Crescents The Same As Croissants?

While croissants and crescents are similar, they are not the same. Crescent rolls have a homemade roll texture, while croissants use a puff pastry dough.

The pastry dough is what makes croissants more flaky. In comparison, crescent rolls are a little less flaky and they keep their shape better.

Is Crescent A Pastry?

No, crescent roll is not a pastry. Although crescent rolls have a similar flaky texture to croissants, for example, they are not puff pastry.

Crescent rolls are made with baking powder and yeast. In comparison, puff pastry only contains water, flour and butter.

What Is Crescent Dough Made Of?

Crescent rolls are made of refined flour, and they can be filled with a range of different fruit and cream fillings.

Can You Use Puff Pastry Instead Of Crescent Dough?

This depends on your recipe and what you want to make. In some recipes, you are fine to replace crescent dough with puff pastry.

However, it is important to understand that anything where you add puff pastry will create a more flaky and puffier end result.

In comparison, anything baked or cooked with crescent dough will be less flaky and it will hold its shape better.

Does Crescent Roll Dough Need To Be Refrigerated?

It’s best to keep any open packs of crescent roll or crescent roll dough in the fridge to ensure that it stays fresh.

As crescent roll contains yeast, it can quickly grow mold and bacteria if you do not keep it in the fridge. Also ensure that you place it in an airtight container or wrap it in plastic foil.

Conclusion

Crescent roll is such a versatile type of pastry. Although it isn’t as flaky as puff pastry, you can fill it with almost anything, including cream cheese, fruit, jams, preserves and other sweet ingredients.