Easy Garlic Parmesan Crescent Rolls

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These Easy Italian Garlic Parmesan Crescent Rolls are my favorite shortcut for homemade garlic bread! They start with a can of crescent roll dough and bake up buttery and golden brown in about 12 minutes in a hot oven. This crescent roll garlic bread is perfect for pasta night, a quick weeknight supper, holiday dinners, or any time you need a side dish fast… and it’s simple, budget-friendly, and so hard to stop eating!

Originally posted June 2013, updated October 2026

Garlic Parmesan Crescent Rolls

Many, many moons ago (when my kids were little and our budget was tight), we were having spaghetti for supper, and I wanted garlic bread. The problem was… it takes at least an hour to make breadsticks in my bread machine, and I didn’t have any other options on hand.

Well, except cans of crescent rolls. I had actually bought them to make Noah’s Egg & Cheese Crescent Wraps, but I knew I could get more before he even missed them, so I set out to make something garlicky to go along with supper.

I came up with these!! Since we have 6 kids, I used 2 cans of crescent rolls, but you could easily cut this in half or even one of those little cans with 4 rolls (or do they have 5?)!

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

It’s ready in about 20 minutes. The garlic butter mixture takes a minute or two in the microwave, and the rolls bake in 11-13 minutes. It’s the easy way to get homemade garlic bread on the table when you didn’t plan ahead (which is exactly how this recipe was born!).

It’s made with simple ingredients. You only need a few pantry staples and a can or two of original crescent rolls. There’s no yeast, no rising, and no bread machine involved.

Everybody loves them. Buttery crescent rolls with lots of garlic flavor and melty Parmesan cheese are hard to resist. One reader told me her family demolished a batch within minutes!

Ingredients for Garlic Crescent Rolls

You only need a handful of simple ingredients for this easy recipe:

• Crescent roll dough – I use 2 cans of Pillsbury Original Crescent Rolls since we have 6 kids, but one can is plenty for a smaller family. A crescent dough sheet works too.
• Salted butter – melted with the seasonings to make the garlic butter. Homemade garlic butter or garlic herb butter is even better.
• Garlic salt – Lawry’s Coarse Ground Garlic Salt with Parsley is my absolute favorite. Garlic powder works too for a less salty roll (see the FAQ).
• Italian seasoning – this is what makes them Italian! Fresh herbs like parsley or basil are great too.
• Parmesan cheese – shredded parmesan melts best, but grated works in a pinch.

Find the full recipe with ingredient measurements in the recipe card below.

How to Make Crescent Roll Garlic Bread

Here’s how I make these garlic parmesan crescent rolls, step by step. It only takes a few minutes of hands-on time!

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Place half a stick of salted butter (4 Tbsp) in a glass measuring cup and then put 1 tsp. of Italian seasoning and 1 tsp. of garlic salt (the Lawry’s Coarse Ground Garlic Salt with Parsley is my absolute favorite… it’s all I’ll use!). Microwaved it for 1-2 minutes, until it melted. Stir it around and let it sit for a minute.

Note: if you already have homemade garlic butter on hand – use it! Want to get really fancy – make homemade crescent rolls!

3. Unroll the crescent dough, separate it into triangles, and lay them flat on a baking sheet (I like to line mine with parchment paper for easy cleanup). Brush them with the melted seasoned butter.
4. After you brush on the butter, sprinkle them with shredded Parmesan cheese.

3. Then roll them up, starting at the wide end, and brush them with more seasoned butter.
4. Bake at 375° for 11-13 minutes – or until golden brown and you’re done! Well, you could actually brush on some more butter after they’re baked, but that might be going a bit overboard…or not?! Ha!!
5. Enjoy 🙂

I like to be rather generous with the butter… but you could cut back if butter is not that important to you. But really… who doesn’t love a good smathering of garlic butter? I say, the more, the better!!

Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Crescent Rolls

You can make these in the air fryer too, which is so handy when your oven is full of lasagna or a casserole!

1. Make the garlic butter and roll up the crescents the same way.
2. Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper and place the rolls in a single layer with a little space between them. You will have to do multiple batches.
3. Air fry at 330°F for 6-8 minutes, until golden brown.
4. Brush with any leftover garlic butter and serve warm.

Note: every air fryer is a little different, so check on them early the first time you make them.

Pro Tips

• Watch the salt. I use salted butter and garlic salt together, so these lean salty (which we love!). For less salt, use unsalted butter or swap the garlic salt for garlic powder.
• Put the cheese inside. Sprinkling the parmesan on before you roll means it melts into every layer. Forgot and put it on top? That’s fine too, it just gets a little crispier.
• Be generous with the butter. Brush it on before and after rolling, and a little more after baking if you’re feeling fancy.
• Don’t overbake. Pull them out as soon as they’re golden brown so they stay soft and fluffy inside.

Variations

• Cheesy garlic crescent rolls – add shredded mozzarella along with the parmesan.
• Mozzarella stick crescent rolls – place half a stick of string cheese at the wide end of each triangle and roll it up inside, like a mozzarella stick wrapped in bread.
• Pizza crescent rolls – add a few mini pepperoni with the cheese and serve with marinara for dipping.
• Crescent roll garlic knots – cut the dough into strips, tie each one in a knot, brush with garlic butter, and top with parmesan. Add mozzarella for cheesy garlic knots!
• Turn up the flavor – stir onion powder, black pepper, or crushed red pepper flakes into the butter. One reader added red pepper flakes for a little spice and said they were gone within minutes.
• Fresh garlic – mince a clove or two of fresh garlic into the melted butter.

What to Serve with Garlic Crescent Rolls

These are the perfect side dish for pasta night, but they go with just about anything. Try them with Easy Instant Pot Spaghetti & Meatballs, Lazy Lasagna, Easy Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo, One Pot Marry Me Chicken Pasta, or a big bowl of Kitchen Sink Minestrone Soup. (Add links.)

How to Store and Reheat

Garlic parmesan crescent rolls are best warm from the oven, but leftovers keep well. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a toaster oven, regular oven, or air fryer at 350°F for 2-3 minutes until warm. The microwave works in a pinch, but they’ll be softer.

FAQ

How do you make garlic bread with crescent rolls? Mix melted butter with garlic salt and Italian seasoning. Unroll the crescent dough, brush each triangle with the garlic butter, sprinkle with parmesan, and roll it up from the wide end. Brush with more butter and bake at 375°F for 11-13 minutes, until golden brown.

Can I use garlic powder instead of garlic salt? Absolutely! I love Lawry’s garlic salt and use it every time, but garlic powder gives you all the garlic flavor with a lot less salt. Start with about 1/2 teaspoon and add more to taste.

Can I use fresh garlic? Yes! Mince 1-2 cloves of fresh garlic and stir them into the melted butter. Let it sit for a minute so the garlic flavor soaks into the butter.

Can I make these ahead of time? I haven’t tried assembling them hours ahead and baking them later. For a party, I’d bake them and keep them warm in a crockpot with a damp cloth over the top so they stay soft.

Can I use a crescent dough sheet? Yes. Brush the whole sheet with garlic butter, sprinkle on the parmesan, roll it up into a log, and slice it into pinwheels. Place the slices on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown.

What’s the difference between these and breadsticks? Breadstick dough is chewier, while crescent rolls bake up soft, flaky, and buttery. These are faster too, since you don’t have to wait on any rising.

I love that this crescent roll garlic bread came out of a supper-time pinch and turned into one of my favorite shortcuts. Make it your own with extra cheese, a little heat, or whatever seasonings your family loves… and don’t be shy with that garlic butter! You’ll find the printable recipe below.

More Crescent Roll Recipes

• Bacon, Parmesan & Cream Cheese Crescent Pinwheels
• Egg & Cheese Crescent Wraps
• Homemade Crescent Rolls
• Easy Churro Cheesecake Bars (with Crescent Rolls)
• Cranberry Cream Cheese Crescent Wreath
• Cold Veggie Pizza with Crescent Rolls