Soft and flaky dinner rolls are swirled with moist onion flakes, poppy seeds, and a hint of sweetness. Store-bought dough means these onion crescent rolls are ready in twenty minutes!
One of my very favorite, can’t-pass-them-up, kinda sorta crave them foods are onion rolls. You know the ones. Fluffy soft dough that’s topped with (good) or swirled with (great!) onion. In my opinion, these rolls are well worth having to pop a mint afterwards before you find yourself in a conversation with someone, and/or flossing your way to a poppyseed-free smile.
So here are some onion rolls! Or at least a super quick, impossibly simple version of them.
That works for you, right? The taste and consistency here is spot-on, and these onion crescent rolls feature the quintessential swirls of moist onion flakes and poppy seeds, with just a touch of sweetness. I went through a phase where I would eat onion rolls regularly. I’m not going to expand on “regularly” because I’m pretty sure if I told you the frequency with which I plowed through a six-pack of them, you’d think I had issues. Let’s just say “often”.
Sometimes the onion roll craving would hit, I’d have none in the house, and I didn’t feel like driving to the store. Holy first world dilemma, huh? No matter, if you’ve got a tube of crescent roll dough hanging around, you can go from craving to snacking in just about twenty minutes.
As we’re using refrigerated dough here, there’s no rise time required. The recipe only calls for six other ingredients – olive oil, dried minced or chopped onion, sugar, salt, poppy seeds, and honey. All things that you may already have in your kitchen pantry (or can purchase once and have for a long time to come).
Full disclosure: The day I made these rolls, I ate one for breakfast. Then I snacked on another mid-afternoon. Aaaand that same day I may or may not have eaten one for dessert. If my experience is any indication…you’ve been warned.
- 1 8-oz tube refrigerated crescent dough
- 3 1/2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1/4 cup dried minced or chopped onion
- Pinch of sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp honey (approximate)
- 1/2 tsp poppy seeds (approximate)
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Set aside.
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In a small saucepan, heat 3 tbsp of olive oil over low heat. Add minced onion, sugar, and salt and stir to moisten all of the onion. Let onion flakes heat in the oil for 5-8 minutes, or until edges of flakes become golden brown and onion becomes just slightly soft (flakes will also soften while baking later on). Remove from heat.
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Unroll crescent dough and separate the eight perforated triangles. Add remaining 1/2 tbsp of olive oil to a small bowl, and then brush it on the top of each dough triangle. Spread sauteed onion flakes evenly over eight triangles. Drizzle a small amount of honey over top of onion flakes, then sprinkle poppy seeds.
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Roll up each dough triangle (beginning to roll with the longer end). Place rolls onto prepared baking sheet. Brush remaining olive oil from the bowl over top of crescent rolls and sprinkle extra poppy seeds over top (optional).
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Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until outsides of rolls are golden brown and firm to the touch. Place rolls on wire rack to cool.
Kristi @ Inspiration Kitchen says
Oh my gosh – where have these been all my life? I am already imagining these for breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack. Get the idea? I’m in!!! Pinned!
Alyssa says
Haha, my thoughts exactly!! I’d like to have a batch of these babies around all the time, please. 🙂 Thanks for pinning!
Cindy @ Pick Fresh Foods says
I do that same thing all the time. I’m talking to my husband or kids about something someone made and they’ll ask who is that? It is kind of like having imaginary friends, but with bloggers you get great recipes 😀
These rolls look delicious. I love that you start with something easy and then elevate the flavors!
Alyssa says
Imaginary friends that provide you with awesome recipes! I like that, Cindy. 🙂 And thanks! Using crescent roll dough certainly cuts down on the steps, but they’re still packed with flavor. A win-win!
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says
My husband is a big onion fan, so what a treat these would be to go with his birthday dinner! Can’t wait to make them!
Alyssa says
Big onion fan over here, too! I bet he would enjoy them for sure. 🙂
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely says
I am the exact same way! All these bloggers seem like real life friends. Haha! Hopefully one day we’ll get to actually meet. Until then I’ll continue drooling over your food recipes.
These onion rolls sound delicious. I love onion bagels, and the flavors in these kind of remind me of those. And love that I can just use Crescent rolls. Hurray for no yeast!
Alyssa says
How fun would that be, Natalie! And onion bagels are one of my favorites. Love that the crescent rolls give you the onion roll fix in a flash. No yeast for the win! 🙂
Polly @ Tasty Food Project says
I love finding different ways to make crescent rolls! These look delicious!
Alyssa says
Thank you, Polly!
Ashley @ My Midwest Table says
Crescent rolls by themselves are addicting, so I can only imagine how much more addicting this onion version is. And I’d be just like you. Anything goes for breakfast…these rolls would be no exception!
I love all the blogging connections I’ve made. It’s so fun to have friends I’ve never met but feel like I know so well. 🙂
Alyssa says
Glad to hear I’m not alone, Ashley! Crescent rolls are always a welcome dinner table treat around here, but these onion ones disappeared quicker than ever!
And I agree! 🙂
Helen @ Scrummy Lane says
Hello, Alyssa! I’m afraid I am actually in the ‘don’t know what a rainbow cookie is’ so I’m actually off to google it right now ….
OK, I’m back …
Wow, that’s so cool! I assume they’re more like a cake? When I was a child, we used to have a cooked lunch at school, and everyone’s favourite dessert was ‘rainbow sponge’ which was a bit like this but more like a steamed pudding … served with custard!
Love the idea of the crescent rolls by the way … I feel like they would be beautiful dipped into soup!
P.S. I LOVE the worldwide food blogging community, too! 🙂
Alyssa says
Hi Helen! Yes, the consistency of the “cookies” are definitely more cake-like than cookie-like. A more accurate name would be little rainbow cake slivers I suppose! It has been fascinating for me to learn how varied the prevalence of these little guys have been not only internationally, but regionally here in the US as well! Now it’s my turn – I haven’t seen a rainbow sponge, but anything served with custard sounds pretty good to me! And I agree whole-heartedly. These rolls would be a wonderful pairing for soup. 🙂
Kathi @ Deliciously Yum! says
Love simple recipes like this one! And crescent rolls are one of the best inventions ever, especially when they’re dressed up like these ones.
Also, your entire post was so much fun to read – my husband has recently started to ask if we’re talking about a person we actually know or about one of my blogging friends, ha!
Alyssa says
Thanks so much, Kathi! Haha and I’m glad I’m not alone! 🙂
Jess @ WhatJessicaBakedNext says
Love this recipe-super easy to put together and they look absolutely moorish! Definitely a must try recipe!
Alyssa says
Thanks Jess! 🙂
Jessica @ Jessiker Bakes says
Oh no don’t even get me started on crescent rolls! I have an addiction as well! I love how quick this recipe is, I’ll definately be trying this in the VERY near future great post Alyssa!
Alyssa says
Haha thanks Jessica! They are too good! 🙂
Alexandra Aimee says
Ohhhhh my. I need to find a way to de-gluten these!
— Alex at Cashmere Kangaroo
Alyssa says
I hope you can find a way, Alex, because they’re delicious! I’m not too familiar with gluten-free baking, but if a gluten-free dough is hard to find in stores, perhaps a gluten-free homemade dough recipe would do the trick (though it would take additional time and steps). Good luck! 🙂
Deb says
I adore the ease of preparation in this recipe, yet with fabulous flavor! Just irresistible!
Alyssa says
Absolutely, Deb – quick and flavorful! 🙂
Tina @ Tina's Chic Corner says
I love crescent rolls! This is an awesome recipe and I can’t wait to try it. 🙂
I can definitely relate. I’m closer with some of my blogging friends (who I’ve never met) than I am with some of my friends that I actually see. That’s definitely not something I expected when I entered the blogging world, but I love it. 🙂
Alyssa says
Thanks Tina! 🙂
Consuelo @ Honey & Figs says
I’m guilty of having talked about other bloggers as if they were real life friends too ooops haha. Never heard of your lovely rainbow cookies, but I do have seen these onion rolls around. Although the version we have here doesn’t look near as fluffy and flaky as this one. Oh wow, I can see now why you’d have them for breakfast! ;–)
Alyssa says
Haha glad I’m not alone, Consuelo! I’m a sucker for fluffy, flaky breads (well…just bread in general). These babies didn’t stand a chance in my kitchen! 🙂
Chris @ Shared Appetite says
1) You are so right… it’s super cool how us food bloggers get connected and live all around the world. It’s really is such a fun and exciting opportunity.
2) What?!?!! How sad that people across the country do not know the glorious baking victory that are rainbow cookies. Alyssa, you need to change this, one cookie and one person at a time. It’s a big job, but I know you can do it.
3) I’m such a sucker for crescent rolls. I could eat like 50 of them in one sitting.
Alyssa says
1. 🙂
2. I Know! I definitely took their popularity for granted. Game ON – that is so a job I’m up for!
3. Agreed!
Lynette says
Wow great post! I love onion rolls. I can’t wait to make these
Alyssa says
Thanks! They’re “easy breezy”. 😉
Norma | allspice and nutmeg says
These look so good, Alyssa! They’re great when a quick easy roll is needed.
Alyssa says
Thanks, Norma! Exactly – they’re quick, but taste like they required a lot more effort!