Chocolate Gravy Recipe
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Using pantry staples, this Southern-style chocolate gravy recipe is so quick and easy to make and tastes absolutely incredible served with homemade biscuits.
Does a chocolate gravy recipe sound a bit odd to you? Well, for me, a professed chocolate lover, nothing with chocolate is ever ruled out but I was intrigued as to what this recipe would taste like when I whipped it up. For me, this is perfect: not too rich, but has that silky smooth chocolate flavor I adore.
Chocolate gravy’s roots are in the South for sure. Anywhere from Louisiana to Tennessee has claimed its origin even dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries. Anything that lasted that long just has to be good!
A Little History About the Chocolate Gravy Recipe
In days of old, with flour in abundance and other resources scarce, biscuits made a great breakfast and filling snack any time of day. Sweets were not a regular occurrence, so waking up in the morning to find fresh buttermilk biscuits and a boat of chocolate gravy was a wondrous treat. It was poured over the buttered flaky biscuits, then the tender bread soaks it up and as I found out when I tried it – you are then on your way to heaven no matter what the day has in store for you.
Here is the old-fashioned chocolate gravy recipe I used. Don’t try this unless you want the flavor to linger in your mind for the rest of your life. It was purely divine. Also, scroll down to find some suggestions about what else you can do with this special biscuit and chocolate gravy recipe.
Recipe Ingredients
- Sugar
- Flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Milk
- Butter
Put the (the , , and ) in a heavy saucepan.
Add the milk.
Whisk together well.
It will be a little lumpy but those will cook up so don’t worry. Just keep stirring. We want to stir this constantly, over medium heat. The goal is to bring it slowly to a boil.
We need to be careful though because if you stop stirring it the milk will scorch rather easily.
When it comes to a low boil, turn the heat off and continue stirring for a minute or two. This will thicken up rather suddenly to the consistency of a thin gravy.
Add butter and stir well.
Pour your chocolate gravy into a gravy boat and then get ready to pour it over your warm biscuits.
If you’re looking for a homemade biscuit recipe, here it is!
I hope you can smell this. If not, get into your kitchen and make up some quick!
Chocolate gravy is super easy, but such an indulgent taste! Scroll down to see what you can do with this delightful dessert.
Storage
Store chocolate gravy leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Just reheat in the microwave before serving.
Recipe Notes
- Use whichever cocoa powder you prefer in this gravy recipe. I like the natural unsweetened cocoa powder but if you like Dutch-process cocoa powder, go for it!
- For more flavor, add a teaspoon of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt at the end, just before serving.
Recipe FAQs
What else can you do with this chocolate gravy recipe?
Well, I wasn’t quick enough to get a picture of this but add some custard filling in the biscuit or some vanilla ice cream for a chocolate gravy eclair or ice cream sandwich. YUM! You could also serve it over buttermilk pancakes, vanilla ice cream with fresh strawberries, or a slice of pound cake. The possibilities are endless with this beautiful creamy chocolate sauce aka gravy.
You may also like these other delicious dessert recipes:
Grandma Pear’s Flaky Chocolate Icing
Chocolate Cobbler Recipe Food Allergy Options
Chocolate Depression Cake No Milk or Eggs!
Ingredients
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 T flour
- 1 T unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Combine everything except the butter in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.1 cup white sugar, 2 T flour, 1 T unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 1/4 cups milk
- Once boiling, cut the heat down and stir for a minute more (it will get pretty thick rather suddenly). Take off the heat and stir in the butter.1 tablespoon butter
- To serve, pour over homemade biscuits. I tear my hot biscuit up in a bowl first and then pour it over.
Nutrition
Chocolate ‘n Biscuits has been a hand-down recipe in my family for 4 generations, from my great-grandmother to my son. My Mother used to fix it almost every morning, but I now only fix it for special occasions, when the urge is calling.
In my families, one grandmother made chocolate gravy (with flour), while my other grandmother made it without flour like a syrup. Either way, I have always called it “chocolate ‘n biscuits”.
And, I want to say that fresh handmade biscuits are the only acceptable way to sop it up. Ummmm, so good!
My grandmother and my mother both made theirs different from each other also. I know how my mother made hers with the flour but don’t know how my grandmother made hers without the flour. If you have that recipe please share with me. Thanks.
Scrapbooking was one of my hobbies when i was in high school and college. it was quite fun.;”.
Hi Christy,
I’ve just recently found your website via Southern Savers and I feel like it’s Christmas!
My mother cooked all of these meals for us growing up. Unfortunately she passed at a young age and didn’t leave much in writing behind. I have scores of cookbooks and none of them are as good as this website!
I now have two daughters and I feel envigorated just by being here and seeing my mother’s (and Nanny’s & DeeDee’s – her mother and grandmother) food on your plates!!
Thank you so much for this great site, the time and care you put into it are obvious!
Okay, that all leads to my question – do you have a recipe for Peanut Butter gravy? My mom made it all the time for us when I was little and although I have tried to make one up or even find one, I have not been successful!
Thank you either way!
Jennifer
Peanut Butter Gravy
Sausage grease or bacon grease
Flour
Milk
Peanut butter
Salt and pepper
Brown flour in the sausage grease. Stir in 1 heaping tablespoon of peanut butter. Add milk as necessary to reach desired consistency. Salt and pepper to taste. This is great on toast, biscuits or hash browns.
I was born and raised in GA and had never heard of chocolate gravy until a special friend in Cookeville, TN made it for breakfast during a visit with her. It was WONDERFUL! I’ve made it several times since and usually make it in the evening when I want a quick fix for a craving for something sweet or chocolate. It’s great poured over Nilla wafers too!
OOOOO…NILLA WAFERS!!!! Gotta try this!!!!
Christy,
I am a new follower of your blog and I was SO excited to see this recipe up here! The first and only time I have ever had chocolate gravy was about 17 years ago. We were visiting my grandfather’s family in West Virginia and they made this for us kids. Can you say heaven on a plate? Until I found your blog, I had never been able to find a recipe for it. But, here it is!!! Also, I gathered from reading that you are from Alabama. I am an Alabamian myself, born in Birmingham and raised in Gadsden 🙂 Thanks again for your blog and keep up the good work!!
My Granny who is from Kentucky made this for us when we would go visit. When I started making this for my boys they turned their nose up because of the name “gravy”! My brother started calling it Chocolate Goodness so all the kids would eat! It worked!! Although to me..it will always be chocolate gravy! LOVE IT!! Along with all the memories of Granny standing at the stove cooking it!
My married daughter still begs for this…. my CHEATING secret?
Use 1 box instant & 1 box slow cook CHOCOLATE PUDDING with milk (amount on pudding box) warm on stove (stirring) and there’s virtually no measuring & no MESS!!
🙂
Thanks Beth! While I enjoy cooking from scratch, I was wondering if choc. pudding would work when you need extra quick and little mess!! I also enjoy experimenting with recipes, but if someone has already done there…Hey! That’s great. Thanks again for sharing!