A decadent recipe for southern-style homemade Chocolate Gravy! This recipe is super simple to make with pantry staples. It comes together in just minutes and is perfect served over my buttery homemade biscuits! Recipe includes a how-to video!
Chocolate for Breakfast
An old-fashioned, southern-style chocolate gravy! This one is for those of you like me who enjoy dessert for breakfast. I see you.
Honestly, we usually save this as a “special occasion” food around here. Holiday mornings, birthday breakfasts, extra-indulgent brunches on lazy Sundays (though don’t think you have to reserve this for the first half of the day!).
Chocolate gravy is everything a chocolate lover could hope for. It’s sweet without being cloyingly so, it’s decadent without being too rich. It’s enriched with chocolate flavor and is silky smooth. It pairs perfectly with hot, buttery biscuits and once you try it you’ll never want to go back to savory sausage gravy again. All to say I think you’re going to really enjoy this one. Let’s get to it!
What You Need
As promised, this recipe uses just a few basic pantry staples:
- Cocoa powder. This is the base for your chocolate gravy! You may use either Dutch-process cocoa powder or natural unsweetened, see my FAQ section below for more information.
- Sugar. We’re mostly using granulated sugar, but those of you who have been following the blog for any length of time know that, whenever possible, I like to sneak in a bit of brown sugar as well. Today’s recipe is no exception. This adds a subtle depth of flavor (as it does with my no-bake cookies!). If you don’t have brown sugar, just substitute it for more granulated.
- Flour. Use all-purpose flour. This serves as a thickener in the chocolate gravy. Make sure that you whisk your flour with your other ingredients before adding the milk, otherwise you run the risk of having lumps.
- Milk. I have only tried this recipe with whole milk myself, but I suspect 2% would work as well.
- Salt & Vanilla. These add flavor to the final product. The salt is whisked in before cooking and the vanilla is added after removing the mixture from heat (to keep the flavor from cooking out!).
- Butter. This adds a richness and silky smooth mouthfeel to the gravy. A must!
This list is only an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Chocolate Gravy
- Whisk together the sugars, cocoa, flour, and salt in a saucepan. Make sure there are no lumps from the flour (try to break up any lumps from the brown sugar, but don’t panic if you’re not successful as these will melt).
- Drizzle milk into the mixture while whisking.
- Whisk frequently over medium heat until mixture begins to thicken and the whisk leaves a trail.
- Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla extract and butter, adding the butter one tablespoon at a time.
Once prepared, all you need is some good buttery biscuits. Serve warm and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Chocolate gravy is meant to be over warm, buttery, flaky biscuits! However, you could also serve it over buttermilk pancakes or pound cake. Or just enjoy by the spoonful, you won’t get any judgment here.
When cooking your gravy, keep the heat on medium. If you try to speed up the cooking process by turning up your heat, the sugars may not melt resulting in a gravy that’s just very thin!
It’s important to also keep in mind that you should cook the mixture until it is thickened and the whisk leaves a track (though they’ll quickly disappear) in the gravy. The gravy will still seem fairly thin when it is finished, but it should coat the back of a spoon. As it cools it will continue to thicken even more.
This is a matter of personal preference. Natural unsweetened, Dutch process, and even “Special Dark” cocoa powder will all work well here. I found that natural cocoa powder has a milder, more neutral flavor and yields a gravy that is lighter in color while Dutch-process yields a darker chocolate gravy with a deeper, more robust flavor.
No, chocolate gravy is more similar to chocolate pudding. It is not quite as thick, rich, or fudgy as my chocolate sauce/hot fudge recipe. However, you could still serve it over vanilla ice cream!
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Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! Make sure to check out the how-to VIDEO in the recipe card!
Chocolate Gravy
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
- ¼ cup (25 g) cocoa powder¹
- 3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups (355 ml) whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 3 pieces
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Whisk together sugars, cocoa powder, flour, and salt in a medium-sized saucepan until lump-free. While whisking, pour in the milk and whisk until smooth.¾ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar, ¼ cup (25 g) cocoa powder¹, 3 Tablespoons all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 ½ cups (355 ml) whole milk
- Turn stovetop heat to medium and cook, whisking almost constantly, until the mixture has thickened to a gravy-like consistency and the whisk leaves tracks through the chocolate.
- Remove gravy from the heat and vanilla extract and butter, one piece at a time, whisking after each addition until incorporated.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- Chocolate gravy will thicken as it cools. Serve warm over biscuits. See note for storing/reheating tips.
Notes
¹Cocoa Powder
You may use Dutch processed or regular unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe. I personally prefer Dutch processed, it gives the chocolate gravy a more robust flavor and a darker appearance.Storing
Leftover chocolate gravy can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave before using.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
PommeDG
Tried this as written & liked it, but then also experimented and substituted as follows:
Ingredients:
2/3 cup Golden Syrup
1 ½ ounces 70% dark chocolate (chopped)
1 ½ Tbsp corn starch
1 tsp espresso powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups half & half
½ tsp vanilla extract
Ingredient change summary:
Swapped white and brown sugar for golden syrup.
Swapped cocoa for dark chocolate.
Swapped flour for corn starch.
Added espresso powder.
Swapped out milk and butter for half & half.
Willie Jane Bryant
I always use water instead of milk and make the gravy thin! Put butter in bowl and pour the gravy! I put it in individual bowls!
David
I was going to make a country gravy than saw this recipe and tried it. My wife and I loved it, the possibilities for its use are endless. I will be making it again thanks for sharing!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so glad you gave it a try, David! Chocolate is always a winner in our book 😉
Alicia
First time making this and trying this. Yum who doesn’t love chocolate and to be able to have it for breakfast.. why not.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We couldn’t agree more, Alicia! So happy you enjoyed it 😋
Vida
Please can I use ideal milk for this?
Sam
Hi Vida! I’m not familiar with ideal milk so I’m not sure how it would work here.
Cheryl Courtney
Hi Sam! I love following you and love your Facebook page. I wasn’t raised on chocolate gravy, but my kids were. I discovered it the second week of August 1980. It was 100 plus, and I was inhaling it. Hah! It’s the only gravy my kids will eat. Hah! I can’t wait to try your version.
Sam
Thank you so much for following along! I hope you love this! 🙂
Nancy
Sounds delicious- can’t wait to try this …
Sarah
Nicest recipe ever like seriously it is sooo good the best chocolate gravy av ever tasted
Am actually a ten year old but I go through sugar spun run like ALL THE TIME
I love your recipes they always makes sense
Bcoz of u I made recipes of my own.
YOU ARE MY INSPIRATION!!😃😃😄😄😘😘🤗🤗🌹🌹💝💝💜💜💛💛❤❤❤❤💗💗💕💕💎💎
Sam
Thank you so much, Sarah! I’m so glad you are enjoying everything. Keep baking! 🙂
Andres
Can’t wait to make this tomorrow!