Chocolate Gravy
Homemade chocolate gravy only takes 15 minutes and a handful of basic ingredients to prepare. This Southern staple is delicious drizzled over biscuits, pancakes, waffles, and more!
Chocolate gravy is a popular dessert sauce in the South, especially here in Arkansas! If you’ve never had it before, it’s almost like a pourable chocolate pudding.
I know it may sound strange to some, but it’s actually something that my husband and I grew up eating. It tastes incredibly rich and decadent, but only requires just a few ingredients and less than 15 minutes of your time to make.
You’d think there’d be melted chocolate in the gravy, but the intense chocolate flavor actually comes from using a quality cocoa powder (which keeps this recipe budget-friendly, too!). Whole milk thins out the gravy without making it taste watery, and a little butter gives it a silky smooth texture.
I personally love to serve this over some warm buttermilk biscuits, but it’s delicious on top of so many other things!
Watch The Full Video To See How It’s Made
The Cocoa Powder
You can use any unsweetened cocoa powder you have on hand for this recipe, but I prefer using Dutch process cocoa powder. It has a richer chocolate flavor that’s less acidic than natural cocoa powder, which makes the chocolate gravy taste even better. (My personal favorite brands are Ghirardelli Dutch Process and Hershey’s Dark Cocoa!)
That being said, I have made this recipe with both and they taste delicious. Feel free to use whatever you have on hand!
If you’re not sure what the difference is between the two, I have a post that goes over natural vs. Dutch process cocoa powder and when to use each.
How To Cook Chocolate Gravy
- Combine the dry ingredients. You can whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, flour, and salt directly in the saucepan using a wire whisk.
- Whisk in the milk. Do this before setting your saucepan over the heat! I like to pour mine in slowly as I’m whisking to make sure everything is thoroughly mixed together.
- Cook until thickened. It’s best to whisk the mixture often and run a rubber spatula around the bottom and sides of the saucepan to prevent anything from burning. The gravy is ready once it’s thickened and coats the back of a spoon.
- Eat now – or later! At this point you can go ahead and serve it. If you’re storing the gravy for later, just press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming on top.
How To Thicken Your Gravy
I’ve never had any issues with this gravy not thickening properly. If your chocolate gravy is too thin for your liking though, add 1 to 2 teaspoons more flour and cook for another minute or two. Once the gravy coats the back of a wooden spoon, remove it from the heat. Keep in mind that it will thicken up even more as it cools!
Whatever you do, don’t crank up the heat past medium in an effort to thicken it. You’ll just end up scorching the mixture and ruining the entire batch.
Can I Make This Ahead Of Time?
Absolutely! It will last up to four days in the fridge and reheats well, so feel free to make a batch before family get-togethers or holiday brunches.
As I mentioned earlier, it’s also a good idea to press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface of the gravy before chilling to prevent a skin from forming on top.
What To Serve With It
You can smother your favorite buttermilk biscuits with this chocolate gravy, or pour it over waffles, pancakes, french toast — you name it! While I usually eat it with breakfast foods, it’s also really delicious over a scoop of peanut butter ice cream or cookie dough ice cream!
If you make this recipe, don’t forget to leave a comment below to let me know what you thought of it and how it turned out! I’d love to hear what delicious treats you poured the gravy over too. Enjoy!
Chocolate Gravy
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- ⅓ cup Dutch process cocoa powder (30 grams; can use natural too)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (24 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups whole milk (240 ml)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (43 grams)
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, flour, and salt until well combined and no lumps remain.1 cup granulated sugar,⅓ cup Dutch process cocoa powder,3 tablespoons all-purpose flour,¼ teaspoon salt
- Gradually pour the milk into the saucepan with the dry ingredients, making sure to whisk well until the mixture is fully combined.2 cups whole milk
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, whisking often, until the mixture thickens to a gravy-like consistency and coats the back of a spoon. I suggest using a rubber spatula to scrape around the bottom and sides of the pan occasionally to make sure it doesn’t burn.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, one tablespoon at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract.3 tablespoons unsalted butter,1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Serve over warm biscuits, pancakes, waffles, French toast, etc. If you’re not serving it immediately, transfer the gravy to a heat-safe bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent it from forming a skin.
